What Do Unitarians and Satanists Have In Common?

Crossing Faiths

John and Elliot have a wide-ranging discussion about religion, covering topics such as the nature of God, the purpose of religion, different religious groups and practices, religious extremism, and more.

They start by talking about whether it makes sense to believe in a God that is morally questionable or "bad." Elliot argues that even for religious people, faith involves choosing to believe in a certain conception of God. He suggests that it doesn't make sense to exert belief in a deity that is "bad."

The conversation touches on modern Satanist groups and Unitarian Universalism. John sees some similarities between these two in terms of individualism and picking from different faith traditions.

They discuss the idea that Islam has core tenets or "Maxims" that define the faith and bind Muslims together. Likewise, Christianity seeks to facilitate bridging the gap between God and humans.

There is examination of how cultural identity can become intermixed with religious identity, using Greek Orthodox and Pakistani Muslim communities as examples.

John and Elliot explore how moral absolutes can slip within religious worldviews, enabling dangerous behaviors like religiously-motivated violence. The destruction of a Satanic statue by a Christian politician is discussed in this context.

They end by considering the essential purpose of religion - why humans are driven to religion whereas animals are not.

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