You hear it often - “All religions teach human beings to be good, and share the same moral values, so why fight in the name of religion, because all religions are ultimately the same.” Same wine, different bottles, or same variation of the theme. But is that true? Although well-intentioned, the argument is specious and does more harm than good.
Those who make the above argument usually mean well; they think they have seen or heard of too many wars in the name of religion, and the only way to get human beings to get along (if we cannot get rid of religion all together) is to first have everyone agree that all religions are essentially the same substance in different packages. But a closer look at world religions will instantly cause any scales to fall away - different religions make different claims, and thus have different implications. Let’s examine the most common slogan of the “all religions are one” argument - All paths lead to the same God.
Hinduism requires adherents to perform good deeds, so that karma allows them to be reincarnated into higher beings, and ultimately attain moksha or salvation. Islam demands a strict observance of rules, laws, and treatises to please Allah, who will determine the eventual fate of a Muslim. Buddhism requires followers to achieve nirvana in the footsteps of Gautam Buddha who was called the ‘enlightened one’, but there’s no concept of a personal God. In radical contrast, Christianity claims that works cannot earn our way into salvation, and that to be saved, one must believe in Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Secondly, religions place such different demands on people and have such different understandings of the afterlife, that it’s impossible to reconcile their contrasting teachings. What does “if your enemy is hungry, feed him” have anything in common with injunctions to slay unbelievers or seek revenge on enemies? Isn’t “all your righteous deeds are like filthy rags (before a holy God)” in stark contrast to earning your way into heaven? Isn’t “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” entirely different from treating the body as mere evil matter?
This is not to disparage religions that differ from Christianity; however, I do intend to make the point that unity can be achieved despite deep differences among religions, and that we don’t have to stoop to make false equalities to co-exist in society. It should be insulting to the intelligence of a rational man, to be told that the only way to survive in a pluralistic society is to water down differences in beliefs, never engage in searching criticisms of religions, and never consider religion as a topic worthy of discussion in the public sphere.
All human beings have timeless questions seared in their minds - who am I, what am I doing here, and where am I going? It is every man’s God-given right to satisfy his longing to find answers to these questions, which would invariably mean an investigation into the claims of different religions, and being forced to ultimately make a choice. We should be able and willing to fundamentally disagree with each other, and yet be tolerant of each others’ beliefs, and what’s more, be willing to extend kindness, hospitality, and compassion as fellow human beings and eternal souls.
Especially if you believe your fellow human is an eternal being, tolerance is not an option, it’s the only way, because in the words of C.S. Lewis, “You have never talked to a mere mortal”. For a Christian, it is high honor to engage, disagree, yet hold the other in esteem, with humility.
