Why Are There so Many Religions? - Swedenborg Minute

If there is one all-powerful God, shouldn't there be one all-accurate religion? Is the world's religious diversity a sign that nobody's really got it right? Or is it something else....

Who's Emanuel Swedenborg?


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Curtis Childs is the Director of offTheLeftEye at the Swedenborg Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to spread 18th-century philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg’s timeless message of hope to all. While obtaining his degree in communication studies from Oakland University, Curtis experienced an internal battle with depression that led him to question God, existence, and his lifelong interest in Swedenborgian theology. After a period of intense suffering, he recovered from his depression with the help of modern medicine, therapy, and a return to the spiritually uplifting messages he found in Swedenborg’s writings. Now, Curtis is applying his education and desire to help others find peace through Swedenborg’s insights by producing and hosting a weekly webcast called Swedenborg and Life on the offTheLeftEye YouTube channel. Each week, Curtis and his behind-the-scenes team pour their talents and passions into creating a new episode for a worldwide audience that focuses on spiritual and societal topics such as the afterlife, angels and spirits, near-death experiences, overcoming worldly issues, and more.

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[garryjenness]

Curtis, you are a beautiful child of God. What you say here is one of the most important truths in the world of religion. Yogananda couldn't have said it better. Bless you, Brother.

[mikeymystery]

That is reminescent of a thought I got as I realized the beauty of different people with different faith systems: "How much more brilliant is the diamond with more facets! And how great is God, that He can show Himself to every heart in the unique way! He is not so weak as to be inflexible, but so loving as to embrace and understand each and all. My God is our God, even for those who do not think they believe; for He is loving enough to believe in you, even when you don't believe in Him, and patient enough to wait, with open arms."

[bettyabote]

We are one in God nothing separate us from his love.
Thanks Curtis

[bentoleal]

I fully agree -- God is BIG, and He/She needs to relate to people where they are at -- personally, culturally, geographically, etc. -- with the goal of raising each person's spirituality, and moving humankind closer toward one another as One Family Under God.

[offTheLeftEye]

Thanks very much for the comment, Alex! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos, and I really appreciate you passing them along!

[offTheLeftEye]

Hey! Good points. 1: Swedenborg isn't arguing that God proudly authored/is pumped about every aspect of every religion. Religions are allowed to spring up and are tolerated to various degrees when they leave groups of people better off than they'd be without those religions. Swedenborg wrote that some of the most unethical people are religious, and religion doesn't excuse that. Obviously not all religion is good, and the way a lot of people interpret and live their religion is detrimental.

[offTheLeftEye]

Hey. Thanks for the comment. For the record: Swedenborg, although he says that all religions can be useful, doesn't assert that all of them are accurate (e.g. God didn't promise a part of the middle east to multiple groups of people, people just thought that he did and made it into doctrine.) That said, your journey is your own and I appreciate you sharing a piece of it here.

[wantingoneangel]

I never thought of things this way, with different styles of exercises corresponding to exercises of the Spiritual Person's inner growth. This is a lovely way to explain our differences:).  I have always believed that it is not what Religion you belong to, it is the Spirit of the Person. However, being someone who was raised Jewish, but converted to Christianity in that I am part of the Swedenborgian Church-I feel like I have started out in a simple home, but I have added a lot more rooms making that inner home larger for learning about the Love of Jesus.

[berbudy]

That sports analogy is great I just wish each sport doesn't vilify people who decide to change their sport's team that suits them better.

[offTheLeftEye]

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm all for keeping the good things and working to build a better society!

[offTheLeftEye]

So glad you're enjoying the videos, Leila!

[offTheLeftEye]

Thanks very much! So glad you're enjoying the videos!

[jjnash]

Thank you. This is fantastic. It is so easy to feel like God meant religion to be a single club, some join, others start a different club. What if there was never meant to be a club? What if it is human nature to congregate with those whom you share loves with, and unfortunately, look down upon those who don't like the logo for your club? What if none of us really have it right? What if we all have part of it, and are waiting until we get to the other life to figure out what is really going on? I have never felt that I really understood, but at the same time, it has always seemed like there is something more to life, and humanity.

[offTheLeftEye]

No, Swedenborg doesn't espouse relative truth. There's only one accurate description of reality. Some religions have pieces of it right, but he asserted that each have flaws that keep them from being the total package.

[offTheLeftEye]

Thanks very much! I appreciate the encouragement. I'm glad that you're finding Swedenborg's ideas interesting, I certainly do!

[offTheLeftEye]

Glad you're enjoying the videos! Of course, all credit for the thought in them goes to Swedenborg--I'm just retelling it like I heard it :)

[offTheLeftEye]

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[offTheLeftEye]

Statement 2: Swedenborg wrote that most of the ideas in religious doctrine are inaccurate, hence possibility for contradictions. However it's not the accuracy of ideas that are important, but the spiritual growth that people can achieve through their belief systems that matters. Even if you're mistaken about the nature of reality, you can still improve by living what you believe is right and following some variation of the Golden Rule.

[mariozammit]

Religion today is different than the religion of those days. Although Swedenborg's writings are timeless religion today has been so unjustly rearranged that it has lots of people believing views that oppose the goodness of an infinite creator.

[RealAdvocateForLiberty]

Hi BornWithLove, Swedenborg found out that when you choose what is good and true now, that is the extent you will accept such in the next life.  As you reject what is good and true in this life is the extent that you will continue to reject it in the next life.  
Maybe in this life one religion gives you some good and truth but later you are presented with another that opens you up to even more.  Embrace what good and truth is before you and you can not go wrong.  This helps me not be stressed out about anyone being in the "wrong" religion.