A Simple Truth That Can End Religious Extremism

During my years as a language teacher in the United States, I discovered something profoundly simple yet transformative — a lesson that could reshape the moral fabric of humanity if only it were universally taught. It is the ability to distinguish between a fact and a belief.

At first glance, this might seem like a trivial distinction. But this small grain of understanding holds the power to dissolve the poisonous roots of religious extremism that have stained human history for centuries.

Let me illustrate it with an example I often used in my classroom:

• Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

• Nehru was the best Prime Minister of India.

The first statement is a fact. It is verifiable, objective, and remains true regardless of what anyone thinks about it. Facts stand like mountains — unmoved by the winds of opinion.

The second statement is a belief. It reflects personal judgment, emotion, or conviction. A belief may be passionately held, but it depends on the believer. It shifts from person to person, culture to culture, generation to generation.

Once we truly grasp this distinction, a veil is lifted from our minds. We begin to see that religious convictions, however sacred they may feel, are not facts. They are beliefs — deeply held, often beautiful, but still subjective.

This simple realization has the power to end much of the hatred and violence that plagues our world. For centuries, human beings have killed and died in the name of beliefs, mistaking them for eternal truths. Every war of religion, every act of persecution, every wall that divides one community from another — all arise from this tragic confusion between what is and what one believes.

To recognize beliefs as beliefs does not diminish faith; it purifies it. It humbles the believer. It reminds us that truth is larger than any one creed, that the Infinite cannot be confined within the boundaries of human interpretation.

If only every child, in every nation, were gently taught this — that a belief, however sacred, is not a fact — our world would breathe easier. We would no longer fear those who believe differently. We would no longer spill blood in the name of the unseen.

Even a second-grade student in America is able to distinguish between fact and belief. But sadly, in our country, even college-educated people often lack this ability. The reason is that our schools and colleges never teach it. It would be good if our educators recognized this and included it in the school curriculum.

Such a lesson may be simple, but its implications are revolutionary. In learning to separate fact from belief, humanity may finally learn to separate light from darkness.