Aren’t All Religions the Same?

This is also an extra lesson on the Seeking Path; read it any time.

Many Chinese people grow up feeling that every religion teaches people to be good, that different roads lead to the same place, and that it hardly matters which one you follow. That is a generous view, and it reminds us to respect other people’s beliefs. This lesson criticizes no religion; it only wants to make clear what the Bible itself says.

On this the Bible is very direct: “There is salvation in no one else.” (Acts 4:12) Jesus said of himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) That sounds narrow. But you will find that this ‘narrowness’ is not about one group of people being better; it points to one person.

Lesson 6 said that many teachings answer, ‘Do more good to cancel out the bad.’ The Bible’s answer is a gift: not people climbing step by step up to God, but God coming down to find people. Perhaps this is the biggest difference—not which set of rules is better, but who is doing the work.

You don’t have to agree today. But if what Jesus said is true, the question is no longer ‘aren’t all religions the same?’ but ‘who is he?’—the question Lesson 4 left with us.