Aren’t all religions the same? An astronomer waxed eloquent when he discovered he was seated with a pastor on an airplane. He said, “I’ve always thought the essence of all religions is the same . . . namely that we should try to be kind to each other.” The pastor on the plane listened to the astronomer explain his view of religion and then said, “I’ve always thought you could summarize the science of astronomy with the simple song, ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are.’”
Paul believed that all people have equal access and opportunity to relationship with Christ through the gospel. In the first century Roman world he encountered Jews and Gentiles. The former were fervent in their faith but too often expressed it in a legalistic way. Gentiles were often pagans who worshiped idols. My friend J. R. Vassar saw a strange sight at a Buddhist Temple in Myanmar. There the people came to bow down to a golden Buddha putting their last money in a box, with hopes of receiving a blessing. Behind the Buddha, barely visible stood a scaffold which a construction crew working to repair the broken statue. Vassar wrote, “Broken people bowed to a broken Buddha asking a broken Buddha to fix their broken lives while someone else fixed the broken Buddha.” Christopher Wright is right: “False gods never fail to fail.”
Peter preached in Jerusalem, “There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved except the name of Jesus.” Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” If all religions could save, then we could justify the mindset of letting each person find their own way. But what if the New Testament is right? Shouldn’t we share Christ with all people? How will they hear unless somebody preaches?
