Question

1. If you possess a wholehearted commitment to one religion, in what sense can you simultaneously accept the truth of another religion?

a. Is religion akin to medicine for the human spirit? Why?

b. Do all religions agree on their fundamental purpose? Why?

Answer 1

1. A whole hearted commitment to one religion can exist in simultaneity with one’s acceptance and tolerance towards others religious beliefs and practices of other people. This is because faith in religious beliefs represent a different realm of personally strong position than religious dogmas and fundamentalism. Commitment does not entail that one believes in the superiority of one’s God or gods/ goddesses and the religious community over other people’s religious God/ goddesses. According to Taliaferro et al( 2010), commitment means that a religious practitioner resolves to maintain a morally responsible balance to keep an open mind in principle and not resist revising and reevaluating aspects of one’s own commitment when te need arises in light of interaction with other beliefs and ideas.

References:

Taliaferro,C.; Draper, P. & Quinn, P.L. (2010) A Companion to Philosophy of Religion. 2nd Ed. West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley Blackwell.