For eight grueling days in July and August, I gave lectures on humanism at the humanist summer school in Russia. On my plane trip back to the U.S., I sat next to a man from the air force. I, too, was in the air force from 1980-1984. As it turned out, we had even more in common. He is originally from Idaho, and I was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base for two years.

I gave the man a copy of The Human Prospect, the journal I edit for our organization, the Institute for Science and Human Values (ISHV). The man saw an ad in the journal for a book by an ex- Mormon. The man sitting next to me is a Mormon and thought he should tell me the supposed Truth about his faith.

What was most memorable about the conversation was the man’s insistence that his religion was the only true faith. He respects Baptists and other Christians, and seems to believe that other religions help to make the world a better place. He even believes that after death, God will grant everyone the opportunity to accept the religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (a.k.a. the Mormons). After all, he concedes that there are countless millions of people that have known nothing about Christianity in general, let alone the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

This man’s attitude is a major improvement over that of those religionists that believe that they have the One True Faith, and that those who do not accept it will burn in Hell for eternity. Still, I cannot help but wonder why intelligent people believe they have the only true faith, or even the best faith.

What is so particularly special about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that would make an objective person believe that is even true, let alone the best faith or the only true faith? All religionists that make such dogmatic claims fail to present strong evidence to substantiate them.

I tried to explain this to the man on the plane. I told him that many Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, and countless others insist that they have the one true faith. I asked him why his religion is special in light of the many other claims of competing religionists. He simply continued to smile and respond politely that his religion is the one true faith. I continued to press him as to why his religion and claims were so special. Still, he simply continued to smile and tell me about the supposed Truth of his faith.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints excluded Blacks from the major positions of leadership until 1978. Does not this fact in itself make it suspect? Why did it take so long for them to catch up with everyone else if their religion is so special?

What about the fantasy history that characterizes their faith? Where is the historical, anthropological, or archaeological evidence that America played a major role in Mormon history thousands of years ago?

When I was a child, I believed that Christianity was the only true religion because that is what the adults told me. However, when I became an adult I was exposed to comparative religion, freethought, philosophy, and other disciplines that freed my mind form the confines of narrow religious thinking. Why is it that all adults do not make this intellectual journey?

When it comes to other people’s religions, narrow-minded people are masters at applying critical thinking. For example, a narrow-minded Muslim can easily identify contradictions, inconsistencies, absurdities, and atrocities in the Bible. However, when it comes to Islam, she somehow cannot manage to identify such problems. Similarly, a narrow-minded Christian will examine the Qur’an and find examples of atrocities, violence against women, teachings condoning the cruel treatment of unbelievers, etc. Yet when it comes to looking at the Bible, she sees only goodness, perfect wisdom and perfect truth.

It is amazing how otherwise intelligent people can put on blinders when it comes to their own religions. Socrates said that we should follow the arguments wherever they lead. It is this reason among others that humanist philosopher Paul Kurtz has rightly noted that Socrates was superior to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad as a teacher. The great religious teachers stressed blind obedience, whereas Socrates consistently stressed the importance of reason.

We should all remember how important it is to closely examine even our most deeply cherished assumptions. Only then will we be genuine seekers of truth