One Truth, Many Paths
Passages from diverse scriptures affirm that religions that do not share the faith of that scripture nevertheless contain elements of Truth. They affirm that all genuine religions worship the same God. Thus, the Qur’an affirms that Jews and Christians are People of the Book who worship the same God as the God of Muhammad. The Sikh scriptures affirm that there is one God for Muslims and Hindus. A Shinto text affirms that the chief Shinto deity is essentially the same as the Buddha.
Further, scriptures affirm that each religion is a path to the same Supreme Goal. Here we have the famous images of many rivers flowing into the same ocean or a mountain with many paths leading up to the same summit. The religions of the world begin by addressing the needs, customs and circumstances of diverse cultures, but as they elevate humanity they draw closer together as their paths converge to the One.
In this regard, Father Moon affirms that God inspired each of the great religious founders with a message appropriate to the culture and times in which he lived. He honors them as humanity’s true guides, who sent to the earth within the providence of God to help humanity progress towards the ultimate goal.
Certainly, every religion considers its way the best and highest path. The Bible says that Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life,” and that “nobody comes to the Father but by me.” The Qur’an states that it is the only accurate witness to the previous revelations—the Torah and the Gospel having suffered corruptions and interpolations. Nevertheless, we are cautioned to be humble before the higher wisdom of God.
As the Parable of the Blind Man and the Elephant teaches, each way may touch the truth without seeing its entirety. Father Moon likewise sees religions at different levels, due to their appearance at different ages in the course of humanity’s spiritual development. Yet the differences among religions should not obscure the core truth they hold in common. Hence, religious people can overlook their differences and find common ground.