But Don’t All Religions Lead to God?
People have all sorts of strange ideas about religion. People also have all sorts of strange ideas about God. A significant proportion of the people I come into contact with will admit to a belief in a god of some kind, although they don’t know who he is, what he is, and what he does. It seems to be a part of human character to want to believe in some higher being. People have been searching for God for centuries, and many people believe they have found him.
The combination of this desire to believe in a god, and a multitude of religions, all of which claim to point to him, leaves many people feeling very confused. This confusion leads many to comment that, “all religions lead to God.”
It is this common idea that Michael Green addresses in this short, but highly informative book. Suitable for those who are searching for God, those who think that they have found him, or those that are sure and certain of their faith in Jesus Christ, this book is a great read.
The book is split into ten chapters. The first three address the types of thoughts many people have by looking at the questions, “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere,” “Aren’t all religions much the same?” and “But surely all religions lead to God?” The next six look at what Christianity has to offer that distinguishes it from other world religions, whilst the final chapter asks the question, “Where do we go from here?” in which the reader is challenged to accept Jesus.
Throughout this book, Green explodes the common myths and misunderstandings which many people have about religion, and about Christianity. Green demonstrates the uniqueness of the Christian faith, the promises of Jesus, and the reality of the Christian life, all of which, he concludes are markedly different to anything any other religion can offer.
Green looks closely at four things that make Jesus stand out from every other religious leader the world has ever known. He begins by stating that “no other great teacher has ever claimed to bring God to us.” He says that, “any fair appraisal of the evidence shows that alone of the great teachers, Jesus Christ claimed to share the nature of God almighty while being at the same time a loving and humble member of the human race. This is utterly without parallel in any of the faiths of the world. It makes Jesus very special indeed.”
Next, he claims that, “no other great teacher dealt radically with human wickedness.” Whilst Confucianism suggests that humans are essentially good, Buddhism believes that is up to humans to do their utmost to lead good lives, so that they may be rewarded in the next life, and Islam says that, in the eyes of God, our good deeds must outweigh our bad deeds, and even then there is no assurance of forgiveness, Christianity offers precisely that. Through the death of Jesus on the cross, we can have eternal life – not because of anything that we’ve done, but because of God’s grace to us.
Green then says that, “no other great teacher broke the final barrier – death.” He states that, “unlike any other leader, [Jesus] not only promises eternal life in His company, but he validates that promise through his resurrection from the dead. And that Confucius, Muhammad, Socrates and the others could not do.”
Finally, Green claims that, “no other great teacher offers to live within his followers.” I found this chapter particularly helpful, since it speaks very clearly of what precisely the Holy Spirit is, and what precisely the existence of the Spirit means for Christians. In my view, this one chapter on its own is worth the cost of the book.
I have no hesitation at all in recommending this book to you. Quick and easy to read, it will help you to understand what it means to follow Jesus, whether you’re a non-Christian or a Christian. It compares and contrasts Christianity to other world religions in a way which will strengthen your own faith in Christ, and equip you to discuss your faith with others.
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Simon is a teacher, writer and preacher based in Kent in the United Kingdom. Simon enjoys sailing, and is a keen geocacher. Simon is married to Claire.
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