Why Jesus?
Recently Justin, one of our 7th grade boys, asked me an excellent question. "If there are so many religions in the world today, how do we know that Christianity is true?" He told me that in his history class, his teacher brought up this very question. The teacher told them that he felt that each of these religions was equally valid. Justin had never considered Hinduism, Buddhism, or Islam. How was he to know that he was right, and they were wrong?
At first glance, the thought that Christianity is the only true religion seems kind of arrogant, intolerant, and ethnocentric. It is much easier and much more emotionally comforting to believe that all religions are basically same and there are many equally valid ways of understanding life. After all, "all roads lead to Rome."
However, that simply is not true. All religions are not the same. In fact, each world religion has core convictions that are in absolute contradiction with other world religions. For instance, Buddhism is atheistic, while Christianity is monotheistic. Both cannot be right about that position. Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Son of God. Islam believes that Jesus was just a prophet. They both can't be right. There are many other examples of major differences between world religions and they can't equally true. We just don't have that option.
At first glance, the thought that Christianity is the only true religion seems kind of arrogant, intolerant, and ethnocentric. It is much easier and much more emotionally comforting to believe that all religions are basically same and there are many equally valid ways of understanding life. After all, "all roads lead to Rome."
However, that simply is not true. All religions are not the same. In fact, each world religion has core convictions that are in absolute contradiction with other world religions. For instance, Buddhism is atheistic, while Christianity is monotheistic. Both cannot be right about that position. Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Son of God. Islam believes that Jesus was just a prophet. They both can't be right. There are many other examples of major differences between world religions and they can't equally true. We just don't have that option.
posted by Daniel | 10:21 AM
1 Comments:
Daniel,
As always you are right. I would, however, have empasized to your young friend that while Christianity is at its core the only true religion, there is much that is good in every religion because perhaps each religion is as much God reaching to man as it is man trying to invent God. As my pastor says it, "All truth is God's truth."
Also, it is important to note that the only absolute truth (perhaps a term tinged with modernistic assumptions?) is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Our Risen Lord is the Truth and Gospel we proclaim.
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