Cathuddishindormanslam

I was so inspired by this old story I heard from a professor. He heard it somewhere else, it's hardly new. But it's a story about a half dozen blind men that are placed in front of an elephant and are asked to touch it and say what they think it is. The one in front of the trunk says it's a hose; the one next to its leg says it's a column; the one next to its torso says it's a wall. I feel this way about most world religions and each time I'm opened up to a new one I see how when the rules, the words, and the robes and incense are cleared away, they are all essentially the same: a great big grey elephant. But seriously, can't all of them be summed up like this: love, serve, forgive, be thankful. Seems so simple. And then there's real life. Each religion seems to think that they are the one who is not blind. That something about them makes them uniquely qualified to be the authentic way to God.

This exclusivity has been the hardest part for me about being a Catholic. I just don't want to believe that my Jewish friend who does way more community work than I do, or the agnostic who is much more understanding and compassionate, could possibly not find favor with God.

My own view of religions is that some cultures are just more receptive to certain ways. God understands that cultures are different and had to adapt His message to suit the culture. But what happens now that our cultures are getting all mixed up since the dawn of the era of easy communication and cheap travel? I'm guessing that we end up with a whole lot more people like me, who have one foot in their religion, but are open to other ideas also. Maybe we're headed for a hybrid religion that combines the best elements of all of them. "Cathuddishindormanslam" we could call it.