You are making a mistake that many sincere believers have made throughout history. You assume your faith is the singular, correct one, and that outsiders only need to open their hearts to see the “one true path.” What often goes unnoticed is that there has never been one true religion. You believe yours is correct because that is what faith requires. But history shows us that as soon as a faith gathers enough followers, disagreements arise. Some argue that leaders have misinterpreted the sacred texts, or that local customs conflict with established rituals. Whatever the reason, division follows. A religion grows, it fractures, sects emerge, and each insists it is the sole guardian of truth. Repeat this pattern over generations, and what began as unity splinters into dozens of sects, often hostile to one another.
Religion does what many of its adherents claim it does not: it changes. It bends, adapts, and evolves in response to pressure and environment. It speciates.
So let me ask you, as one who seeks to understand: if I were to study your holy book and choose Islam, which path should I walk? Should I follow Sunni, risking alienating Shia? If I found myself drawn to the Wahhabi or the Druze? Would these choices lead to peace and enlightenment or would they create yet another division? And if I sought to share my newfound belief with those raised differently, would they welcome my unity, or view me as another intruder cloaking sameness as love and peace?
This is why I, and many others, argue for pluralism. There can never be a single “true way,” for as long as people are individuals, there will always be differences in interpretation, values, and belief. History shows that tribalism, insularity, and suspicion of the unfamiliar are constants of human nature. The only way forward is not to cling to unity under nation or creed, but to accept each other as we are. Only by setting aside the conceit of a universal faith can we begin to overcome the divisions that have defined us.
You are making a mistake that many sincere believers have made throughout history. You assume your faith is the singular, correct one, and that outsiders only need to open their hearts to see the “one true path.” What often goes unnoticed is that there has never been one true religion. You believe yours is correct because that is what faith requires. But history shows us that as soon as a faith gathers enough followers, disagreements arise. Some argue that leaders have misinterpreted the sacred texts, or that local customs conflict with established rituals. Whatever the reason, division follows. A religion grows, it fractures, sects emerge, and each insists it is the sole guardian of truth. Repeat this pattern over generations, and what began as unity splinters into dozens of sects, often hostile to one another.
Religion does what many of its adherents claim it does not: it changes. It bends, adapts, and evolves in response to pressure and environment. It speciates.
So let me ask you, as one who seeks to understand: if I were to study your holy book and choose Islam, which path should I walk? Should I follow Sunni, risking alienating Shia? If I found myself drawn to the Wahhabi or the Druze? Would these choices lead to peace and enlightenment or would they create yet another division? And if I sought to share my newfound belief with those raised differently, would they welcome my unity, or view me as another intruder cloaking sameness as love and peace?
This is why I, and many others, argue for pluralism. There can never be a single “true way,” for as long as people are individuals, there will always be differences in interpretation, values, and belief. History shows that tribalism, insularity, and suspicion of the unfamiliar are constants of human nature. The only way forward is not to cling to unity under nation or creed, but to accept each other as we are. Only by setting aside the conceit of a universal faith can we begin to overcome the divisions that have defined us.