Nearly every monotheistic theist who has ever existed believes that their god is the one true god. In his brilliant work, Letter to a Christian Nation, author & thinker Sam Harris eloquently describes why such certainty deserves examination in our modern world.
Harris notes: “Consider: every devout Muslim has the same reasons for being a Muslim that you have for being a Christian. And yet you do not find their reasons compelling. The Koran repeatedly declares that it is the perfect word of the creator of the universe. Muslims believe this as fully as you believe the Bible’s account of itself. There is a vast literature describing the life of Muhammad that, from the point of view of Islam, proves that he was the most recent Prophet of God. Muhammad also assured his followers that Jesus was not divine (Koran 5:71-75; 19:30-38) and that anyone who believes otherwise will spend eternity in hell.”
This universal certainty presents a fascinating paradox in our age of unlimited information. Muslims are certain that Muhammad’s opinion on this subject, as on all others, is infallible. As Harris pointedly asks: “Why don’t you lose any sleep over whether to convert to Islam? Can you prove that Allah is not the one, true God? Can you prove that the archangel Gabriel did not visit Muhammad in his cave?”
The answer reveals the circular nature of religious certainty: “Of course not. But you need not prove any of these things to reject the beliefs of Muslims as absurd. The burden is upon them to prove that their beliefs about God and Muhammad are valid. They have not done this. They cannot do this. Muslims are simply not making claims about reality that can be corroborated.”
In 2024, when humanity carries the sum of human knowledge in our pockets, this observation becomes even more striking. “The truth is,” Harris concludes, “you know exactly what it is like to be an atheist with respect to the beliefs of Muslims. Isn’t it obvious that Muslims are fooling themselves? Isn’t it obvious that anyone who thinks that the Koran is the perfect word of the creator of the universe has not read the book critically? Isn’t it obvious that the doctrine of Islam represents a near perfect barrier to honest inquiry? Yes, these things are obvious. Understand that the way you view Islam is precisely the way devout Muslims view Christianity. And it is the way I view all religions.”
Now ask yourself, instead of bickering over this god or that, what is a better plan than unconditionally loving all humans, always?
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