Can Christianity be harmonized with other worldviews? (Part 4)

This blog is part of my series titled “Is Christianity true?” The series addresses four common objections to the truthfulness of the Christian worldview, namely concerns about: (1) the trustworthiness of the Bible; (2) the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection; (3) the compatibility of faith in God with modern science; and (4) the incompatibility of Christian truth claims with those of other worldviews.

CAN CHRISTIANITY BE HARMONIZED WITH OTHER WORLDVIEWS? (Part 4)

In light of the enormous differences between the core beliefs and doctrines of the various religions of the world, it is clear they cannot all lead to God. Logically, they can all be false, but they cannot all be true. Nonetheless, some maintain that all religions are similar in their essence but different in their more peripheral beliefs and practices. However, the opposite is true. Each is fundamentally different, while some beliefs and practices, particularly in the moral sphere, are similar. 

Many scholars have addressed the topic of comparative religions in depth and there are numerous books and university-level courses on this subject. My goal in this blog series is simply to illustrate that, at their core, the religions of the world all contradict one another. Indeed, serious adherents of any religion would be deeply offended by Gandhi’s comment that “the essence of all religions is one.” 

By definition, atheism cannot be harmonized with the Christian worldview. Of course, those who hold the atheistic worldview often argue that it isn’t a belief in the positive sense. Rather, they maintain their perspective is simply an absence of belief in the existence of God. However, many among them, particularly the New Atheists, argue fervently for the truth of their negative belief. I suspect that the seemingly religious zeal with which many of them prosecute their case relates more to their aversion to the Christian belief that we all will be held ultimately accountable to God! 

Regarding the various non-monotheistic religions of the East, they cannot possibly be harmonized with the Christian worldview. Taking just one example, Hinduism cannot be reconciled with the worldview that claims that a relationship with God can only be established through faith in Jesus Christ. While Hindus have no serious concern when anyone adds Jesus to the Hindu pantheon of millions of gods, deciding to follow Jesus exclusively is considered anathema. Indeed, based upon personal involvement in church planting in India, Christians there face danger daily as militant Hindus persecute and sometimes murder them.

The Hindu caste system is based upon the belief that we are not all morally equal.

Furthermore, the Hindu view of humankind is quite different from the Christian belief that everyone is made in the image of God and therefore equal in the moral sense. In contrast, the Hindu caste system is based upon the belief that we are not all morally equal, nor can anyone move out of the caste into which they were born. In this view, human beings have different worth based upon their caste. For higher-caste Hindus, this status can work well in terms of opportunities to improve their lot in life. While there are examples of lower caste individuals, such as the Dalits (the so-called untouchables), prospering within the Hindu culture, the fundamental rule of inequality based on caste and its entailments remains hardwired in the religion to this day. 

In the next two weeks, we will contrast Christianity with its two monotheistic alternatives, Judaism and Islam.

Photo taken from cover of “Dissonant Voices” by Harold A. Netland