A Short Argument Against Simple Religious Pluralism and For the Uniqueness of Jesus

Simple religious pluralism is an attack on the uniqueness of Jesus by viewing all religions as an equally effective means of getting to God. Thus, Islam, Mormonism, and Hinduism, despite being completely contradictory religions by nature, are all perfectly legitimate ways to God. Not only are they ways to God, but to argue that one is the only way is inherently wrong. Yet, this is precisely the claim by Jesus in Scripture.

It is clear that he is not a way to God, but rather the way to God. Religious pluralism does not allow for that. In a similar way as a relativist would argue that there is no objective truth, a religious pluralist would argue that Jesus is a way to God but he cannot be the way since all religions are equally valid. This completely undermines the uniqueness of Jesus; however, it does so in a way that is logically undefendable. On this, Paul Gould, Travis Dickinson, and Keith Loftin wrote, “The view [simple religious pluralism] literally collapses under its own logical weight.”¹

On numerous occasions, Scripture makes claims about Jesus’ uniqueness. The most obvious comes from Jesus himself when he said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 English Standard Version). In this verse, Jesus is claiming to be the exclusive way to God the Father. Additionally, the Bible, as a whole, claims the uniqueness of God, and thus, claims the uniqueness of Jesus. The Shema is an excellent place to start setting up an example of this. It says, “Hear Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This verse says that there is a God whose name is Yahweh. Additionally, this God is the only God as seen in 1 Timothy 1:17 (among many others) which says, “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God” (Emphasis added). This unique God gave his “only Son” (John 3:16) who claimed to be one with God the Father when he said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Essentially, Scripture, Jesus himself, and the triune God as a whole, are declaring the uniqueness of God. Therefore, Jesus, being one of the three Persons of the Trinity and sent to provide a way to span the gap between man and God in a way that is utterly different from every other religion, is unique. He is the exclusive way back to God.

¹ Paul Gould, Travis Dickinson, and Keith Loftin, Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2018), 130.