“I am absolutely against any religion that says that one faith is superior to another.  I don’t see how that is anything different than spiritual racism.  It’s a way of saying that we are closer to God than you, and that’s what leads to hatred.” 

So said Rabbi Schmuley Boteach on Larry King Live a few years back.  And so believe many others today, as I learned from the Manchester High panel on world religions that I was privileged to participate in a couple of weeks ago.  As I listened to each panelist present about his or her religion and answer questions that the students raised, I couldn’t help but detect the value placed on pluralism and tolerance.  It seemed that speakers who promoted the concept of the equality of all religions, or the right of anyone to find their own path to God – be it Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, or otherwise – came across as enlightened, while anyone who dared to speak of conversion to his or her own faith as a value was seen as a contributor to the violence and hatred of the world.  For example, the representative of Baha’ism spoke of recognizing the founders or prophets of each of the world’s religions as equal voices in the pursuit of God, with none superior to any other.  The woman representing Hinduism spoke of her faith’s openness to all religions and the ways that they interpret the divine.  Even the Jewish man spoke of all religions being equally valid, with Jews being held to a higher standard by God.  While I recognize that these representatives do not necessarily speak for all adherents of those religions, nor were the panelists necessarily experts on their faith, I think it’s instructive to note the high value placed on tolerance and equality among world religions.

Enter Jesus.

“Jesus, do you believe that all religions are equally valid?”

Now, I’m not a fan of putting words into Jesus’ mouth, and he was never asked that question, so I’m not going to dare answer it as if it were his words.  But, as I mentioned last week, it would have made for a deeper discussion at Manchester High to point out that with all of the commonalities, there are some significant differences among the world religions that were represented.  For example, some believe in one God, others believe in a divine energy that can be interpreted as many different gods, and some believe in no god at all.  Some religions teach reincarnation, others believe that we live once and then go to heaven or hell, while others believe that there is nothing after death.  Since we can’t all be right, what are the options?

Option 1 – we’re all wrong.  There is no meaning in this world, and all religions are an attempt by different cultures to explain our origin, destination, the meaning of life, and to give a basis for moral behavior. 
Option 2 – there is something out there, but no one has a corner on the truth.  Each religion is man’s attempt to explain whatever “it” is, and each has some portion of the truth
Option 3 – one religion is the truth, and the others, while perhaps possessing some of the truth, are ultimately wrong at their core

Given today’s culture of tolerance, option 2 probably sounds the most enlightened and preferable to many people.  We can picture some benign being or cosmic energy that is out there but ultimately unknowable, and all religious people try to get in touch with that energy/being through their beliefs and rituals.  Option 1, while a bit scary, would also allow our culture to hold onto its valued tolerance.  Option 3 is of course the scariest in our culture, since it leaves you with the potential for a lot of people who think that their faith is superior to the others. 

So, Jesus, do you believe that all religions are equally valid?

When I read Jesus’ words, I find that his teaching comes closest to Option 3.  Certainly Jesus taught that there is meaning in this world, that God is real and knowable, and that heaven and hell are realities, so I can rule out Option 1.  Similarly, I find nothing in his teaching that treats truth as something unknowable, beyond our comprehension.  Instead, Jesus tends to hold especially the religious leaders of his day accountable for not correctly understanding what was written in the Hebrew Scriptures (see Matthew 22:29, among other).

However, Option 3 is not technically correct either, if you want to be faithful to the teaching of Jesus.  Jesus didn’t come to start a religion known as Christianity that would be “the truth.”  Instead, he pointed people to himself, saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father (God) except through me” (John 14:6).  Therefore, it’s not really about which religion is right or true (because let’s face it, Christianity comes in many shapes and sizes).  Jesus taught that truth was found in Him, that if we want to understand what is true and right, we need to look at Him and follow Him.  Only then would we find God.  If Jesus really is the truth (and not Christianity), and all that he taught is truth, this certainly contradicts the tolerance (all faiths are equally valid) that our culture teaches.  However, I also think it means three things for the follower of Jesus:

1) Contrary to Rabbi Schmuley’s assertion, a follower of Jesus should never consider himself superior to someone who does not follow Jesus.  This is because Jesus and the rest of the Bible are clear that no one has come to be called his follower by their own righteousness, morality, or wisdom.  It is all grace; Jesus has chosen his followers (John 15:16), and has given us the grace to say yes to him.  None of us deserve to be called his followers, but by his undeserved grace some of us are.
2) Those who follow Jesus are not necessarily more moral than anyone else.  Rabbi Schmuley may be a kinder, more loving man than I am.  Again, following Jesus does not mean that I see myself as morally superior to anyone else.
3) Just because someone is not called a “Christian” does not mean that Jesus can not call them his follower.  I am not trying to convert people to “Christianity.”  I want people to follow Jesus.  I would not dare to speak on the eternal fate of anyone who calls themselves Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim, except to say that my understanding of Jesus is that no one becomes his follower by being a good person.  Instead, it is by recognizing one can never be good enough for God and is in need of His forgiveness and grace, which is offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

If I am going to be faithful to the words of Jesus, then I must say that not all religions are equally valid.  Jesus is the truth, and there is some truth in all faiths insofar as they reflect that truth.  But to answer Rabbi Schmuley, just because Jesus is the truth does not mean that I see myself as superior or hate those who do not agree.  To act in such a way would also be contrary to the truth, contrary to Jesus.

Next week I’ll continue to discuss Jesus among other gods and how to reconcile the exclusive claims of Jesus with the age of tolerance in which we live.  If you have any questions, thoughts or comments to add, please post your comments so that we might correctly speak of Jesus in our tolerant culture.

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