Only One Way To God?

Why Canada is Better than America

Let me ask you, which country is better, America or Canada? The American says, ‘obviously America – we can carry guns down here.’ The Canadian says, ‘Obviously Canada – you guys carry guns down there.’ But there is no simple, objective way to really prove which is better – it is a matter of personal opinion.

But what if we ask a different question, ‘which is bigger?’ All of a sudden we are talking about fact. You can speak about geography or population.  When discussing population America is bigger. When debating geography, Canada is bigger.  But it is humorous that there are still American’s who will insist that America is a more expansive landmass than Canada. Still, regardless of their opinion, our imaginary interlocutors are plain wrong because their beliefs don’t match up with the facts.

Period.

So, is truth about religion like saying which is better, Canada or America? Is it just a person’s opinion? I have my truth and you have your truth? Or is religious truth more like the question, which is bigger, Canada or America?

Christianity

Christianity claims that religious truth is like the second question. True statements correspond to reality as it really is, not as we wish it would be. True statements about God match up to who God has revealed himself to be in Jesus. The book of Hebrews says,

“In the past God spoke through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (Hebrews 1:1-3)

This is who Jesus is.

Other Religions

Here is a Christian view of other religious perspectives that comes from the pen of C.S. Lewis:

“If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through. If you are an atheist you do have to believe that the main point in all the religions of the whole world is simply one huge mistake. If you are a Christian, you are free to think that all those religions, even the strangest ones, contain at least some hint of the truth. When I was an atheist I had to convince myself that most of the human race have always been wrong about the question that matter to them most; when I became a Christian I was able to take a more generous view. But, of course, being a Christian does mean thinking that where Christianity differs from other religions, Christianity is right and they are wrong. As in math – there is only one right answer to a sum, and all other answers are wrong; but some of the wrong answers are much nearer to being right than others.”

Christians believe that there is truth in all kinds of religion. We believe that all truth is God’s truth. We believe that we should have a posture of gentleness and respect and deep appreciation for people of all different religious perspectives. We believe we enter conversations not just as teachers of truth, but learners of truth. But we also believe that where a religious perspective disagrees with the main truth claims of Christianity, that center around the person of Jesus, Christianity is right and others are wrong.

This sounds very narrow and exclusive, but that is the nature of truth.  Here is a key point: ‘Every view of spiritual reality is exclusive – meaning it leads to some people being wrong and some people being right.’ The person who says, “there is no God”, excludes everyone who believes in a God. They are saying, "I think my way of viewing reality is right and everyone else is wrong.” The individual who claims, “all paths lead to God” excludes all of those who don’t believe in God and those who believe there is only one path to God. They are stating that my view of spiritual reality is the correct one and everyone else is wrong.’

It is like the person who argues,  ‘No one should try to convert another person to his or her religious perspective.’ That is itself a type of religious perspective that they are trying to convert you too. ‘You shouldn’t say your religion is right.’ That, of course, is a view on religions that they are saying is correct.

But there is no escaping the fact that truth is narrow and exclusive. Christianity sounds narrow and exclusive because all truth is narrow and exclusive. But here is the difference; in Christianity truth is not an idea to argue about it is a person to know and love – Jesus Christ.

Listen to the Message: Only One Way To God?