| Answer
from Jesus:
The answer to the
question of whether there is only one true religion is: “Yes and
no.”
There is only one true religion, but that religion is the universal,
inner religion of God. On planet earth, there is no such thing as one
true religion. There are many true religions, because there are many
religions that teach elements of the universal path.
There are many ways to express the truth of God. Therefore, there can
be many religions who all teach a particular version of the truth of
God and of the universal path to God’s kingdom.
No religion could possibly give you a complete understanding of God.
This understanding is simply beyond words. If you will think about this,
you will realize why. The scriptures state that if everything that I
said or did should be written down, the world itself could not contain
the books that should be written. This is a slight exaggeration on the
part of the author of this particular passage, nevertheless the statement
does apply to the truth of God.
God has created the entire world of form, a world so vast that no human
being could possibly grasp the grandeur of God’s creation. If
one were to write down a complete description of all that God is, planet
earth simply could not contain the books that should be written. However,
it would not be possible to express in human words the totality of God’s
being. The inner mysteries of God simply cannot be expressed through
words.
No religion could possibly give an accurate description of God. The
importance of this statement is that the only way to know God is by
looking beyond the outer teachings and doctrines found in any religion.
The only way to know God is to discover the universal, inner path behind
the outer religion.
One truth, many religions
Why are there many religions in the world? God does not need religion.
God is a self-contained spiritual being. God does not need to be worshiped,
God does not need to be admired, God does not need to be feared. Therefore,
God does not bring forth a particular religion because God needs that
religion. God brings forth a particular religion because a particular
group of people needs that religion.
Take a look at planet earth today, and then look back at the history
of humankind. If you were to characterize the human experience with
one word, that word would have to be diversity. This small planet has
witnessed an incredible diversity in the form of many different groups
of people.
Based on my personal experience as a spiritual teacher, it is obvious
to me that it simply would not be possible to design one religion that
would appeal to all people for all time. Therefore, a particular outer
religion is given by God in an attempt to appeal to a specific group
of people living at a particular time. In some cases, a religion is
meant to be short-lived. In other cases, God hopes that the religion
will take on a more timeless and longstanding quality. Yet, you must
understand that God has absolutely no desire to see one religion replace
or suppress all other religions.
Religious conflict is wrong
I have a very deep desire to make you understand that the most meaningless
of all human conflicts is a conflict over religion. All true religion,
meaning all religion that is inspired from above, has one purpose and
one purpose only. That religion is meant to serve as a stepladder that
will help people ascend to their Father’s kingdom. In other words,
true religion is meant to help you graduate from earth’s schoolroom
as quickly as possible.
The key to entering the kingdom of heaven is to recognize the unity
behind all diversity and thereby overcome all sense of separation and
division. Therefore, nothing is more sad than to see people use religion
as a source of division and conflict. When the relativity of the carnal
mind is allowed to pervert people’s attitude towards religion,
religion inevitably becomes the source of conflict.
That conflict inevitably binds people even more firmly to the lower
consciousness, and that lower consciousness prevents them from ascending
back to heaven. Therefore, religious conflict is always in direct opposition
to the purposes of God. Religious conflict always works against God’s
reason for bringing forth religion on this planet.
If you consider yourself a religious or spiritual person, you simply
must overcome all sense of division and conflict in relation to religion.
You must have a deep respect for other people’s right to follow
a religion that is different from your own.
It is perfectly acceptable to share your religious beliefs and experiences
with other people in an attempt to inspire them. However, I do not desire
to see my followers try to convert anyone to a particular outer religion,
even a Christian religion. You might recall that I told my disciples
to go out into the world and make all people my disciples. Yet, I did
not mean that I wanted all people to become members of a particular
outer Christian church.
I am Jesus Christ, and I am a follower of the inner, mystical path to
God. I want all people to follow that inner path.
I want all people to be my disciples, but only in the sense that they
follow the universal path to individual Christhood. That path is an
inner path, and you can follow that path no matter which outer religion
you belong to, even if it is a non-Christian religion. Because the path
is an inner path, it does not require membership of a particular outer
religion.
Let me make one thing absolutely clear. God is very well aware of the
conditions found on earth. God knows how the carnal mind can turn a
true statement into a relative doctrine. God knows about the power elite
who will do anything to gain absolute power. Therefore, God is perfectly
aware of the risk associated with bringing forth religion on this planet.
Because of that risk, God simply does not grant a patent to any human
being or any human organization. No religion ever has had a patent on
God, and no religion will ever be granted such a patent.
The reason why so many Christians believe that Christianity must be
the only true religion is that they believe I was the only son of God.
If I was the only son of God, then obviously the church that I founded
must be the only true church. I hope you have now realized that the
idea of me being the only son of God is false (see Was
Jesus the only son of God). Therefore, it should be easy to accept
that Christianity is not the only true religion found on planet earth.
Let me make one thing very clear. Anyone who engages in religious conflict
is not one of my true followers. Nothing is more sad than to see a human
being who uses religion to justify the killing of one of his brothers
or sisters. I hope you realize that there is no such thing as a holy
war. The idea that it could possibly be justified to kill someone in
the name of God can only originate from the relativity and selfishness
of the carnal mind.
It has absolutely no reality in God.
If you consider yourself to be one of my true followers, then make peace
with those of your brothers and sisters who follow a religion that is
different from your own. If you cannot or will not make peace with your
brothers and sisters, how could you possibly hope to make peace with
your God? If you have not made peace with your God, how could you possibly
hope to enter his kingdom?
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Copyright
© 2003 by Kim Michaels |
