by One of the forms of religious pluralism against the uniqueness of Jesus is the belief that all religions, or paths, lead to God. Today, there are a lot of people that prefer to promote harmony and subscribe to the idea that all religions are different, yet equally valid paths to God.[1] The mountain paths analogy is the illustration normally given with this thought process. The illustration is that God is on the top of the mountain and each of the different religions are different paths to the top of the mountain. Some of the paths might be shared, or in parallel with another, but each religious path can get you to God at the top of the mountain. This is an error of belief as it contradicts the applicable religious leader’s teachings and contain contradictions of the claims of the religions. An example is Islam where Muhammad claims that salvation is only through a person surrendering to Allah, who is the one and only god.
The mountaintop analogy is a good analogy for discussions and it can then be used to eliminate and discredit the other religions, or paths. One of the interesting ways to do this is using the law of noncontradictions. The textbook authors state, “when thinking about an issue we must avoid contradicting ourselves. We should not answer a question by saying both yes and no.”[2] This is where you can analyze each religion to see if there are any contradictions. The first example would be Buddhism which claims that there is no god. This means that there is nothing at the mountain top. The next analysis could be on Hinduism that claims there are thousands of gods at the top of the mountain. Both of these religions cannot be true, this discredits the mountain on the top analogy. This analysis also forces the belief that in order for this to be true, all of the other religions must be flawed, or wrong, since they claim to be either the only way, or only one version of god.
Fortunately we have Biblical truth that states there is only one God (Isaiah 45:5-6, John 17:3) and that Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Once this is established in the conversation, you can start using the maze analogy where there are many paths but only one that gets a person to have an eternal relationship with God.
It is clear that the mountain top is another analogy to support Hinduism as many other religions contradict the neutrality of multiple gods and many paths to god. The textbook authors state, “For all the claims that it’s neutral, the mountain paths analogy decidedly favors a Hindu take on God.”[3] To me, it is another disguise for Hinduism and an attack on Christianity. Unfortunately, the mountain top analogy is easy for people to understand and seems logical when there is no real analysis and in-depth research as it provides justification for people’s indifference and ignorance so they don’t have to change.[4]
It is amazing how God’s Word addresses a lot of these heresies directly without any room for doubt. The Old Testament claims that a person shall have no other gods before God (Exodus 20:3) which condemns polytheism. We also know that God is not the author of confusion, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33). Even getting through the gate that you mention, it is only through Jesus (John 10:9, 14:6). Even those that followed the Old Testament have Scripture in the New Testament to point to Jesus. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17).
This pluralism concept has recently surfaced again in world news by Pope Francis when he visited Singapore on September 13, 2024. There is some debate on exactly what was stated, but most of the news outlets state that he said, “Tutte le religioni sono un cammino per arrivare a Dio. ‘All religions are path[way]s to reach God.’”[5] In 2019, Pope also suggested pluralism when he signed the peace declaration with Grand Imam stating something similar.
The Bible is clear that Jesus is unique in many ways that cannot be substituted with other religions, or paths, to get to God. Jesus is God’s only begotten Son (John 3:16), He is the incarnate Word of God (John 1:14), and the only way to God (John 14:6). No other religions, or paths, are available to God. Jesus provides the salvation that is needed for mankind. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, New King James Version). Jesus is the only mediator between mankind and God (1 Tim. 2:5), He fulfills the Old Testament prophecies as the anticipated Messiah (Isaiah 9:6), and He states that all Scripture points to Himself (Luke 24:44). We know that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Like a maze, there is only one correct path to the center, where God is. There might be parallel paths, but they are considered dead ends. Moreland, Muehlhoff, and Strobel explain, “According to Jesus, his greatest qualification for being able to lead people to God is that he and God are one. Keep in mind that Jesus said this in the context of monotheism, not pantheism.”[6]
Note from Professor: Impressive! I appreciate the very strong effort you made, Shawn, to engage in this discussion with your classmates on religious pluralism. Your thread brought insight, and your replies contributed to our network of learning. I hope you can use some of the things you learned about RP to help you protect others from this flawed perspective, and defend Christianity from its objection to our exclusivity — One Way, Truth & Life. – Cky Carrigan
Bibliography
Altieri, Christopher R. “What did Pope Francis say in Singapore about religions as paths to God?.” The Catholic World Report, September 15, 2024. https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2024/09/15/what-and-why-did-pope-francis-say-about-religions-as-paths-to-god.
Moreland, J. P., Tim Muehlhoff, and Lee Strobel. The God Conversation: Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2017.
[1] J. P. Moreland, Tim Muehlhoff, and Lee Strobel, The God Conversation: Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2017), All Paths Lead to God.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Christopher R. Altieri, “What did Pope Francis say in Singapore about religions as paths to God?,” The Catholic World Report, September 15, 2024, https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2024/09/15/what-and-why-did-pope-francis-say-about-religions-as-paths-to-god.
[6] Moreland, Muehlhoff, and Strobel, The God Conversation, The Life of Jesus.