A professing Christian had just received from his friend a video clip in which a speaker emphasised that Jesus is the only way to be saved from our sins and be reconciled with God. He responded to his friend as follows:
I watched the video…I respect your point of views and very happy that you are a child of God. For me religions are like roads that lead to the same destination. We as Christians have our set of beliefs and rules and practices…same with Muslims, Buddhists, Hinduism and the rest of all religions, major or minor ones. So I respect all of them.
Just imagine, you’ve just checked in for your flight to your dream holiday destination, cleared immigration and are studying the flight information display and signage to figure out where to board, when a bystander tells you, “Relax. It doesn’t matter which plane you board, from which gate or at what time – they will all get you to your destination”.
We would dismiss that as preposterous advice. Yet that is what this professing Christian is claiming when he says all religions are basically the same and lead to God. They are not and I hope our sermons on world religions have helped us see that.
As appealing as it sounds, this claim runs into significant problems. For a start, all religions don’t teach the same things. Their concepts may seem superficially similar but closer examination reveals fundamental differences. They have different end points and different means of getting there.
Buddhism and Christianity both agree on living upright lives such as not stealing, murdering, committing adultery but Christianity’s core teaching on honouring one’s parents stands at odds with Buddha’s path to enlightenment which involved renouncing his own family.
Another major difference lies in the assumption that religion is primarily about ethics. This may be true of some religions, but Christianity alone points to a personal, triune God and that His approval cannot be earned through good works – it comes only through His grace. Islam on the other hand emphasises strict monotheism and submission to divine law. How can two systems of belief that flatly contradict each other be factually true at the same time?
As a writer points out, most religions make exclusive truth claims, not just Christianity. Christianity is simply more honest and upfront about it, rather than pretend contradictory truths can all somehow be equally true. That said, John Dickson, an Aussie theologian and author, while maintaining that Christianity makes exclusive truth claims, he insists that truth must never be delivered with arrogance. He argues that the early church changed the world not by demanding cultural dominance, but through persuasion, prayer, service and suffering.
Let’s confidently present the unique historical and spiritual beauty of the gospel while remaining gentle, respectful and ready to listen and learn at the same time.
Learning to be a fisher of people!
Mark
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