Is Christianity exclusive?

Doesn't Christianity seem a bit exclusive, the claim that Jesus is the only way to God is offensive. In fact it is that sort of claim that causes war, fighting and division. Christianity needs to get with the times. How can there possibly be only one answer, what about all the other religions? Haven't we all got a piece of the truth, whatever works for us and makes us feel the happiest is the right way?

That is a strong objection and one that I had against Christianity for quite a while. I then realised how exclusive the above claim was, I also realised that truth by its very definition is exclusive. If I say that this type font is size 12 then that excludes all other possibilities. It cannot both be size 10 and size 12, it can only be one or the other. So we need to know what the truth is.

Saying that we should tolerate everybody and that anyone that claims otherwise we shouldn't tolerate is a contradiction. It appears on the surface so tolerant to say everybody is valid, but then you don't tolerate those people who disagree with you. Let me give you an illustration. There are 4 blind men who believe they have the true religion, they walk into a room with a large elephant. One goes up to the leg and says God is like a thick tree with wrinkles on it, another walks up to the trunk and says God is like a long snake that moves around. Another walks up to the tail and says no God is like a small worm with a fluffy bit on the end, another walks to the body and says it is like a huge expanse. - Now the theory goes that all these people have some part of the truth, some part of who God is, that these people are like the different religions in the world who have some part of truth and really they all lead to God. However look more closely and notice the viewpoint of the person who is telling the story, that assumes the one telling the story knows the whole truth that it is an elephant they are feeling. That is exclusive, to say that all religions have some part of the truth and I know the whole truth. You cannot escape the fact that truth is exclusive.

How about we have a religion that says we are all equal, a religion that says we are saved not by our own good works, which creates pride and says I am better than you, how about a religion that breeds tolerance by saying love your enemy and friend alike. How about a religion where God comes and gets involved to show us what he is like so we don't have to walk around blindfolded feeling our way, how about a God who shows us rather than tells us? How about something we could test to see if it were true, an event in history that we could examine......

georgeosborn@hotmail.com