A Comparative Study Of Major World Religions
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
What is the fate of all the major religions? All of them confluencing through their eschatology? Time will reveal.
Christianity
- Emphasis on inner purity. Soul.
- Monotheistic.
- Founder: Jesus Christ.
- Eschatology figures: Jesus (Second coming) and Anti-Christ.
- "...he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. ... We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come." [3]
Islam
- Emphasis on practical life.
- Belief in Judgement Day (Sinners).
- Monotheistic.
- Founder: Muhammad (SM).
- Time and Place: 6th century Arabia. Jahiliyyah Period ("ignorance of divine guidance").
- Muhammad (SM) with the help of his spiritual, political and military leadership, established a level of peace and security that Arabia had never known before.
- Eschatology figures: Jesus, Imam Mahdi and Dajjal.
- Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until the son of Maryam (Jesus) descends amongst you as a just ruler; he will break the cross, kill the swine, and abolish the Jizya tax. Wealth will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it." [1]
- When the Mahdi appears, Allah will cause such power of vision and hearing to be manifested in believers that the Mahdi will call to the whole world from where he is, with no postman involved, and they will hear and even see him. [2]
- The Messenger of Allah say: "The Mahdi is of my lineage and family". [2]
- Find happiness. End sufferings.
- Science of mind.
- Karma. Reincarnation.
- Founder: Gautama Buddha.
- Agnostic views about God.
- Eschatology figure: Maitreya. A future Buddha of the world. World Teacher [4].
- One mention of the prophecy of Maitreya is in the Sanskrit text, the Maitreyavyākaraṇa (The Prophecy of Maitreya). It implies that he is a teacher of meditative trance sadhana and states that gods, men and other beings:
- "will lose their doubts, and the torrents of their cravings will be cut off: free from all misery they will manage to cross the ocean of becoming; and, as a result of Maitreya's teachings, they will lead a holy life. No longer will they regard anything as their own, they will have no possession, no gold or silver, no home, no relatives! But they will lead the holy life of oneness under Maitreya's guidance. They will have torn the net of the passions, they will manage to enter into trances, and theirs will be an abundance of joy and happiness, for they will lead a holy life under Maitreya's guidance." (Trans. in Conze 1959:241) [4]
- Inner Life, purity of consciousness / soul.
- Karma. Reincarnation.
- Oneness. Everything is one with the divine. God is everywhere.
- Founder: No one particular founder. Saints and sages of ages.
- Eschatology figure: Kalki (meaning 'Eternity,' 'White Horse,' or 'Destroyer of Filth'). He will usher in Satya Yuga.
- "At the end of Kali Yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen, and when the power of government is transferred to the hands of ministers elected from the evil men, and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser." - Bhagavata Purana, 2.7.38 [5]
What is the fate of all the major religions? All of them confluencing through their eschatology? Time will reveal.
References
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