What's the difference...

[BECCALICIOUS!]

... between pluralism and inclusivism? The internet isn't really explaining it well and I was wondering if any of you guys could clarify.

[QuantumModulus]

In a very general sense, pluralism is the acceptance of a wide variety of viewpoints without critical judgment, and its main goal is to promote peaceful coexistence between people with various stances.

In a religious sense, pluralism is essentially the acceptance of all religious belief systems as equally valid -- which can be interpreted in various ways; i.e. the belief that there is no one religion that is the exclusive source of truth, or the belief that no religion should be taken more seriously than any other and that religious minorities should be given the same liberties as the majority.

Again, in the religious sense, inclusivism is essentially belief that one religion is the exclusive source of truth, and that others may or may not contain partial truths. However, there are two general forms of it: the first which asserts that the individual's own beliefs are the exclusive source of truth and that all others are only correct to the degree with which they agree with said individual, and the other which asserts that nobody knows which absolute truth is valid -- just that one exists.

So, in essence, while pluralism is open-minded (and, in my opinion, a bit passive), inclusivism is a more assertive stance that accepts, at the least, that one absolute truth exists, and that other belief systems only hold partial truth.

Hope that cleared things up a bit.

[Celestial.]

You know, I was actually wondering this myself only yesterday.

To Jorge, above me: thank you! That actually helped clear things up for me too.

[Of Mike and Men]

Originally Posted by BECCALICIOUS!

... between pluralism and inclusivism? The internet isn't really explaining it well and I was wondering if any of you guys could clarify.

Simply:

Pluralism does not claim that one religion is completely true, but that more than one religion can share truth. If you know of Derek Parfit, you ought to be familiar with the phrase, "climbing the same mountain on different sides." It was analyzed that at the core of every major religion there is a central teaching of ethics. That, we all must behave a certain way to receive a certain reward. Thus, if you act morally, despite your religion, in the end you will end up at the same spot as all other moral people: The top of the same mountain, but you had just been climbing from a different side (your religion).

Inclusivism claims that there is only one TRUE religion, but other religions have an amount of truth in it. That is, for example, I am a Christian. But, I say Islamic prayers to God because I believe those prayers honor God. Not only so, but I read Sufi Mystic teachings of the Islam faith, and find MUCH helpful advice in them. One of which is something I tell all people struggling with their faith: The only way to experience faith is to admit that we are faithless and only God is faithful. I've found this true in Christianity, yet, it came from a Sufi Mystic by the name of Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. However, I do believe that the only way to Heaven is through Christ, thus, I believe Christianity is the "true" religion.