Critizising other Religions
The Lord is universal but the human beings in the universe differ in their attitudes. The same single Lord adopts a different procedure in a different region and such different procedure appears as a different religion. A few criticize the Lord of other religion. You are criticizing your own Lord of your own religion. The external behavior of the Lord differs due to different internal and external behaviors of the human beings in this universe.
The external form, dress, language, food habits and culture of human beings differ from one region to the other. Accordingly the external form, dress, food habits, language and culture of the Lord also differ to suit that particular region. The internal Lord and the internal essence of the same Lord is one and the same in His different human incarnations which have come in different regions or religions.
I think I know what you mean, Anil. But even if a particular religion were perfect, people are not synonymous with their professed religion. It may require critical thinking to discern where practice deviates from theory. And, of course religions, themselves, being human products are never perfect. It’s a good thing to be critical not only of other’s religion but also of one’s own and of one’s own practice of one’s own. If the goal is effective religion, one shouldn’t stop at criticsm but investigate whether theory and practice can be improved.
The same Lord came to different parts of the world in different age to preach the same Divine Knowledge. All the scriptures of the world are the records of the knowledge given by the same Lord and hence cannot contradict each other. Yet we find sometimes that there are some glaring contradictions between different scriptures of the world. This is in part due to fact that the Lord taught the same truth in different ages and places in a slightly different way, so as to suit the culture and language of the people. This is only an extraneous difference. The essential knowledge is the same. Correct interpretation will remove the contradiction.
Sometimes there may be an apparent difference even in the essential meaning.
In such as case the inconsistency is probably caused by corruption of the scripture over generations. Comparison with other scriptures of the world will help in removing the corrupted portions in each scripture. Here it becomes essential to bring in experience as a prama?a or a valid means of knowledge. While comparing contradictory views in different scriptures, the view which agrees with experience or anubhuti should be taken as correct.
Religion is like a medium of instruction and spirituality is the curriculum. One can get doctorate degree through any medium and a doctorate will be respected by all over the world equally. Thus we should pursue to reach higher levels in spirituality in our own religion. Nobody need not change his religion. Change of religion is moving horizontally and moving to higher classes in spiritual curriculum is moving vertically, which is only called growth. Spirituality is beyond religion. Infact any true divine preacher never confined to any one particular religion, caste, creed etc, because all require God.