When talking about the common religious misconceptions, there are quite a few of them. The wrong perception of certain religions comes from inappropriately proselytizing beliefs. In short, people usually don’t question the reality of some piece of information, thus stereotypes and misconceptions are created. Even if not all the people share the same religion, or even if some don’t practice religion, the universal truth is of great importance. So, let us see some of the most common religious misconceptions and set them straight once and for all.
Buddhists are Peacemakers
Indeed, the Buddhist faith is completely based on pacifism, harmony and anti-violence principles. However, claiming that all Buddhists are a pacifist is not completely true. In the 20th century AD, the monks from Tibet had to become warriors in order to protect their faith. Even if this type of faith was for a greater cause, we cannot claim that practicing pacifism is stronger that protecting the religion. At least it is used to be like that for the 20th C Buddhists.
Worshiping Multiple Idols in Hinduism
When speaking about Hinduism, it is worth mentioning that it is none of the oldest religions that managed to continue existing. Besides, even if there are multiple deities in Hinduism, but saying that the Hindu people are purely worshipping idols is completely wrong. In fact, according to Hinduism, God could manifest in various forms. Praying to each of the manifestations ultimately leads to God, but the form of an idol helps Hindus differentiate the various forms of prayers.
Confession Purifies Catholics from their Sins
Even when you read this statement out loud it sounds wrong. Yes, while confessing those who practice Catholicism can confess their sins to the priest. The priest’s response comes in the form of forgiveness and he offers prayer to the one who has sinned. However, no sin can be erased by reciting a Hail Mary a couple of times. What it actually does to the believer is that helps him/her deal with the committed sin. The mental burden of sinning could affect your faith, and this is one way of getting on the right path and do better in the future.
Mormons are Polygamists
Another great misconception when it comes to religions is that all Mormons practice polygamy. As a matter of fact, polygamy in Mormonism used to be practiced a long time ago. However, ever since 1890 this has changed drastically. Polygamy was forbidden to all the members of the LDS church and the penalty would be ex-communication. Surely, there were some who denied the rule and continue practicing it. All in all, they cannot be the part of the LDS church and thus cannot be considered Mormons.
