Is Christianity Unique When Compared With Other Religions, and Does It Matter?

 

 

One way to illustrate the uniqueness of Christianity is to  evaluate different concepts of origins.

 

1. Finite Personal -  Creation by the Gods
2. Infinite Personal – Creation by a God such as the Muslim Allah
3. Infinite Impersonal Monistic – Creation (self –emanation) by the Brahman of Hinduism
4. Materialistic Impersonal – Creation by Chance – (Evolution)
5. Infinite Personal Triune – Creation by the God of the Bible.

 

 

Problem with option one –

            The existence of mythical, bickering, capricious gods (whether  of the ancient Greeks, Romans, or the modern Hindus or Buddhists) can’t explain the nature of existence because they aren’t big enough to create the world, let alone provide us with the infinite reference point we need in order to have absolute truth or to logically justify meaning in life.

 

Sartre, the atheist, was correct when he said that man required an infinite reference point for life to have meaning.  According to him, since that point does not exist, life is absurd. 

 

 

Problem with option two –

Such a God would be dependent upon his creation in order to express the attributes of his own nature and personality.  In other words, for all eternity prior to creation, the God would have been alone with himself.  With whom does he communicate?  Whom does he love?

 

This is why the Muslim God is totally transcendent. He is not really a God of love.

 

Since this God would be dependent on his creation to express Himself, he is not truly an independent or free divine being.

 

The Christian view of origins solves this problem because the triune God has no need to create in order to express His attributes of personality.  The members of the Godhead communicate together and love one another for all eternity and are never dependent upon their creation for anything.

 

Problem with option 3 –

This god is infinite and impersonal, therefore gives no explanation for the origin of the concept of personality.  This is why Hindu’s and Buddhists see personality as an enemy that must be destroyed.  In this philosophy, no features of the individual survive after death.  The individual is absorbed into the cosmic oneness.  Is this desirable?  One girl who converted from Buddhism to Christianity said she converted because she did not want Nirvana.  The prospect of having all her desires snuffed out after a long and dreary climb was not attractive to her.

 

The logical problem with this philosophy is this:  If God is one – and the only reality, then diversity – all creation – is by definition part of the illusion of duality,  That includes all morality, all human hopes and aspirations, and everything else that matters.  In the end, despite having an infinite reference point, we are left with only a destructive, nihilistic outlook on life.  As Charles Manson noted, “If all is one, what is bad?”  Eastern gurus often assert that life is unreal, meaningless, and finally worthless.

 

Problem with option 4 –

Similar to option 3.  It is nihilistic, stripping our existence of any meaning.  Reality is again impersonal.  Ultimate reality is dead matter.  There is no God.  There is no dignity in life because we are just a collection of cold atoms.  After a single, probably difficult life, we die forever. 

 

 

The Unique Doctrines of Christianity

 

If we break down the Christian doctrine of salvation into it’s component parts, we discover teachings that are found nowhere else in the world.   How do we account for one religion that is unique theologically, evidentially, philosophically, and experientially, when all other religions of the world teach nothing new? The common themes of the other religions include salvation by works, philosophically compromised morality, polytheism, and occultism. 

 

How do we account for doctrines like the Trinity, salvation entirely by grace, depravity, and other doctrines?  There is no logical explanation for the development of these doctrines, unless they were divinely inspired. 

 

 

 

Consider the first one – Salvation by Grace alone

 

Martin Luther said that there are really only two religions in the world – Salvation by works and salvation by grace – which is Christianity.

 

 

All other known religions teach salvation by meritorious works.  Christianity is the only religion that teaches salvation solely by grace through faith alone.  A small few others claim that they do, but either their claim is invalid or they don’t mean grace in the same way that Christians do.

 

Apart from divine revelation, how do we explain the origin of this idea?  Out of thousands of religions, only one teaches this doctrine.  How is that possible? How did mankind acquire a religion of pure grace with salvation as a free gift when the human heart unyieldingly tends toward self-justifying works  and self-earned salvation? 

 

The gospel of Christianity is not something people made up, because never would have made it up.  It goes against the grain of self-justification to sharply. 

 

 

 

Critics of Christianity must explain why there is one religion of grace amidst universal religions of works.  It seems the only logical explanation is that the one true God who exists is a God of grace, and therefore we find a single religion of grace among all that oppose it.  The same is true of the trinity.  No other religion has the doctrine, nor does it seem likely that such a doctrine would be invented. 

 

The fact that Christianity more logically and adequately explains our existence than does any other religion, and that it’s theological teachings are unique, argue in part for biblical Christianity being the true religion.