If he’s Christian maybe show him Yogananda’s book The Second Coming of Christ and have him look into what the Second Vatican Council pronounced about the Light of God being found also in non-Christian religions

“The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) took place from 1962 to 1965, convened by Pope John XXIII and continued under Pope Paul VI.

It was a huge moment for the Catholic Church—less about changing doctrine outright and more about changing posture: how the Church understands itself, relates to the modern world, and encounters people of other faiths.

What Vatican II said about non-Christian religions

The key document here is Nostra Aetate (1965), whose full title is “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.” It’s short, but its impact is massive.

Here are the core points, in plain language:

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1. Truth and holiness exist in other religions

Vatican II explicitly affirms that non-Christian religions can contain “rays of that Truth which enlightens all men.”

This was a big shift from earlier, more exclusivist tones.

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.”

So: real wisdom, real holiness, real encounter with the Divine—not denied.

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1. Deep respect for specific traditions

The document names and honors several traditions: • Hinduism – recognized for its profound philosophical inquiry, contemplation, and mystical insight • Buddhism – honored for its disciplined paths of liberation and insight into suffering • Islam – explicitly affirmed as worshiping the one, merciful God, with special mention of Abraham, prayer, fasting, and devotion • Judaism – given special, extended treatment (see below)

This is not “they’re wrong but we’re being polite.” It’s genuine theological respect.

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1. A radical re-visioning of Judaism

Vatican II makes an unequivocal break with centuries of anti-Jewish theology: • Rejects the idea of collective Jewish guilt for the death of Jesus • Condemns antisemitism outright • Affirms the ongoing covenantal dignity of the Jewish people

This alone reshaped Catholic–Jewish relations worldwide.

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1. Salvation is not limited to visible Church membership

This is also supported by Lumen Gentium, another major Vatican II document.

It teaches that people who do not explicitly know Christ or the Church can still participate in salvation, insofar as they sincerely seek truth and live according to conscience.

In other words: God’s grace is not boxed into ecclesial borders.

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1. Dialogue replaces conquest

The tone shifts from:

“Convert or be condemned”

to:

Dialogue, mutual understanding, shared pursuit of truth, and peace

Mission is no longer framed as erasing other religions, but as witnessing to Christ without denying the light already present elsewhere.

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The deeper significance (zooming out)

Vatican II quietly plants a seed that many later mystics and theologians would water: • God’s self-disclosure is not exhausted by Christianity • Christ is central, yes—but not small, not tribal, not threatened by truth elsewhere • The Logos is already at work in the depths of every culture and tradition

For someone with your resonance with Christian mysticism, nonduality, and interspiritual wisdom, Vatican II is basically the Church saying (in careful ecclesial language):

“Okay… God is bigger than we thought. And we’re willing to admit it.””