When Religions Collide

In an “all roads lead to God” culture, here’s how you can stand tall for Jesus.

The world pushes the lie that there are many ways to God, that Jesus is just one option of many. Such pluralism assaults the very foundation of the Gospel! You can have confidence in your own faith and defend the uniqueness of Jesus to others. There’s nothing more important because “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Imagine 5,000 people representing more than 100 religions from all over the world in the same ballroom with the assumption that no one religion should be considered better than another. We were gathered there to answer two questions: “What divides us? What can we agree on?

The first night, the speaker likened the different religions to spokes on a wheel. On the outside they are far apart; but as they get to the hub, which he described as “the clear blue of sky,” they could unite in the great mystical center. In order to include Buddhists, who don’t believe in God, he refrained from calling the mystical center God. He referred to it as “the search for the divine.”

The event took place in the Palmer House in downtown Chicago in 1993. The delegates met for a week with hundreds of different seminars, forums, and famous speakers. I was there every single day, hobnobbing with Hindus, Buddhists, New Agers, and even some witches. I was there for a single reason: to interact, to ask probing questions of people I met, and to share the Gospel, explaining why Jesus Christ alone is qualified to save us from our sins, declare us righteous and, at our death, present us to the Father.

Sharing What Makes Jesus Different

The experiences I had were many. I remember squeezing into a meeting, listening to the Dalai Lama tell us he was not the best Dalai Lama, but he was one of the better ones. Later in the day, an excited woman came to me saying, “I shook hands with the Dalai Lama; let me shake hands with you to pass on some of his energy!” I shook her hand, and then I know this sounds harsh, but I said it with a caring smile, “I want to tell you that the Dalai Lama is only a human being, a sinner, and unless he is forgiven by Jesus Christ, he will be damned forever.” She turned away deflated. I ate with some New Agers and when I explained the Gospel, one of them said, “I’ve never heard that before,” and so it was.

Perhaps most important, on the downstairs floor, each religion had its booth filled with literature. I went on a search for a sinless Savior who could take away my sins. The representatives behind the table—Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and the rest—told me outright they didn’t have anyone who fit that description in their religion.

Continuing The Defense: How You Can Stand

It was out of this experience that I wrote, Christ Among Other gods. The book was to help people understand the claims of Christ and why He alone meets the qualifications, not just as a great teacher, but as a great Savior. We dare not put Jesus on the same shelf as Muhammad, Krishna, or the Buddha.

Soon after my book’s release, I heard about a young woman who read through the book in one sitting. With her questions about Jesus answered, she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. I pray that others who read the book have the same experience.

Do you feel intimidated in your witnessing? My suggestion is to read this book then pass it on to someone else and say, “Here’s a book I’d like you to read. Let me know what you think.” Each of us must share Christ, one by one, as the saying goes, “One beggar telling another where they can find bread.”