Religious Pluralism - All paths lead to Heaven?

Many in society have taken away the authority of scripture and have watered down the conversations about faith, scripture and religion to achieve consensus.  What are the goals?

  • To achieve harmony and solidarity for all by saying all belief systems are right and true. These people want to be seen as enlightened and tolerant.
  • To push the belief that hell is inconsistent with the nature of God. In doing so they ignorantly reject and stomp on His nature as He is righteous and light can have no fellowship with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14).  Good & evil cannot belong together.

The core reason people question the way to God is they have a problem with the authority of Jesus.  He did not mix words by saying that “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6

Those that push the idea of pluralism are pursuing their own agenda and ideas by rejecting the words of Jesus.  They condemn Jesus by their actions.

Different religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam have radically different views about God so it makes no sense that all religions lead to the same God when they don’t even agree on who God actually is.  This is a contradictory belief to hold.

Pluralism is actually arrogant and intolerant in asserting that all religions lead to God.  This basically says that the differences in the beliefs don’t really matter because it all leads to the same place.  To be accepting of all, means there are differences to tolerate.  Saying we all wind up in the same place, regardless of what we believe, is actually disrespecting those that have practiced and lead a disciplined life in their religion for years.  These followers hold the belief that their way is the right way.  Pluralism becomes a religion in itself by making this “all encompassing” absolute statement.

We, as followers of Christ, should not be arrogant or rude toward believers of other religions.  We should, in love, always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks the reason for the hope that is in us; responding with gentleness and respect – 1 Peter 3:15.

Jesus is the Way

  • John 14:6 - “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.
  • Acts 4:12 - And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
  • 1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.
  • John 3:16-17 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
  • John 10:9 - I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
  • Romans 10:9 - that if you confess with your mouth Jesus asLord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
  • John 3:36 - The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
  • John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Sonfrom the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • John 3:18 - The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
  • John 1:1-5 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.  And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.