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Religious exclusivism, or religious exclusivity, is the doctrine or belief that only one particular religion or belief system is true.^[1] This is in contrast to religious pluralism.

Buddhism

Some attempts have been made to portray Buddhism in an exclusivistic framework by pointing out that the implication that those who do not accept the teachings of the Buddha, such as the Noble Eightfold Path, are destined to repeat the cycle of suffering through endless reincarnations; while those who practice the true way can reach enlightenment.^{[citation needed]} Neo-Buddhist groups sometimes consider their tradition the true path to enlightenment and engage in strong evangelical efforts to influence those they consider to be in darkness.^{[citation needed]}

However, many followers of Eastern religions are not exclusivist. For example, there are millions of Buddhists who would also consider themselves to follow Confucianism or Taoism.^[2]

Perry Schmidt-Leukel pointed out that the parable about the blind, which tries to describe the elephant in Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rûmi's Mesnevi, but whose original origin is in the Buddhist Pali Canon, is more related to religious exclusivity rather than pluralism in the Buddhist context. In the Buddhist context, the elephant refers to true dharma, the blind refers to those who have views opposing Buddha, the sighted person refers to the king who was Buddha in his previous life, and the clear statement of the text is that blind people cannot enter the path of true salvation, and this is stated in the text as blind people "cannot go beyond Samsara". Only Buddhas show the path to salvation and they will provide the means to cross the Samsara river. The parable ends with a very clear analogy: The light of other teachers is like the light of a firefly, whereas the Buddha's light shines like the sun: "When that illuminator appears, the light of the firefly goes out and shines no more."^[3]

Christianity

Some Christians^[4] have argued that religious pluralism is an invalid or self-contradictory concept. Maximal forms of religious pluralism claim that all religions are equally true, or that one religion can be true for some and another for others. Most Christians hold this idea to be logically impossible from the Principle of contradiction.^[5] The two largest Christian branches, the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, both claim to be the "one true church" and that "outside the true Church there is no salvation"; Protestantism, however, which has many different denominations, has no consistent doctrine in this regard, and has a variety of different positions regarding religious pluralism.

A number of Christian denominations assert that they alone represent the one true church – the church to which Jesus gave his authority in the Great Commission. The Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox communion and the Assyrian Church of the East each understands itself as the one and only original church. The claim to the title of the "one true church" relates to the first of the Four Marks of the Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed: "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church". The concept of schism somewhat moderates the competing claims between some churches – one can potentially repair schism. For example, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches each regard the other as schismatic rather than heretical.^[6]

Many mainstream Protestants regard all baptized Christians as members of a "spiritual Christian Church", which is not visible or institutional; this belief is sometimes referred to by the theological term "invisible church". Some other Christians, such as Anglicans of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship, espouse a version of branch theory which teaches that the true Christian Church comprises Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, Scandinavian Lutheran, and Roman Catholic branches.^[7]

Hinduism

The Bhagavad Gita warns against exclusivism:

यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम्।
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्
But that which clings blindly to one idea as if it were all, without logic, truth or insight, that has its origin in Darkness.
— Bhagavad Gita, 18:22

Although Hindu sages such as Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Sri Ramana Maharshi have the approach that all religions contain the truth and lead to the same ultimate goal, some Hindus have stated that this universalism is contrary to Hinduism.^[8]

Islam

Muslims believe that Allah revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad. Other Islamic books considered to be revealed by God before the Quran, mentioned by name in the Quran are the Tawrat (Torah, Hebrew: תּוֹרָה) revealed to the prophets and messengers amongst the Children of Israel, the Zabur (Psalms) revealed to Dawud (David) and the Injil (the Gospel) revealed to Isa (Jesus). The Quran also mentions God having revealed the Scrolls of Abraham and the Scrolls of Moses. Most Muslims, however, maintain that previous messages and revelations have been partially changed or corrupted over time^[9] and consider the Quran to be the unaltered and the final revelation from Allah. Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from banking and welfare, to warfare and the environment.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Islam began its history with an exclusivist attitude toward polytheist religions, but an inclusivist attitude toward monotheists, including Christians and Jews. Believers in the oneness of God were given the status of dhimmi, conferring on them certain rights, including the right to practice their religions openly and not to be pressured to accept Islam.^{[citation needed]}

In practice, however, neither the inclusion of Jews and Christians nor militant exclusivism toward "pagans" was always practiced. Trinitarian Christians were accused of idolatry because of their veneration of icons and were also sometimes treated as polytheists because of the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation.^[13] Islam sees sincere Jews, Christians, and Sabians as people "of the Book".^{[citation needed]}

The basic attitude of Muslims toward other religions are varied today, and certain Islamic nations, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, are more exclusivistic toward other religions than are others, such as Indonesia and Egypt.^{[citation needed]}

The hadith attributed to the prophet Muhammad and known as the hadith of 73 sects states that there will be 73 different sects and groups within Islam and that only one of these groups will reach salvation or heaven, while the others will be destined for hell. Two separate narrations of the hadith are as follows:

“The Jews split into seventy-one sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy in Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects, seventy-one of which will be in Hell and one in Paradise. I swear by the One Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, my nation will split into seventy-three sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy-two in Hell.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He said: “The main body.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3992, Book 36, Hadith 67)^[14]

Another version of Hadith: "Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "What befell the children of Isra'il will befall my Ummah, step by step, such that if there was one who had intercourse with his mother in the open, then there would be someone from my Ummah who would do that. Indeed the children of Isra'il split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects. All of them are in the Fire Except one sect." He said: "And which is it O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "What I am upon and my Companions." " (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2641, Book 40, Hadith 36)^[15]

Scholars of major Islamic sects have commented that the sect that achieved salvation in this hadith is the sect to which they belong. For example, Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Malaṭī, ‘Abd al-Qāhir Sunni scholars such as al-Baghdādī, Abū l-Muzaffar al-Isfarā'inī, al-Shahrastānī, Sunnis were the saved sect, according to an Ismā'īlī scholar such as Abū Tammām al-Khawārizmī, Ismailis, according to important Mu'tazili scholar Qāḍī 'Abd al-Jabbār the sect that achieved salvation was the Mu'tazilites.^[16]

Judaism

Most Jews believe that the God of Abraham is the one true God. The Jews believe the God of Abraham entered into a covenant with the ancient Israelites, marking them as his Chosen People, giving them a mission to spread the concept of monotheism. Jews do not consider their chosenness to be a mark of superiority to other nations, but a responsibility to be an example of behavior for other nations to emulate.^[17]

References

^ Wainwright, William J. (2005). The Oxford handbook of philosophy of religion. Oxford University Press. p. 345. ISBN 978-0-19-513809-2.
^ McDermott, Gerald R. (2005), Testing Stark's Thesis:Is Mormonism the First New World Religion since Islam?, BYU Studies, archived from the original on 2014-02-21
^ Perry Schmidt-Leukel, Religious Pluralism and Interreligious Dialogue:the Gifford lectures, New York: Orbis Books-an extended edition, 2017, p.73
^ Why Jesus? Article stating that Jesus is the saviour and not Mohammed or Buddha—see second part of this article.
^ Defending Salvation Through Christ Alone Archived 2009-10-03 at the Wayback Machine By Jason Carlson, Christian Ministries International
^ At least the Catholic position on the matter is clear, but with the Orthodox one less so. Many Orthodox object to the Catholic doctrines of Purgatory, Substitutionary atonement, the Immaculate Conception, and papal supremacy, among others, as heretical doctrines. See Vatican Insider, "Two Orthodox bishops accuse the Pope of heresy" 04-15-14
^ Knight, Frances (8 April 2016). Religion, Identity and Conflict in Britain. Routledge. p. 143. ISBN 9781317067238.
^ Frank Morales, Neo-Vedanta: The problem with Hindu universalism – Neo-Vedanta: The problem with Hindu universalism
^ Accad (2003): According to Ibn Taymiya, although only some Muslims accept the textual veracity of the entire Bible, most Muslims will grant the veracity of most of it.
^ Esposito (2002b), p.17
^ Esposito (2002b), pp.111, 112, 118
^ "Shari'ah". Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
^ Corrigan, John; Denny, Frederick; Jaffee, Martin S; Eire, Carlos (2016). "Monotheism in Islam". Jews, Christians, Muslims: A Comparative Introduction to Monotheistic Religions. Routledge. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-317-34699-9.
^ (Hadith/Tradition of Prophet) Tribulations:The division of nations
^ (Hadith/Tradition of Prophet) The Book on Faith: What Has Been Related About The Splitting That Will Occur In This Ummah
^ Kadir Gömbeyaz, The Influence of the 73 Sects Ḥadīth on the Classification of Theological Sects in Islamic Heresiographical Literature, ULUM:Journal of Religious Inquiries, 1/2 (December 2018), p.251
^ ""What Does It Mean For Jews to Be the Chosen People?" Pelaia, Ariela". Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2015-02-17.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Stance that only one spiritual belief is true}}
-[[Image:Backer Last Judgment.jpg|thumb|300px|The Last Judgment: believers ascend into Heaven while sinners and those who reject the faith are doomed to Hell.]]
+{{Discrimination sidebar}}
-'''Religious exclusivism''' is the doctrine that only one particular [[religion]] is true.<ref>{{citation|url= The Oxford handbook of philosophy of religion|page=345|author=William J. Wainwright|year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195138092}}</ref>  In its more extreme form, religious exclusivism teaches that only the members of one [[religion]] or [[sect]] will reach [[Heaven]], while others will be doomed to eternal damnation. The opposite of religious exclusivism is [[universalism]], the teaching that all will eventually share in the eternal blessings of [[God]] or the heavenly realm.
+'''Religious exclusivism''', or '''religious exclusivity''', is the doctrine or belief that only one particular [[religion]] or [[belief system]] is true.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford handbook of philosophy of religion|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordhandbookph00wain_900|url-access=limited|page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordhandbookph00wain_900/page/n297 345]|first=William J.|last=Wainwright|year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-513809-2}}</ref> This is in contrast to [[religious pluralism]].
+==Buddhism==
-Exclusivism is most prevalent in [[Abrahamic religions]]. In Jewish tradition, it manifests in certain interpretations of the concept of the "[[chosen people]]", in which anyone who does not accept the teachings of Jewish [[monotheism]] is excluded from the messianic "[[world to come]]." In [[Christianity]], religious exclusivism is seen in the former teachings of the [[Catholic Church]] and the current teachings of several denominations that only those who adhere to the true faith will reach Heaven, while those outside of the true church will go to [[Hell]]. Exclusivism is seen in [[Islam]] in the acceptance of sincere [[Jew]]s and Christians as people "of the Book" along with [[Muslim]]s, but the rejection of other religious traditions—as well as impious Jews and Christians—as "[[infidel]]s" who have no part in [[Allah]] or [[paradise]].
+Some attempts have been made to portray [[Buddhism]] in an exclusivistic framework by pointing out that the implication that those who do not accept the teachings of the Buddha, such as the [[Noble Eightfold Path]], are destined to repeat the cycle of suffering through endless reincarnations; while those who practice the true way can reach enlightenment.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} Neo-Buddhist groups sometimes consider their tradition the true path to enlightenment and engage in strong evangelical efforts to influence those they consider to be in darkness.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}
+However, many followers of [[Eastern religion]]s are not exclusivist. For example, there are millions of Buddhists who would also consider themselves to follow [[Confucianism]] or [[Taoism]].<ref>{{citation|url=https://byustudies.byu.edu/showtitle.aspx?title=7154|title=Testing Stark's Thesis:Is Mormonism the First New World Religion since Islam?|first=Gerald R.|last=McDermott|publisher=BYU Studies|year=2005|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221174108/https://byustudies.byu.edu/showtitle.aspx?title=7154|archivedate=2014-02-21}}</ref>
-Historically, religious exclusivism sometimes leads to the justification of [[religious war]]s, forced [[conversion]]s of those outside the faith, bans against inter-religious fellowship and [[marriage]], and the persecution of religious minorities. However, it is also possible to practice an exclusivist faith while generally respecting the rights of unbelievers, and this is often the case today. Many religions practice a modified form of exclusivism, in which other faiths are recognized as legitimate to a degree, but not as holy as the true faith.
+Perry Schmidt-Leukel pointed out that the parable about the blind, which tries to describe the elephant in Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rûmi's Mesnevi, but whose original origin is in the Buddhist Pali Canon, is more related to religious exclusivity rather than pluralism in the Buddhist context. In the Buddhist context, the elephant refers to true dharma, the blind refers to those who have views opposing Buddha, the sighted person refers to the king who was Buddha in his previous life, and the clear statement of the text is that blind people cannot enter the path of true salvation, and this is stated in the text as blind people "cannot go beyond Samsara". Only Buddhas show the path to salvation and they will provide the means to cross the Samsara river. The parable ends with a very clear analogy: The light of other teachers is like the light of a firefly, whereas the Buddha's light shines like the sun: "When that illuminator appears, the light of the firefly goes out and shines no more."<ref>Perry Schmidt-Leukel, Religious Pluralism and Interreligious Dialogue:the Gifford lectures, New York: Orbis Books-an extended edition, 2017, p.73</ref>
-==History==
-[[Image:Mesha stele.jpg|thumb|The Moabite Stone, also called the [[Mesha Stele]], shows that the king of Moab believed his country had been conquered by Israel because the Moabites had not acted in accordance with the will of their god, [[Chemosh]].]]
-Historically, religious exclusivism is related to the tendency of clans and tribal societies to view outsiders and inferiors, as enemies, and even as less than truly human. Tribes who make [[war]] on other tribes need to justify killing their enemies. Competition over land and resources may be the root cause of such conflicts, but tribal [[priest]]s and [[shaman]]s would certainly be likely to support such battles by invoking the god of one tribe against the other.
+==Christianity==
-In such a situation, the god of one tribal or national group would be proven superior in battle. Often a military defeat would be seen by the victorious side{{Fact|date=March 2009}} as evidence of the superiority of their god, while the defeated side would see the result as evidence of the deity's displeasure with his people. In the [[Bible]], an example of this is seen in the cursing of the [[Philistine]] champion [[Goliath]] by [[David]], who invoked the name of his deity, [[Yahweh]] against his physically superior foe (1 Samuel 17). The Israelites celebrated David's victory over Goliath as a triumph of Yahweh; but a few years earlier, when the Israelites' [[Ark of the Covenant]] had been captured by the Philistines and placed in the temple of their god [[Dagon]] (1 Samuel 4), this was seen as a result of the Israelites own sin (1 Samuel 2:12-17). Similarly, in the inscription known as the [[Moabite Stone]], King Mesha of [[Moab]] admits that the Moabite god [[Chemosh]] had grown angry with his people and allowed the king of Israel, [[Omri]], to conquer Moab until Mesha restored Moabite sovereignty by making sacrifices pleasing the Chemosh.
+{{further|Christianity and other religions}}
+[[File:Backer Last Judgment.jpg|thumb|300px|''Last Judgment'', a painting by [[Jacob de Backer]], {{Circa|1580}}: Believers ascend into Heaven while sinners and those who reject the faith are doomed to Hell.]]
+Some Christians<ref>[http://www.christians.eu/why-jesus/ Why Jesus?] Article stating that Jesus is the saviour and not Mohammed or Buddha—see second part of this article.</ref> have argued that religious pluralism is an invalid or self-contradictory concept. Maximal forms of religious pluralism claim that all religions are equally true, or that one religion can be true for some and another for others. Most Christians hold this idea to be [[logic]]ally impossible from the [[Principle of contradiction]].<ref>[http://www.christianministriesintl.org/articles/12.html Defending Salvation Through Christ Alone] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003214003/http://www.christianministriesintl.org/articles/12.html |date=2009-10-03 }} By Jason Carlson, Christian Ministries International</ref> The two largest Christian branches, the [[Catholic Church]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], both claim to be the "[[one true church]]" and that "[[Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus|outside the true Church there is no salvation]]"; [[Protestantism]], however, which has many different denominations, has no consistent doctrine in this regard, and has a variety of different positions regarding religious pluralism.
+A number of [[Christian denomination]]s assert that they alone represent the [[one true church]] – the church to which [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]] gave his authority in the [[Great Commission]]. The Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox]] communion and the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] each understands itself as the one and only original church. The claim to the title of the "one true church" relates to the first of the [[Four Marks of the Church]] mentioned in the [[Nicene Creed]]: "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church".  The concept of [[schism]] somewhat moderates the competing claims between some churches – one can potentially repair schism. For example, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches each regard the other as schismatic rather than [[heresy|heretical]].<ref>At least the Catholic position on the matter is clear, but with the Orthodox one less so.  Many Orthodox object to the Catholic doctrines of [[Purgatory]], [[Substitutionary atonement]], the [[Immaculate Conception]], and [[papal supremacy]], among others, as heretical doctrines. See [http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/ortodossi-ortodoxa-orthodox-francesco-francisco-francis-33491/ Vatican Insider], "Two Orthodox bishops accuse the Pope of heresy" 04-15-14</ref>
-==Religious Exclusivism in Ancient Greece==
-The Decree of Diopithes 430 bce forbade the worship of and belief in Gods other than those of the [[Olympian]] pantheon recognised by the Athenian Polis. The introduction of other Gods was treated as asebeia or impiety and was punishable by death. The Philosophers [[Anaxagoras]], [[Protagoras]], [[Socrates]], [[Stilpo]], [[Theodorus of Cyrene]], [[Aristotle]], and [[Theophrastus]] were accused of impiety under this decree. Socrates was found guilty of the charge of introducing new Gods and condemned to death by drinking Hemlock.
+Many mainstream Protestants regard all [[baptism|baptized]] Christians as members of a "spiritual [[Christian Church]]", which is not visible or institutional; this belief is sometimes referred to by the theological term "[[invisible church]]". Some other Christians, such as [[Anglican]]s of [[Anglo-Catholic]] churchmanship, espouse a version of [[branch theory]] which teaches that the true Christian Church comprises Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, [[Old Catholic Church|Old Catholic]], Oriental Orthodox, Scandinavian [[Lutheran]], and Roman Catholic branches.<ref name="Knight2016">
-[[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]] [[Selucid]] ruler of Israel born ca.215; died 164 bce. Antiochus decided to Hellenize the Jews by ordering the worship of [[Zeus]], when they refused Antiochus sent an army to enforce his decree.
+{{cite book
+|last= Knight|first= Frances
+|title= Religion, Identity and Conflict in Britain
+|date= 8 April 2016
+|publisher= Routledge|language= English
+|isbn= 9781317067238|page= 143
+}}</ref>
+==Hinduism==
-According to [[Herodotus]] the Caunians a Greek people who claimed to have originated in Crete and settled in Asia Minor worshipped the Olympian Gods exclusively. "They determined that they would no longer make use of the foreign temples which had been established among them, but would worship their own old ancestral Gods alone. Then their whole youth took arms, and striking the air with their spears, marched to the Calyndic frontier, declaring that they were driving out the foreign Gods."
+{{Further|Hinduism and other religions|Hindutva|Āstika and nāstika|Mleccha}}The [[Bhagavad Gita]] warns against exclusivism:<blockquote>यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम्।
+अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्
-[[Plato]] in his Laws advocates that the state should punish those who deny the existence of the Olympian Gods or believe that the Gods exist but think they are indifferent to mankind or can be easily bought by bribes.
+But that which clings blindly to one idea as if it were all, without logic, truth or insight, that has its origin in Darkness.
-[[Interpretatio graeca]] the common tendency of ancient Greek writers to identify foreign divinities with members of their own pantheon, can be seen as a kind of exclusivism. The [[Syncretism]] of the [[Hellenistic]] period whereby aspects of the cults of foreign Gods such as iconography and epithets, can also be seen as a kind of [[exclusivism]].
+— Bhagavad Gita, 18:22</blockquote>
-===Israelite and Jewish monotheism===
-True religious exclusivism, however, emerged{{Fact|date=March 2009}} with the concept of the [[Chosen People]], combined with the evolution of [[monotheism]] in [[Israelite]] society. Early in Israel's history, [[Yahweh]] was seen as the God of the Israelites, but other gods were recognized as existing for their particular peoples. The prophet [[Michah]] (4:5) states, for example: "All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever." The Israelites were chosen by Yahweh to occupy [[Canaan]] and establish a special tradition as "a kingdom of priests and holy nation." Other deities belonged to other peoples', but the Israelites were to worship Yahweh alone. Yahweh was not simply the only god for the Israelites, He was also the greatest of all the gods:
+Although Hindu sages such as [[Ramakrishna|Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa]] and [[Ramana Maharshi|Sri Ramana Maharshi]] have the approach that all religions contain the truth and lead to the same ultimate goal, some Hindus have stated that this universalism is contrary to Hinduism.<ref>Frank Morales, Neo-Vedanta: The problem with Hindu universalism –  [https://bharatabharati.in/2012/02/15/neo-vedanta-the-problem-with-hindu-universalism-frank-gaetano-morales/ Neo-Vedanta: The problem with Hindu universalism]</ref>
-<blockquote>Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Exod. 15:11) </blockquote>
+==Islam==
-This sense of superiority and exclusivity of one's national deity may well have been the attitude of most of the Canaanite peoples toward their gods.{{Fact|date=March 2009}} However, in Israel's case, Yahweh was unique, in that He could not be represented by any image, [[icon]], or [[idol]]. The prophetic campaign against [[idolatry]] also translated into the idea that the deities of other peoples were not true gods at all; thus Yahweh alone is God. By the time of the prophet [[Jeremiah]] in the late seventh century B.C.E., we find: "Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods" (Jeremiah 5) and, "Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!" (Jeremiah 16:20).
+{{Further|Islam and other religions|Divisions of the world in Islam|Islamism}}
+[[Muslim]]s believe that [[Allah]] revealed the [[Qur'an]] to Muhammad. Other Islamic books considered to be revealed by God before the Quran, mentioned by name in the Quran are the [[Tawrat]] ([[Torah]], {{Langx|he|תּוֹרָה}}) revealed to the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|prophets and messengers]] amongst the [[Children of Israel]], the [[Zabur]] ([[Psalms]]) revealed to [[David in Islam|Dawud]] ([[David]]) and the [[Injil]] (the [[Gospel]]) revealed to [[Jesus in Islam|Isa]] ([[Jesus]]). The Quran also mentions God having revealed the [[Scrolls of Abraham]] and the [[Scrolls of Moses]]. Most Muslims, however, maintain that [[Prophets in Islam|previous messages and revelations]] have been [[Tahrif|partially changed or corrupted]] over time<ref name="Distorted">Accad (2003): According to Ibn Taymiya, although only some Muslims accept the textual veracity of the entire Bible, most Muslims will grant the veracity of most of it.</ref> and consider the Quran to be the unaltered and the [[Khatam an-Nabiyyin|final revelation]] from Allah. Religious concepts and practices include the [[Five Pillars of Islam|five pillars of Islam]], which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and following [[Sharia|Islamic law]], which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from [[Islamic banking|banking]] and [[zakāt|welfare]], to [[Islamic military jurisprudence|warfare]] and the environment.<ref>Esposito (2002b), p.17</ref><ref>Esposito (2002b), pp.111, 112, 118</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title=Shari'ah | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online }}</ref>
+Islam began its history with an exclusivist attitude toward [[polytheist]] religions, but an inclusivist attitude toward monotheists, including Christians and Jews. Believers in the oneness of God were given the status of ''[[dhimmi]]'', conferring on them certain rights, including the right to practice their religions openly and not to be pressured to accept Islam.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
-The fusion of [[monotheism]] with the concept of the Chosen People brought the development of religious exclusivism to its logical conclusion. Not only was one people's god superior to another's; not only was this deity superior to all other gods; but He was in reality the one and only God which truly exists. Although he is the creator of all people, those who do not recognize and obey Him in a certain way are excluded from His blessings.
+In practice, however, neither the inclusion of Jews and Christians nor militant exclusivism toward "pagans" was always practiced. Trinitarian Christians were accused of [[idolatry]] because of their veneration of [[icon]]s and were also sometimes treated as polytheists because of the doctrines of the [[Trinity]] and the [[Incarnation]].<ref>{{cite book|first1=John |last1=Corrigan|first2=Frederick |last2=Denny|first3=Martin S |last3=Jaffee|first4=Carlos |last4=Eire|title=Jews, Christians, Muslims: A Comparative Introduction to Monotheistic Religions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vaZYCwAAQBAJ|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-34699-9|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vaZYCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT159&dq=qur%27an+%22rejected+the+christian+trinity%22+%22absolute+oneness+of+god%22 159]|chapter=Monotheism in Islam}}</ref> Islam sees sincere [[Jew]]s, [[Christians]], and [[Sabians]] as [[People of the Book|people "of the Book"]].{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
-This exclusivist tendency was softened in later Jewish tradition by teachings such as those found in the [[Book of Isaiah]], in which Israel will become a "light to the nations," so that not only Jews but [[Gentiles]] too would participate in the future messianic kingdom. This universalizing trend, however, implied a doctrine related to exclusivism, namely [[triumphalism]]. In this teaching, those normally excluded are granted a degree of inclusion through their acceptance of the true faith, or acceptance of minimal conditions associated with the faith.
+The basic attitude of Muslims toward other religions are varied today, and certain Islamic nations, such as [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Iran]], are more exclusivistic toward other religions than are others, such as [[Indonesia]] and [[Egypt]].{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
-===Christian exclusivism===
-Whether or not [[Jesus]] himself ever intended it, the Christian church has taught from the time of its earliest writings that Jesus is the only way to God. [[Saint Paul]], the first Christian writer, taught that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 6:23) and "there is none righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). For Paul, [[salvation]] lay in faith in Jesus' death and [[resurrection]] alone; and not even diligent obedience to the [[Law of Moses]] or other good works of charity and morality could bring about salvation. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 Paul taught that when Christ returns, he will mete out "retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."
+The hadith attributed to the prophet Muhammad and known as the hadith of 73 sects states that there will be 73 different sects and groups within Islam and that only one of these groups will reach salvation or heaven, while the others will be destined for hell. Two separate narrations of the hadith are as follows:
-Acts 4:12 quotes [[Saint Peter]], Jesus' chief disciple, as declaring: "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Jesus himself is quoted in the [[Gospel of John]] as saying, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
+“The Jews split into seventy-one sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy in Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects, seventy-one of which will be in Hell and one in Paradise. I swear by the One Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, my nation will split into seventy-three sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy-two in Hell.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He said: “The main body.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3992, Book 36, Hadith 67)<ref>[https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:3992 (Hadith/Tradition of Prophet) Tribulations:The division of nations]</ref>
-While other biblical quotations may be cited giving a more universalistic perspective on salvation, the fact remains that throughout most of Christian history, the [[Orthodox Church]] and the [[Catholic Church]] taught that only through faith in Jesus and partaking in the sacraments of the true church could one be saved. [[Church Fathers]] such as [[Origen]] were in the minority in teaching a [[universal salvation]] in which everyone would ultimately come to God. The majority view was that orthodox Christians alone would be saved, and any who failed to come to the true faith while they were alive on earth would be doomed to eternal damnation.
+Another version of Hadith:
-[[Image:John Locke.jpg|thumb|150px|left|John Locke taught the principle of religious tolerance.]]
+"Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr:
+that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "What befell the children of Isra'il will befall my Ummah, step by step, such that if there was one who had intercourse with his mother in the open, then there would be someone from my Ummah who would do that. Indeed the children of Isra'il split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects. All of them are in the Fire Except one sect." He said: "And which is it O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "What I am upon and my Companions." " (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2641, Book 40, Hadith 36)<ref>[https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2641 (Hadith/Tradition of Prophet) The Book on Faith: What Has Been Related About The Splitting That Will Occur In This Ummah]</ref>
+Scholars of major Islamic sects have commented that the sect that achieved salvation in this hadith is the sect to which they belong. For example, Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Malaṭī, ‘Abd al-Qāhir
-Such teachings led the Church at times to justify violence against [[heretics]], [[pagans]], and even [[Jews]] in the name of either bringing them to God or preventing the spread of false teachings among Christians. Even the [[Protestant Reformation]] did not stop the basic attitude of Christian exclusivism, as Protestants declared that Catholics were bound for [[Hell]] and vice versa. Even toward fellow Protestants, an exclusivistic attitude was often adopted, and specific Protestant doctrines were deemed essential by some and heretical by others.
+Sunni scholars such as al-Baghdādī, Abū l-Muzaffar al-Isfarā'inī, al-Shahrastānī, [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] were the saved sect, according to an Ismā'īlī scholar such as Abū Tammām al-Khawārizmī, [[Isma'ilism|Ismailis]], according to important Mu'tazili scholar Qāḍī 'Abd al-Jabbār the sect that achieved salvation was the [[Mu'tazilism|Mu'tazilites]].<ref>Kadir Gömbeyaz, The Influence of the 73 Sects Ḥadīth on the Classification of Theological Sects in Islamic Heresiographical Literature, ULUM:Journal of Religious Inquiries, 1/2 (December 2018), p.251</ref>
+==Judaism==
-After more than a century of religious war, by the late seventeenth century, an attitude of political [[toleration]] began to emerge, notably through the writings of [[John Locke]], who taught that civil authorities should not interfere in matters of religious conscience. This political attitude also spread to some—though by no means all—religious institutions. By the nineteenth centuries, several denominations relaxed their attitudes of exclusivism and some began expressing a more universalistic theology of salvation. In the twentieth century, the [[Ecumenical Movement]] promoted cooperation and mutual understanding within Christianity, based on the ideal of mutual acceptance and inter-communion. Several major denominations lowered barriers and welcomed members of other Christian faiths to share the [[sacraments]] with them. Some even extended this universalism to include adherents of non-Christian religions into the ranks of those who could be accepted by God.
+Most [[Jews]] believe that the [[God in Judaism|God]] of [[Abraham]] is the [[Monotheism|one true God]]. The Jews believe the God of Abraham entered into a [[Covenant (biblical)|covenant]] with the ancient [[Israelites]], marking them as his [[Jews as the chosen people|Chosen People]], giving them a mission to spread the concept of monotheism. Jews do not consider their chosenness to be a mark of superiority to other nations, but a responsibility to be an example of behavior for other nations to emulate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://judaism.about.com/od/judaismbasics/a/jewsaschosenpeople.htm |title="What Does It Mean For Jews to Be the Chosen People?" Pelaia, Ariela. |access-date=2015-02-17 |archive-date=2017-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222071135/http://judaism.about.com/od/judaismbasics/a/jewsaschosenpeople.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+==See also==
-===Islamic exclusivism===
+* [[One true church]]
-Islam began its history with an exclusivist attitude toward [[pagan]] religions, but an inclusivist attitude toward Christians and Jews. As people "of the Book," believers in the God of [[Abraham]] were given the status of ''[[dimmi]]'', conferring on them certain rights, including the right to practice their religions openly and not to be pressured to accept [[Islam]]. Those outside of the Judeo-Christian sphere, however, were considered to be [[infidels]]. They could be forced to convert on pain of death.
+* [[Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus]]
+* [[Far-right politics]]
-In practice, however, neither the inclusion of Jews and Christians nor militant exclusivism toward "pagans" was always practiced. Christians were accused of [[idolatry]] because of their veneration of [[icon]]s and were also sometimes treated as polytheists because of the doctrines of the [[Trinity]] and the [[Incarnation]]. As strict monotheists, Jews generally fared better than Christians under Islamic rule, but also sometimes experienced persecution. On the other hand, Islamic rulers often considered it prudent to tolerate non-Judeo-Christian religions such a [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]], especially in areas where these faiths constituted a substantial minority population under Islamic sovereignty.
+* [[Spanish Inquisition]]
+* [[Mleccha]]
-The basic attitude of Islam toward other religions remains unchanged today, but it should be noted that certain Islamic nations, such as [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Iran]], are more exclusivistic toward other religions than are others, such as [[Indonesia]] and [[Egypt]]. In addition, Islamic fundamentalist groups strongly oppose the relaxation of Islamic exclusivism, seeking instead a return to the strict standards they believe are taught in Islamic tradition.
+* [[Dalit]]
+* [[73 Sects (Hadith)]]
-===Other forms of religious exclusivism===
+* [[Sectarian violence]]
-Exclusivism is not limited to the Abrahamic faiths. Although both Hinduism and Buddhism are less prone to it, examples can be found in these traditions as well. The [[Hindutva]] and [[Arya Samaj]] Hindu sects are two examples of exclusivist Hinduism. The Hindutva movement emphasizes Hindu nationalism and opposition to Muslim influence in India, while the Arya Samaj assert the infallible authority of the [[Vedas]], implying the inferiority of other religious traditions. Many Hindus consider that those who commit [[sin]]s such as killing [[animal]]s or eating meat are excluded from reaching [[nirvana]].
+* [[Supremacism#Religious]]
+* [[Religious discrimination]]
-Buddhist religious exclusivism may be seen in the implication that those who do not accept the teachings of the Buddha, such as the [[Eightfold Path]], are destined to repeat the cycle of suffering through endless reincarnations; while those who practice the true way can reach enlightenment. Neo-Buddhist groups sometimes consider their tradition the true path to enlightenment and engage in strong evangelical efforts to influence those they consider to be in darkness. Several sects associated with{{Clarify me|date=March 2009}} [[Nichiren Buddhism]] may be included in this category.
+* [[Religious intolerance]]
+* [[Theocracy]]
-Many followers of [[Eastern religion]]s are not exclusivist though.  For example, there are millions of [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] who would also consider themselves to follow [[Confucianism]] or [[Taoism]].<ref>{{citation|url=http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfsrc/44.4McDermott.pdf|title=Testing Stark’s Thesis:Is Mormonism the First New World Religion since Islam?|author=Gerald R. McDermott|publisher=BYU Studies|year=2005}}</ref>
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
-* Corney, Peter, and Kevin Giles. ''Exclusivism and the Gospel''. Kew, Vic: St. Hilary's Anglican Church, 1997. OCLC 38819137
-* Dickson, Kwesi A. ''Uncompleted Mission: Christianity and Exclusivism''. Orbis Books, 1991. ISBN 9780883447512
-* Griffiths, Paul. ''Problems of Religious Diversity. Exploring the Philosophy of Religion''. Blackwell Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0631211500
-* Küng, Hans. ''Christianity and the World Religions: Paths of Dialogue with Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism''. Doubleday, 1986. ISBN 9780385194716
-* Quinn, Philip, and Kevin Meeker. ''The Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity''. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 9780195121551
+==Further reading==
-[[Category:Religion]]
+* [[Peter Corney (pastor)|Corney, Peter]], and Kevin Giles. ''Exclusivism and the Gospel''. Kew, Vic: St. Hilary's Anglican Church, 1997. OCLC 38819137
+* [[Kwesi Dickson|Dickson, Kwesi A.]] ''Uncompleted Mission: Christianity and Exclusivism''. Orbis Books, 1991. {{ISBN|978-0-88344-751-2}}
+* [[Paul J. Griffiths|Griffiths, Paul]]. ''Problems of Religious Diversity. Exploring the Philosophy of Religion''. Blackwell Publishers, 2001. {{ISBN|0-631-21150-0}}
+* [[Hans Küng|Küng, Hans]]. ''Christianity and the World Religions: Paths of Dialogue with Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism''. Doubleday, 1986. {{ISBN|978-0-385-19471-6}}
+* [[Philip L. Quinn|Quinn, Philip]], and Kevin Meeker. ''The Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity''. Oxford University Press, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-19-512155-1}}
+* [https://bharatabharati.in/2012/02/15/neo-vedanta-the-problem-with-hindu-universalism-frank-gaetano-morales/ Frank Morales - Neo-Vedanta: The problem with Hindu universalism]
+* [[Perry Schmidt-Leukel]], Religious Pluralism and Interreligious Dialogue:the Gifford lectures, New York: Orbis Books-an extended edition, 2017.
+* Perry Schmidt-Leukel, Buddha Mind-Christ Mind: A Christian Commentary on the Bodhicaryavatara, Leuven-Paris-Bristol: Peeters, 2019.
+* Perry Schmidt-Leukel and Joachim Gentz (Eds.), Religious Diversity in Chinese Thought, Macmillan:Palgrave, 2013.
+* Perry Schmidt-Leukel, Hans-Peter Grosshans and Madlen Krueger (Eds.), Ethnic and Religious Diversity in Myanmar, London-New York; Bloomsbury Academic, 2022.
+* Kadir Gömbeyaz, The Influence of the 73 Sects Ḥadīth on the Classification of Theological Sects in Islamic Heresiographical Literature, ULUM:Journal of Religious Inquiries, 1/2 (December 2018), pp.&nbsp;245–258 [https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3354414 doi number and link]
+{{Religious persecution}}
+[[Category:Religion and society]]
+[[Category:Religious discrimination]]
+[[Category:Religious persecution]]
+[[Category:Religious studies]]

v t e Religious persecution and discrimination
By group	Atheism Campaigns in China Exclusivism Baháʼí Faith Buddhism Christianity Persecution Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy Jehovah's Witnesses LDS or Mormon Protestantism Tewahedo Orthodoxy post–Cold War era Falun Gong Hinduism Persecution Untouchability Islam Persecution Ahmadiyya Shi'ism Sufism Sunnism minority Muslim Judaism Persecution Neopaganism Rastafari Sikhism Yazidism Zoroastrianism
Methods	Censorship Blood libel Communal violence Cultural genocide Deprogramming Desecration Domicide Discrimination Ethnic cleansing Ethnic conflict Extrajudicial killing Extrajudicial punishment Exclusivism Forced conversion Forced displacement Hate crime Iconoclasm Intolerance Pogrom Political violence Population cleansing Population transfer Sectarian violence Social cleansing Segregation State atheism State religion Terrorism Violence War
Events	Persecution of Canaanite Pagans (1210 BC-1200 BC) Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire (64–313) Persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire (c. 324–c. 491) Decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent (c.550–c. 1200) Yellow Turban Rebellion (c.184–c. 205) Battle of Tours (732) Rhineland massacres (1096) Jerusalem massacre (1099) Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent (643–1526) Inquisition (1184–1908) Massacre at Ayyadieh (1191) Northern Crusades (12th–16th cent.) Crusades against Christians (13th–15th cent.) Forced conversions of Muslims in Spain (1500–1526) European wars of religion (1522–1712) Ottoman–Habsburg wars (1526–1791) Goa Inquisition (1561–1812) French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) Expulsion of the Moriscos (1609–1614) Test Acts (1673–1829) Persecution of Muslims during the Ottoman contraction (1683–1922) Christianization of the Sámi people (1700s) French Revolutionary dechristianisation (1789–1801) Utah War (1857–1858) 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war (1860) Circassian genocide (1864) Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) Adana massacre (1909) Massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) Greek genocide (1913–1922) Pontic Greek genocide Assyrian genocide (1914–1924) Armenian genocide (1915–1923) Persecution of Christians in the Eastern Bloc (1917–1990) Soviet persecution (1922–1991) 1917–1921 1921–1928 1928–1941 1958–1964 1970–1987 legislation Šahovići massacre (1924) White Terror (Spain) (1936–1975) Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses (1933) The Holocaust (1939–1945) Genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia (1941–1945) Communist Polish persecution (1945–1989) Communist Romanian persecution (1945–1989) Noakhali riots (1946) Direct Action Day (1946) 1946 Bihar riots (1946) Rawalpindi massacres (1947) Persecution of Hindus in Pakistan (1947–ongoing) Violence against Muslims in India (1947–ongoing) Violence against Hindus in independent India (1947–ongoing) 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight (1948) Jewish exodus from the Muslim world (1948–1980) Antireligious campaigns in China (1949–ongoing) Persecution of Tibetans (1950–ongoing) Exodus of Turks from Bulgaria (1950) Religious violence in Nigeria (1953–ongoing) Istanbul pogrom (1955) Buddhist crisis (1963) Huế Phật Đản shootings (1963) Thích Quảng Đức (1963) Xá Lợi Pagoda raids (1963) Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) Four Olds (1966) Famen Temple (1966) Bangladesh genocide (1971) Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh (1971–ongoing) Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) Cambodian genocide (1975–1979) 1984 anti-Sikh riots (1984) Revival Process (1984–1989) Big Excursion (1989) Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus (1990) Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001) Ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian War (1992–1996) Bosnian genocide (1995) War crimes in the Kosovo War (1999) Walisongo school massacre (2000) Kosheh massacres (2000) September 11 attacks (2001) 2002 Gujarat riots (2002) South Thailand insurgency (2004–ongoing) Boko Haram insurgency (2009–ongoing) Maspero demonstrations (2011) Attacks by Islamic extremists in Bangladesh (2013–2016) Yazidi genocide (2014–2017) Genocide of Christians by ISIL (2014–ongoing) Iraqi Turkmen genocide (2014–2017) Persecution of Uyghurs in China (2014–ongoing) Rohingya genocide (2016–ongoing) Christchurch mosque shootings (2019) 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings (2019) 2020 Delhi riots (2020) 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel (2023) 2024 Istanbul church shooting Crocus City Hall attack (2024)
Religion