by Dr. Adam Harwood
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies
Truett-McConnell College
Ed’s. note: This column first appeared in the Sept. 20, 2012 edition of The Christian Index, a publication of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
Recently, I was on a plane from Atlanta to Dallas-Fort Worth. Next to me was a middle-aged man. We spoke about his work, his family, and his weekly commute. I noticed he was reading from a journal with notes in another language. I learned that it was his handwritten Hindu prayer journal. Sensing a perfect opportunity to talk about spiritual issues, I asked him about the content of his journal. To which of the millions of Hindu gods does he pray? How can he know if his prayers are heard? What if he steps into eternity and discovers that Jesus was correct about everything He ever said?
As he spoke about Hinduism, my new friend made this statement which has been voiced countless times: “I think all paths lead to God.” He thinks every person who is sincere, whether Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or Christian, is on a religious path which will eventually lead to God. He thinks all religions lead to God.
Have you ever heard someone make that claim? If so, how did you reply? If you have not been in that situation, then what will you say when that conversation occurs? The world is getting smaller. We no longer have to travel to other countries to meet people who follow other world religions. We live in the same neighborhood, shop at the same grocery store, and our children (or grandchildren) attend the same public school. How will you respond to the person who says, “All paths lead to God.”
There are two different ways to consider paths to God, either from the Bible or without the Bible. What do we learn from the Bible? Jesus made an exclusive claim when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NKJV). Jesus could have said He is a way, one of the many ways or paths to the Father. Instead, Jesus said He is the way to the Father. In order to be understood, Jesus clarifies that He is also the truth, rather than a truth. And Jesus notes that He is the life. Acts 4:12 and other biblical texts reveal the same truth. The first way to discuss religious paths is to consider the clear teaching of the Bible, in which Jesus insists that He is the only way to God.
What if you speak with someone who doesn’t accept the authority of the Bible? Is it possible to engage a person in conversation who does not yet accept the authority of the BIble? Yes. That was the situation with my new Hindu friend on the airplane. He understood that Jesus claimed to be God’s Son. But the man viewed Christianity as one path which was equal to the paths of other world religions. I told him about a book that I had read recently, God is Not One (HarperOne, 2011). It was written by a professor at Boston University, Dr. Stephen Prothero. His thesis is that it’s not possible for all religions to lead to the same god because the major world religions have different goals. For Christians, the goal is salvation from sin. But the goal for Muslims is submission to Allah. And the goal for Hindus is devotion in life. How can all paths lead to the same god if these major world religions lead followers to a different destination? My new friend admitted he had not considered that idea. I’m still praying for him to repent of His sin and receive Christ, who is our only hope for being made right with the one true God.
Thank you Dr. Harwood for reminding us that we need to be ready to answer that question.
A man was tryig to convince me one day that Christians and Muslims believed the same God. I shared that my God had a son named Jesus. Jesus was fully God, yet fully man and died on a Cross for his sins and mine. Jesus rose again the third day. He ascended to heaven with a promise that He is coming back one day for those who had repented and placed their faith in Him. He realized that Jehovah God and Allah were not the same.
Blessings!
What a wonderful thing it was for you to share the gospel with that man on the plane.
The Lord will use that Gospel Word in the life of that Hindu man, for His purposes. That Word you shared will not return void but will accomplish that for which it sets out to do.
We pray that the Lord would lead that man to repentance and faith.
What you have done is job #1 of the Christian. I pray that we all might have many more opportunities to share Christ with whomever we may encounter, each and every day.
Thanks.
All paths do lead to God, Dr. Harwood. The narrow, salvific path leads to God. And all other paths lead to God and the Great White Throne Judgment. Of course, I jest, but do so truthfully. My observation may provide a way to better engage those who believe that all paths lead to God. When we hear that comment, we can agree, and then warn of the judgment to come unless one knows Jesus Christ personally.
One day EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Thx for your insight and input — Norm
Amen.
Agreed, Norm. That would be an excellent tactic in a conversation. Thanks for the tip!
As my pastor says, “Apart from Jesus Christ, God might as well be the devil.”
Hello Dr. Harwood,
Thanks for a well written and good article. I have some suggestions when it comes to differentiating Christianity from all other religions and philosophies when witnessing.
First of all, I am constantly reminding people that witnessing **is** telling others about Jesus.
So that means you make Jesus the focus of your evangelism.
I am well aware that many want to suggest that all roads lead to God. So the trick is how do we confront that false idea while at the same time telling others about Jesus?
The answer is that you present major truths of Christianity that involve Jesus.
I have done a lot of work with non-Christian cults. Now they usually try to imitate Christianity and even borrow some of our language and concepts and try to pass themselves off as “Christian.”
But what differentiates us from them?
The trinity, we affirm it, and no one else does so. The deity of Christ, we affirm it, they deny it. The Incarnation, we affirm that God became flesh and dwelt among us, they deny it. And justification by faith, we affirm it, they deny it (in fact they all present some form of works that justifies you before God).
So if you want to cut to the chase and differentiate your beliefs from others, talk about Jesus and specifically present the trinity, the deity of Christ, the incarnation, and that justification before God can only be through faith and not works.
And the fun thing is, if you talk about those things guess what you will simultaneoulsy be talking about? The gospel!
In talking about these things you present Jesus, make Jesus THE issue and I guarantee you people are going to disagree with you. And when the disagreement comes out then you can talk about how the claims of Christianity contradict all of the other religions and philosophies. Nobody else believes in the Trinity. Nobody else believes people are saved by faith and not the things they do. And while making these points you then speak of Jesus’ authority, that as God what He says has the highest authority, that if they disagee with Him they are in fact disagreeing with God!
And here is where you really push the Christian claim that Jesus is God and that God himself determines how people are saved. And God/Jesus says he is the way the truth and the life. And you also push the resurrection of Jesus as that fact validates Jesus’ authority and everything that he says! So you get into the resurrection of Jesus as well.
If you talk about these things you will make Jesus the issue, present what differentiates Christianity from other religions and philosophies and be directly undermining and contradicting the claim that all ways equally lead to God.
Robert
Excellent contribution, Robert. Thanks for presenting your comprehensive and Christ-centered approach to interacting with people of other religions. May your tribe increase.
In Him,
Adam
Speaking of non-Christian cults, Mormonism comes to mind. Here’s a short and interesting distinction between biblical and Mormon doctrines about God and man: http://www.immanuelbible.net/images/stories/or-pp1210.pdf
This is one of those things that you hear so often, that sounds so kind and all inclusive, and is so obviously wrong it is ridiculous. It is self refuting. It is possible that all religions are wrong but they cannot all be right. They say contradictory things. Christianity makes a point of making claims of exclusivity. You can reject it, but you cannot make it compatible with Islam, Judaism, or Hinduism.
Of course the important thing is to lead people to that conclusion without making them feel stupid.
I grew up in a home that specifically witnessed to Muslims coming here to study. So our home was always full of Muslim young men. I learned early that there is no bridge from Allah to “God”. We do not serve a generic god who can also be Allah or even some path of light. I know there is a lot of controversy concerning this with missionaries, but, we serve YHWH. And we can know YHWH through Jesus Christ.
I was much cheered to come across Jay Smith a Christian Islamic Scholar in London who explains all this so well to Muslims as he witnesses to them and debates them. I have heard so many try to make “Allah” and God the same that it really concerned me. You can google his teaching and debate videos at pfander films on youtube. They are very helpful if you are witnessing to Muslims.