Letters From Timothy

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

-Romans 10:12

A popular challenge to Christianity and, really, any organized religion is as follows: if there’s only one true God, why are there so many religions? Which religion is the “right” religion? It would indeed seem like the existence of multiple major religions, many of which claiming to be the one “true” religion, would weaken the case for a single, unifying God. But fortunately, this problem is not insurmountable, if you keep an open mind and an open heart.
I recall the old story of three blind mice (not the song). It was a storybook of mine as a child. The three blind mice all approach an elephant. One mouse, near the front of the elephant, reaches out and feels its trunk. “It is a snake,” the first mouse says. Another mouse, near the elephant’s middle, reaches out and feels its leg. “No, it is a tree,” the second mouse says. The last mouse, near the elephant’s rear, reaches out and feels its tail. “No, you are both wrong,” the third mouse says, “It is a rope.” The elephant is so large, and composed of so many different parts, that the tiny, blind mice cannot hope to agree on exactly what it is.

God and mankind are much the same way. God, the ineffable, all-powerful, mysterious origin and foundation of the universe, is so large and complex and completely beyond our understanding that no one religion can hope to completely grasp Him. And, like the blind mice, each religion has a different idea of what God really is. I suspect that, as in the story, no one religion is even close to understanding all of God. But there is evidence that all the major world religions are in fact looking at the same God. Each major religion has its own variant of the “Golden Rule:” Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This can be found almost verbatim in the Christian Gospels (Luke 6:30-36), and very similarly phrased ideas are found in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, etc. Since all the world’s major religions seem to have hit upon this one truth, I believe it is safe to assume that this single idea is the core of God’s message to humanity.

Unfortunately, the idea that all world religions are to some degree “correct” does not sit well with many Christians. After all, doesn’t Jesus say the only way through salvation is through him? Actually, though Jesus himself does promise salvation to those who believe in him, (John 6:35, John 6:51, John 8:12, John 10:9, John 11:25) only once, arguably, does he actually say that the “only” way to salvation is through him (John 14:6). Though this passage can be interpreted as Jesus just saying that whenever one tries to talk to God, they talk to Jesus instead, there is some doubt among Biblical Scholars whether Jesus actually said this, or similar statements, at all. I confess that I find it hard to believe that Jesus would make such an exclusive statement. If you accept that Jesus did indeed indicate that the only way to salvation is through him, you are forced to decide that about two-thirds of the world’s population, no matter how righteous their lives, will “go to Hell.” I personally cannot accept that this would be the will of the loving God I believe in. My feelings are shared by many, and there are some people who think that everybody will be saved, no matter what (see the book, If Grace is True.) One could say that not everyone has to go to hell, that people can be converted, but these people must admit that it is entirely infeasible to convert the entire world to Christianity. I believe that any claims of exclusiveness of salvation in Christianity, and in any other religion, were fabricated by early followers, in an attempt to gather members. This belief of course ties back into my larger belief that the Bible is not the pure word of God, but is in fact subject to its biased, human authors.  I also think the majority of differences in religious are cultural differences that the religions developed in. That is, each people makes God in their own image.

I have been challenged on this belief of universality in the following way: if I believe that each religion is, to some extent, correct, that Mohammad was perhaps a prophet, that Vishnu and Shiva are different aspects of God, etc., why am I a Christian at all? The answer is that it has to do largely with my upbringing. I was raised a Christian, and it would be very difficult for me to convert to a different religion, with different customs and different rituals and, to some degree, different beliefs. I also think that we have the right to choose our path to God. Perhaps you don’t like how Christians worship God and Jesus, but think that Buddhism meditation is a beautiful way to find inner peace and the nature of the universe. I believe you have every right to do that. Religion has never been and never will be a one-size-fits all. In fact, many people choose to say they are “spiritual, but not religious,” which usually means that they believe in God or some sort of higher power, but do not subscribe to any organized religion. I believe these people also have the right to do this, because your relationship with God is unique and personal to you. I’ve chosen to remain a Christian, at least for the time being, not just due to my upbringing, but because I like the messages and themes of Christianity. I encourage you to think about your beliefs and decide exactly how you want to worship God.

-Timothy