Are You Sincere: A Lawyer, A Professor, A Priest And A Merchant Engage In Plain Talk On Religion

Professor: “It is curious how widely men differ in their religious beliefs; but this is not perhaps to be regretted, for, after all, it is a matter of no importance what a man believes if only he be sincere.”

Lawyer:“So says the poet, too, and I agree with him: “For forms of faith let graceless zealots fight. He can’t be wrong whose heart is in the right.”

Priest:“Allow me to say that, while I agree with you in prizing sincerity very highly, at the same time it seems to me you put a pretty low estimate on truth.”

Professor:“How so? We do not undervalue the excellence of truth.”

Priest:“It seems to me you do; for, if it be a matter of no importance what a man believes, then, whether a man is a pagan, Jew, Turk. or Christian, it is all the same, provided he is only sincere, On your theory all religions are equally good, for sincerity is the important thing, not truth, and therefore Christ's death, for the conversion of the Jews and the Gentiles to Christianity, was a mistake!”