I believe, in absolutely no particular order:
- The beliefs of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada form great religions.
- Moses was a great prophet and Judaism is a great religion.
- Jesus Christ was a great prophet and Christianity is a great religion.
- Muhammad was a great prophet and Islam is a great religion.
- Hinduism is a great religion.
- Buddhism is a great religion.
I know I am sufficiently ignorant of the beliefs and traditions of other religions that I am unable to comment further on whether they are great.
What makes a religion great? I believe it is not dictated by the power of its messengers, prophets, and/or gods. The greatness of a religion is dictated by its attention to love. And through this attention to love a great religion attracts a large following. Great religions recognize the power of love and preach its importance. Moreover, I think, those religions, sects, and/or groups that do not focus on the importance of love will never be able to attract a large number of followers. From the Karaniya Metta Sutta in Buddhism: (“Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.”) to John 4:18 in Christianity: (“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.“), love is a common theme.
But I believe something further. I believe my god, first and foremost, is love. Unlike John 4:18 love is not just another attribute my god possesses. It is Their defining characteristic. Their infinite virtue. In a later post we will see that I believe there are limits to Their knowledge and power. But never Their love for us.
I also believe my god is the same god that revealed Themselves to Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. What I believe is now new is the emphasis that They want placed on Their loving nature and not, for example, treatment of misdeeds, disobedience, and non-belief.
I believe in the one god. The monotheistic god of Abraham who now wants us to first and foremost love. The one god I choose to call The Greatest Love.
