There is a common thread that lies within all true religions and spiritual paths. When we recognize the essence of the different faiths–we will see the unity and common ground.

Essential Kabbalah [Esoteric Judaism] teaches:

* God is unified Oneness…Divine existence is indivisible.

* …the Creator, Ein Sof, is the cause of all causes, one without a second, one that cannot be counted… Ein Sof is present in all things in actuality…

* Supernal wisdom, though concealed and transcendent, spreads over every single thing that exists…Teach people what will be useful to them, according to each one’s capacity, pouring out to each as much wisdom as you can.

* So God, great, mighty, and awesome, powerfully breathed out a breath, and cosmic space expanded to the boundary determined by divine wisdom…

* Let your compassion extend to all creatures, neither despising nor destroying any of them. For Wisdom spreads over all created things: mineral, vegetable, animal and human. Each was created in Wisdom. Do not uproot anything that grows, unless it is necessary. Do not kill any living creature, unless it is necessary.

Jesus teaches:

* Love one another and all the creatures of God. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Love is of God, and God is love. … shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another and shew mercy and love to all creatures of God, especially to those that are weak and oppressed and suffer wrong.

* Teach ye the holy law of love, which I have delivered unto you.

* Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. And if that seem desirable to thee, which costs another pain or sorrow, cast it out of thine heart; so shalt thou attain to peace. Better it is to endure sorrow, than to inflict it, on those who are weaker… Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Parent Who is in heaven is perfect

* Let them see to it …that they truly love each other in all purity.

* And on the fifth evening after Sabbath, say these words: Angel of Love, descend on me and fill with love all my feelings. For it is by love that the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother and the Son of Man become one. Love is eternal. Love is stronger than death. And every night should the Sons of Light bathe in the holy water of the angel of Love, that with the morning he may baptize the Sons of Men with kind deeds and gentle words. For when the heart of the Son of Light is bathed in love, only kind and gentle words speak forth.

Prophet Muhammad teaches:

* Deal gently with the people, and be not harsh; cheer them and condemn them not.

* When asked about one of the most excellent virtues of Iman (faith), Muhammad replied, “An amiable disposition.”

* Someone asked, “What is Islam?” He said, “Purity of speech and charity.”

* The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self.

* Make peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots.

* Ye will not enter Paradise until ye have faith, and ye will not complete your faith until ye love one another.

* They will enter the Garden of Bliss who have a true, pure, and merciful heart.

* What actions are most excellent? — To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the wrongs of the injured.

* Be persistent in good actions.

* Thus saith the Lord, “Verily those who are patient in adversity and forgive wrongs, are the doers of excellence.

* God is gentle and loveth gentleness.

* Be ye imbued with divine qualities.

Vaishnavism [of Hindu tradition] teaches:

The qualities of those who are aligned with God [in love] are:

* They are very kind to everyone.

* They do not make anyone their enemy.

* They are truthful.

* They are equal to everyone.

* They are magnanimous.

* They work for everyone’s benefit.

* They are very peaceful.

* They offer respect to everyone.

* They are merciful.

* They are friendly.

Buddhism teaches:

* Just as a mother would protect her only child at the risk of her own life, even so, cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Let your thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world.

* Hatred does not ever cease in this world by hating, but by love; this is an eternal truth… Overcome anger by love, Overcome evil by good. Overcome the miser by giving, overcome the liar by truth.

* The main motivation of Buddhist training is to develop deep compassion for all sentient beings, this is known as bodhicitta.

* Buddhist compassion is the result of knowing one is part of a greater whole and is interdependent and connected to that whole.

There is a common theme of love and compassion within all the various paths–and yet (some) people still feel compelled to fight and exhibit hatred. If we sincerely follow our religious practices, our loving nature will be magnified; if this does not occur, then clearly the religion is not actually being followed. In my opinion, religion is not the actual problem; when people are hateful and want to fight in the name of religion–that (I believe) is the problem.