C. David Lundberg

For hundreds of years, mankind has used religion as a source of division and a justification for war (our God is better than your God). This book looks at the very deep similarities between the world's major religions.

Each of the thirty-three major points are illustrated with quotes from each religion's holy books. Along with the Talmud, Bible and Qu'ran, there are also quotes from the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita (Hinduism), the Dhammapada (Buddhism), the Tao Te Ching (Taoism) and the Doctrine of the Mean (Confucianism).

Here are some of the areas in which the world's religions are similar. Life, with God, is Good, God gave us free will, so we are responsible for all we create. We are a part of God. There is One, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God, who created all good things. Maintain inner peace. Give praise and gratitude to God for all the blessings of life. God is Everywhere and Eternal. Live with moderation and balance in this world. Your body is God's temple, so keep it in good condition.

Always live by the Golden Rule. Help others and be charitable. Do no harm. Be patient. Respect others and don't judge them, unless their choices will harm the innocent. Be honest and merciful toward others. Acquire wisdom and knowledge to help you accomplish your goals. Use effort, persistence and discipline to help achieve your goals.

Step away from the religious radicals and hotheads, on all sides, and the world's religions are not so different, are they? This book can be opened to any page, and it will show that the different conceptions of God around the world are very similar. It is recommended for everyone, religious or non-religious.… (més)

100 pages into this book, I must admit that I've been reading it wrong. This is a book to be savored, not studied. For the first time ever, I’m providing a review before I finish a book … because I refuse to read this one like a novel or a textbook. Instead, I'm going to read a little each week, finding words to meditate upon for that week. With that in mind, and with David’s permission, I'll get the word out now about his accomplishment and then let its chapters form the basis of a few blog posts over the next few months. I have no qualms about awarding an early rating of five stars.

David Lundberg has carefully compiled quotes (over 800 of them) from seven of the world's major religions--Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism--and organized them together under inspirational topics to emphasize how all of our religions are founded upon the same God-given principles. It's an undertaking that must have been enormous.

Now, I don't actually think David has discovered a supernatural thread running through the world's religions. There is nothing very mystical in these teachings, as if a Higher Power purposefully seeded each religion in the same manner. And to be honest, it does seem like David pushes the boundaries just a little here and there to squeeze all seven religions into every one of his topics, but if you're satisfied with comparing the spirit of the writings instead of demanding a perfect fit, it all comes together. There's something very satisfying about reaching down to our religions' common denominators and finding the same spirit throughout the world. Especially when a recent poll reveals that 69% of American adults believe that religious differences are the biggest roadblock to the attainment of world peace.

True story: my review copy arrived about a month late for some reason. My blog partner would call this timing a "God thing," because I happened to turn the cover just as I was going through a trying experience. Chapter one begins with the principle that "life with God is good," and shows how this teaching permeates all seven religions. Even though the various religions picture God in different ways, this worldwide discovery had a settling effect. So, yeah, I felt an immediate connection.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Christianity is my heritage, and Jesus is my guy. But I couldn't count the number of times I have tried to initiate a forum discussion highlighting the underlying commonalities of various religions, in hopes of uncovering the foundation—the God-experiences and the universal understandings—shared by all. I personally think David's dig-down religion, and his picture of the universal God, is still a bit restrictive (God for David is omni-everything but still very personal and conscious, in a manner which doesn't seem to me to entirely jibe with the concept of "God" in various Eastern religions), but I'll just chalk David’s up to an eighth religion with similar principles. :)

We all have divine potential, David insists, and he discusses 22 responsibilities that we need to attune to, according to our various religions, in order to grow in our Oneness with God. I haven't gotten through all of them yet, but I’m finding his book to be an inspiring and promising bit of research. Highly recommended!… (més)