"Nobody is arguing against that. There is a lot to learn from other
religions and from other cultures. However, if the traditional church
fathers were so open to other religions, why were they so intolerant of
those who deviated a bit from their own theology? While I am not advocating
that type of intolerance, it does illustrate that the traditional view was
not open to the idea that other religions might be equal with Christianity
in truth."
I didn't claim that the early church fathers considered other religions
equal to Christianity, only that they did not consider other religions to be
inventions of devils (though as I said earlier thre were church fathers who
believed this). As for the question of heresy, it is one thing to be
indulgent of other beliefs when you believe yours are spuperior. Under
those circumstances many find it easy to be tolerant, even receptive towards
concepts they have not already thought of. Even Paul said it was not a sin
to visit pagan temples during religious ceremonies and partake of the
barbecue and eat meat from a sacrificial animal, as long as your heart was
still righteous. But if you believe your view is superior you will not
tolerate dissent in your ranks, since that would jeopardize the superiority
of your claims.
"And, I would share that belief with the tradition of the church. All
religions may be wrong. Someone is most assuredly wrong. And someone may be
correct. But all cannot be correct because of the numerous contradictions
between the religions."
They can be if the source of their differences is cultural and not
theological. All religions are correct at their core, because their core
all comes from the same source: God Himself.
Kevin L. O'Brien