I love the contradiction of religions

Thanks Derek. That really resonates with me as someone brought up in a traditional / fundamental religion since childhood.

I was a fervent and happy believer until my 30's when getting divorced made it impractical to continue.

Whatever the actual faith or set of beliefs, I think the most unhelpful aspect is the dogmatism / binary thinking. "If I'm right, you're wrong - and I can't afford to be wrong."

As you pointed out, there's so much beauty in difference and nuance, so much humanity in really seeing another point of view.

I am grateful to have experienced this kind of faith and community. I am grateful to have experienced this kind of certainty, dogmatism and binary thinking.

A while ago, I was deeply moved listening to a gay islam poet speaking of how her lovemaking was an act of worship. It made me question every assumption and judgement I had about each one of those aspects and more.

These days, I want more of that kind of connection and shared humanity in my life and less of the illusion of separation and superiority I used to rely on.

I can't resist sharing my daydream...

As you know, part of the Jewish culture, even for Jewish atheists (Yes, there is such a thing) is to raise their children as Jews. So what if I, as a Christian, married a Jewish person? Must I convert my partner?

Would we raise our kids as atheists, saying they could choose to be Jew or Christian when they become adults?

No, we would raise them to be both: Jews on even numbered days, and Christians on odd numbered days, such as Christmas and Hallowe'en.

We would tell our relatives that our children, and we too, change religions at midnight. Not many family parties go that late but...

Our relatives would need a sense of humour.

“To pick a side would be to stop thinking…”

Tell that to St Thomas Aquinas, St Augustine, Blaise Pascal or many of the other deep theological giants who dare to plumb the depths of their chosen side.

I share your instinct of not taking a side. And I think this would be a great approach if we all say, went to work, Monday--Friday, and then to our various different houses of prayer to pray to our different gods on the weekends. The problem now is that, in the US for example, many politicians are creating laws and policies (foreign and domestic) based on their literal understanding of their religion.

"He who knows himself, knows his Lord." — The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Derek, keep discovering yourself. I want and hope that you'll find the TRUTH. If not immediately, but eventually.

Hi Derek,

I love how open and curious you are about exploring worldviews—it’s refreshing and rare. Your willingness to immerse yourself in different perspectives is something Dallas Willard, a philosopher and Christian thinker I admire, would deeply appreciate.

That said, your book Useful Not True raises an interesting point about there being no such thing as objective truth. I can see why that idea resonates in a world with so many seemingly contradictory beliefs. But Willard would challenge this view by asking: Doesn’t even the statement “there is no objective truth” claim to be objectively true? It’s a paradox worth considering.

Dallas Willard argued that truth corresponds to reality, and while our perceptions might vary, reality itself is coherent and unified. For instance, if one worldview claims we’re in a computer simulation and another says we’re in a divinely created universe, they can’t both be true in the same sense. They might both be fascinating and worthy of exploration, but truth itself isn’t a matter of preference or usefulness—it’s about what actually is.

That doesn’t diminish the value of engaging with diverse perspectives. In fact, Willard would likely affirm the richness of understanding other viewpoints. But he’d also gently suggest that some worldviews aren’t merely useful—they’re transformative because they reflect reality. For him, the historical claims of Christianity, such as the resurrection of Jesus, invite investigation not just as a story, but as a truth claim rooted in evidence, reason, and lived experience.

Your love of contradiction reminds me of how Dallas would approach the journey of inquiry—not as a quest to impose certainty, but as an invitation to discover the foundation on which a meaningful life is built. If we avoid resolving contradictions, we might miss out on the deeper joy of finding coherence—truth that’s not only real but also transformative in how we live, love, and become.

Thanks for sparking this reflection—it’s the kind of dialogue that keeps us growing.

Warmly,
Allen

Each one has his truths and most religions share a lot of similar values.
But one question that may split apart religions and may lead to a choice is the question of the Hereafter.
What comes after death ?
Because if every people have its own version of truth, there is something most people are missing: "what's real ?"
There can be a lot of version of truth (everyone is biased) but there can only be one that is real.

That's why in Islam's creed, there is always a mention of this formula: "for those who believe in One Ultimate God and the Day of Judgment"
Everybody can believe in God, everyone has its own version.
But what comes after death ?

Let's die to figure out !
But if I made the wrong choice ?
And I had all my life to prepare myself ?
I'm doomed.

Death is the reminder that the odds of having mutliple truths can't be.
Because death is REAL.

The real question to access the truth is what happen after death.

Personnally, I believe in Islam.
Not because it's my parent's religion (I'm more cautious than them about it on some part), not because it's the religion of Arab people.
But because the more I learn about everything in life, the more I get convinced that this is the only truth and everything else it's just a construction of the mind (though, I absolutely respect the believes of other)

Some hints on why:
- the concept of unicity of God (shared with other Abrahamic religions, except christian who have trinity)
- unicity that is also shared with Mathematics (in university, every demonstration was followed by a demonstration of unicity, and unicity is the first pilar of islam)
- the universal aspect of the religion (it's not the religion of Arab, it's the religion of all human kind because it just mean to follow only the ONLY God)
- univerality that is also shared in mathematics ("For all x belonging to R" applie to religion = "No matter what the person is, rich or poor, black or white or yellow, this will be the reality")
- I don't believe that truth is located in a specific region of the world
- continuity of Abrahamic path of Unicity VS geographically located polytheism (why would I trust someone who has the god of Sun, and the other the god of Sun but with an other shape, etc ?)
- talks for the highest educated persons in the world, and the lowest educated persons in the world that only the language of numbers and reason could do (in Math, the most beautiful demonstrations lies in just few lines)

Mathematically, for me, the strongest odds of reality is Islam.

If you want another contradiction, a lot of things in the bible even contradicts itself. Here is a hilarious video that points examples out: youtu.be/RB3g6mXLEKk and Lucifer isn't even called Lucifer in the bible, that's in a different book that was cut from the official bible 1600 years ago (For having too many flying wizards and such).
The Quran also isn't as airtight as you might think. It both says that alcohol is good, and that you should avoid alcohol, and Muslims have decided that avoid is a stronger word than forbidden or something like that ("source": high school religion (Denmark) and this thread I just found www.reddit.com/r/Quraniyoon/comments/vv3ref/alcohol_prohibited_heres_what_the_quran_says/). That is not to say that Christianity or Islam is contradictory, as certain groups of people practice certain things in the bible, but I don't believe anyone follows or believes everything.(except "year of living biblically" by A.J Jakobs, but that guy is also wild)

I hereby contradict your belief that your friend is a lot smarter than you.
Thank you for all of it.

As someone who identifies as a Christian—or as I prefer to say, "a lover and believer in Jesus"—I tend to shy away from claiming, "I know this is the truth." In my view, truly "knowing" the truth would require an experience as profound as dying and coming back to life, as only then might someone be able to claim firsthand knowledge of what lies beyond.

For most of us, faith is exactly what the word implies: belief in something we cannot fully prove. I can’t prove what I believe to anyone else. I have faith in Jesus because His story—God sending His Son to take on our sin—makes perfect and logical sense to me. It offers a hope for everlasting life and a peace that surpasses all understanding.

What I find fascinating is that my belief in the supernatural nature of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection keeps me open to considering other supernatural phenomena—or, as I sometimes call them, "whackadoodle" things. This openness doesn’t mean I believe everything, but it allows me to respect and consider what others hold dear. Ultimately, I choose to go all in on my faith because it brings me peace and assurance that God is in control.

If I ever stopped believing in God, the problem wouldn’t be that I’d believe in nothing; rather, the danger is that I might believe in anything. (This sentiment is often attributed to G.K. Chesterton, though its exact origin is debated.)

Hi Derek. It is not about right or wrong, it is about belief and personal truth. I was raised Catholic, then became pagan. Now, I do not believe in deity, but trust in science and the endless quest for scientific truth. I love that science never has all the answers, but the questions grow exponentially. It is about seeking knowledge in understanding the universe. But, I do not regret my spiritual forays of the past. That was me then seeking the truth on a different path. And, it opened me up to the wonderful world of beautiful human culture. I still love visiting a Buddhist stupa or Daoist temple. I will show reverence as is the custom of the faithful. The glorious achievement of a grand Catholic cathedral is something to marvel at, as is the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. The beauty is humanity at it's best. I do love following the philosophy of Daoism (Daojia, the philosophical Daoism, as opposed to the Daojiao, which is the religious Daoism) as it fits in nicely with science, but promotes living in harmony with nature. I enjoy reading the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi, and incorporating the life lessons into my Taijiquan and daily life. I see the Dao as the living universe, and therefore we never truly die, as we were there as atoms of the basic elements at the creation of the universe, we came from stars, and then became us and will soon die, then feed the worms, then the soil or other animals, and the cycle goes on. The sun will eventually supernova, and our atoms will scatter out to the universe, feeding and creating other stars, possibly new life on new planets, and it goes on until the universe extinguishes itself at the very end in a gentle fade out of all energy. To me, that is very special. That is true immortality.

I love this quote from the movie Conclave: "There is one sin which I have come to fear above all others… certainty. If there was only certainty, and no doubt, there would be no mystery. And therefore, no need for faith."

Faith, in its best form is openness to connection, to discovery, to surprise. It is seeking the mystery that is Love or Kindness or Peace. And with this kind of faith, as Rumi put it, you are what you seek.

I guess, for the more scientifically inclined, faith would be replaced by "reciprocal opening" dynamic that allows progressive interconnection and the emergence of collective intelligence. If you push through the science, you end up in participatory knowing which is also what Rumi was talking about. You become Love by participating in Love.

American indian researcher Robert Ghostwolf said that if you ask him what religion he is, that he is all of them because they all have peices of the puzzle but are missing the glue that binds them together. there is a glue and they were never meant to be separated. Shaman Red Elk said they were all separated by lucifer in his rebellion to devide us as his job was to be the antithesis of God to create this zone of free will so we can choose to be like God willingly or not for our spirits evolution. If all the experts of the various religions get together and dig in , they will find it is all one and has been artificially separated. The golden rule applies throughout all of them and so does karma.

I don't love the contradiction, because it spills over into conflict. Maybe I watch/read/listen to a bit too much news.

so many paths up the mountain, who's to say which one is best

Now I'm curious about your friend's airtight argument about the simulation. Can you share more?

- The Staircase -
First there's the phase of accepting what your told, the religion(s) of your parents, or the lack of one.
Then there's the realization that there are many, many beliefs, with good people standing firm in each of theirs.
Then, of course, there's the questioning (if you are awake) and wondering what's really true.
Then, you realize that's it's much more than being about belief. It's about experience. What good is belief without experiencing? How do I experience?
If these spiritual realms really exist, then how do I connect, feel, and see?
And once you have a supernatural experience ...

Nah, if you do take time to go very deep, I could say non are contradictory. Because we are just as lazy as fuck, don't want to get to the bottom of it, hence we keep seeing contradictions. Actually it a fun nature of delusions that keep people wanting to see contradiction, hence we are where we are now. Like you said, where is the fun , if there is No contradiction.

Or... As a matter of experimentation, couldn't you pick a side for a pre-determined amount of time (say, 90 days or something)? Deep dive. Go all in. Do all the practices, etc... My hypothesis is that trying to hold a balance between all the worldviews prevents one from actually being able to inhabit or even come close to inhabiting a chosen worldview to a degree that would actually allow you to experience a foundational understanding of that worldview.

Derek, I'm sure you've read Harari (Sapiens). www.ynharari.com. His thinking (and research) aligns with yours, only with more facts about world power. If you want an easy version, try the third graphic novel of Sapiens. Thanks for all you do. ~Mark

Unpopular opinion: All religions behave like corporations trying to gain market share. I was a missionary for the Catholic Church during my teenage years, so I’ve seen this firsthand.

When the Catholic Church came to Mexico, their goal was to convert everyone, right? Then, by a “miracle,” the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to a native Mexican. Now, she’s the central symbol of the Catholic Church in Mexico, deeply tied to a sense of belonging.

But what if this was just another case of a company launching a product tailored to appeal to a new market segment?

I am fine as long as these beliefs don't affect other people's lives.
All these go out the window once people start flying planes into buildings absolutely convinced that an afterlife waits for them, etc.

Thanks, Derek. The way I see it, contradictory objective worldviews (not preferences) can't all be correct. Is the evidence for the worldview compelling? This presentation helped me think things through. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZw0dfLmLk

I'm right.
Problem solved. :)

Seriously I'm a Christian but appreciate your respect for all people and willingness to consider others' beliefs.

"All misery comes from dependency.
If you weren’t dependent on income, people, or technology, you would be truly free.
The only way to be deeply happy is to break all dependencies."

Does freedom = happiness?

When I was a young man with a universalist worldview, I used to point to these contradictions between the major world religions and think to myself "They can't all be simultaneously right".

Now I view the world through a different lens, one where different races each have their own unique biospirits, which inform their worldview, culture and religious beliefs.

This makes room for different peoples to interpret the world according to their own biospirit. There is no longer a conflict, because I don't hold them all to the same universal standard.

Raised a strict fundamentalist Christian, left in my 30s when the very tools and traditions that were taboo kept me from drowning in grief and gave me a way to understand myself and others in a deeply profound way. I miss some of the best things about religion: community, ritual, corporate singing, and shared purpose. I do not miss the dogmatism, fear, us-vs-them. I think now about religions/spirituality like light (truth/reality) passing through a prism. We find the color that resonates, but it's all part of the same thing. Some traverse the spectrum, never picking a favorite color.

People's opinions and beliefs don't change the nature of reality, of what is. Whatever belief, if it makes you happy, if helps you to contribute to a better world, to service and to something bigger than yourself is what counts to me.

in my own words:
'...our intangible silent spirit has always been in the eternal infinite flow of the waveform of fundamental consciousness and it is our only actuality which means it is our authentic existence and it creates our temporal physicality as a work of art...'

the definitions are my individual idea of what I think it means ??

eternal ~ forever, including ALL of the past, present, future ??

infinite ~ everywhere ?? physical, intangible or any milieu ??

'...Oxford Languages
in·fi·nite
adjective
limitless or endless in space, extent, or size;
impossible to measure or calculate.
"the infinite mercy of God"

'...MILIEU | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus:

"the place, time, and circumstances in which something occurs," milieu applies especially to the physical and social surroundings of a person or group of persons...'

waveform ~ the light such as in NDEs, the breath of GOD ??

actuality ~ the true essence of existence which is perfect ??

silent ~ people in their NDE experience hearing without sound ??

intangible ~ free from any time-space limitations like gravity ??

fundamental ~ always existing, no start or end, just forever ??

temporal ~ existing for only a period of time, not fundamental ??

physicality ~ the time-space continuum, atoms, molecules etc. ??

consciousness ~ the process of eternal awareness and existence ??

work of art ~ any aspect of existence which is created in time ??

flow ~ the way we experience being outside of time or space ??

LET'S ALL AGREE TO DISAGREE !!

Derek, I thought of you when I came to passage in German chancellor Angela Merkel's memoir, "Freedom," page 530

"... I asked my colleagues about everyday things. ...(gives examples)... Sometimes I received honest answers, sometimes the reaction was nothing more than a look of astonishment.

During my entire time in office, I wanted to continually rediscover how my own world view had been shaped, and how it differed from that of others...."
☺ — Derek

The only thing I would have you do research on is what does God do with sin/the anti/negative energy? Christianity,only through Christ absorbing it and putting the penalty for humanity being infected by it on the cross, is always what made sense to me.That is the only way there can be such a thing as heaven. Holiness and sinfulness are at opposite ends. No man can bridge that gap….it had to be a God-man…. You can’t deny that there is evil in this world. How would God resolve the problem of disobedience and man thinking he can be like God? John 3:16

Your friend who believes everything is a simulation is correct, but like every computer simulation, a programmer or designer is required to make it happen. Computer simulations will not be visible on my computer without software designed by a creator. Evolution requires a prototype to evolve from. Nothing evolves into nothing, and it's against the laws of physics for chaos to turn into order without manipulation. Therefore, the Big Bang Theory is a joke on many levels, and it flaunts the Laws of Thermodynamics in that the galaxies are speeding up, not slowing down. The God I serve utilizes 5th dimensional physics that can't be explained to three dimensional creatures. He does whatever He wants, when He wants, and how He wants whether you can understand it or not.

Related: youtu.be/t11JYaJcpxg

I like Gandhi's quote,"I believe in the fundamental Truth of all the great religions of the world. I believe that they are all God-given.......
I came to that conclusion long ago....that all religions were true, and also that all had some error in them.

If truth is about what actually is, it will never be possible for us to make sense of it until our 5 basic senses are enhanced to cover all possible senses.

It follows therefore, that if such a thing as, for example, enlightenment existed, "acceptance" would be its pinnacle.

"If you want that and I also want that, then we'd both accept that we both want it and would find a way for that to happen that would be acceptable to both of us".

To which one might add the very human trait of: "or die trying". And so it goes.

Hi Derek,
Have you tried prayer? Honestly, there is only 1 that is true. Which one offers the gift of salvation for your soul? Which one gives you peace beyond human comprehension? I hope that you are truly seeking, because those who do will find what they are looking for.
Blessings,
Laura

There are also plenty of Christians who take the Bible as not literal truth, but as a collection of myths, legends, history, poetry, letters, and stories that point to an incomprehensibly deeper truth, that the ruling principle of the universe is love itself.

The first lesson is humility, no matter where you begin the quest, you have to start with the humility to say, "I don't know," but also with the hope that there is a truth to be discovered, not just a subjective invention. The scientist has this faith, upon which she applies hypothesis, experiment, and investigation. The scientist does not get to invent the truth, she must discover it. So to the philosopher and the spiritual seeker.

It's a long, deep journey, with many detours and dead-ends, but it's worth exploring, and you'll likely never reach the end before your death. (Perhaps a few have.) But the journey is the destination, as is often said.

Carrot: eternal life
Stick: eternal torment

I find it entertaining and informative to see who uses which approach in their proselytizing.

I've found the book _God Wants You Dead_ by Sean Hastings and Paul Rosenberg to be interesting and entertaining. The title has to do with the idea that life extension technologies detract from the meme of God's promise of eternal life. The book is about all sorts of memes (religious, political, societal, etc.) that surround and inform our lives.

At an early age, much in the Bible seemed fanciful and nonsensical. At later ages, I never understood the utility of a belief in God (aside from claiming membership in some God society).

Somewhat like Derek not wanting it resolved, for me, the religious texts—by seeking to dictate the answers—detract from the natural wonder of our existence.

I do, however, feel a spiritual sense of that wonder. Lately, I've found someone who helps interpret religion in ways which connect with a sense of spiritual wonder. On Facebook (/jim.rigby.12), Jim Rigby, Minister at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, shows how the history, genealogy, storytelling, metaphor, and myth can be seen to illuminate aspects of life and inform a life of right-living with those who share our planet.

Oh, it's a little bit of everything
It's the matador and the bull
It's the suggested daily dosage
It's the red moon when it's full

All these psychics and these doctors
They're all right and they're all wrong
It's like trying to make out every word
When they should simply hum along

It's not some message written in the dark
Or some truth that no one's seen
It's a little bit of everything

When my wife and I got married (on a "day in late September") "A Little Bit of Everything" by Dawes was our song. Still is. Becomes more poignant with each passing year.

Every child you ask which mother is the best, it will be her/his one. Is it "as opposed to" other mothers? Which child is ultimately right? Somehow our way of learning does not allow two opposing truth to be right. We struggle with that.

Ach, truth is overrated. I ascribe to your useful not true approach, and the fun part is deciding just how I want to define that word. Useful. Of late, it's been this:

"Do anything, but let it produce joy." -Walt Whitman

"God, there is beauty in every body." -Sherman Alexie

Joy and beauty. Beauty and joy. I've found these to be good company. Fun to plod along my days with these two rootlin' around me noggin, to see them, savor them, share them. I think when it boils down to it, we find what we look for.

I recommend Nick Cave's thoughts on this matter: www.theredhandfiles.com/

OM--G! I came all the way from the 1st related article. I was raised a 100% vanilla Catholic, attended a catholic school, and had parents who obliged to never miss the Sunday mass or else... But as I grew up, none can anymore answer the tons of unsaid questions in my mind. One day at age 18, right off the bat, I blurted out to my father's that I'd stop going to the church. I was amazed that he didn't even question me at all. He let me be!!! I became a non-practicing Catholic to date. It's so liberating.

Does the post shorthand pk come from the Bollywood movie ?
Yes!! You're the first to notice! www.imdb.com/title/tt2338151/ — Derek

I can relate. I grew up Muslim, half my life in Syria, and the other half in the US (due to Arab Spring). There is so much beauty in the different world traditions and I wish I could learn them all, but the reality of this world is that even if I spent my entire life on a single branch of a major religious tradition, I would not exhaust it. To limit oneself to a single approach is sad, and I admire how Medieval Islamic scholars took Wisdom from wherever it came from.

I personally find the approach to plurality in Islam to be beautiful, and I particularly enjoy Sheikh Hamza Yusuf's breakdown (Acclaimed as the most influential Islamic scholar in the West)

youtu.be/nOnAUyn6BlY (An Islamic Case for Pluralism, Equal Citizenship, and Religious)

You may find Dr Tim Jennings (Psychiatrist) challenging views and explanations to be of interest: www.comeandreason.com