Is Jesus the Only Way to God? (Pt 2)
By Jonathan Dodson | June 2nd, 2011 | Category: Gospel and Culture | 8 comments
In the previous post, we observed the tendency to answer this theological question through social experience. Many Christians conclude that there must be many ways to God (or act like this) because their social experiences introduce them to kind, respectable people who do not believe Jesus is the only way to God. In fact, many of our friends believe the opposite, namely there are many ways to God, a view called religious pluralism. In the next few posts, we will examine the claims of the religious pluralist.
Over the past four years in Austin, Texas (a case study city for Harvard’s Pluralism Project), I have had the opportunity to meet, know, and talk with both Christian and non-Christian pluralists. As I have reflected on these conversations, it seems that there are at least three reasons people drift to religious pluralism. They believe there are many ways to God, not just one, because it seems a more enlightened, humble, and tolerant. In the next three posts, let’s take each of these–enlightened, humble, tolerant–and examine these reasons more closely.
What Do the Religions Teach About God?
Is the belief that all religious paths lead to the same God more enlightened or educated? Well, all religions teach very different things about whom God is and how to reach him. In fact, there is a lot of disagreement between the religions regarding the nature of God. Buddhism, for example, doesn’t believe in God. Islam teaches an impersonal monotheism, Allah. The Koran states that God reveals His will, but not His person. Christianity teaches a personal trinitarianism, where God is three persons in relationship, Father-Son-Spirit that can be known and enjoyed. Hinduism is all over the map on this question, ranging from polytheism to atheism. The reason for this is because there is an absence of definitive revelation to clarify their “theology.” Instead Hinduism has multiple sources of revelation (Upanishads, Vedas, etc.) Contrary to Islam, Hinduism has no presuppositions about the nature of God. In short, religious views of God differ. If so, it would seen far from “enlightened” to claim that all religions lead to the same God, when their views of God are, in fact, radically different. The claim of the religious pluralist contradicts the tenants of the religions themselves.
What Do They Teach About How We Reach God?
Religions not only teach different things about who God is but also how we “reach him.” Buddhism suggests the 8-fold Noble Path, Islam the 5 Pillars (Shahadah, Prayer, Fasting, Charity, Pilgrimage) and Christianity the gospel of Jesus. Therefore, to say that all religions lead to God is not only unenlightened it is inaccurate. This is the thesis of Stephen Prothero, Boston College professor, in his new book God is not One. He write:
“And it is comforting to pretend that the great religions make up one big, happy family. But this sentiment, however well-intentioned, is neither accurate nor ethically responsible. God is not one.”
Prothero goes on to point out that just as God is not one, so also all religions are not one. They are distinct and make very different claims about God and how to reach him. In light of what we have observed regarding what religions teach about the nature of God and how to reach him, religious pluralism must be reconsidered. Subscribing to religious pluralism because it is more enlightened or a more “educated” view of world religions is not only unenlightened but also inaccurate.
For more resources on this topic see:
- God is Not One, Stephen Prothero
- The Reason for God, Tim Keller
- On Guard, William Lane Craig
- Apologetics to the Glory of God, John Frame
Great post Jonathan. I love how Tim Keller calls out the alternate commitment of the pluralist (in The Reason for God). His idea is that the pluralist (embodied by the five blind men and the elephant story) can only assert their view on the understanding that while all world religions are blindly trying to describe God, they themselves have a clear vision of the reality of things.
Thanks. Yes, that book has been helpful for me also, though the elephant analogy isn’t original to him. On that note, very little of what I am writing is original but it is true!
“We make a theological decision based on social experience.”
My opinion that there may be people not called Christians who abide in Christ and have the Spirit in them is based on the theological principle that we are to judge one another through social experience (we know them by their fruit). The two are in no way mutually exclusive and in fact go hand in hand.
Still, those individuals would see Christ more perfectly by explicitly having a relationship with Him and be changed more than they already have been, so they definitely do need to be “saved” and we as Christians do need to proclaim the Gospel to them. The only sure way to know they will be saved and in heaven is to believe Christ is Lord and Savior but I still think there may be a possibility there are “Christians” who don’t even know it because the life they live is bearing the proper fruit.
[...] introduce them to kind, respectable people who do not believe Jesus is the only way to God. In the second post, we examined the claim that religious pluralism is more educated or enlightened. In this third [...]
Great post…Explanation about all religions is really nice.I like your view towards all the religions.It is very difficult question about all of us that really all religions are lead to one God.All religions have their different views on the God and how can we reach them.But i personally think that even all religions have their different ways they teach the one same thing that is love to each other and humanity.We can not say that this religion is right or wrong because religions are the the bones of peoples belief of God.We just need to spread the love to the entire world by keeping in mind that we are all the children of our Heavenly father.There are many christian churches in California i seen who teach people the love of god instead of any religious thinking…
Love,
Emma
[...] the prior three posts (Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3) we have examined the claim that Jesus exclusive claim as the only way to God is both [...]
Everyone has their “thing” they believe is the truth and to be honest, all the different scriptures are beautiful and if anyone living the life of those scripture runs their life with “love and respect for all” does it really matter. If you meet someone who is a different religion to you and they are just as you are loving, kind, respectful etc do you really have the right to judge them based on “their practice, their traditions etc”. I don’t think so. My question is always “why does there have to be a right or a wrong”. It could be labeled wrong if they kill, steal etc and that stands for all religions. We are put on earth to love and show love. God is love and He lives through us as us.
Jesus said…….”I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father, but by Me.”
God said it. that settles it for me. I believe God over man any day.