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Is Christianity more Exclusive than other World Religions? It is common to hear criticism that Christianity is too exclusive. The arguments are that God is too forgiving to declare people as damned, too many “good” people are excluded from Christianity's plan of salvation, or that other religions are far more tolerant and inclusive. However, it was Jesus-God incarnate-who said, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, emphasis added). The scriptures tell us that no one is truly righteous on the inside, despite outward appearances and actions (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:10-12, 20, 5:12). Jesus specifically states that mankind cannot effect its own salvation, and he points to God as the only way (Matthew 19:25-26). This conclusion is inescapable: Christianity is an exclusive religion. It is nothing to be proud or ashamed of, it's just one of the basic, immutable laws of the universe: gravity exists, the earth is (generally speaking) round, and the substitutionary death of Christ provides the only way for people to be saved. The attacks on Christianity's exclusiveness often point to the supposed inclusive or universal nature of other religions, claiming that other religions are more tolerant and accepting of divergent religious beliefs. The exclusive Christian way is seen as unfair and too narrow to be true. Not only is this a weak argument (inclusiveness is a truth claim not a measure of truth), it is also completely false. The other major religions are also exclusive. Hinduism is often said to be the most tolerant, inclusive religion. Bhakti devotionalism is offered up as evidence of this claim, which is the Hindu path to enlightenment (Hinduism's equivalent of salvation) that is based on devotion to the deity of one's own choice. In this view, all gods are manifestations of the ultimate God (Brahman, the Ultimate Reality); therefore, devotion to any one of them is the same as devotion to the God-Brahman. On the surface, this appears to be a very inclusive or universal system. However, if one takes the time to understand the Hindu worldview, it becomes clear that it is actually exclusive. Hinduism embraces a philosophy that teaches all things (all people, animals, and material objects) are actually part of the God-Brahman itself. Everyone and everything is divine; the only thing that truly exists is the ultimate, divine reality of the God-Brahman. Individual people are not real, and enlightenment is only achieved when an individual gains and understands this and fully relinquishes all sense that he or she exists as something distinct from the God-Brahman. The Bhagavad Gita (a portion of Hindu scriptures that are vital for the Hindu way of devotion) makes this clear. In it, one of the manifestations of God, Krishna, is teaching about the true nature of reality. He has already spent a lot of time in the previous chapters teaching the pantheistic/monistic doctrine (all things are God) that characterizes Hinduism, and at this point in the scriptures he expounds on it again. He says, “Those who are without faith in my teaching, cannot attain me” (9:3, emphasis added). To attain Krishna is a Hindu way of expressing enlightenment/salvation. Lest there be any doubt about what “faith in my teaching” means, Krishna then spends the next several verses re-stating the pantheistic worldview, starting with: “I permeate all the universe in my unmanifest form. All beings exist within me . . .” (9:4). If you do not accept this view that you do not exist and that you are actually God-Brahman, you will never achieve Hindu salvation. Thus, you are excluded. That doesn't sound very inclusive to me. Accept exactly what I say, or you're out. Buddhism is like Hinduism in that it endorses a similar worldview. And once again it is often argued that Buddhism is an inclusive religion, one that allows someone to be Christian and Buddhist, for example. However, Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. It does not endorse the concept of God or gods in the way that most religions do. This causes an immediate problem for theistic faiths, which require their devotees to believe in the existence of God. Also, the key to enlightenment (the equivalent of salvation in Buddhism) is to learn to lose all attachment to the concept of the one's existence and to the things that reinforce the concept that the self exists as a perpetual, unchanging entity. Believing that one exists as independent selves prevents enlightenment, and so it faces the same inclusivity problems as Hinduism does. The differences between Hinduism and Buddhism are more nuanced than I have presented here (due to space limitations), but the underlying philosophy and core problems are the same. Both of these religions are exclusive. Hinduism and Buddhism are neither universal nor inclusive as they require a complete denial of the foundation of theistic faith in order to have any hope of salvation. In the end they exclude all people who either believe that they truly exist or who do not believe that everyone is part of the one singular, ultimate reality. The other major theistic religions are also exclusive. In very simplified forms, both Judaism and Islam teach that one can reach salvation by virtue of his or her deeds in life. In Judaism, the foundation for judging these deeds is found in the Torah. Different expressions of Judaism hold to varying interpretations, but generally speaking if you follow the Torah you have a chance at salvation. This sounds easy enough, but there are considered to be as many as 613 specific precepts which must be followed (365 prohibitions and 248 commands), and they are often at odds with the commands found in the other faiths. You have to follow the Torah's guide to good deeds to be saved, not any other faith's guide (thus excluding Christianity and Islam). The monotheistic nature of the faith also excludes all faiths based on pantheism (Hinduism and Buddhism) and polytheism. Islam is very similar. Once again works are what earn people their salvation, but Islam has a very different set of works and deeds to perform. It claims that earlier religions such as Judaism and Christianity were originally revealed as true religion, but that humans perverted them and they are now incorrect. Islam is the perfect form of true religion, and therefore one must follow the commands of the Quran, and not the commands of the Torah (thereby excluding Judaism). Additionally, Islam teaches what it describes as “pure” monotheism (excluding Hinduism and Buddhism), and points to the doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ as shirk, the worst possible sin one can commit. It is so heinous that it results in unforgivable, eternal punishment. Therefore, Christianity is excluded as well. In the final analysis, all religions are exclusive. You simply cannot be a theist and a pantheist, a Christian and a Muslim, or any other combination. While Christianity claims one, specific way to God that excludes all others, it is not unique in doing so. So, when people point an accusing finger at you and say, “Your faith is exclusive. You believe that only those who believe in Jesus Christ are going to heaven.” You can simply state (1) Yes, I do, and (2) by the way, every other religion believes that it is the only way as well.
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