Can we all be Right? - 24 Jul 2008 - By: Jamal - 19 Comments
Can We All be right?

To me it's strange that people actually argue about religion in the sense of which religion is right and which is wrong. A religion is something that's supposed to bring people personal satisfaction and help build community. Right and wrong have nothing to do with those factors.

How can you help bring someone personal satisfaction by telling them that your religion is right and their's is wrong? How can you help build community by telling someone their religious beliefs are wrong?

Sectarian chauvinism is ultimately irrational. It promotes the idea that God prefers a certain set of people over another. It's irrational, even for the chosen group, because we can never know the true nature of God. If you believe that God makes choices about people based on their heredity or ethnic background, then you have to believe that you might actually be in the wrong group. You ultimately have no control over your destiny. It's a subtle form of slavery.

This isn't to say that the Jewish idea of "chosen" is wrong. A rabbi recently explained it to me that modern Jewish people believe they are chosen to seek justice and help create a better world. It's a responsibility, not an entitlement.

But back to the original question. Can we all be right about our faith? I don't see why not. As long as we trust and respect each other, it seems that we're all right. And of course compared to the fundamentally almighty nature of God, we're all wrong.