Religious pluralism refers to different religious beliefs working together, with at least four different concepts implied. It is broader than religious tolerance and suggests that different religious truths and values exist. Pluralism can cause problems for religions that preach exclusivity. It can also mean efforts to form an overall spiritual community and practitioners build their personal spiritual doctrine from a variety of traditional religious beliefs. The goal is to bring people together despite different backgrounds and beliefs.
Religious pluralism is a commonly used term with several distinct meanings. Depending on the context, the term covers a wide variety of theological and philosophical discussions. At least four different concepts can be implied by this term, although each revolves around the central idea of different religious belief systems working together.
In many cases, this term is used synonymously with religious tolerance, although the two concepts have distinct meanings. Religious tolerance implies that each person is entitled to their own set of beliefs without judgment or conformity to a cultural or social standard. It is a doctrine of religious tolerance implicit in the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion. While religious pluralism includes tolerance, it is a broader term that asserts that possible religious truth and value exist in many different doctrines, not just that of the particular individual.
Some theologians argue that an omniscient deity, such as God, created all religions to speak to people in ways that are most appealing to or related to their life circumstances. As such, even though their customs are different, they all come from the same source. As a theological argument, pluralism suggests that if all religions come from the same original source, then all must possess similar truth. This argument emphasizes the similarities between religion, often citing common stories, figures, and doctrines.
Suggesting that all religions have truth and value causes major problems for religions that preach an exclusivist idea. Some religions will claim, using quotes from their relevant texts, that their way is the only way to live properly. Some go so far as to insist that those who do not convert will be punished in the afterlife or should not be closely associated on Earth. Doctrines like this are difficult to resolve and pluralists are often forced to resort to a doctrine of tolerance, as it is paradoxical to embrace both an inclusive and an exclusive view.
Pluralism has also come to mean efforts between different denominations and different faiths to form an overall spiritual community. This is often used by leaders of the Christian faith to promote unity between the many different doctrines of Christianity. Since many religions have a similar core goal or belief, proponents argue, they should be able to work together.
Those who identify as practitioners of religious pluralism often mean that they have built their personal spiritual doctrine on a wide variety of traditional religious beliefs. Rather than subscribing to a particular religious sect, pluralists pick and choose which beliefs resonate with them, regardless of source. They often believe in relativism, which suggests that all possible explanations for religious beliefs must be equal, since no conclusive evidence has ever been found that proves an idea is right. Pluralists can participate in many different spiritual services and rituals with traditional churches, or they can choose to focus on an individual spirituality.
The concept of religious pluralism is complicated, particularly as regards logical analysis. Many religions sharply contradict each other on some points, making pluralists stuck in the middle on some topics. The goal behind all definitions of the term is to bring people together despite different backgrounds and belief systems. Historically, such efforts to promote unity and inclusion in society have had varying success, but are often lauded as attempts to advance society.
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