Exclusive Truth

 9/22/15                       Fung                     24

“Why do you think your religion is better than anyone else’s?”  This question came to me today from Fung, a Chinese atheist and a graduate student at IIT, during a sidewalk outreach conversation.   I reminded him that Christianity isn’t “my” religion – it exists whether I believe it personally or not.  Like most of the world religions, it existed long before me and will continue on long after me.  But Fung said he rejects all religions because to choose one seems too arbitrary, and he can’t believe that God would prefer one over another as it would be unfair to the rest.  In Fung’s mind, all world religions are basically the same and it doesn’t matter which variety one chooses, so I can see why he believes such a decision would be arbitrary.  But are they?  Jesus didn’t think so.  He said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14)  There is a reason for Jesus’ exclusive claims.  Christianity is unique from all other religions in that it teaches we can’t save ourselves.  All people of any faith are guilty of breaking God’s moral laws.  But only in Jesus do we find the Savior we so desperately need.   Yes, compared with all the conceivable alternatives, the truth can be seen as exclusive.  We might want many different choices, but the Truth is all we need.