Towards Universal Religion

When it comes to religion, people do not see eye to eye because they look at the observable aspects of worship instead of keeping in mind the commonality of meaning and function that is the basis of religious practice. 























Muslims pranam.  Christians pray with their heads bowed and eyes closed.  Hindus visit temples and lay wreathes or other offerings on statues of gods.  These apparent differences can divide communities when one only looks at what the physical eyes reveal. 





















If human beings could see the soul directly in such a way that the body was invisible, they would appreciate the fact that all religious practice expresses a function(s) of the soul.  For example, many religions have some of the following:

  1. Belief in a higher power or being;
  2. An entity(ies) or deity(ies) that one may pray to;
  3. Explanation of negative outcomes; 
  4. Explanation of the afterlife;
  5. Calendar;
  6. Concept of time;
  7. Instruction about the roles of men and women; 
  8. Opinion or theory about the spirits (or lack thereof) of the sun, water, air, land, and animals; 
  9. A foundation of the legal system;
  10. Methods to develop the conscience;
  11. Solemnization of marriage;
  12. Initiation of the young; 
  13. Initiation of new members of the faith community;
  14. Blessing of food;
  15. Training of a spiritual leader (e.g., shaman, minister, priest, imam, rabbi, guru, or master);
  16. Procedure to deal with the dead and to mourn; 
  17. A method to request favorable outcomes; and
  18. A way to make an offering to a religious institution or pay homage to a deity or person.


Perhaps, the soul serves a different function for parts 10-18.  The soul might be universal rather than sectarian or denominational.  For example, the soul performs the function of prayer whether the believer uses the word “God” or “Allah” and whether the prayer is done on one’s knees in a pranam or sitting in a church pew.  The apparent differences relate to form and not function.  Changing the level of analysis to focus on the soul and not the particular way individuals choose to worship can bring a lasting peace and is one large step towards universal religion.  

Share your opinion on interfaith similarities with scott@theorism.org.