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believes that "the differences of belief between (and within) the traditions are legion" and has often discussed these conflicts in great detail (Hick 1983, 487). His basic pluralistic claim, rather, is that such differences are best seen as differing ways in which differing cultures have conceived of and experienced the one ultimate divine Reality. Each major religious perspective "constitutes a valid context of salvation/liberation; but none constitutes the one and only such context" (Hick 1984, 229, 231).

Why, however, select only the paths offered by the world's great religions as ways to salvation? For Hick the answer lies in the fact that, unlike "Satanism, Nazism, the Order of the Solar Temple, etc.," the world's great religions offer paths that lead us away from "hatred, misery, aggression, unkindness, impatience, violence, and lack of self-control" to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Hick 1997b, 164). Some, though, see this sort of ethical standard for acceptable salvific perspectives to be as arbitrary as the standard for acceptable paths to salvation set forth by exclusivists or inclusivists (Meeker 2003, 5). In fact, some have questioned whether, given this rather specific ethical criterion for assessing the salvific adequacy of religions, Hick's perspective should actually be considered pluralistic at all.

S. Mark Heim, for instance, argues that pluralists such as Hick are really inclusivists in disguise in that they advocate only one path to salvation — the transformation from self-centeredness to Reality-centeredness — and thus in essence deny that diverse religions have real, fundamental salvific differences. A better, more honest salvific pluralism, we are told, is to acknowledge that each religion has its own path to salvation that may be either similar to or different from that of other religions. That is, a more honest pluralistic perspective is to deny that the seemingly different salvific paths offered by various religious traditions are all just culturally distinct manifestations of the same fundamental path and maintain instead that salvific paths of various religions remain incompatible, but equally valid ways to achieve salvation. This is not to say, of course, it is acknowledged, that all the details of all the salvific paths are actually true since some of the relevant claims are inconsistent. But the appropriate response to this is not to claim there is one true path to salvation. It is rather to claim that many distinct paths, while remaining distinct, can lead to salvation (Heim 1995).

Pluralists have a major dilemma - how to denounce all beliefs as "of course not actually true" yet give them all equal credibility.

Critics, however, wonder whether part of this seeming disagreement is verbal in nature. Heim can appear to be bypassing the question of whether there is some sort of final, ultimate eschatological salvific state that the proponents of various religious perspectives will all experience, emphasizing rather that many distinct religious paths can liberate people (produce salvation) here and now (Peterson et al. 2003, 280). Hick, on the other hand, seems most concerned with the nature salvific reality — with what it means to experience salvation — while not denying that there exist in this world distinct ways that remain distinct to access this ultimate reality.

7. Conclusion

As we have seen, discussions of religious diversity lend themselves to no easy answers. The issues are many, the arguments complex, and the responses varied. It would be hard, though, to overstate the practical significance of this topic. While some (many) issues that philosophers discuss have practical implications for how we view ourselves and treat others, none is more relevant today than the question of religious diversity. Exclusivistic religious convictions have not only motivated impassioned behavior in the past — behavior that has affected significantly the lives of many — such convictions clearly continue to do so today. So to the extent that such exclusivistic behavior is based on inadequate conceptual tools and/or fallacious reasoning, the continuing philosophical discussions of religious diversity that clarify issues and assess arguments may well be of great practical value.

"...based on inadequate conceptual tools and/or fallacious reasoning" I thought in this society we were all to be accepting and tolerant? Exactly how does he think these discussions that clarify issues and assess arguements may be of "great practical value"? That is an ominous statement, even a clear and present danger.

BlessedCause Conclusion:

How is "Philosophy" getting a free pass to rule and reign in California’s State Standards of Education? This is an established belief system of which pluralism is a sect. A religion by any other name is still religion. These people have a self-preserving interest in avoiding the title "religious" therefore "claims that they are what they themselves claim they are" is invalid.

If there is a separation of church and state, and if "church" is meant to mean all forms of religious beliefs, then THESE BELIEFS must be banished as well, and they are being forced to be learned as truth.

If there is to be separation of church and state, then philosophy must also be removed; failing that, at the very least, must be restricted from establishing a hate religion against God and teaching hate as "reason." The titles of numerous books written by professors of philosophy at America’s most prominent universities and institutions are dedicated to attack faith and religious beliefs. Their books are often so cleverly titled that one might think they embrace religion, when clearly they are hell bent to destroy religion and argue all "justification" for man’s belief in God.

Pluralism is a religion implanted in the core of public education and MUST BE ERADICATED IMMEDIATELY. Educators will balk that it is too widespread to be removed, but it is BECAUSE it is so widespread that it absolutely MUST be removed! For if it is not, America is not a free nation. This is FASCISM and Americans must demand that it CEASE NOW, or forever lose our cherished freedom.

Epistemology: http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article?eu=389100

"Philosophy" means a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school. www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

Bibliography [of Religious Diversity (Pluralism)]

[Additions have been made in bold blue to identify the prominence and positions of these pluralist priests.]

Alston, W., PhD (1988), "Religious Diversity and the Perceptual Knowledge of God," Faith and Philosophy, 5: 433-448. Professor Emeritus at University of Chicago; Site is at Western Washington University, http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~howardd/alston/bibliographies/writingsbyalston/writingsbyalston.htm

Arthur, C., (2000), Religious Pluralism: A Metaphorical Approach, The Davies Group Publishers. Chris Arthur, Senior Lecturer, University of Wales-Lampeter, received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh where he took a First Class Honours degree in Religious Studies. In 1984 he was awarded the Gifford Research Fellowship at the University of St Andrews. At the University of Wales he teaches courses in Buddhism, Religion and the Media, and Methodology. He is the author of two previous books and, in addition, has been widely published as an essayist and poet, with his work appearing in The American Scholar, the Dalhousie Review, Descant, the North American Review, and other literary journals.

Basinger, D., (2002), Religious Diversity: A Philosophical Assessment, Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company. (1991), "Divine Omniscience and the Soteriological Problem of Evil: Is the Type of Knowledge God Possesses Relevant?" Religious Studies, 28: 1-18. Professor of Philosophy, Roberts Wesleyan College

Clark, K., (1997) "Perils of Pluralism," Faith and Philosophy, 14: 303-320.

D'Costa, G., (1990), Christian Uniqueness Reconsidered: the Myth of a Pluralistic Theology of Religions, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

-----------, (1986), Theology and Religious Pluralism: The Challenge of Other Religions, London: Blackwell Publishers.

Dupuis, J., (1999), Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

Gellman, J., (1993), "Religious Diversity and the Epistemic Justification of Religious Belief," Faith and Philosophy, 10: 345-64.

-----------, (1998), "Epistemic Peer Conflict and Religious Belief: A Reply to Basinger," Faith and Philosophy, 15: 229-235.

-----------, (2000), "In Defense of Contented Religious Exclusivism," Religious Studies, 36: 401-417.

Griffiths, P., (1988), "An Apology for Apologetics," Faith and Philosophy, 5: 399-420.

----------, (1991), An Apology for Apologetics: A Study in the Logic of Inter-religious Dialogue, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

----------, (2002) Problems of Religious Diversity, London: Blackwell.

Gutting, G., (1982), Religious Belief and Religious Skepticism, Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press.

Heim, M., 1995, Salvation: Truth and Difference in Religion, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

Hick, J., (1980), God Has Many Names, London: Macmillan Press, Ltd.

---------, (1983), "On Conflicting Religious Truth-Claims," Religious Studies, 19: 485-491.

---------, (1984), "The Philosophy of World Religions," Scottish Journal of Theology, 37: 229-236.

---------, (1985), Problems of Religious Pluralism, New York: St. Martin's Press.

---------, (1989), An Interpretation of Religion: Human Responses to the Transcendent, New Haven: Yale University Press.

---------, (1997a), "The Epistemological Challenge of Religious Pluralism," Faith and Philosophy, 14: 277-286.

---------, (1997b), "The Possibility of Religious Pluralism: A Reply to Gavin

D'Costa," Religious Studies, 33: 161-166.

There are also many books written about John Hicks work, such as Kenneth Rose, KNOWING THE REAL: JOHN HICK ON THE COGNITIVITY OF RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM, New York: Lang, 1996.

Hillman, E., (1989), Many Paths: A Catholic Approach to Religious Pluralism, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

Himma, K., (2002), "Finding a High Road: The Moral Case for Salvific Pluralism," International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 52: 1-33.

Kaufman, G., (1996), God-Mystery-Diversity: Christian Theology in a Pluralistic World, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Knitter, P., (1985), No Other Name? A Critical Survey of Christian Attitudes towards the World Religions, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

Meeker, K., (2003), "Exclusivism, Pluralism, and Anarchy," in God Matters: Readings in the Philosophy of Religion, R. Martin and C. Bernard (eds.), New York: Longman, 524-534.

McKim, R., (2001), Religious Ambiguity and Religious Diversity, Oxford: Oxford Press.

Netland, H., (1991), Dissonant Voices: Religious Pluralism and the Question of Truth, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Pals, D., (1996), Seven Theories of Religion, New York: Oxford University Press.

Paternoster, M., (1967) Thou Art There Also: God, Death, and Hell, London: SPCK.

Peterson, M., Hasker, W., Reichenbach, B., and Basinger, D., (2003), Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion (3rd edition), New York: Oxford University Press.

Plantinga, A., (1997) "Ad Hick," Faith and Philosophy, 14: 295-298.

----------, (2000), "Pluralism: A Defense of Religious Exclusivism," in The Philosophical

Challenge of Religious Diversity, K. Meeker and P.Quinn (eds.), New York: Oxford University Press, 172-192. Alvin Plantinga is a 1954 Calvin College graduate who taught philosophy at his alma mater from 1963 to 1982 and then accepted an appointment as the John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He has given more than 200 guest lectures at conferences and on campuses in North America, Europe, and Australia.

Dr. Plantinga received his M.A. degree in 1955 from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1958.

Quinn, P., (2000), "Toward Thinner Theologies: Hick and Alston on Religious Diversity," in The Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity, K. Meeker and

P.Quinn (eds.), New York: Oxford University Press, 226-243.

Runzo, J., 1988, "God, Commitment, and Other Faiths: Pluralism vs. Relativism," Faith and Philosophy, 5: 343-364.

----------, (1993), World Views and Perceiving God, New York: St. Martin's Press.

Schellenberg, J., (2000) "Religious Experience and Religious Diversity: A Reply to Alston," in The Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity, K. Meeker and P.Quinn (eds.), New York: Oxford University Press, 208-217.

Senor, T., (ed.), (1995), The Rationality of Belief and the Plurality of Faith. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Silver, D., (2001), "Religious Experience and the Facts of Pluralism," International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion, 49: 1-17.

Smith, W., (1976) Religious Diversity, New York: Harper and Row.

Suchocki, M., (2003), Divinity and Diversity, Nashville, Abingdon Press.

Tracy, D., (1995), Blessed Rage of Order: The New Pluralism in Theology, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Ward, K., (1994), Religion and Revelation: A Theology of Revelation in the World's Religions, Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Willard, J., (2001), "Alston's Epistemology of Religious Belief and the Problem of Religious Diversity," Religious Studies, 37: 59-74.

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