Are All Religions Basically the Same? (Abdu Murray)

This presentation is part of the Relevant 2017 series (www.relevantseries.com).
Speakers: Abdu Murray
Panelists: Abdu Murray, Dr. Kirk Durston, Michelle Tepper
ARE ALL RELIGIONS BASICALLY THE SAME? WITH ABDU MURRAY
Aren’t all religions beautiful myths based on faith that all teach basically the same thing? Be a good person, love your neighbour, care for the poor, practice justice? Isn’t it bigoted and ethnocentric to say that one religion is more true to reality (science, history, the human condition) than another? Can tests of truth even be applied to religion? If so, what would they be? If religions don’t all teach the same thing, that they are fundamentally different, yet superficially the same, where do they differ?
SPEAKER:
ABDU MURRAY is North American Director with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) and is the author of "Grand Central Question: Answering the Critical Concerns of the Major Worldviews." For most of his life, Abdu was a proud Muslim who studied the Qur’an and Islam. After a nine year investigation into the historical, philosophical, and scientific underpinnings of the major world religions and views, Abdu discovered that the historic Christian faith alone can answer the questions of the mind and the longings of the heart.
Abdu holds a BA from the University of Michigan and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. As an attorney, Abdu was named several times in Best Lawyers in America.
JOINING FOR Q&A:
DR. KIRK DURSTON is a scientist and a philosopher with a PhD in Biophysics (University of Guelph), an MA in Philosophy (University of Manitoba), a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, and a BSc in Physics (University of Manitoba). His work involves a significant amount of time thinking, writing and speaking about the interaction of science, theology and philosophy within the context of authentic Christianity. He has published peer reviewed articles in both science and philosophy journals.
Kirk has been married for 35 years to Patti and they have six children and three grandchildren. He enjoys landscape photography, antiques of various types, wilderness canoeing and camping, fly fishing, amateur astronomy, reading, and enjoying family and friends.
MICHELLE TEPPER is an itinerant speaker with RZIM in the US, teaching worldwide on a number of subjects, including the problem of pain, God’s character, sex, relationships, and love.
Before moving back to home to the United States, Michelle was based in Oxford. She studied theology at the University of Oxford, was a guest lecturer at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, and spoke overseas as a part of the RZIM European team Prior to joining the RZIM staff, Michelle worked for six years as the University Chaplain for St. Aldate’s-a thriving, historic, student friendly church located in the heart of Oxford. While at Oxford, Michelle met and married her husband there. Michelle and her husband, Peter, live in Florida with their daughter, Sophia.

[@jamalkhan3708]

Ex Muslim proud Christian from Pakistan here, Much love and respect for Abdu Murray, God bless you abundantly ✊❤️

[@desilofi8268]

Hey bro contact with me i need your help are you there??

[@ricknation4214]

Abdu was Ravi Zachirias number 1 student. . It hurt that a man i revered was just a filthy pervert. But I feel less pain knowing Ravi will be thrown into hell. Head first 🙏🏻. I hope abdu doesn’t join him

[@stuartballard1592]

Why did you both pick Christianity over Judais?.

[@michaelbabbitt3837]

I studied Comparative Religion in college at the University of Washington in Seattle. I got my MA there but for my BA I had a pet project dealing with religious pluralism. So, in 1993, I went to the 100th anniversary of the Parliament of the World Religions in Chicago held at the Palmer Hilton hotel. What was funny is that I saw in action the very thing Abdul was talking about. One group of atheistic Buddhists were upset because everyone kept on saying, "We all believe in the same God." They protested this statement as inaccurate because they did not believe in any God. Religious pluralism is sort of bully movement where universalists in each religion claim that their home religion is just a different form of other religions. No, religious pluralism is, in a real way, the religion of universalism that seems to manifest in all religions and these universalists come together pretending to represent their home religion when they just represent universalism itself.

[@junesteenbrugh4765]

Do not argue with muslims love them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lamb of God.

[@asenchang8458]

Great work Sir keep it up. Always shine for Christ.

[@junesteenbrugh4765]

For all have sinned what can wash away my sin nothing but the blood of Jesus on the cross.

[@lingtree3142]

Well, when you say all religions are not true nut Christianity, every other religion is saying the same. that is their belief is right. so the logic here is there are some fundamental truth in every religion and as God can only be one and as we do not know the nature of God we must agree with the fact that all religions are true not the beliefs you have. so how they are all one because they say you to follow certain values in life, for example, Jesus says love your neighbour as thyself. so if you cannot follow it you fall less of a Christian. so all your exercise seems to me that you purpose was not to just explore the topic but to prove that your religion is right.

[@danielbrewer7299]

Keep up the good work brother

[@jimkaletaBuffalo]

Rush🤘🏽

[@bettymofokeng3404]

What a gift to the body of Christ and to His people Abdu Murray

[@amazingbibleantiquities7221]

Jesus of Nazareth has REAL clout!

[@np2035]

Thank u Sir!!!

[@vijayramaniah4670]

The question asked 46:37. Why did Jesus come at that time, what about those who died before He came? John 5:6 Is very relevant also 1 Peter 4:6.

[@jewbanqora5159]

Christianity a.k.a the religion of the 3 Abdul!!!😇😇😇

[@denisekuhlman5865]

In response to your comment , it really doesn’t matter to me what other people have done in this life. I am fully aware of what we are as humans whether it’s the catholic priests, our “hero” athletes, our star celebrities, our next door neighbors, etc. etc. the list goes on and on including all who human. What matters to me is My relationship with Jesus, the One without sin and the only One who will never let me down. My faith isn’t on man, never will be. We all fail, always have, always will, until our redemption.

[@junesteenbrugh4765]

Christians pray for President Trump he stands for Israel.

[@tanoueatekanene7519]

stupid

[@sinfonio479]

[@christinah4494]

17:02

[@edwinreynold4080]

hi, The truth is god exist: we created religions because of our different understanding about the god.

[@michaelbabbitt3837]

You missed the entire theme of the talk. No. God is not an elephant that everyone thinks is a part of God. Everyone's God or non-God is very different from each other.

[@tomlunal311]

Abdu, how do you talk about Truth and morality when you work for someone (Ravi Zacharias) who displays neither? Ravi is an academic fraud and has been involved in an online affair but will not admit to anything in order to go on with business as usual!

[@SeriousCakes]

tom lunal What is the purpose of your question? I'm not sure if it was you or someone else but I've seen almost the same exact question on another video and was wondering why you ask? Are you seeking truth?

[@tomlunal311]

Yes, how can a man who lies and has been involved in deceit for so long, especially since all of it can be substantiated, still carry on with business as usual? Is there no accountability?

[@SeriousCakes]

tom lunal He was accountable, he admitted what happened in both situations. He is not allowed to discuss everything that happened with the woman that emailed him but he came forward and said what he was allowed. Have you looked into it? I'm not justifying any kind of bad behavior, just asking.

[@tomlunal311]

Actually, Ravi has not admitted to anything. His ministry put out a statement that they would be more careful in the future when utilizing the "Dr" designation and that was it. This was never a major issue and neither I nor Steve Baughman really spent much time on this matter, to begin with.The real issues are Ravi claiming that he was a 'visiting scholar at Cambridge University", a "Professor at Oxford University" etc., which neither he nor his ministry have responded to. I outlined quite a few of the false claims that Ravi has made over the years in my previous post, claims that have been proven to be false because of official letters, documentation etc. Neither Ravi or his ministry responded to these serious issues because they obviously cannot substantiate their false claims. In terms of the online affair, we have the 'suicide note' written by Ravi and he does not deny it in the official papers filed in court and has not denied it in any public forum either. In fact, we now have information that he confessed to a Pastor that he did write the note. However, he has not admitted it publicly. As such, neither he nor his ministry have answered any pertinent issues or refuted any of the clear evidence that shows their guilt!

[@SeriousCakes]

tom lunal He wrote a long post addressing it on Facebook, did you see it? That aside though, you seem very angry about all this. Has it affected you directly somehow?

[@stuartballard1592]

sounds like you're pushing your own agenda!!!.

[@stuartballard1592]

You have a week mindset!.

[@stuartballard1592]

Jesus died for him own crimes.