Today's Straits Times touched on how sensitive Singaporeans are about religion and how our idea of tolerance in this multi-racial and multi-religious society is to not talk about religion at all.

Then it interviewed 3 persons who have dared to talk about it and even researched extensively it. It was most interesting to note that out of the 3, 2 said they rejected Christianity because it was exclusive. One said that the thought of her relatives going to hell unless they converted to Christianity turned her off. The other said that she was disturbed when she knew that her grandmother was not headed to heaven coz she wasn't Christian. For both, the religion they finally chose was inclusive - it accepts all other religions, unlike Christianity.

So it seems to me that it is the exclusiveness of Christianity that often offends those who are yet unsaved.

I suppose the premise offends because it puts Christianity above all other religions and because Christianity refuses to be lumped together with the other religions.

Generally, the other religions say all gods are the same. The proverbial - all roads lead to Rome thinking.

But that's not what the bible teaches. Jesus says,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me".  John 14:6

There is  no other way. Jesus is the  way.

Yes it means that your if I declare myself a true Christian and then when my beloved grandmother/ mother/uncle/etc who is not a Christian dies I would never see them ever again. There are no two ways about it. I will go to be with Jesus, but they would head off to face the burning lake of fire.

Sad? Scary? Unfair? Perhaps then it should spur us on to share the good news to them instead of lamenting over the unfairness of it all by saying things like, " But he/she is such a good person". Being good is not a criteria to enter the Kingdom of God. Faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the only way, is.

And if one worships the true God and other gods, we are commiting spiritual adultery. For the Lord says :

You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 6

Offensive? Probably.

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Posted by Connie

I now know how to answer in a lighter manner whenever someone argues that all religion leads to heaven. Just ask them if they can just take any bus that comes to bring them home. Surely the answer is no. Learnt this from a Chinese pastor.

I think this helps to connect rather than put them on defense. God hates sin but loves the sinners.

Posted by Anonymous

As Christians, we can never compromise on this point that Jesus is THE ONLY WAY BACK TO GOD! It is not what we say but what Christ Himself claimed to be. If pre-believers cannot accept that, then the onus and burden is on us to PRAY THEM INTO THE KINGDOM. I have found that arguing does not help. It agitates the other party and everybody gets frustrated and frazzled and on the defensive. We need to realise it is a spiritual warfare and we need to pray for pre-believers that God will remove the blindfold from their eyes. Romans 1:16 says it is the POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION... to everyone who believes. It is not through worldly wisdom nor is it necessarily through well-presented arguments. We need to be conscious that it is through the conviction and power of the Holy Spirit that souls are saved and lives are changed . Remember it is NOT a victory when you win an argument BUT lose a soul! God forbid that any of us should fall into this trap when we try to share our dearest LORD with others.