A common myth permeating the secular culture is that all religions basically teach the same things, so Christianity isn’t really the only way to God (or to heaven, or to know the truth).
It is important to know that the different religions do NOT agree with that assertion. The basic beliefs of Pantheism, Islam, (and Materialism, for that matter) differ wildly from the Judeo-Christian worldview.
Further, only Christianity teaches salvation by grace and not by works.
Christian Apologist Ravi Zacharias (a former Hindu who grew up in India) is a master at helping separate fact from fiction in this regard.
I encourage everyone to view this brief (11:46) video with the unfortunate title “Ravi SCHOOLS a Skeptic at Yale University Q&A”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNuYJw_T350&t=134s
This title was selected by the person who posted the clip. It was not one chosen by Ravi or his team at RZIM. I say the title is unfortunate because it is unnecessarily combative. We are called to be winsome Apologists (please see my January 17, 2018 post on that very topic).
In response to the question of “What entitles us to believe that the Christian Faith is the exclusive means to truth?” Ravi first defines truth and what it means to know the truth.
Starting at the 4:15 mark, he explains what makes Jesus unique.
The Gospel meta-narrative is unique. Everything is designed to show that the problem with humanity is not outside ourselves, but inside ourselves. We have lost the purpose for which we were created, namely, to be in relationship with God. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind & strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commands hang all the law and the prophets (in other words, the entire Old Testament). That imperative is unavailable from any other world view. We are made in the imago dei and are of infinite worth. We are all creatures in need of forgiveness.
The four absolutes we look for (evil, justice, love, and forgiveness) are answered in the life, death, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. These attributes about Jesus were prophesied, predicted, and exactly fulfilled.
Why does this matter to Americans? Only the Judeo-Christian worldview supports the Declaration of Independence.” Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights”. Pantheism doesn’t say that. Materialism doesn’t say that. Not even Islam says that. Only the Judeo-Christian worldview offers each of us intrinsic worth. Read the Gospel of John for the full story of Jesus.
Atheistic Materialism when taken to its honest and logical outworking ends with all life being nothing more than accident and chance. Even according to Atheist Richard Dawkins we are the products of blind pitiless indifference, machines of accidental happenstance. This logically means that things like morality, self- sacrifice, and justice are made up by humans and are of no real consequence. We know intrinsically that truth can be felt much more deeply by looking honestly at the world around us. We are not accidents of molecules bumping into one another, we are created beings of immense value and are loved by our Creator. Either human life has value and morality is just as real as the air we breathe, or it’s not and it’s just a difference of opinion between those who murder and those who love.
“Reasons for the Faith, aka Apologetics” 