The Question

Some time ago I found myself pondering a question, and essentially it was this: If the universe, and Earth in particular, was created by one god then how come there are so many diverse beliefs in the world? It seemed to me as if the existence of one god would result in some kind intuitive response in people, drawing us towards believing in it. But that doesn’t seem to be the case – diverse religions exist all around the world and have done throughout history. In fact it seems like the further back you look the less belief there has been in a single deity. Prior to the spread of Christianity most of Europe followed some kind of pagan, polytheistic religion.

The Problem

So that leaves us with a dilemma. People don’t seem to have any predisposition towards a single god, perhaps they are even drawn to the idea of many. It’s only after they have the concept of a single god brought to them that people seem to even consider the idea. This in itself offers a problem. Monotheistic religions, such as christianity, tend to view themselves as being the only true religion and others as wrong. Even worse some believe that only those who follow their religion will go to heaven, or whatever afterlife they believed in. This was my real problem with the idea – can it be that everyone who doesn’t follow a religion can be wrong and so be denied entry in to heaven? What about thousands of years ago before that religion even existed? And what about remote tribes who would have now way of hearing about any religion other than their own? Would they be denied heaven or an afterlife simply on the basis of being in the wrong place or the wrong time? It just doesn’t add up.

A Solution

So here’s what occurred to me. What if all of the many diverse religions stemmed from the same source? If divinity is present in everything then it would only seem logical that people would be inspired by it no matter where they are or when they lived. There are many variations in belief, but then we all experience the world in different ways. Why should we assume that everyone’s experience of the divine would also be the same? As for believing in one god or many gods – does it matter? I don’t think anyone who believes in any kind of religion would disagree that the divine transcends human understanding, so why shouldn’t everyone view it in a way that makes sense to them?

I know this idea doesn’t answer every question that could be asked, and there are probably other answers that could be equally valid. But I can’t help thinking that if people could start thinking this way instead of the black and white, right and wrong that religion often tends to invoke then the world could be a more peaceful and tolerant place.