The Problem with Syncretism

The phrase "We all worship the same God" sounds all wonderful, and multicultural, and ecumenically sensitive, and tolerant, and boundlessly kind, and peaceful, and many other great things. The only problem is, it's not true.

Jesus differs from Baldur differs from Thor differs from Loki differs from Brahma differs from Thoth differs from Zeus differs from Mercury differs from Hera differs from the Roman emperor Nero. There's a reason why the pagans had a multiplicity of cults, and why some gods had recognizable counterparts in other religious systems who still differed from other gods. There are different objects of worship. They are not all the same.

The underlying truth which makes the phrase so plausible is the common divinity of all the gods. Not that all the proposed gods are divine, but that divinity is ascribed to all of them. And humans of all races, nations, religions, etc., has known what to ascribe to their gods. They know what divinity is. All humans and all human religions aim at the divine. There is a common orientation in religions to that extent. As Socrates demonstrated by his criticism of the pagan gods of the Greeks, there is a transcultural and transtemporal understanding of the nature and attributes of divinity.

But for the philosopher, a great many of the gods and objects of religious worship fall short of the high standard set by those attributes of divinity. Not all gods are equally worthy of worship, or equally manifest the divine attributes. Not all the objects of worship are God. But why does this common notion of divinity exist? Because there is a basic equality between human beings deriving from our shared nature.

Further, we are all created by God, designed by him in his own image and likeness, intended for union with the divine life. Therefore, all human beings have a basic common orientation towards God. Religion, the realization that there is a God and he deserves our worship, is a natural human phenomenon. But there was a fall, a long time ago, and humanity is wounded. Therefore, absent the self revelation of God, we shall always fall short of true worship and true honor--true religion.

Absent Christ, the Word of God made flesh, the full manifestation of the divine in human history, all religion is partial. Absent the final eschatological coming of Christ, all experience and participation in God awaits final confirmation and completion. "At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known." (1 Cor. 13:12) Absent God's working, we can do nothing.