When we make the sentimentally comforting, yet unthinking, claim that "all religions are the same", we are unwittingly betraying the grandeur and integrity of this ancient heritage, and contributing to weakening the philosophical/cultural matrix of Hinduism to its very core.
No Radical Universalism, Please!
Each and every time a Hindu upholds Radical Universalism, and bombastically
proclaims that "all religions are the same", she does so at the dire
expense of the very Hinduism she claims to love. To deny the uniqueness and
greatness of Hinduism leads, in turn, to a very unhealthy psychological state
of self-loathing, a sense of unworthiness and a schizophrenic confusion on the
part of anyone who wishes to consider themselves Hindu.
Why Kids Lack Interest
This is especially the case for Hindu youth. The effects of this debilitating
inferiority complex, coupled with the lack of philosophical clarification, that
result from the denigrating influence of Radical Universalism are the principal
reasons why Hindu parents find their children all too often lacking a deep interest
in Hinduism and, in some cases, even abandoning Hinduism for seemingly more
rational and less self-abnegating religions.
Who, after all, wants to follow a religion in which it is claimed that the very basis of the religion is to exult the greatness of other religions at its own expense?
The Answer is One
If we want to ensure that our youth remain committed to Hinduism as a meaningful
path, that our leaders teach Hinduism in a manner that represents the tradition
authentically and with dignity, and that the greater Hindu community can feel
that they have a religion that they can truly take pride in, then we must abandon
Radical Universalism.
If we want Hinduism to survive so that it may continue to bring hope, meaning and enlightenment to untold future generations, then the next time our son or daughter asks us what Hinduism is really all about, let us not slavishly repeat to them that "all religions are the same".
Let us Teach Them Sanatana Dharma
Let us instead look them in their eyes, and teach them the uniquely precious,
the beautifully endearing, and the philosophically profound truths of our tradition…truths
that have been responsible for keeping Hinduism a vibrantly living religious
force for over 5000 years. Let us teach them Sanatana Dharma, the eternal way
of Truth.
