One Religion Offers Most

One Religion defends six theses:

1. Refusing to examine itself critically or to face searching questions by others, a religious sect retains obviously untrue and harmful--even degrading--items side by side with items that are true, helpful and elevating.

2. Mutual, frank evaluation of points of view by various sects in very much better than silent indiscriminate toleration by each of anything and everything that another calls religion.

3. A great proportion of the resources of each sect, given in the name of religion, is wastefully used up in just keeping alive and in promoting self-centered sectarian ends rather than in ministering to the religious needs of individuals and communities.

4. Unless Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other sects are merged into or replaced by a great One Religion, sectarianism will continue to divide the world and communities into self-centered groups, isolate peoples, use sectarian prejudice for political advantage, and stimulate conflict which is deadly dangerous in the atomic-space age.

5. Religious life should and will be integrated in One Religion which should and will absorb or replace existing sects.

6. The intelligently religious person, knowing that religious preferences which divide people into sects are the result of indoctrination in childhood rather than of the greater truth, plausibility or superiority of any sect, will not hesitate to to change to One Religion.

Are Brothers Fools?

Are those who try to organize One Religion of Brotherhood but fools rushing in where even the bravest angels fear to tread? At least we have received much encouragement from many who could scarcely be called foolish. Some comments on my Toward World Brotherhood which suggested and explained the Brotherhood Movement are:

"You have struck a very important note in the problem of world organization and unity. In fact I think the most important one as well as the most neglected and most needed. There is almost a conspiracy of silence on this phase of the problem--not deliberate, but certainly testifying to the immense strength of the sectarian evil you so ably discuss. Yours is almost a voice in the wilderness."--John Dewey.

". . . your book which I am sure will make a real contribution to our present day thinking." --Rabbi Joshua Loth Liebman, Temple Israel, Boston.

"I am confident that it will do much to contribute toward the advancement of the high objectives which it so eloquently urges upon American public opinion."--Sumner Welles, former Under Secretary of State.

"You are stressing one of the most important phases of religion that the world needs at the present time."--Ernest John Chave, Divinity School, University of Chicago.

"I am referring your book immediately to certain members of our faculty and a committee which is now concerned with the development of a program in religion and ethics for The State College of Washington."--E. H. Hopkins, Vice President.