The Tolerant Religion

I am obviously referring to the Hindu religion.
However, it's not the tolerance that politicians call secularism, that is referred to here.
Here we will see why different and even contrasting ways of worship are accepted in
Hinduism, and why there is no Visa issued to hell if you dont't follow a particular form of worship!

People have different behaviours, and vastly varying thought processes. In such a situation, enforcing one way of worship on a person is bound to create frustration. So, we have 3 versions of worship-Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.

Consider the following (highly simplistic) concept of God:
1. Performing actions (rituals,etc) that will help everyone is good.
2. Knowledge is good. By gaining knowledge, mankind benefits.
3. God is good and will protect us.
Belief in the above 3 are the Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yogas respectively.

If "Bhakti" is considered as surrender to God, rather than just a way of worship, then all the above 3 are just different paths to achieve this.
This is why the first 6 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita describe the Karma Yoga, the next 6 describe the Jnana Yoga, and the final 6, the Bhakti Yoga.
Since there is goodness(or Godness) associated with all the 3 paths mentioned, all of them are accepted.
All 3 Yogas have given us Mahaans:
-Hanuman can be called a KarmaYogi who selflessly served Rama.
-Ramana Maharshi, the Jnana Yogi enlightened millions with His knowledge.
-Mirabai, whose life inspires many a Bhakta, showed the glory of Bhakti Yoga.

Here is an interesting example that will aptly describe worship in our culture.
Swami Vivekananda had been influenced by the Brahmo Samaj in his childhood, and was more interested in the higher philosophical aspects of life than the "blind" Bhakti that people showed to a Vigraha in a temple.But whom did he find as His Guru? A man who knew only unflinching devotion to Goddess Kali, and not Vedanta-Ramakrishna Paramahamsa!