Is There Really Just One Way to God?
It is not surprising that America as a whole has become increasingly irreligious over the years. An article by Scientific American recently showed that over the past decade or so, the percentage of Americans who identify with no “religious affiliation” has continued to rise. Quick accessibility and a relatively easy lifestyle have certainly played a part in Americans depending less on God and more on themselves. However, what is surprising is that many Americans have begun to see the various religions of the world merely as different paths to the same God. In 2008, Pew Research found that 65% of American Christians believed that “many religions can lead to eternal life.” Since America continues to move further away from traditional understandings of God and religion, it is likely that the percentage of Americans who believe this today, regardless of their religious affiliation, is much higher than 65%.
The Blind Men and the Elephant
Many who adhere to this view of God and religion illustrate this belief by describing what it would be like if different people tried describing an elephant while being blindfolded. “The animal is big and round!” one would exclaim, “No, it's short, thick and strong!” one would reply, and “No, it’s long and skinny!” another would suggest.
Each blindfolded person would be right, and yet each would also be wrong. Because each individual is limited in their perception, none of them are able to describe the true and complete reality of the elephant. They all understand part of the reality but none of them are able to understand the whole reality. Therefore, none shall claim to be able to know the full reality. And so it is with religion.
But there is a major flaw in this illustration. Renowned Pastor and Theologian Tim Keller helpfully points out that this illustration only works because the person telling it knows exactly what the whole picture looks like. Without this knowledge, it would be impossible to understand the illustration. In the same way, the only way one could possibly know that every religion only portrays a part of the truth is if you assume to know the whole truth. However, this is the very thing the illustration is claiming nobody can know!
While this view comes off as humble and accepting, it is actually just as much a supreme and ultimate take on religion as all other religions claim to have. Someone may say “nobody can have a superior take on spiritual reality, and therefore no religion is superior to another.” However, this belief is a take on spiritual reality that they are claiming is superior to every other view.
Simply put, there is no way for someone to know that all religions are equal unless they assume the exact knowledge that they say nobody can have; namely, a complete understanding of God and spiritual reality.
A Common Objection
One may object to this by saying, “But all the different religious books pretty much say the same thing, so why not believe they are all talking about the same God?” But is this really the case? Let’s examine what five of the most popular religions today believe about two foundational things: God and the afterlife.
In Hinduism, there are approximately 33 million gods. Each god or goddess is represented by different images, idols, temples, rivers, animals, etc. Hindus believe in reincarnation. This process of rebirths continues endlessly until one escapes the cycle of rebirths and enters into eternal rest.
For Buddhism, many think Buddhists worship Buddha, they actually have no God or deity that they worship at all. Buddha was merely the founder of Buddhism and is an example to be followed. Similar to Hinduism, Buddhism believes in reincarnation. However, their end-goal is to escape this cycle by detaching themselves from all of the world’s desires and entering Nirvana, which basically means “nothingness” (literally “the blowing out,” as in blowing out a flame).
Muslims believe there is one infinite and almighty God, Allah. Allah is the creator of the universe, the source for all good as well as all evil, and he cannot be known. Only if someone lived their life in submission to Allah and follows his ways will they enter into paradise after they die, which is described in the Quran as an ideal desert oasis with fruit trees, refreshing drinks, and beautiful companions. The alternative for everyone else will be hell with much suffering. The only sure way to enter Paradise is to give up one’s life for Allah.
New Age Spirituality is a more modern but increasingly popular religion which promotes each individual’s own power or divinity. There is no transcendent God in New Age Spirituality, but rather, God is something that exists uniquely in each person in higher consciousness. Thus, everybody can be a God. There is not so much an afterlife in New Age, but as a person develops their spirituality and becomes a God, eventually create their own reality.
Christians believe in the Triune God. There is one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each is equally God, yet distinct in person. Christianity teaches that humanity was created in the image of God, but since the Fall, all humanity is inclined towards evil. This is why evil is present in the world and why nobody can achieve perfection. Because of humanity’s sin, all are deserving of Hell in the afterlife. But God the Son, out of love, put on human flesh to represent humanity and took their punishment upon himself. All who turn from their sin who and believe in Jesus can be completely forgiven, enter into a relationship with God, and enjoy living in the perfect presence of God forever in Heaven after this life.
Clearly, the religions of the world are far from being in agreement on these two fundamental beliefs. Yes, there are similarities that can be found among these different religions, but it is largely inconsistent to believe that all religions are pretty much equal and ultimately lead to the same place.
John 14:6
John 14:6 is probably the most well-known Scripture where Jesus claimed to be the one true way to God. When Jesus said this, it was just after he had washed his disciples' feet, after the Last Supper. Jesus then began telling his disciples about something they had discussed many times: He was leaving them to go back to God the Father. However, this time was different because Jesus was hours away from going to the Cross.
The disciples had followed Jesus everywhere for roughly three years and were nervous to lose their teacher, who they were convinced was the Messiah and Lord. Peter asked Jesus, “Where are you going?” and later, “Lord, why can I not follow you now?” (13:36-37). Thomas asked “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (14:5).
It is in this context, the last time Jesus would see his disciples before going to the Cross, that Jesus says to them, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (14:6-7, italics mine).
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus comforts his disciples by making these absolutely huge statements? Jesus claimed that in Him consisted the only way to get to God the Father. Secondly, Jesus assured them that by knowing and seeing Him, they already knew and had seen God. Yet again, Jesus equated himself with God.
This context is important because the purpose of this article is not to proudly proclaim that Christianity is the only true religion, but rather, to proclaim that as a Christian I believe what Jesus taught. Nowhere in the Bible are there any hints of multiple paths to God; Jesus explicitly taught that he was the only way to God. For Christians who believe in the infallibility of Scripture, this is the conclusion we must come to. In the words of Matt Slick, President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry,
“Yes, Christianity is the one true religion. That may sound awfully dogmatic and narrow-minded, but the simple truth is that Christianity is the only true religion. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6) - that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Christians do not go around saying Christianity is the only way because they are arrogant, narrow-minded, stupid, and judgmental. They do so because they believe what Jesus said.”