Overcoming Doctrinal Differences by Going Back to Basics

As the Obama Administration reaches out to Iran, it is useful to remind ourselves of the religious differences between Christianity and Judaism, the most prominent traditions in the United States, and Islam, the dominant tradition in the Middle East. To do that, we need to have a starting point for comparison. What do Christians and Jews believe? Already we have a problem because what many Christians might say is the most important tenet of their faith – the divinity of Jesus – is rejected by Jews. What exactly then is the “Judeo-Christian” tradition? Judaism arose in a world dominated by polytheism, not just Greek and Roman, but other strands from Persia and India. The great intellectual advance was to worship one God. At first, this probably meant that there is one God that is greater than all the others, but later the central idea became: There is one God period.

Jesus was raised as a Jew and probably thought of himself as a Jew when he died. The movement that came after him built on Jewish doctrine to identify him as the Messiah, but rewrote Jewish doctrine to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God, then later one aspect of God himself. Mohammed was also raised in a polytheistic culture in what is now Saudi Arabia some six hundred years after Jesus lived. He seized on this central insight that there is one God. When he wrote the Quran, he saw himself as reforming and perfecting Judaism and Christianity, not completely rejecting it. He recognized Abraham as the patriarch of this tradition as well as the prophets of the Old Testament. He acknowledged the life of Jesus and viewed him as a prophet, too.

In short, there is more that unites Jews, Christians and Muslims than divides them, if we stick with the basic principle advocated by their founders. There is one God that should serve as the core of our lives. The massive superstructure of creeds, tenets, rituals, and doctrinal differences that have emerged since then is what makes these religious traditions seems so different. That is why it is important to go back to basic principles and remember that it is humans who are responsible for the elaborate rules we associated with particular denominations, not God. Their proponents may claim support for them in the Bible, the Quran, or some other sacred document, but these were written by humans, too, no doubt inspired by their view of God but actually conceived by them.

As I argue in The Uncertain Believer, the way to overcome our doctrinal differences is to focus on a central unifying idea recognized by the founders of Judaism, Christianity and Islam: There is an ideal that is higher than ourselves, higher than day to day struggles. It is the inspiration for human perfection. It deserves our commitment and dedication. If we make that commitment, life will be the better for it, not just our own life, but all those we touch. That central idea is God. I have no doubt that President Obama and President Ahmadenijad will appeal to that same God the night before they eventually meet.