Questions that every religion and philosophy answers in some way: purpose, right and wrong, suffering, how (or whether) the divine speaks, what happens after death. A question belongs here when an atheist, a Buddhist and a Christian can all give a real answer to it. Questions tied to one family's texts or beliefs belong in that family's branch.
Centre branch
Foundations
Questions every worldview has to answer, whatever its tradition.
Questions
Question
What Is the Chief End of Man?
Human purpose compared across 20+ traditions: glorify and enjoy God (Westminster), beatific vision, theosis, exaltation, worship ('ibadah), moksha, nirvana, eudaimonia, and materialist self-made meaning
- Protestant Lens: What Is the Chief End of Man?Protestant lens: denominational differences, Messianic Jewish and BibleProject first, then Catholic, Orthodox, LDS and JW, then other religions and worldviews, each with Go Deeper resources
- BibleProject: Humans as God's Image, and How It ComparesHumanity's purpose as royal priesthood and representation: KJV scripture for each of BibleProject's seven story movements (cosmic temple, image, cultivating, two trees, Israel, Jesus, new creation), each link rated explicit / inferred / background; compared with Reformed, Lutheran, Wesleyan, Catholic, Orthodox, popular-evangelical, LDS and JW views
- My Notes: The Chief End of Man
Question
How Does the Divine Communicate with Humans — and Why That Way?
Revelation compared across Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, LDS, JW, Quaker, Islamic, Jewish, Dharmic, Greco-Roman and Chinese traditions: closed vs. open revelation, where God's voice lives now, and why God speaks that way
- Protestant Lens: How Does the Divine Communicate with Humans — and Why That Way?Protestant lens: denominational differences, Messianic Jewish and BibleProject first, then Catholic, Orthodox, LDS and JW, then other religions and worldviews, each with Go Deeper resources
- Christian: Why Does God Seem So Silent?Biblical lament and hiddenness, plus nine Christian explanations of divine silence (sufficiency, still small voice, freedom, dark night, theology of the cross, Rea, Moser, sin, eschatology) and Schellenberg's challenge
Question
Why Does Evil Still Exist If God Is Good?
The problem of evil compared across 25+ traditions: free-will and greater-good theodicies, Reformed providence vs. Arminian freedom, Orthodox privation, LDS opposition, JW and Adventist cosmic trial, Islamic testing, Jewish protest, karma, Zoroastrian and Gnostic dualism, and the materialist case
Question
Is There an Objective Right or Wrong?
Moral realism compared across 20 traditions: God's nature vs. command (Euthyphro), Catholic natural law, Orthodox healing, LDS eternal law, JW sovereignty, Ash'ari vs. Mu'tazili Islam, Noahide laws, dharma, karma, asha, ma'at, Stoic right reason, and atheist realists vs. anti-realists