LIFE SCHOOL PRODUCTIONS

Battles of the mind

A short story
Dr. S. P. Mathew

2010

Mumbai, India
The doorbell rang in the spacious mansion of the
Dell’s. Naomi the mother in law of the Dell family
had been waiting eagerly for this moment! She
rushed to the door and welcomed back her two
daughters-in law who had just successfully
completed a challenging six month course in
Comparative religions at a multi faith university in
Oklahoma.
The ladies hugged each other and settled down in
comfortable sofas in the hall. Miriam was the older
daughter in law and came from an Orthodox
Jewish family. Ruth was the younger daughter-in-
law and came from a mixed Irish catholic-Muslim
background. Her mother had been a Muslim from
Palestine.
Miriam was the first to share her experiences. ‘I
have learnt so much in these months’ gushed
Miriam. ‘I now feel that all religions are basically the
same and I must respect all religions’. She had
never thought in those lines before, she continued.
“I used to always think that Jews were the chosen
people of God, but now I think differently.”
Her mother in law, Naomi, was from a liberal
Protestant background, and she too did not feel
that it was important to believe in any single

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religion. In her own way, she too tried to believe in
different faiths at different times.
So she was eager to know more from the two of
them. She turned to her younger daughter in law
Ruth to find out what had been her experience.
Ruth also was radiant. She turned to her mother in
law and said ‘I have also learnt a lot, ma”
Tell us, said her mother in law.
‘Let me make some tea for you all first’, said Ruth
and went to the kitchen. She smiled to herself as
she went through what she had learnt in those
months at the multi faith university.
She returned with piping hot cups of tea.
“I have learnt so much about the nature of God,
ma” said Ruth
Ruth continued “I have also learnt that people are
the same everywhere, but their religions are totally
different”
“But,” interrupted Miriam. “That’s not what I learnt
there!”
“Just a minute, girls! Cool down Miriam!” said
Naomi. She was used to being the mediator
between Miriam and Ruth since a long time!
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Miriam continued “All religions are the same, and
they all lead to the same God. I wish people would
understand this great truth and stop fighting with
each other!”
Naomi clapped her hands and said “Why Miriam, I
think that’s so wonderful. Indeed, we are seeing so
much of terrorism and wars these days due to so
many different religions. I wish we had peace…”
Ruth was listening rather attentively. Naomi turned
to Ruth and asked her “So now what would you
have to say?”
Ruth said “What I am about to say is what I have
learnt and understood. I am not going to force my
belief on anyone else. I learnt that there is God,
and He is a person, and that He is one. There is only
one way to know God, through His Word and His
way”
Miriam interrupted “That is what I am worried about!
This is what causes all the violence and wars in
these days, this sort of exclusive ‘my way is right’
type of belief. I feel we should stop forcing our
belief down other people’s throats anyway!”
Ruth smiled at Miriam and asked “Then why did you
do exactly that a while back?”

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“What are you saying?” asked Miriam, surprised.
“I am asking you to go back to what you said a
while back….that ‘All religions are the same, and
they all lead to the same God’, do you
remember?” said Ruth.
“Of course, I said that, it is true so what about it?”
asked Miriam.
“Do you realise that this belief that you have, that
all religions are the same, is just your belief. Why
are you forcing that belief on to me? asked Ruth
“I mean! What’s wrong with that belief?!”
exclaimed Miriam
“Now, now…calm down Miriam” said Naomi,
looking at her angry older daughter in law,
surprised at her reaction.
Miriam continued “Just a minute, Ma. Let me finish.
Most people don’t realise that all roads lead to the
same God. Just because their religion doesn’t
teach them that doesn’t mean it is not true! Can it?”
Naomi turned to Ruth and said “I too feel
sometimes that all paths lead to the same God.
Can you please explain what is your problem with
that belief?”

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“This is exactly what I was afraid of, Ma” said Ruth.
“Miriam and many other people nowadays, think
that all roads lead to the same God. They feel it
sounds so ‘good’ and ‘holy’ and ‘broad minded’.
What they forget is that this belief is again just a
belief. They force their own belief on other people
but don’t see what is wrong with that! I would say
that they are so narrow minded that they cannot
bear to see anyone else having a different belief!”
Naomi thought and said “I see, but isn’t that a good
belief? Wouldn’t that end all conflict and wars?”
Ruth replied “Can forcing ones beliefs down
another’s throat ever end conflicts or wars? And
how do you assume that your belief is true first of
all, dear Miriam?”
“Of course it is true, all religions have the same
goals, don’t they? Peace, love, kindness etc.? ”
asked Miriam
“No, all religions have different assumptions and
different goals, which is what I learnt as I studied
them deeply. For example, Hinduism teaches that
you have to pay the price for your sins by doing
some good works.
Christianity teaches that if you repent of your sins
and believe in the fact that Jesus Christ the sinless
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man died for your sins on the cross, you are free
from the guilt of your sins. So there is no ‘work’ you
have to do to earn forgiveness! Buddhism doesn’t
talk about sin at all! Islam believes in doing some
works to earn forgiveness of sins and yet Islam
never gives an assurance that your sins are
forgiven! Then how on earth can one say that all
religions are the same, dear?” said Ruth
Naomi sipped her tea and looked at both her
daughter in laws. She was beginning to see that
things were not as simple as she had thought.
Ruth continued “Take the concept of God, for
instance. Certain religions and New Age guru’s
teach that all things are god, and that god is an
impersonal force that is present everywhere. They
think that after death you either re incarnate or
merge with some larger consciousness out there.”
Miriam said “That’s what I learnt. If you do bad
things you will be reborn as a frog or something
worse’
Naomi interrupted “Isn’t that called Karma or
something?”
Miriam said ‘Exactly, that is the theory of Karma,
and it sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it?”

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Ruth said “It may sound wonderful to you, but it isn’t
true, nor is it logical my dear Miriam”
“Why not” asked Naomi and Miriam
“If I have cut a red signal once, and then continue
to follow traffic rules for the rest of the day, does my
first offence get pardoned? Is it not the judge who
lays down the rules and decides whether I am
guilty or not?” asked Ruth
“Ofcourse, and the judge is?” asked Miriam
“God, obviously, and He has to be a Person like
you and me and not a force, logically, to be able
to judge our deeds as being good or bad!” said
Ruth. “Can you imagine a force like Electricity
deciding if you have done a good thing or not?”
Naomi smiled and said “That makes a lot of sense
to me!”
Ruth continued “Christianity, on the other hand,
teaches that God is a person, He made us in His
image, with free will to either worship Him or
worship something else. Most of humanity has
turned away from Him. Yet, because of His love for
us, He chose to come as Jesus Christ to live on this
earth, love and heal people, and ultimately pay the
price decreed by law for our sins, death. Those who
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realise and repent will be transformed into a new
creation, with peace and love within their hearts.
They will be saved from God’s wrath. Isn’t that
wonderful?”
Miriam was deep in thought too. Sipping her tea
slowly she was facing a battle in her minds. All her
assumptions had been attacked in a simple and
logical way. She looked at Ruth who was also
sipping her tea. Miriam asked “So which religion is
true, according to you?”
Ruth said “God has given you a free will. You
should decide for your own. I can never force my
belief on you. Since you asked, I believe that only
Christianity has the answer to world peace. It
teaches me that I have to forgive because God
forgave my sins through His Son Jesus. It is logical
and true in every way you look at it. Science and
Archaeology confirm every word of the Bible.”
Naomi said “Wow, I never thought of it in this way!”
“I never thought of it in this way….I am sorry dear
Ruth for forcing my beliefs on you” said Miriam.
They all hugged each other and went to the
kitchen to prepare for the day.

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