Dr Paul Allen

Despite the predictions of some in the nineteenth century that religion would eventually wither away under the onslaught of modernization and science, the world today remains vigorously religious. Eighty percent of people worldwide profess some religious affiliation.5 There are today roughly 2.1 billion Christians, 1.3 billion Muslims, 860 million Hindus, 380 million Buddhists, 25 million Sikhs, and 15 million Jews.6 A complete picture of religion today would also include the many millions who follow one of the thousands of new religious movements.7 TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANITY: RELIGIOUS EXCLUSIVISM Until the modern era, Christians largely took it for granted that Christianity is the one true religion for all humankind. Allowing for minor modifications for Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant distinctives, the common understanding went something like this: God has revealed himself in a special manner to the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, and his self-revelation culminates in t

Many people today believe that all religions are true. According to a recent Barna study , 58% of teens and 62% of adults agree with the statement, “Many religions can lead to eternal life; there is no ‘one true religion.’” It would be nice if everybody could be right about their religious convictions. After all, these are beliefs we often hold dear to our hearts. Nobody likes telling others that they are wrong about their deepest convictions. Yet simple reason and common sense tell us all religions cannot possibly true. By its very nature, the truth is exclusive. It is not logically possible for all religions to be right when their core claims differ so radically. Either they are all wrong, or one is right. Consider the following chart I often use in my talk “ True for you, but not true for me ”: Beliefs about God Beliefs about Salvation Beliefs about Other Religions Buddhism No God Enlightenment False Hinduism Many Gods Reincarnation All True [1] Islam