Why are there differences in the idea of devotion to God among religions?

[Shri Anil asked: Pādanamaskāraṃ Swami! In western religious scriptures like the Quran etc. fearing God is stressed more than loving God. For instance, in the Quran, it is mentioned: “O you who believe! Fear God as He ought to be feared and do not die except as believers.” (Quran 3:102). In the Bible, God is treated as the Father. God is thus treated as the Father who fulfils all the devotees’ needs as they are His children. This concept has gone into our blood and bones from childhood through various preachers, who have preached this concept saying that it is love for God. But concepts such as serving God without any expectation etc. are not very much stressed in these western scriptures. Now from Your knowledge, we have learnt that one has to treat God as one’s adopted Son rather than Father. Swami, I want to know why these finer concepts have mostly not been touched upon by the western religious scriptures? Had these been touched upon in those scriptures, there would not have been such an increase in the business-type of devotion developed in the children from their childhood. Is it that the spiritual level of the listeners and the then existing circumstances of society did not allow God to reveal these finer concepts, in that part of the world during that time? Also, I find that metaphysics was not much developed in those scriptures as in the scriptures of Hinduism. Please give Your response to the following question, at Your Lotus feet –anil.]

Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! Based on the psychology of receivers, God gave suitable concepts for their assimilation. Merely delivering the concepts is not important for the divine preacher or the Human Incarnation of God. The proper digestion of the concepts by the receivers is more important. God is the impartial Father and except for the above reason, there is no other reason why He would show some difference in what He preaches to people in various places of the world. The cultures that had developed in various regions of the world were different and the attitudes of people were also different. The ultimate essential concepts delivered by God in all places were one and the same. Only the modes in which the same concepts were introduced were different. In fact, even in the same religion called Hinduism, there was a lot of variation in the attitudes of people. As a result, different sub-religions developed in Hinduism itself. To reform a set of souls belonging to a similar psychology, God adopted a specific way of introducing a certain concept. Before introducing the final concept, the preacher has to follow the psychology of the receiver for sometime. It is just like running along with a powerful bull for sometime before controlling it. Since there are differences in the psychologies of people belonging to different cultures, the preaching has to initially follow their respective psychologies. This is what makes the preaching given by the same God to different sets of people appear different. It is only the initial running along with different bulls, in different directions. The final step of controlling the bull is one and the same for all people in all regions.

Hindus had a high I.Q. and hence, there was much development of metaphysics with enlightened theoretical knowledge. Christians have much love and kindness in their hearts and therefore, the concept of practical service or practical devotion is developed in Christianity. Muslims are very sincere and emotional and hence, the concept of theoretical devotion is developed in Islam. God preached all these concepts everywhere, but, based on the different attitudes of the people, different steps, out of the same spiritual journey, became prominent in each religion. When the receivers have a lot of love and affection, it is convenient to explain the relationship between God and soul to them as a Father-child relationship. When there is a lot of sincerity and emotion in the receivers, making them strictly follow orders based on the fear of God works well. When metaphysics is developed among the receivers, it is revealed to them that the same Father-child relationship between God and the soul is to be reversed. After deep analysis, the devotee is told that he should be like a father and treat God as his adopted son. It means that the devotee should continue expressing his love for God practically, in the form of service and sacrifice, irrespective of whether God responds to him favorably or unfavorably.

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| Shri Datta Swami | Why are there differences in the idea of devotion to God among religions? |

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