Genesis 11:9, Babel: Divinely Sanctioned Pluralism?

//Here’s a different way of looking at the Tower of Babel.

In the days of Babel, the people of the earth had one religion, one goal, and were sharing together in their reach toward heaven. God had intended that mankind would “fill the earth,” and instead, mankind had consolidated in religious agreement.

God wasn’t happy. This was not what he had in mind. So, he scattered the people and confused their language. This scattering was not a curse … it was redirecting people away from a unified system, toward God’s purpose for humankind. The pluralism that resulted was a divine act of God. Now, people had to accommodate their differences and rely upon God, accepting the challenge of different thinking, different religion. This pluralism is God’s plan for human flourishing, so that we can see God at work in many and various ways.

What do you think? This line of thought comes from Prodigal Christianity, by David E. Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw.