Am I the Intolerant One?

Am I the Baddy?

As our world continues to speak about inclusivity, diversity, and tolerance, it can seem like Christianity is far behind the times. We can feel a bit like the knuckle-dragging Neanderthals of the religious world: ignorant, intolerant, unenlightened, and archaic in our beliefs.

Certainly, feeling like cultural pariahs has had an impact on the church. Some Christians have decided the easier route is just to focus on religious deeds. Why alienate non-Christians in debates over truth claims when we can cooperate with them to help make the world a better place? Instead of awkward religious conversations, we can work to stop homelessness, serve the poor, and fight for justice.

Now, Christians ought to care about these important issues. Good deeds are the outworking of God’s grace in our lives. But the point here is that the cultural stigma over Christianity’s exclusivity has led some Christians to withdraw from important cultural conversations.

Where do we go from here? Well, what is needed is perhaps some fresh thinking about how to engage the non-Christian world about the exclusive truth claims of Christianity. Here are a few thoughts for future conversations.

We’re Number One!

Sometimes I get the impression that people think the exclusivity of Christianity is something Christians came up with - as if Christians, at some point in church history, were so enamored with their own religion that they declared it must be the only right one.

It’s as if Christianity is a sports team and the fans (Christians) are predictably cheering: “We’re number one! We’re number one!” In that sense, Christians come off as exceedingly arrogant.

There’s just one little problem: the exclusivity of Christianity is not something Christians came up with. It doesn’t come from Christians, it comes from Jesus: “No man cometh to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, KJV).

Is it arrogant simply to believe what Jesus has said about himself? Not at all. It is his claim, not our claim. We are merely passing it along.

Do You Have Another Savior from Sins I Don’t Know About?

In most conversations about exclusivity, the non-Christian often remains entirely unaware of why Christianity must be exclusive. Is there any internal logic for why Christianity makes this claim?

At this point, we need to reassure our non-Christian friend that Jesus’s claim about himself is not arbitrary nor is it merely self-promoting. Rather, Jesus is making that claim because he, and he alone, is the only solution to the problem of sin.

And that’s the point: Jesus is the only one who remotely qualifies as someone who can take away sins. Indeed, he is the only one who even claims to take away sins.

So, we can ask our non-Christian friends a simple question: “Do you have another savior from sins I don’t know about?”

If not, then Jesus is, by definition, the only option available to them.

Sawing off the Branch You’re Sitting On

One of the most common reasons that people reject the exclusive truth claims of Christianity is because they believe truth is relative. In other words, they argue that there is no objective truth. There is just truth for you, and truth for me.

While relativism may sound reasonable on the surface, it ends up collapsing under its own weight. Relativism only works if the statement “There is no objective truth” is objectively true. Thus, relativism only works if it exempts itself from its own rules.

It is the equivalent of saying something like “All sentences are false.” But if all sentences are false, then that very sentence is also false.

Thus, relativism is essentially like sawing off the branch you’re sitting on.

Disagreement Is Not Disrespect

Our current cultural context does not allow for the free exchange of ideas like prior generations. Now, if you say another religion is wrong, it is taken as an act of hostility or aggression. Disagreement is the same as disrespect in most people’s eyes.

So, we need to work hard to make sure our non-Christian friends understand that we love and respect them, even if we disagree. We need to reassure them that Christians are not out to denigrate, demean, or despise adherents of other religions.

This will not be easy. It will require that we give more attention to our tone and attitude than we might normally do. But it’s worth it if we are to reach our non-Christian world.

In the end, my hope is that these four considerations will help us in our conversations with non-Christians over the exclusive claims of Christ. Of course, even if we follow them, that doesn’t guarantee smooth conversations. We should expect that we will endure some hostility and resistance as we speak about such things.

To do so will require courage. So, take heart from the words of the Apostle Peter: But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (1 Peter 3:14-15, KJV)

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Rob Harley, an accomplished accountant with over four decades of experience, is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, who has dedicated his life to studying and sharing the message of salvation. With degrees in Accounting and Christian Education & Administration, he has led impactful Bible studies for diverse age groups for over 25 years, while nurturing a strong faith-based family in Central Florida.