by BryanN

Created on: February 18, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Can There Be More Than One True Religion?

Rather then share personal views on this subject, I wish to simply use some deductive logic to define the true question.

Logically There Could Be No True Religions

Many claim that there can be more then one true religion. I suspect that what such a person means to say is that there can be more then one way to salvation. The idea of a God that accepts good people from multiple religions, whether this is true or not, is logically sound.

However, this is synonymous with saying that all religions are wrong in some beliefs that they find meaningful and important. Thus this view is really saying that all religions are at least partially false. Logically possible? Absolutely. This view typically holds that the truth of God is not really known and that all religions are wrong in some doctrines, but right on others. This view usually includes the idea that the shared beliefs amongst religions (like "love your neighbor") are the "true" beliefs that matter.

True Religion: There Can Be At Most One

While logically speaking there could be no true religion, there could never be more than one true religion. Religions are - by definition - a specific set of beliefs. All the religions in the world are, by definition, mutually exclusive in some of their beliefs. Why would that have to be so? Because if there were two religions that held exactly the same beliefs, we'd call them a single religion. Two sets of mutually exclusive beliefs can never both be equally true at the same time.

A good example of this is the Baha'i faith. This fascinating and great religion will often make the claim that all religions are true. Having spent much time studying with two sisters who were ardent believers of this faith, I wish to explain that the Baha'i do not technically believe all religions are true, but instead believe all religions can receive salvation.

These ladies explained to me that the Baha'i believe in a single "Christ-spirit" that has returned to earth many times. This spirit came as Moses, as Jesus, as Mohammad, as Buddha, and as every other founder of the major world religions. Most recently he came as Bah'u'llh, their founder. The Baha'i believe Bah'u'llh's coming fulfills the prophecies of the second coming of Christ as well as prophecies of the return of other great religious founders. As I talked to these ladies of this great faith, it was clear that our beliefs were mutually exclusive. Was is possible for Jesus to have died on the cross then

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