Coexist

Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, and Islam all have at least one major thing in common: “compassion is considered in all the major religious traditions as among the greatest of virtues (Wikipedia, 319).” Religion illustrates and guides an ideal way to live life compassionately, and because of this all religious people should be able to coexist peacefully. Some religions consider all life, human and non, to be sacred and thus required of compassion, others create a hierarchy of importance usually placing humans on top by “creating a dominantly human-forced morality (Janism and Ecology, 324).” Compassion for others not only benefits others, but also benefits the benefactor as well.

             Western religions traditionally focus more on a singular deity and the lives of humans. Eastern religions have a different focus, a complete respect for all forms of life. For example, in Hinduism, one of the “foremost sentiments is the sanctity of the cow (Hinduism and the Surabhi cow, 342).” Western religions may shirk at this, especially carnivorous people, but the reasoning is sound. We are all earthlings. Eastern religions is much less speciesist and much more compassionate towards “lesser beings.”