“I came to the conclusion long ago that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu. But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian.”
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Source: Young India (19 January 1928); listed in the 1920s section of Gandhi's English Wikiquote page.
About this quote
Deep commitment to your own path need not curdle into a wish to erase everyone else's. The aim proposed here isn't conversion but depth — helping a person become more fully what they already are, holding their faith as dear as your own while admitting yours, too, has its flaws.
When to use it
- An interfaith group works so each member returns a more devoted Muslim, Christian, or Jew rather than trading one label for another.
- A father encourages his daughter's questions about their faith while speaking respectfully of the neighbors' very different one.
- A hospital chaplain helps patients draw strength from their own beliefs instead of steering them toward hers.