The Teachings of the God of Love Will Bring About Peaceful Coexistence

The Middle East is the origin of the conflict between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity that engulfs the world today.

The truth is these three closely related religions are receiving guidance from the same God: the god of love, Elohim (also known by the name El). This is the God of Earth, ‘El Cantare’, who has guided mankind through religion from the beginning of time. In that sense, the proposition of religious pluralism is correct, and can be said to be a powerful approach to achieving peace and coexistence between the religions.

The central teachings of El Cantare are the universal teachings of love. Christianity and Islam, that emphasized these universal teachings of love, became world religions precisely because of its universality.

The central spirit of this God, El Cantare, is now living on Earth as Master Ryuho Okawa, the founder of Happy Science, and continues to teach love.

“My Fear Of God Turned Into Love For God”

“After my encounter with Happy Science, I learnt about forgiveness, and was able to change my fear of God into love for God. Until then, I had thought of God as a fearful existence who punished mankind, but after reading Master Okawa’s books, those feelings of fear slowly began to dissipate.”

Those were the words of a woman born and raised as a Muslim in a strict Islamic country. In her country, religious conversion is punishable by death. Despite this, there are Happy Science members in the Islamic world who pursue its teachings.

“Terrorists Don’t Pray”

How do these people feel about Islamic terrorism? A different member said the following:

“It is doubtful whether the terrorists are really Muslims. Many of the people involved with terrorist organizations don’t even pray. Since they don’t study the teachings, their minds are impoverished and thus obstruct peace.

“In Islam, Muhammad is said to be the last prophet, but I had always thought that God would definitely provide new teachings for a new age. So since my encounter with Happy Science, I have pursued the teachings with vigor.”

Another member spoke of the Charlie Hebdo incident, where the publication of a cartoon of Muhammad prompted an attack by Islamic extremists.

“In Islam, many evils are forgiven through repentance, but this is not so in the case of an insult towards Muhammad: that cannot be forgiven. Even those Muslims that oppose the extremists would illogically burst into a fit of rage if Muhammad were made a joke of. I think this would be something that non-Muslims would find hard to understand. ”

“Also, in Islam people think of themselves as ‘those who serve God’, unlike in Happy Science where people are considered to be ‘children of God’. It is true that serving God is connected to modesty, but it gives rise to one problem. Those who do not believe in God are said to be ‘traitors to God’, and will incur the wrath of God to be sent to suffer in hell.”

The people who know of the teachings of El Cantare are able to hold an extremely objective stance despite living in the Islamic region.

Due to historical events, “In Judaism, Hatred Is Stressed Over Love”

One Happy Science member who was born in America into a Jewish family and attended a Jewish school said the following:

“I liked Jewish traditions and stories from Judaism, but much of what I learnt was about the differences between Judaism and other religions, or of the Nazis and the Holocaust.

“I think that since the Jewish people were discriminated against, a lot of emphasis was placed on hatred over love, and denomination where autonomy is prized.

Happy Science is looking to the future. The teachings for the inner happiness of the individual bring about peace. I think that we need to emphasize what our souls have in common, and not the differences.”

The Charlie Hebdo Incident Is Not a Case of “Religion Versus Freedom Of Speech”

In January this year, Master Ryuho Okawa gave a lecture in Tokyo entitled “Lecture on The Laws of Wisdom”, Master raised the concern that the Charlie Hebdo incident was being reported as a case of ‘religion versus freedom of speech’. To this, he said the following:

Those studying the teachings of Happy Science in Islamic countries said the same.

To grasp El Cantare’s teachings of true love, and to understand one another: this is the path to peaceful coexistence.