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Believe in god Quote by David Levithan

“I have been to many religious services over the years. Each one I go to only reinforces my general impression that religions have much, much more in common than they like to admit. The beliefs are almost always the same; it's just that the histories are different. Everybody wants to believe in a…” quote by David Levithan
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““I have been to many religious services over the years. Each one I go to only reinforces my general impression that religions have much, much more in common than they like to admit. The beliefs are almost always the same; it's just that the histories are different. Everybody wants to believe in a higher power. Everybody wants to belong to something bigger than themselves, and everybody wants company in doing that. They want there to be a force of good on earth, and they want an incentive to be a part of that force. They want to be able to prove their belief and their belonging, through rituals and devotion. They want to touch the enormity. It's only in the finer points that it gets complicated and contentious, the inability to realize that no matter what our religion or gender or race or geographic background, we all have about 98 percent in common with each other. yes, the differences between male and female are biological, but if you look at the biology as a matter of percentage, there aren't a whole lot of things that are different. Race is different purely as a social construction, not as an inherent difference. And religion--whether you believe in God or Yahweh or Allah or something else, odds are that at heart you want the same things. For whatever reason, we like to focus on the 2 percent that's different, and most of the conflict in the world comes from that.””

David Levithan

About This Quote

Source Interview: The New York Times, 2015

Religions share core desires for meaning, belonging, and moral good despite superficial differences.

In simple terms: Religions are more similar than different.

Key Takeaway

Recognize common human needs across faiths.

Themes

religion commonality humanity

Mood

hopeful inclusive

Type

inspirational educational

When to use this quote

  • community building
  • interfaith events
  • education on shared values

Key Concepts

sociology psychology interfaith dialogue

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we emphasize shared values?
  • What role do rituals play in unity?
A Different Perspective

Differences can still be significant and cause conflict.

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