Jesus and Salvation Series (Part 19-A)

Welcome to the Summer 2006 study for the Koinonia Class of Calvary Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado. We’re looking at the issue of Jesus and Salvation, using the book “Is Jesus The Only Savior” [James R. Edwards, Is Jesus The Only Savior? (Grand Rapids/Cambridge: 2005)]. We encourage each person to buy a copy and follow along.

Christianity and Other Religions

We are now getting to the heart of the matter in our study of “Is Jesus The Only Savior?” Edwards states it clearly with a quote from Oprah Winfrey: “One of the biggest mistakes we make is to believe there is only one way. There are many diverse paths leading to God.” (page 203)

In addition to what we’ve already covered (the “dictatorship of relativism” and the danger of religious differences) there is another reason people make a statement like Oprah’s. We have an aversion to elitism. We don’t want religions to be unique. We are so sensitive to charges of nationalism, racism, sexism, and other forms of political incorrectness that we rush to harmonize all religions and downplay any differences.

There are similarities in various religions, of course. All religions have doctrines (teachings). All religions have rituals (worship practices) that express their beliefs about and relationship with the supernatural. All religions have ethical standards. If you look on the web for information about world religions, one site that comes up is an online adaptation of the book “Religion for Dummies ”. There you find,

“At its core, a religion is a belief in divine (superhuman or spiritual) being(s) and the practices (rituals) and moral code (ethics) that result from that belief. Beliefs give religion its mind, rituals give religion its shape, and ethics give religion its heart. Of the three elements that make something a religion (beliefs, rituals, and ethics), beliefs are the most important because they give rise to and shape the ethics and the rituals of a faith.”

When someone says, “All religions are the same”, they are probably thinking only about ethics. Ethics among religions are quite similar, often centering around some variation of The Golden Rule. Christians quote Jesus (in Luke 6:31) “Do to others as you would have them do to you” or His capsule summary of the Old Testament in the phrase “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

Yet when we look at the product of those religions—the societies that result when one of the religions is dominant—we have to admit there must be something else going on besides similar ethical teachings. Some ethical teachings are different. What is even more different are the ways the religions handle problems and violations of the ethical standards. What causes suffering? How do they deal with evil? Is there such a thing as “sin”. Is forgiveness possible? If so, how can one obtain forgiveness?

Now we get to the title of the book. Let’s ask the question another way: What religions claim to have a “Savior”?

Other religions have teachers and prophets.
Other religions have guides and models.
Other religions have law-givers and/or law-receivers
Other religions have way-showers.
Other religions have holy men and women.
Other religions have “spirit persons” (people in touch with “God”, the “Spirit”, the “Force”, or some other title.

Christianity proclaims a Savior.

(continued in part 19-B)