This is an important point. Suppose that such a God exists, as is supposed in Christianity, Judaism, Islam or Zoroastrianism. Then we must conclude that each, in fully, and carefully applying his reason to all that he sees in life, will find himself drawn toward that which God wishes him to believe.

This give a whole new tone, to our earlier rebuttal of Pascal's wager - the argument that one should embrace Christianity, out of fear of Hell. Before, we merely pointed out that to embrace the attitude underlying it would be unreasonable. But now, in this context, we would see it to be blasphemous as well, in a different way from that which we discussed before. To do so, would be to advocate the setting of man's will - the will of the one seeking to convert another through fear - above that of God, Himself. How very presumptuous of him. Now, to oppose the implementation of what would clearly be God's will, is surely to defy that will. In Christian, Muslim, or Zoroastrian terms, to do so is to serve the devil (through the latter would call him Ahriman). In Jewish terms, it is simply to fail to meet that test, which the Adversary ^* has put before one.

Imagine how much worse it is, then, if - instead of merely trying to gently persuade another to set aide his own reason, and thus close his ears, to the soft and persistant voice of God - our missionary of fear were to seek to browbeat or even use the threat of violence (or retribution in any form) to convert another, or to keep him from freely speaking to another, of beliefs contrary to those of the 'missionary'. He would be setting his own unshakable conviction in the rightness of his own beliefs - his pride - above the realization of God's will. In Christian or Islamic terms - how dare he do such a thing? In both faiths, how better to define what it is that the devil himself did, than to say that he did that?

Now, we were, for the sake of discussion, deciding to take a Christian or Islamic view.

So, we must conclude that those who worked for the Inquisition; the present day Bible thumpers who try to badger others into adopting their particular brand of Christianity and to have those left unpersuaded ostracized; the book burners of Medieval and early Colonial times and the pagan temple destroyers of Late Antiquity - all, as they pretended to serve God, served the devil, and served him well, as they served his personal representatives - their own egos. Indeed, if one is a Christian, how can one forget the commands

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself", ............. and
"Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you".

How would you like to have to choose between serving your God and being able to keep your job, your connection to your friends, loved ones and community and maybe even your own life? How would you like to have been faced with a choice between being burned or otherwise tortured to death and maybe passing into oblivion if your faith was mistaken, or apostasizing and maybe going to Hell, you think, if your faith is right? Just how loving an act can it be, to force such a choice as one of these, on another?

So, they defy His will, spit on His teachings, and yet pretend to serve Him! What a remarkable sort of service this would be!

Some will seek to defend the indefensible, by saying that they act to save the souls of those they coerce - but where in the Bible or the Koran is it said, that God welcomes a hypocritical expression of faith? For that matter, how could one ever believe that a just and loving God would punish someone for an error that he elected to lead a person into into, for His own reasons?

In response, some will say that it isn't God, but the devil that does the leading. Really? So, they imagine that as God seeks to draw others to the truth, the devil will sneak His worshippers out from under His very nose, by sabotaging His own process? They seem to be saying, that the devil is smarter than God. How surprising! I thought that it was supposed to be the reverse, by a considerable margin.

Others will ask, if I am not contradicting my own philosophy, by suggesting that such a God - the embodiment of all that is right - might lead another into error, in order to serve some higher good. But, such a diety would have a vantage point that none of us have. He would view all of existence from above, grasping in its entirety, and always knowing what needed to be done. The logic that leads to our imperative to always seek and promote the truth, which is rooted in an understanding of our own fallibility, and the limits of our knowledge, would not apply to Him.

What we must conclude, is that a full respect for and tolerance of the beliefs of others is commanded by Christianity and Islam alike, and if either of these faiths is true, God will punish those who punish others for their beliefs, or in any way seek to pressure them to give them up.

Further, this answers the old question, of how there can be friendly cooperation between the leaders of different faiths. Some will ask, "Isn't this Hypocrisy? Isn't each pretending to love another, who he sees as leading the innocent into error?". But, this is misguided. Religion isn't a series of answers to be memorised, it is a series of questions that life presents us with, as God guides us individually toward the truth, as we are ready for it - in our own time, in His own way. Each answer determines what the next questions to be asked, will be. Each of the religions, in pursuing the implications of its own assumptions, becomes the means through which Heaven writes this living text, this body of questions. Thus, so long as they honor values which we can respect, they do not work at cross purposes at all, but toward a common good, the fulfillment of God's will.

One should notice that argument will apply to any faith, monotheistic or polytheistic, in which Heaven honors the values of which we speak, and in which God, or the gods have attained full consciousness. We see, then, that despite their real differences in belief, which reflect real differences in the nature of their experiences, those who agree on this, must still be seen as brothers in faith.

For one to hate the faith of another, and those who practice it, is for him to hate his own.

Let's continue with the earlier thread of discussion.

(*) The "Satan" of the book of Job, who should not be confused with the Christian devil. Orthodox Judaism denies the existence of a supernatural power opposed to God.