“There are lots of religions and I’m not sure only ONE has to be the right way.”

Last updated on: July 11, 2018 at 6:00 am by Mark Driscoll

“There are lots of religions and I’m not sure only ONE has to be the right way.” 2018-07-05T15:36:53-04:00 Mark Driscoll

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I grew up in the gritty streets next to an airport, a neighborhood where the sky rumbles and planes taking off and landing cast shadows that crisscross the ground. The area has always attracted a steady flow of first-generation immigrants. Many flee war-torn homelands. Most seek religious or political freedom. They arrive at the airport and settle under the flight paths to search for work and start their life in a new country.

The kids I played with were caught between cultures. A part of them identified with the land they left, and another part tried hard to connect with the land they had entered. My friends came from India, Africa, and seemingly every nation in Asia. In America, they rapidly became fluent in a new language and culture, but their parents were adamant that the old family religion be passed down. The blocks around my childhood house are still crowded with turban-wearing Sikh men, women in burqas that cover everything but their eyes, Muslims from across the Middle East and Africa, Buddhists, Shintoists, Hindus, and people of a long list of other faiths. Mosques, temples, and other places of worship fill the neighborhood. As a child I could not keep up with all the holy days my friends celebrated, and in their homes. I often saw shrines and altars dedicated to various deities.

I could not help but respect most of my neighbors as good people. They worked hard, stayed out of trouble, and hung together as a family. Most kids worked hard in school. Most wanted to get into trouble in their new country or do anything to shame themselves, their family, or their religion.

Growing up in this context, I do not really remember ever wondering whether any one religion was right or wrong. Even as I got older, I just assumed that different people spoke different languages, ate different food, wore different clothes, celebrated different holidays, worshiped in different ways, and believed in different gods. And that was okay because it seemed to be working for everyone.

Feedback

For many of the non-Christians in our survey and focus groups—people who have left church or never been part—that scene illustrates an ideal world where religions peacefully coexist. I get how they feel. My friends and I each had our own beliefs. No one had to hide their traditions. And certainly no one ever compelled others to accept their faith. It all seemed pretty simple.

For me things got complicated when I started wondering which if any religion was real and true. One day in college I came to believe the words of Jesus, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). Once persuaded of that truth, I suddenly found the stakes higher for me and everyone around me. It mattered to me whether they believed who Jesus is and what he had did for them at the cross. I went from person to person passing along His words that he was the one and only way to heaven. I will not say I always did that perfectly or even tactfully, but I do not doubt my goal was right.

Many non-Christians would take issue with my newfound beliefs and actions. Just under half of our phone survey participants for this project (42%) agreed that “There are lots of religions and I’m not sure only one has to be the right way.”

Blog

can religions peacefully coexist?

Critics of Christianity

objections to Christianity

The One True Religion

Previous Post

July 5, 2018

Jesus Christ Is No Hypocrite

Next Post

July 18, 2018 Are Christians Just Mean People?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Ask Pastor Mark Blog Daily Devotions Sermons Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 October 2018 September 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 December 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the primary occupation in ancient Israel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Shepherding Carpentry Farming Fishing