A Modern Tower of Babel?

THE ancient Tower of Babel has become a symbol of confusion and division. It was there, some 4,000 years ago, that God confused the language of the people. Why? Because of their rebellion against him. They rejected obedience to God and instead centered their lives on the schemes of imperfect men. So God scattered them.​—Genesis 11:1-9.

Was what happened at Assisi so different? Were men properly reunited there? Did the religious leaders of over two billion people really promote world peace?

Was There Unity?

In an address given only a few days before, the pope had emphasized: “What will take place at Assisi will certainly not be religious syncretism [uniting].” He added: “We cannot pray together, that is, join together in common prayer, but we can be present while others pray.”

Thus the pope indicated that the criterion observed in praying for peace was that of coming together to pray, not that of praying together. Some observed that he wanted to avoid participating in a common prayer. In this way he would not be accused by Catholics of mixing the various religious beliefs.

This is borne out by the pope’s welcoming address to the religious leaders that morning. He emphatically pointed out: “The fact that we have come here does not imply any intention of seeking a religious consensus among ourselves or of negotiating our faith. Neither does it mean that religions can be reconciled at the level of a common commitment in an earthly project that would surpass all of them.”

Certainly, then, there would be no effort to reconcile the many differences in religious teachings represented by those gathered at Assisi. Religious unity would therefore be impossible. The confusion of ‘religious tongues’ would continue. Hence, there is indeed a striking similarity to the ancient Tower of Babel.

This religious disunity is evident in a sampling of beliefs. For example, Buddhism does not accept the existence of a personal God, teaching that the final goal of man is Nirvana, a state of absolute blessedness achieved through the extinction of the self. The Hindus believe in millions of gods and in a continuous cycle of reincarnations that can lead to Nirvana. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant religions believe in a Trinity. But Muslims believe that there is one God, Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet; however, they do not believe that God has a son. The Jews worship one God but do not accept Jesus as the Messiah. African religions believe that plants, animals, and inanimate objects have a spirit. The American Indians worship the forces of nature.

However, true peace implies at least a basic coming together, or uniting, of different peoples. But the religions that met at Assisi were so pitifully divided that they could not even agree on a common prayer! Surely, God cannot approve of all these conflicting ideas because, wrote the apostle Paul, “God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace.”​—1 Corinthians 14:33.

Is God Listening?

How can the only true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, listen favorably to the prayers of religious leaders who have no intention of working for true unity? God’s own inspired Word states clearly that those who practice true worship “should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among [them], but that [they] may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.”​—1 Corinthians 1:10.

If God listened to these divided religions, he would be contradicting himself. It would indicate his approval of what he condemns​—division. But the God of truth cannot be guilty of a double standard. He will not contradict his own Word, for “God . . . cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) Hence, he does not listen favorably to the prayers of such divided worship.

The Bible clearly shows that God approves only worship that is in harmony with his will. Jesus said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.” He also said that God is “looking for,” that is, he approves of and only listens to those who worship him “with spirit and truth.” That is done by observing his Word and obeying his commandments. So God disapproves of religions that do not do his will, just as he disapproved of the builders of the Tower of Babel, who also were not doing his will. He rejects such ones. As Jesus said to those who do their own will instead of God’s will: “Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.”​—Matthew 7:21-23; John 4:23, 24.

Thus, the spiritual condition of the religions that met at Assisi is the opposite of what God requires of true worshipers. Instead of being united in the same mind and thought, they are shredded by disunity, just as prevailed at the Tower of Babel.

The fact that God does not listen favorably to the prayers of this world’s Babel-like religions becomes more obvious when we examine the testimony of history. What kind of picture does that testimony present?

[Picture on page 6]

A Babylonian temple tower