We All Think Our Religion Is the Right One

Of course we do.

When your spiritual beliefs are an important priority in your life, you research and carefully select your religion. You consider what the different religions of the world say and you go with the one that feels the most truthful to you. You test religious beliefs against your inner compass.

I expect that, like me, you’ll find that there’s one religion that seems tailor made for you. It’s perfect. It makes sense. It seems so clear and so obvious…how is EVERYONE not already practicing this religion?

Maybe they just don’t know about it? Maybe you have to share it with them?

Probably not. Most likely others who prioritize spirituality in their lives have found the religion that makes the most sense to them. They’re all different. Because even if we are (as I believe) all ONE and part of the same divine, it is a divinity of huge variety.

I think it’s kind of like how people sometimes say that the Gods are various representations of different aspects of the same divinity. The ultimate divinity is too complex for the human mind to comprehend, so its aspects are broken down into different personified characters for us to relate to (that is one form of Hinduism though certainly not the only one). I think people are the same way. Our great variety are all different aspects of the same divinity.

But we are all different. Not just because we display different aspects of one large divine but also because we’re at different stages in our lives and development.

People always have the right to make their own choices.

And while Hinduism makes perfect sense to me and I can’t imagine a more perfect religion, not everyone is like me and not everyone needs to be like me.

It’s tough to remember that something that is great for us might not be perfect for someone else. This happens all the time in lots of different ways. A medication that perfectly controls symptoms for one person doesn’t work at all for their friend. A book you loved has a pile of one-star ratings on Amazon.

So yes, of course I think Hinduism is the greatest religion in the world but I do my best to keep that thought mostly to myself. I try really hard to respect other people’s religious choices. I’m not always successful. But it’s important to me not to force anyone to make the same choices I’ve made.

While I see everyone as moving towards Hinduism, I know that Christians see everyone as moving towards Christianity and Muslims see everyone as moving towards Islam. I’m not more right than they are just because I want to be!

I will continue to love and practice Hinduism but it’s also important to me not to fall into thinking that everyone in the world would be better off if they were Hindu too!

Hindus have a reputation for great religious tolerance but part of that may be that it mostly exists in large hubs where it is very strong and the most common religion. One writer, Trishna Rana, makes a good point about Nepal:

“To the world we like to project ourselves as a tolerant and accepting country and for the most part we have managed to coexist peacefully. But our religious tolerance only extends as long as followers of other faiths do not challenge the ascendancy of Hinduism.”

True religious tolerance is respecting people’s right to choose whatever path is best suited to them and their life and being okay when they don’t pick the same path we have. It’s natural to feel that our religion is the best one but it’s important to remember that all religious people of every religion feel that way!