Straight thinking about religion

We enshrine education as a mini-god in our society, but the harsh reality is, we place more emphasis on “getting a piece of paper”, than on intelligent thought and critical thinking. This also applies to how we think about religion in our pluralistic society. All religions, despite some similarities, have irreconcilable differences that cannot be swept under the carpet by any thinking man or woman. The material world cannot be an illusion, as taught in Hinduism and Theosophy, and not an illusion, as taught in Christianity and Judaism, at the same time. Reincarnation and Hebrews 9:27 cannot be both true at the same time. At bare minimum, one of us must be wrong. For the sake of analyzing the argument, it could be that we are all wrong. But one thing that we can never say is that we are all right.

Beliefs may be all equally valid in the sense that they are consciously held by sincere people, but they cannot be equally true in light of irreconcilable differences. Acknowledging that fact is called facing reality, not intolerance. Many “learned” folk insist that one must never insist that “your religion” is the only way. But the very phrase “my religion” is absurd. As G.K. Chesterton put it: “I won’t call Christianity my religion, because I didn’t make it up. God and humanity made it, and it made me.” Christians can respect the concept of religious freedom but we cannot be indifferent to the great commission and the eternal destiny of others. In light of that fact, I want to urge, beg and plead with earnest truth seekers to note Jesus’ words in John 18:37, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”