Guiding Questions

• How has religion shaped our understanding of truth and justice?

• Can religious belief coexist with critical inquiry?

• Who decides whether a truth is sacred — or just cultural?

Religion: Source of Truth — or Source of Conflict?

For millennia, religion has played a central role in defining what is true, what is good, and what is just.

• Laws were once delivered as divine commandments.

• Leaders ruled by divine right.

• Wars were waged in the name of sacred truths.

• Revolutions were fueled by religious conviction.

• Movements for justice, like abolition and civil rights, were often rooted in faith.

Religion has inspired both liberation and oppression — depending on who interprets its truths.

Faith and Authority

Religious truth claims often assert absolute certainty — grounded in revelation, not debate.

But this raises hard questions:

• What happens when different religions claim conflicting truths?

• Who has the authority to interpret sacred texts?

• Can moral laws based on scripture apply in pluralistic, secular societies?

A society committed to justice must wrestle with truth that is not always provable — but deeply held.

Philosophical Perspectives

Socrates

Challenged Athenian piety by asking probing questions about the gods — and was sentenced to death for “corrupting the youth.”

Thomas Aquinas

Sought harmony between faith and reason. Argued that natural law (accessible to all minds) and divine law (revealed through faith) can align.

Baruch Spinoza

Argued for freedom of belief and speech. Believed that religious institutions must not dominate public life or politics.

Cornel West

Emphasizes prophetic faith — a commitment to justice rooted in love and humility, not dogma or control.

A Thought Experiment

Imagine a courtroom where a defendant cites religious law to justify breaking a civil law.

Whose truth should prevail?

Should a secular court respect divine authority — or uphold man-made law?

Two Perspectives

Religion as Moral Foundation

Faith offers timeless values, unshaken by political tides. It gives individuals purpose and ethical guidance.

Religion as Political Force

When imposed through law, religion can suppress dissent, deny rights, and resist progress.

Justice in a Multi-Faith World

• Should religious beliefs influence public policy?

• Can religious exemptions co-exist with equal protection?

• Is secularism a threat to faith — or a shield for all beliefs?

Justice in modern societies demands tolerance without submission, and dialogue without domination.

Tools for Philosophical Inquiry

• Comparative religion – explore multiple traditions without privileging one

• Historical context – understand how religious texts have evolved and been reinterpreted

• Critical theology – question the meaning of “divine” in changing social conditions

• Secular ethics – build shared values without requiring shared beliefs

• Legal pluralism – allow space for spiritual practices within universal legal frameworks

Reflect and Discuss

• Should religious truth be protected from criticism?

• Can faith-based morality serve justice in a secular society?

• Is there a difference between “respecting belief” and “agreeing with it”?

Suggested Readings

• Thomas Aquinas – Summa Theologica (Selections on Natural Law)

• Baruch Spinoza – Theological-Political Treatise

• Karen Armstrong – The Case for God

• Cornel West – Democracy Matters

• The U.S. Constitution – First Amendment (Freedom of Religion)

“Justice is not threatened by faith — only by the refusal to question.”

— Tiger Lyon