All Religions Can’t Be True

Living in Los Angeles, it is not uncommon to see the bumper sticker that spells out COEXIST in varying religious symbols. I generally agree with the concept of tolerance, if “tolerance” is agreeing to disagree, as opposed to being made to accept anyone’s belief as valid. However, often what people allude to is the idea of religious pluralism (RP). There are two kinds: simple and sophisticated. Simple RP says all religions are equal and valid and all lead to God. Sophisticated RP says that all religions are false because we cannot possibly know if there is a God or if what we experience is real (think The Matrix). But here are some thoughts as to why both forms of RP are illogical.

From a philosophical stance, a straightforward argument against simple RP is that it contradicts itself. By the law of noncontradiction, something cannot be both true and untrue. Simple RP claims that all religions are true, but most religions claim exclusivity.

From a philosophical stance, a straightforward argument against simple RP is that it contradicts itself. By the law of noncontradiction, something cannot be both true and untrue. Simple RP claims that all religions are true, but most religions claim exclusivity. If religion A includes the belief that religion B is false, and vice versa, then either A is true and B is false, or A is true and B is false, or they are both false, but they cannot both be true. Christianity, for example, claims that by no merit of our own (grace) but through Jesus will we be saved (Ephesians 2:8) to be with God forever after this life (heaven). Buddhism is a meritorious belief that good behavior earns nirvana and one is reincarnated into future lives until this is achieved. In the world of religious pluralism, both are accepted as true. But we see from the basic tenets of just two religions, pluralism is logically impossible (that is, either Christianity is true, or Buddhism is true, or both are false, but both cannot be true). And these are two out of hundreds of thousands of different beliefs.

With regards to sophisticated RP, the general claim that all religions are false is at least a more rational approach.John Hick went a step further and rejected any religion as a true view of reality but rather saw religions as a way to categorize reality as “the-Real-as-experienced and not the-Real-as-it-truly is.” In Hick’s view, what he called “The Real” (i.e., ultimate reality, and if this were The Matrix, the Real World) is indescribable by human limitations and cannot be categorized (“transcategorial”). He thought that religions are more or less a metaphor for how one might get a sense of some reality, but never a total picture of it, much like poetry or a story that communicates an idea of truth, but not the total truth ((like the parable of the blind men and the elephant). But the Christian knows that the Bible is literal where it means to be literal (e.g. the historicity of Jesus) and figurative where it means to be figurative (e.g. the parables of Jesus). We interpret all literature in accordance with its genre (we call this hermeneutics), and the gospels are written as historical narrative and should be interpreted as such. Jesus is unique because He is a literal, historic figure, who literally lived, died, and rose again, facts amounting to the greatest event of history, that is, His death and resurrection.

Religious Pluralism is contrary to Biblical doctrine that looks to God as our Ultimate Reality in that He is spirit and truth, our ultimate reality (John 4:24). He is also the Source of Truth (John 17:17). And in Jesus claiming to be God (John 8:58), He is unique in that God came to earth to take on flesh (John 1:14), and allowed man to know Him in this way, as a personal Lord and Savior.

RP is contrary to Biblical doctrine that looks to God as our Ultimate Reality--spirit and truth (John 4:24). He is also the Source of Truth (John 17:17). And in Jesus claiming to be God (John 8:58), He is unique in that God came to earth to take on flesh (John 1:14), and allowed man to know Him in this way, as a personal Lord and Savior. The entire Bible means to convey to its reader the truth of God and His character, embodied in the incarnate Christ (John 5:39), and what that means for us, His creation, with regards to His purpose and unique plan for our salvation in His Son, Jesus (John 3:16-17). Jesus claimed exclusivity in teaching, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus claimed to be the embodiment of truth and the sole path to God via salvation in him, uniquely positioning Jesus among other so-called gods. 

Romans 12:8 calls us to be at peace with all men, but that doesn’t mean the world won’t be hostile toward the Truth. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). So coexist--show kindness--but don’t be afraid to CONTRADICT the claim that all religions are true.