In one sense, it is true that all major religions encourage love, compassion, and forgiveness. But scratching below the surface, there is quite a difference, especially when it comes to what motivates these acts of charity. For the sake of space, let’s consider just one of these: forgiveness.

For the Buddhist, forgiveness is prescribed because it prevents harmful emotions that disturb one’s “mind karma.” This is beneficial teaching, but it lacks moral force. Hindus are urged to forgive, since it is characteristic of one born of a divine state, as one teacher describes it. But Hinduism has no concept of grace; what you have done in this life will inevitably be done to you in the next, which perpetuates the evil cycle.

Both the Old Testament and the Qur'an teach forgiveness. But Judaism and Islam are religions of works, where one must earn God’s forgiveness and favor. Islam is especially problematic: Whether God’s will to forgive applies to everyone is questionable, and evil done against the unrighteous can become virtuous. God has a double standard in Islam when it comes to forgiveness that introduces a potentially deadly relativism into Islam’s ethics.

Only in Christianity does God sacrifice himself to pay the debts of humankind. This is the basis of the compulsion that uniquely directs the Christian toward moral behavior: If Christ lives in me, and Christ has died for my sins and the sins of others, how can I be unforgiving of someone who has hurt me? Forgiveness is not an option -- it is a mandate. And failure to forgive is disobedience to the One who died for us. Similarly, love and compassion are encouraged in other world religions, but motivations are very different from religion to religion.