Many people today would claim that all religions are basically the same; that while they have their differences, all will eventually lead to the same place. These folks would likely consider one’s religion to be of no more consequence than their favorite soda or sports team. In the secularized society we live in today, religion has been downgraded significantly. Instead of holding a place of reverence and awe, religion has been relegated to a point of mere preference. As a result of this attitude, many people have fallen out of touch with the numerous differences in doctrine that various religions hold.
In the next few posts, we’re going to take a look at several religions. Contrary to the view of many, we will see that there are in fact significant differences among these different belief systems — whether it be in the belief in an afterlife, the terms of salvation, the nature of God, the nature of man, etc. Once we’ve briefly explored many of their basic doctrines, we will contrast them with Biblical Christianity. As we delve into the foundational beliefs of these religions and uncover their bedrock assumptions, pay close attention to how they specifically clash with Christianity. Once we’ve finished the series, we’ll take a closer look at the common thread that runs through every religion contrary to a Biblical Christian worldview.
With that said, there’s one last thing I want to point out. In light of 1 Peter 3:15 — where we are called to give a reason for the hope within us — it can seem extremely daunting to believe that we would have to study every single belief system in order to understand how to defend our faith against it. However, as we will see at the end of this series, there is a much more “efficient” way to address the beliefs we come into contact with. Even so, this still doesn’t give us the freedom to take a “Cliff’s Notes” summary approach — we need to be willing to dig deep into understanding other belief systems. We need to be willing to do the research on Islam so that when we meet a Muslim, we can better relate to his position. Paul did this with the Athenians in Acts 17. Through prior research and understanding of the culture he was in, Paul was able to effectively speak to the people in the Areopagus. We too need to be ready to address those in our culture. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a closer look at just how we can do that.
