When first looking at this religion it holds to many of the same features which is typical to eastern religion/philosophy which prescribes to a plethora of pluralistic views.
It combines a smorgasbord of religious ideas in an attempt to homogenize various world views.
I have already written many posts regarding these eastern religious systems which may be of interest to you at
Anyway Cao Dai has some of the same erroneous views as Sai Baba, Hinduism, and the Bahai faith which holds to the idea that all paths lead to god and that truth and love are the essential features that is common to all religions independent of the name of the institution or the honorific title of the deity.
Yet, I have argued before that when studying comparative religions there are distinctions which are irreconcilable and are not in harmony with the whole of universal religion.
Again these doctrinal beliefs and god concepts are antithetical and to dismantle the distinctive essentials for a common religious experience is to make a monstrous and disfigured godhead that lacks identity.
It may be attractive to contemplate such ideas about religion but upon closer examination it does not work by conjoining all these faiths without forming another distinct religion in defining it as their own conglomeration of truth which has consequently resulted in the unique religion known as Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma-ha-tát.
Just because mankind has a common awareness of God doesn’t mean that every god concept is established on the basis of truth. It is one thing to discern the divine through our innate ability to understand general revelation but until refined through special revelation the pieces of the puzzle only lay scattered without any firmly discernible pattern.
This movement’s concept of a special revelation comes by their spirit mediums and by matching the common religious elements that best describes the whole of a pluralistic or syncretistic religious agenda.
Yet, is it the duty of this institution to rightly discern where the pieces of the puzzle must fit together as a way of recovering the original pictogram of religion?
Also this religion like many religions holds to a unique knowledge that was recovered through a mystic disclosure by means of the ultimate and Supreme Being which is conveyed through their own holy book of Tan Luat and oral revelations.
Supposedly Ngo Van Chieu had a divine encounter in which he claims that he was to assimilate and coalesce the essence of fundamental truth which had been lost due to the intervention and corruption of religion. Yet paradoxically there already exists religions that are similar and who hold to this same pattern or value system and therefore this is not a revelation in that this idea had already been circulated prior to the 1920’s.
Additionally, the symbolism as representing this supreme being would be in the form of “the all seeing eye”. This icon first originated in the mythology of ancient Egypt and for it to be a manifestation of divine truth is to borrow from the fairy tales of early civilizations.
In addition to this another controversial aspect to this religious order is its focus on the occultic activity and rituals which holds to the exclusive worship of a Satanic and demonic reality by dabbling in practices by means of séances, ouija boards, mediums, and spiritism.
Cao Dai also has many celebrated heroes which they honor as saints and it is oxymoronic for this religion which supports such standards as justice and love to claim one of their glorified specimens as Napoleon Bonaparte who is clearly in full violation of their code of conduct to such a degree that he has been compared to the likes of Hitler as a antichrist figure. Strikingly, Napoleon if he were alive today would probably never even consider darkening the doorway of the Tay Ninh Holy See temple in order to worship.
While this movement would emphasize world unity there are foundational cracks within this structure which has lead to schisms and sects that have split off and differentiated themselves from this movement so that the adherents themselves are divided not united. Even the original founder of this movement Ngo Van Chieu left this institution to form Chieu Minh.
So if the establishment was ordained under the doctrine and creed of unity then perhaps the credibility of the foundation is as weak as the commitment of its founding father.
Lastly, I do admire the sincerity and the motivation of the practitioner who may see this as an answer to world peace by keeping the best traits among the world faiths but the bottom line is that they must ask themselves whether or not this ideology assures reality?
Cao Dai may offer a challenge regarding the conflicting distinctions among religious groups but can they readily and objectively prove their point by adequately refuting the truth claims of other religions or do they depend upon their visionary and esoteric experiences from the subjective influence of their spiritual guides?
The common reality to this whole religious agenda comes down to the battle between GOOD and evil. Satan masquerades as an angel of light and as a counterfeiter his best lies are mostly true. By combining and reducing all religious truth from the melting pot of humanity is to a cast a false god by the mistruths and half-truths of universalism.
Finally, Jesus spoke of Himself exclusively and He said to be aware of false teachers. He also said that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life and the only way to God.
In conclusion I pray that you would find His path. As the path of destruction is a broad and inclusive path by which many people are traveling; yet narrow is the way that leads to life and there are few who find it.
Excerpts taken “From Handbook of World Religions, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission”
I agree what you say about this religion. And they twist many things, calling Jesus a buddah, making images of God and idols, saying Jesus is not God, making their own commandments, saying there was something that existed before God called tao. making God a creation which was made by the big bang. They teach everything that goes against God and his word. Going against God’s commandments by making an image, a idol of worship. Sadly my parents are caodism… and being a Christian in a caodism house is a challenge. i pray that God will reveal people the truth. Pray that God will soften their hearts and turn from the teachings of the devil and go to God through Jesus our Lord and savior.