CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME MAJOR RELIGIONS TOWARD RIVAL RELIGIONS DR. STEPHEN A. OGDEN RELIGIOUS STUDIES BCIT LIBS 7023

CAUTIONS Dealings between religions are fraught, and must be treated advisedly. The matter must be approached at introduction (as here) from the highest degree of generality. Three facts: 1. Every form of coherent system—sporting, political, intellectual, scientific—has intense factionalism: the true believers take the minutiae with extreme seriousness.  Cf. Darwinism 2. Religious interactions are con-fused with ethic, nationalist, and political oppositions and histories. 3. There are exceptions, and ranges of people and practice, within any one religion

A CCCOMODATION E XAMPLE Buddhism tends to live side-by-side with both animist and systematic religions Consistent with its pantheistic theology In Japan, Buddhist and Shinto priesthoods and rituals are evenly woven into the culture and civilisation. BUDDHISM

A BSORPTION E XAMPLE Hinduism attempts to absorb rival religions—their Gods and their practices— theologically and culturally. Acknowledge & respect the divine in other religions Consistent with its polytheistic theology Hinduism in India has been generally accepting of Christianity & Islam: episodes of conflicts tend to be instigated by the latter two. Exceptional case of Sikhism, which is a break- away from Hinduism. HINDUISM

CO-OPTATION E XAMPLE Christianity attempts to ‘baptise’ rival religions by incorporating them as components of the total system. Follows the method of the Roman Empire to conquered peoples Days of the week and months of the year in Christendom have the names of co-opted gods Major Christian festivals are festivals of co-opted religions Christian culture retains and applies supplanted gods, heroes, and art. CHRISTIANITY

ANNIHILATION E XAMPLE Islam consistently applies its basic dogma—God is one—and thus takes a binary approach to other religions Atheism is likewise consistent with its titular dogma—there is no God— and is dedicated to the cultural and intellectual elimination of rival religions, For Islam, a controversy…. For Atheism, see Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion; and Christopher Hitchens, God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. ISLAM AND ATHEISM