“the arrogant god” - kew baptist church“the arrogant god” ... sri aurobindo –indian...

“The Arrogant God”

• Surely there can’t be only one way to God?

• How arrogant are Christians to think their faith is the only legitimate one!

• All religions are essentially pointing in the same direction

Barack Obama

We have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own.

I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.

Sri Aurobindo – Indian philosopher

If a religion is not universal, it cannot be eternal. A narrow religion, a sectarian religion, an exclusive religion can live only for a limited time and a limited purpose.

Jose Rizal – Filipino activist

No one has a monopoly of the true God, nor is there a nation or religion that can claim, or at any rate prove, that it has been given the exclusive right to the Creator or sole knowledge of His Being.

Albert Einstein

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.

Two varieties of this view

• “Common core” – “believe in God and be nice to people”

• “Many paths to the same destination”

Common core position

(1) Do all religions share the “common core”?

• Neo-Zionism

• ISIL

• Branch Davidians


(2) Do any religions share the “common core”?

• “Believe in God and be nice to people”

Likely Buddhist core:

• That the root cause of all suffering is attachment and therefore by detaching oneself you liberate yourself from suffering


Christian core:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:15


Christian core:

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.

Acts 2:36


Christian core:

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. … Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-5


Christian core:

• Jesus is Lord and God and king

• Jesus died and rose again for our salvation

• If we have faith in Jesus, we will be saved

Sam Harris – atheist scientist

While liberals are leery of religious fundamentalism in general, they consistently imagine that all religions at their core teach the same thing and teach it equally well. This is one of the many delusions borne of political correctness.

Ravi Zacharias – Christian author

My premise is that the popular aphorism that 'all religions are fundamentally the same and only superficially different' simply is not true. It is more correct to say that all religions are, at best, superficially similar but fundamentally different.


(3) The differences matter

• Jesus is God or Jesus is not God

• Grace is God’s gift or Karma will catch up to everyone

Josh McDowell – Christian author

Anyone with sincere religious beliefs cannot say that all religions are true. That is so illogical it is pathetic. All religion cannot be true because some of them are so diametrically opposed to each other.

Michelle Tepper – Christian author

If something truly is true then other things must be false. Contradictions cannot be true and all world religions have contradictions in them. They don’t say the same thing.

Common core in other areas??

Many paths, same destination

• Different religions are:• Coming to the same God from

different angles

• Worshipping different aspects of the same God

The essence of all religions is one. Only their approaches are different.

Mahatma Gandhi


God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true. The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope. You can also climb up by a bamboo pole.

Ramakrishna


• Contradictory? Not a problem

• Inconsistent? Not a problem

• Exclusive claims:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6


Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. … Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John 3:18, 36


Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Matthew 12:30

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12


• One option:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

Greg Clarke

We should look carefully and thoughtfully at what the religions teach because it’s just wrong to suggest they all teach the same thing. They just don’t. I mean it’s disrespectful to all religions to say that they’re all kind of pathways to the one reality. … And so you have to be thoughtful about other religions and look at what they actually say about God, the world and humanity; and compare and contrast them, and then make your call on which one you think is closer to the truth.

The God I do believe in

• (1) Jesus is the way for people to God, and there is no other way.

Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. … Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.

John 10:1, 7-8


• (2) Anyone who trusts in Jesus as the way will find salvation

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:9-10


• God wants people to trust in him

This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth

1 Timothy 2:3-4

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9


• God celebrates when people trust in Jesus

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Luke 15:8-10


• God’s salvation to those who trust in Jesus is a gift

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

God who gives out free tickets

God who gives out free tickets

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.

Ephesians 2:17-19

“the arrogant god” - kew baptist church“the arrogant god” ... sri aurobindo –indian...

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