Last weekend we had about 1500 people come to our services (including children). I met so many new people, mostly followers of Christ, but also some who are searching. Looking at some of the responses we got on the cards, I am puzzled. People find it strange that there are so many religions in the world. They feel that somehow this calls into question the validity of ANY religion. Which one is true? Who borrowed from who? Is there one true religion?
I know this is not a perfect parallel, but isn’t it fascinating that people don’t find it strange that we have multiple brands of cars, for example, or microwaves, or computers? They go through great pains to research the minutiae of a new car make and model — fuel economy, noise, quality and comfort of the seats, resale value, etc., etc. They don’t mind taking upon themselves the burden of research, even if it is unpleasant and tedious. They do so because buying a new car is an expensive proposition. They know they will only have themselves to blame if they don’t do their homework.
But strangely, when it comes to a matter that might very well determine one’s destiny, instead of launching themselves with the same zeal they apply when buying a new car, suddenly people come to the “store” and place all the burden of buying on the salesman, in this case, the pastor or another Christian. Imagine going to a car dealer and saying, “I have $40,000 to spend on a new car, tell me which one I should buy.”
I am sure some people would do it and that’s why this is not a perfect comparison, but I can tell you right now: I would NEVER do it that way, let alone go to some church and say, “Tell me which religion is the right one and why.” That takes all the pressure of seeking off their plates and places it squarely on the shoulders Christians who may still be trying to find the way themselves. That is too much waging in the hands of strangers for my taste.
Instead, let me recommend that people should first do their homework. Which questions are first and foremost in my heart? What would give me satisfaction more than anything in the world? Which system offers me a sense of real calm in a world of turmoil? Which can articulate a future where evil is decidedly destroyed and good is triumphant? What answers do you have to my search for inner peace? Does your religion offer me hope that is more than positive thinking or does it invite me to simply take a leap into a fake optimism that doesn’t stand the test of reality? And the mother of all questions to me: can you offer me a well-reasoned hope beyond the grave?
That’s just for starters. There is so much more to ask, but the point here is that pointing out religious diversities, oddities and even contradictions doesn’t invalidate the possibility that one can find truth in a single system of religious truth. And the burden should still rest with the seeker.
This idea, however, should not be used to argue against sharing the truth of the Gospel with people we come in contact with every day. On the contrary: because we know the truth, we should be eager to share it with everyone.
At Grace Church, we do just that — help people discover new life (not just the right system) in the Person of Jesus Christ.
And this Sunday, as we continue in this series we’re calling “Picture (Im)perfect,” we will look at the life of Simon Peter, an ordinary man whose relationship with Christ was often marked by ups and downs, but who acquired a supernatural boldness and passionate abandon in the aftermath of his denial. Why? Because He met face-to-face with Jesus after the resurrection.
And I guess that is it, isn’t it? When we come face-to-face with the Messiah, the questions that afflicted us move from the frontal cortex to rearview mirror of our soul. They melt away as we contemplate the power and presence of the Divine Christ. So if you want a “shortcut” to your answers, look to Christ.
Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
pastor ivanildo 
Your analogy is flawed. Religions aren’t like different brands of the same basic type of product. A Hummer will still get me to work, even if a Prius would have been a better fit for my needs, and a microwave from Sears will cook my food just as well as one from Samsung. But religions make mutually exclusive truth claims. If the claims of Islam are true, Christianity must be false, and if the claims of Christianity are true, Islam must be false. No more than one could be true, though they could all be false.
The suggested questions are flawed, as well. There is no a priori reason to assume that the truth will bring us satisfaction, hope, or inner peace, or that good will triumph over evil. Maybe it will and maybe it won’t. The desirability of a proposition has no bearing on its truth.
hey eric: nice of you to comment.. see my random thoughts below.
of course my analogy is flawed and i said so… twice, though using different words. my point was simply to call attention to the degree of complexity and importance of one choice (buying cars) and deciding which religion is true, and how people are not willing to do their homework when it comes to the latter. i was not trying to prove that christianity or any other religion is true on the basis of that analogy.
the questions are not “flawed.” questions are not by their very nature “flawed” or “unflawed.” questions are… questions. i was trying to point out that those are the questions that are important TO ME.
“There is no a priori reason to assume that the truth will bring us satisfaction.” of course not. not “a priori.” and that is why i was encouraging the reader to do her/his own painstaking research or soul searching, or whatever we want to call it. i was not talking about “us,” as you phrased it above. i was offering my personal perspective for the reader to consider.
on the other hand, i lived on the amazon for many years. There were many crooked paths along or over the many tributaries of the river. I guarantee you: i and all the other people who lived there were much more satisfied when we walked on a straight path, or a bridge that had been fortified. we hated crooked paths and worried all the time when we had to walk on them. this is an analogy at a very elemental level but it is easy to make extrapolations to other more complexes issues of life. of course, life offers us no guarantees, but it sure is good to know the terrain. and it is so great to know, to give you another example, that your co-workers are loyal and will not stab you on the back when you are not looking. it makes for a much better environment that fosters a lot more productivity at work. jack welch said in one of his books that candor is one of the principal traits to foster productivity at work and i would like to believe that to be candid one needs to wrestle at some level with what is true and what is not. also, i feel a lot better when i get on a plane and know that the pilot knows the path to my destination. if i have a choice, i will always go with an environment where truth and not falsehood prevails. i flew recently with an airline that had some hidden fees which they didn’t divulge when i bought my ticket. you should have seen the line of unsatisfied customers like myself, protesting against having to pay an exorbitant amount for their carry on luggage. they would have been a lot more satisfied customers who would more than likely be repeated customers, if they had been told the truth. anyway, if i have a choice, i will always go with an environment where truth and not falsehood prevails, it does a lot of good to my soul, but this is me. maybe i am an exception?
You did say your analogy wasn’t perfect. No analogy ever is. When I said it was flawed, I meant to say it doesn’t seem to illuminate the original question of why there are so many religions in the world. A more apt comparison (though still far from perfect) would be to mathematics. We don’t have multiple brands of mathematics, one claiming that 2+2=3, another claiming 2+2=4, and a third claiming 2+2=5. If someone proposed such a mathematics, it would quickly been seen as flawed, and discarded. Why then are there multiple religions?
You said, “questions are not by their very nature ‘flawed’ or ‘unflawed.'” I disagree. Questions can be flawed, as in the case of a question based on a false premise. Unless the false premise is recognized, the answer to such a question can confuse and mislead more than it illuminates.
when u bring mathematics into this discussion, u open the door for all kinds of other types of interesting digressions, in spite of the fact that at the most elemental level it seems to be a slam dunk (2+2=4). but when u get out there into the realms of the theory of relativity, for example, there are so many unanswered questions, not to mention all the attempts to bring relativity into conformity with quantum theory. science still awaits a breakthrough to help solve that puzzle. but like u said, the analogy isn’t perfect. but the flaw is not even as much in the analogy itself as in the incompatibility of the disciplines. mathematics is not religion. i think a closer comparison would be with jurisprudence, but it is still not a perfect one. the reason there are different religions is the same as the reason there are multiple brands of cars: people are different and they look for different reasons for the ultimate causes. it is your burden and mine to do our homework and decide for ourselves — or not. the question about questions is not as important.
Sure, at the cutting edge of science and mathematics there are still unanswered questions and puzzles to be worked out. But no one expects to end up with multiple, incompatible answers to those questions. Scientists approach those questions from different directions, but we expect they will eventually all converge on the same answer. Should we not expect the same for religion?
“we expect”? shouldn’t you say “we hope,” instead? aren’t you expressing an article of faith now? give the same time to religion that you are willing to give to science. perhaps the answers will also converge. in fact, i am confident they will. the world, as it now stands, is full of incompatible, multiple answers to multiple questions. most of the time people don’t even know what the questions are any more. this is true of so-called “modern science” and religion. we are all like a computer that came defective from the manufacturer. there are no perfect answers from imperfect people. the best we can do is look at the evidence the best we can and make our own judgement. i have done that for myself, but neither you nor anyone else is obligated to follow my own path on the matter. it is not my fault that my journey has given me more certitude on the critical questions than others. but i have been to the edge of despair and back. i looked beyond the precipice and found nothing there. Christ has given me the only sure anchor where my soul found rest. and i can’t begin to tell you what difference He has made in my life. thanks for posting again. we are all still journing. may u find what u r looking for. may we all grow in love and compassion for our fellow human beings. peace.
by the way, “If the claims of Islam are true, Christianity must be false, and if the claims of Christianity are true, Islam must be false. No more than one could be true, though they could all be false.” this is sound argumentation here. couldn’t agree more.