This post is number 4 in a series examining the book, Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger.
When I went off to college, I was shocked by the level of
diversity I encountered. There were
people from all over the world! The dorm
would smell like kimchi one evening and perogies the next. There were students who had never seen snow
before (boy, were they in for a shock!), and those who spoke English as their
second language.
Not only was there cultural diversity, there was diversity
in character, interests and quirks.
There was the guy in his trunks who would lay his towel out on a
snowbank and sun bathe in winter. The
guy whose dorm room was filled with Legos and Star Wars action figures so that it felt like an eleven-year old's room. There were those who slowly became nocturnal
as the year progressed. Those who lived
and breathed sports and those who hardly ever left the library. Artists, jocks, musicians, theologians, comedians, philosophers,
entrepreneurs, storytellers. To think,
all this diversity was found in a small private Christian school in rural
Manitoba—my graduating class was 75 students!
Consider for a moment, the level of diversity to be found in
a major university! What drew students
to my small school (from all over the world) was our shared commitment
to Jesus, but in many university settings, part of the diversity is found in
the student’s different beliefs.
There may be a staunch atheist in your dorm, a Buddhist in your
philosophy class, and that student who isn’t religious but is very
“spiritual” on your intermural team. Christian students are likely to encounter perspectives and ideas they have never heard
before (p. 52).
Surveying the landscape of beliefs, Christian students may realize they stand out. Why? The reality is Christian beliefs are
exclusive. We believe that there is one
true God. We believe that all people are
called to worship him and him alone. We
believe that Christianity isn’t one good option among many…it is the ONLY
path to a right relationship with God and eternal life with him (p. 52).
There is no denying the staunch exclusivity of the Christian
faith.
Why might such exclusivity bother non-Christians?
Such exclusivity isn’t received well in a culture that
celebrates relativism and tolerance as the greatest of virtues (p. 52). What objections might Christians face for the exclusive nature of their faith, and how can they address them?
Christian “Arrogance”
One they can expect to encounter is being labeled arrogant for proclaiming Christianity is is the only right path. The well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens said it is “fantastically arrogant” for someone to claim that they could know the mind of God (p. 53). Is he right? The human mind is so small, and God is great beyond our comprehension. How can we as Christians proclaim our understanding of God is greater than any other?
Kruger writes that outside of Christianity, religion is
often understood as “human attempts to discover and learn things about God” (p.
53). It is based on human effort, and
therefore, inherently “flawed and fallible” (p. 54). In such a view of religion, it is
understandable that someone would conclude that Christians are arrogant. What makes the Christian’s attempt to
understand God more accurate than anyone else’s (p. 54)?
It is crucial to recognize this understanding of religion is
the opposite of what Christianity claims. Our faith isn’t a human-driven discovery, but
a revealed hope by a gracious God who has made himself known to us. It is much less humanities hide-and-seek with
God—our searching for Him; it is much more God’s show-and-tell with us—God
revealing himself to us (p. 54).
Recognizing this, is Christianity arrogant to claim to be
the exclusively right path?
Kruger says, “The arrogance or non-arrogance of a claim
depends on whether one has adequate grounds for that claim (p.
54).” As Christians, our grounds are
sufficiently adequate! Jesus himself
claimed to be the only way to the father (John 14:6) and he backed his
audacious claim through revealing his authority over all things through his
miracles—over the natural by calming storms, over the supernatural by casting
out demons, over life by healing the sick, and over death by raising the dead
and conquering the grave (p. 54).
Is it arrogant to believe Jesus’ claims?
If anyone could be labeled arrogant, it would be Jesus, right? We are merely proclaiming what He said. Is Jesus arrogant? …Not if his claims are true (and if he did what the Bible says he did, then we can trust the truth of his claims)! (p. 55).
All religions are the same...right?
Another objection Christians often face is the claim that
all religions are essentially the same.
But if we examine different religions side by side, we see very quickly
that this claim holds no merit. A
religion that believes there is only one God cannot be reconciled with a
religion that claims there are multiple gods (p. 55).
What sets Christianity apart from other religions?
Christianity is distinct from other religions in another
significant way. Most world religions
are about striving to be a good enough person; do enough good deeds, and you
secure eternal reward. This is not what
Christianity proclaims. Kruger writes,
“Heaven is not for good people but for sinful people forgiven by grace (p. 56).
Whereas good works are the means for salvation in many other
religions, for Christians, good works are the outpouring of our
salvation; an expression of gratitude.
“We are not saved by obedience.
We are saved for obedience (p. 57).
While all religions attempt to deal with the problem of sin,
Christians do not find the answer in simply “trying harder”; the answer isn’t
in our strength but in our savior, Jesus Christ. This is why Christianity is exclusive;
because Jesus alone is our hope (p. 57).
Therefore, Christianity’s exclusivity makes sense. “If there were another way to heaven, then why did Jesus have to die?”. Peter proclaimed, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) (p. 57).
It's all relative
Another objection
Christians often face is that truth is relative, therefore, Christianity cannot
be the only true religion.
The thought pattern
goes something like this. “Sure, Christianity is true for you. I, however, have a different truth!” Relativism rejects objective truth (true for
all) and claims personal truth (true just for me). But can such claims stand under
scrutiny? In short, no. Kruger writes, “if a doctor says a person has
cancer, will he respond by saying, “That’s your truth, not my truth”?”
(p. 58). Common sense indicts relativism
as foolishness(p. 58).
When we consider the claims of Christianity, many are historical claims—either they happened or they didn’t, and no personal belief can change the reality of what historically happened (p. 58). Either Jesus rose from the grave or he didn’t—personal opinion doesn’t change historical reality.
Kruger points out
the logical inconsistency by pointing to the statement “There is no objective
truth” and pointing out that such a statement is in fact, an objective truth
claim. Relativism wants everyone to play
by rules it refuses to abide by (p. 59)!
Some lean on the oft
used metaphor of blind men feeling an elephant and arriving at different
conclusions in their description of the creature based on their experience of
it. One believes an elephant to be like
a snake as he feels the trunk. Another
concludes an elephant is like a spear as he feels the tusk. Another, a wall as he feels the elephant’s
side. Still another thinks elephants are
like pillars as he hugs the elephant’s leg.
You get the idea. None had the
full picture. Therefore, religion is
like that…no one has a full picture of the truth (p. 60).
Do you see the
faulty thinking? The one offering the
analogy sees the whole elephant!
While the analogy is used to point out the arrogance of someone who
would claim to know the whole truth, that is precisely what the giver of the analogy is doing—they claim to see the whole picture! What the person is claiming, according to
Kruger is this, “Let me tell you how all religions really work” thus
excusing themselves from the analogy they just gave and granting themselves
omniscient knowledge (p. 60).
While Christians claim to know how religion works, we do so not based on our own feeble efforts, but on the reality that the one who truly is omniscient—the one true God—has revealed himself to us (p. 61).
Disagree, not
Disrespect
In a culture that
totes affirmation as love, to disagree with someone is often labeled as
disrespect. Therefore, to tell another
that what they believe is wrong will often be seen as a hostile act. It is important to recognize that to disagree
with someone does not mean we disrespect them (p. 61). As Christians, we know that all people are
created in the image of God and worthy of utmost respect. Indeed, we love people well in presenting the
truth that can save them—that Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life.
Yes, it is ironic
that as you disagree with someone, you may be labeled intolerant and mocked for
your beliefs (which puts you on the receiving end of intolerance for what you
believe…). This is where Peter’s
dual testimony from 1 Peter 3:15 comes into play—not only do we give a reason
for our hope, but we do so with gentleness and respect. Let your firmness of conviction and gentleness
of heart point people to the hope of the Gospel (p. 62).
Questions:
How would you respond if someone claimed your Christian beliefs are arrogant?
Can one religion be true for one person while another religion is true for another? Why or why not?
Insights taken from…
Kruger, Michael J. 2021. Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College. Wheaton, IL: Crossway
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