34 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIONWhat must exist if the diagnoses and cures are correct can be
represented as follows:
- Christianity: God, persons created by God;
- Advaita Vedanta: only qualityless Brahman;
- Jainism: independently existing persons;
- Theravada Buddhism:^21 only transitory states.
Assuming that each account of what there must be if the diagnoses and
cures are correct is possibly true, it is obvious that each could exist
without the others existing.
The third criterion was:
Criterion 3: Religion A is of a different sort from Religion B if
what must exist if A’s diagnosis and cure are correct
cannot co-exist with what must exist if B’s diagnosis
and cure are correct, and conversely.
Plainly, in the context of its overall religious tradition, each account of
what there is has this feature: if it is true, the others are not.^22
Given the discussion just concluded, it is clear that Christianity,
Advaita Vedanta, Theravada Buddhism, and Jainism are, given any of
these criteria, different sorts of religions. One may like, dislike, or be
indifferent to this fact; but it is a fact. These are neither all the religions
nor all the sorts of religion that there are. But we have made progress in
laying out data relevant to philosophical reflections about religion.
Questions for reflection
1 What are the core doctrines of monotheistic religions? What
philosophical issues do they raise?
2 What are the core doctrines of Christian monotheism? Do these
doctrines raise any philosophical issues not also raised by
monotheism alone?
3 What are the core doctrines of Theravada Buddhism? What
philosophical issues do they raise?
4 What are the core doctrines of Jainism? What philosophical issues do
they raise?
5 What are the core doctrines of Advaita Vedanta? What philosophical
issues do they raise?