ARME 5: Cohutta Springs, GA - Apr 2011

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ARME Bible Camp

Subodh Pandit

Does God Exist, Part 1

Yesterday, we came up to the point where we felt that there was a supernatural being in existence and the evidence was pretty strong.

We did not do everything, We did not look at everything, but from what we did, the evidence was strong.

So, let us call that supernatural being God.

So, does this God have 1 name or does he have many names?

If he has only 1 name, then we call it exclusivism, just 1.

If he has more than 1, it is called pluralism, more than 1 plural.

They are different paths, but end up at the same destination.

Hawke, God is in the world, but Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed are in their little closets.

We should thank them, but never return to them.

Listen to Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha, but do not get caught up in the names, listen beyond them, listen to God's breath, very profound as it sounds.

I would like you to remember just 2 phrases on that is on the screen here, listen to and listen beyond, we will come back to it in a little bit.

So pluralism recognizes not only the existence of other religions, but their intrinsic equal value.

You see if they did not say that, then a seeker like me would say then which is the best.

So if you want to say that all of the paths lead finally to the same goal, then you will have to make the, then you will have to make the claim that all of them are equal in their value.

So they are not only valid and true, but equally so.

What I did was then ask where did they get that idea?

Where did anyone get the idea that all these different claims are equally true, and that finally they will land up in the same destination, whether it's Nirvana, or whether it is heaven, or whatever you want to call it, paradise, how do you know all of them will go there?

So I asked, number 1, is that the idea you get from reading their different scriptures?

So I went to the different scriptures and here is what I would like to show you is what is written in the different scriptures.

For instance, Hinduism, Bhagavad Gita, which is the quote here, is inside another book, an epic, a big story called Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita is known as the kind of kernel or the core of Hindu thought, although it is not the only.

Bhagavad is God, Gita is song, song of God is the talk between God and a human telling him his duties.

This is what Bhagavad Gita says about Krishna.

Krishna is the seventh incarnate of the god Vishnu, but in some circles Krishna is really lifted up to a top level.

This is what Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, I am the goal, the upholder, the master, the witness, the home, the shelter and the most dear friend.

I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything.

So when I just go ahead and read, okay, the basis of everything, the resting place, the eternal seed.

And now from the introduction of the Bhagavad Gita, let there be 1 scripture for the whole world, Bhagavad Gita, let there be 1 God for the whole world, Sri Krishna, 1 hymn, 1 mantra, 1 prayer, the chanting of his name.

Islam in the Quran, the second chapter in verse 255, it is known as the coronation or regal verse of the Quran.

This is what it says, Allah, there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Supporter of all.

Buddhism, this Lord Gautama Buddha is truly the arhat.

Arhat is a person who has reached the highest state of attainment.

He is truly the Arhat, the fully enlightened, perfect in his knowledge and conduct, well gone, world knower, next word?

Leader of men to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, the Buddha, definitive article, The Lord.

They are each saying that they are the only way.

Judaism, this is from the Bible, Old Testament, the law and the prophets.

For thus said the Lord who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth, I am the Lord, and there are about 20 others.

Christianity, for there is how many other names?

No other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

If you go to the writings, Every single religion claims to be the only way.

I have not yet found a single religion which says I am a path and of course the other is also an alternate which is equally good.

It was with some people trying to avoid conflict.

They were not worried about the truth of the matter.

They were only trying to avoid conflict and that's why pluralism came around.

But in the scriptures themselves of various religions, you do not find any idea of pluralism, you find only exclusivism.

So at the heart of every religion is an uncompromising commitment to a particular way of defining who God is or is not and accordingly of divining life's purpose, every religion at its core is exclusive.

What is truly arrogant is the post-modernist pluralism which in vain pursuit of a superficial tolerance negotiates away the ultimate commitment by which any religion lives and the ultimate commitment is to say that you are the only way.

Agreement see this is what they try to do, let us make a kind of compromise, we will agree, you agree and let us all get together, but agreement cannot be made without substantial compromise of core beliefs.

I could give you a lot of examples, it is impossible to say that 1 is equal to the other, And even if there are lots of similarities, even 1 irreconcilable difference will negate all the similarities, even 1.

You can find 100, 000 similarities between 2 complex organisms, only 1 difference.

This is called Hitler and this is called Mother Teresa.

1 head, 1 head, 2 eyes, skin, lots of similarities.

Just 1 difference, Hitler, Mother Teresa.

No, even 1 irreconcilable difference negates all the similarities.

So every religion claims itself to be the only way.

We are sure that they are not saying that all of them are equal.

So what are the options when multiple claims are made as the champion?

The first is utterly absurd when we say that all are correct.

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Does God Exist, Part 1

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