Tag Archives: World Religions

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How to Respond to the “All Religions Basically Teach the Same Thing” Slogan

Let’s be honest . . . we don’t like to offend people and we want people to like us.

Because of this, we let some pretty silly ideas go unchallenged in our culture today.

religionsOne perennial offender is the notion that all religions basically teach the same thing.

If anyone is to find the truth about God or ultimate reality, then this myth has to be dispensed with quickly.

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New York Times columnist Ross Douthat hits the nail on the head:

“The differences between religions are worth debating. Theology has consequences: It shapes lives, families, nations, cultures, wars; it can change 􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰆􏰇􏰅􏰇􏰈􏰉􏰄􏰊􏰂􏰉􏰋people, save them from themselves, and sometimes warp or even destroy them. If we tiptoe politely around this reality, then we betray every teacher, guru and philosopher—including Jesus of Nazareth and the Buddha both— who ever sought to resolve the most human of all problems: How then should we live?”

It is out of a sense of false tolerance that we think we are actually loving one another if we never challenge ideas that we believe to be false. In addition to this liability, we often lack the courage to (respectfully) say what needs to be said.

How to Respond to This Slogan in Conversation

With that in mind, the first thing to do when encountering this claim is (more…)

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Why Everyone Needs The Right To Be Wrong

In a culture of increasing moral, religious, and political disagreement, it’s imperative that we protect people’s right to be wrong. I can’t say it any better than Os Guinness:

Respect for freedom of conscience means that, while we respect people’s right to believe what their conscience dictates that they believe, even if we think they are dead wrong, we have a right and sometimes a duty to disagree with them, though their right to believe has to be countered by our responsibility to disagree with the civilly and persuasively.

He goes on further to say in The Case for Civility:

Tolerance is infinitely better than its opposite: intolerance. But tolerance that is blase about error and evil, and tolerance that flip-flops into intolerance, are two sides of the same bad coin. Equally, it is bad to be silenced and not allowed to speak, but it is no better to be seduced by polite words and a politically correct atmosphere. Far better to have a tough-minded view of tolerance that simultaneously knows what it believes and respects the right of others to their beliefs, and knows how to debate forcefully but civilly when there is disagreement.

As Christians we need to be thoughtful, courageous, winsome, and tolerant (in the aforementioned sense). Everyone loses if truth is removed from the public square. Because if this happens, all that will remain is the struggle for power.