What is the Druze religion?

Answer  
  

The Druze religion is associated with an ethnic group living in the Near East. They are said to have descended from Jethro, the priest of Midian who was Moses’ father\-in\-law (Exodus 18:1\), and they recognize him as their principal prophet and founder of their religion. The Druze religion is monotheistic (believing in one god), and it is considered one of the Abrahamic faiths, along with [Judaism](Judaism.html), [Islam](Islam.html), and Christianity.  
  

The Druze religion differs from classic forms of other monotheistic faiths in several key ways. First, it is unitary, which means it draws beliefs and traditions from many different faiths and sees all faiths as equally valid—all are roads to the same divine source, despite disparate understandings of god or gods. Second, the Druze religion teaches [reincarnation](reincarnation.html), or the transmigration of the soul—something not found in other monotheistic faiths. Third, the Druze religion brings in aspects of [Hinduism](hinduism.html), [Buddhism](buddhism.html), [Gnosticism](Christian-gnosticism.html), [Neoplatonism](Neoplatonism.html), and Pythagoreanism, belief systems considered false by Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Druze groups exist mainly in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, and their societies are generally close\-knit and insular. Islamic terrorist groups such as ISIS believe the Druze to be “infidels” and have lately made them the target of violence, along with many other religious groups in the Near and Middle East whose beliefs are opposed to radical Islam.  
  

Many of the core beliefs of the Druze religion are unbiblical. As a unitary group, they stand in disagreement with the Bible, which clearly states that there is only one true God and only one way to Him, Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 3:5, 16–17\). Gnosticism, which the Druze religion supports, was opposed by the apostles Paul and John in 1 Timothy 6:20; 1 Corinthians 8:1–3; 1 John 4:1–3; and 2 John 1:7\. Reincarnation is also an unbiblical concept. According to the Scriptures, man dies once and then faces judgment (Hebrews 9:27\) and is therefore not reincarnated.  
  

For these reasons and others, it is safe to say that the Druze religion is not congruent with Christianity or biblical in any way. Salvation is by the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12\).  
  

