what is the traditional teaching on other religions?

[martin88nyc]

I read a study by an African priest on Igbo religion. In conclusion he states that Agwu spirit(which is a spirit of possession and divination)  isn't necessarily evil therefore discrimination against Igbo religions is wrong. He also references Nostra Aetate to make his case. What would be the proper response to this claim?
You may read his thesis here. There is a download link below the abstract.
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/mjas/article/view/138814

The name of this African religion is Odinani.

[Chestertonian]

The traditional teaching is no salvation outside the church.  Nostra aetate has a lot of problems

There can be good aspects of other religions and truth can exist here and there and we can recognize truth and goodness where we see it.  But a priest can't forget e great commission and our Lord's call to baptize all nations and cultures

[ServusMariae]

There may be 10000 man-made religions, but Catholicism is the only true religion ... but we can't get people to convert at knife-point. It would be terrible.

That said, when I was a kid I hated Buddhism so much to the point I'd imagine burning down temples & give their fake statue "gods" a violent thrashing (aka be a bloody psychopath)  but over the years I realized it would be a criminal thing to do & so I simply made a clean break. I'd keep praying for my Buddhist family (& essentially every singe person in my neighborhood who are mostly practicing Buddhist) for their conversion. Whether if all would be able to find the little SSPX chapel here & become traditional Catholics I have no say, but I pray that they may open up their souls to the Real God, Real Faith at the very least ...

[martin88nyc]

I know that very well my friends by what I want to know is what is the Churche's teaching on other religions before Vat II. As far as I know gods of pagans and heathens ar demons and this priest's claim that Agwu is somewhat Gods manifstation in the Nigerian religion makes one wonder what does the Church teach after Vat II.

[lauermar]

Historically, the Roman Catholic Church taught that outside the one true church, there is no salvation. That includes all pagan beliefs, animism, non-Trinitarian sects, Rabbinical Judaism, Eastern Orthodox (not united), and Protestant denominations.  It saw these as traps for souls.

Today, the church applies the law of gradualism and recognize partial truths in false belief systems. As though they are glasses of water that contain only 1, 2, 3 or 4 drops of arsenic instead of pure water. Even one drop poisons the water.

[Daniel]

As far as I know gods of pagans and heathens ar demons

Not necessarily, as far as I'm aware. Some of the false religions worship nature, and others worship men, and others worship the good angels, and some even worship the true God but in an improper manner. Regardless, they are all deceived and should be corrected.

[Kirin]

They're all false and they're all damned for not being within the Catholic Church.

While harsh it's rather more succinct than Nostra Aetate which despite the flowery language amounts to much the same thing.

"Muslims and Jews also worship the one God", that sounds ecumenical but quietly sidesteps the point that they're still all going to hell.

[Miriam_M]

They're all false and they're all damned for not being within the Catholic Church.

While harsh it's rather more succinct than Nostra Aetate which despite the flowery language amounts to much the same thing.

"Muslims and Jews also worship the one God", that sounds ecumenical but quietly sidesteps the point that they're still all going to hell.

If they persist in their denial of the one God, then yes. 

That is, "Muslims and Jews also worship the one God," should read, "Muslims and Jews also worship a single God; it's just not the true God of the Trinity, and until they recognize that true God and accept and worship Him as the only sovereign and true God, they cannot partake of the Beatific Vision."

By itself, monotheism is meaningless without referring to the object of worship.  Followers of Meher Baba and various modern cults could also claim to worship "the" (really, "a") single God, but none of the objects of their worship are the eternal God of the universe.

[Comments and bolding not addressed to Kirin but to the modernists in the Church who are apparently deficient in intellect.  My high school students would understand these distinctions.]