>fr conrad saldanha
When discussing the issue of salvation and Jesus being the only way to salvation, the reaction of few (who do not understand this great truth) will always be that; “every religion feels the same, that their religion is true”.
How valid is this argument?
Though the Semitic religions are very particular about this aspect of exclusivity, the other religions are generally not interested. For some other religions, good and evil are part of the divine and they believe in the karmic re-incarnation for purification and hence they are not interested in this aspect.
For the sake of arguments; though religions may claim, but for the Christian, primarily speaking, it is not their religion that gives one salvation but the person of Jesus and all that he established towards this end. The salvation for a Christian is in Christ Jesus who died and gave his life as a ransom to save humanity. Take away the founders from their religions and one is taught that they can be saved by observing the laws and principles. On the other hand take Jesus away from Christianity and you cannot talk about Salvation. For he asserts; "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
On the other hand, there are some third world theologians who claim that the concept of exclusivity is a form of western colonialism and hegemony over the third world. If, they have not understood their own faith, how can they call themselves theologians? It sometimes seems like a colonial hangover born out of school education, steeped in false indoctrination which considered everything that the western domination brought about as evil. It is a ruinous divide which we hold on to when seeking to fight all divisions. Add to this problem is the low self image the third world Christians carry with them while living among the dominant religious groups and the persecution and harassment they face due to constant suspicion of their motives. We have failed to hold on to the good in our religion and its contribution to the very fabric of society and its cause. But yet we try to see the good in other religions!
Irrespective of the behavior of the adherents of the Christian faith, Christian tolerance is different. While for some, religious faith is exclusive and the other religions have no right to exist. On the other hand, some would tolerate as long as you don’t cross their path. There are others who tolerate not by choice but by virtue of their existence in a particular belief which open themselves to anything because they are either searching or accumulate in the hope that one of the deity would work. Give them Jesus and he is one among the many. Or is it like the great Indian masala where more the better for taste, health and wealth. This approach becomes a major obstacle in morals and ethics, which is then considered as always evolving and never stable. Today there are many in the Catholic Church who have allowed themselves to be influenced by such theories and have ended up demanding rights which are detrimental to life and contrary to sound doctrine. Their approach is myopic; the good is the useful and right, and they fail to realize that what is immediately good is in the long term detrimental and destructive.
Jesus teachings have ample example of tolerance both within and outside. He showed it in himself by offering his very life not by submitting to lies but asserting to the truth of the reality of God and he being the Son of God. He is the savior; from a position of absolute nothingness he shows us the rich merciful love of a God who saves: “Father, forgive them for they know not…..” (Lk. 23:24). He says this because he really knows and has revealed to us what we need to know. Then who is it that knows better than him? Does one become wise after having studied about him and got a degree on studying his word and teachings? Hence tolerance for a Christian would mean seeking to correct a situation and in the process even bearing up with the evil of the obstinate who are self-conceited and would not value a sound advice. The Christian bears up with the wrong with patience and fortitude, trusting a God who is still at work in creation.
A Christian is one who has arrived at the truth in Christ Jesus; the ultimate truth. Any dialogue with any religion is never a search for the ultimate truth. Yet there are theologians who have this approach because they hold on to Kantian perspectavalism more than Divine revelation and the objectivity of truth. This does not mean that we reject the concept of seeing things in perspective but rather we are on a sure foundation in Jesus; the only truth. (Jn.14:6) Though we are beings who look at things in perspective yet, we are sure about the ultimate truth with the guidance of the Holy Spirit who leads us in the daily practical truths of life. Life is thus sure and meaningful, even with the minor glitches and mistakes which we make in the absence of discerning the promptings of the Holy Spirit who indeed leads us to all truths. (Jn. 16:13). Christ Jesus is the beginning and the end of all truth, for the human being the Holy Spirit fills the intermediary gap of leading the soul in the daily perspectives of life.
How many of us understand the good news as good news? We think the good news is the stories of Jesus and we stop at that. Hence in our proclamation and attitude, the body language we manifest is the very antithesis of the message of hope we communicate. If we can’t see a crisis here, in the fruit we manifest, then we will never be able to see it.
Everyone has the right to proclaim his beliefs and for us, it is the right to proclaim what is true and good for the human race for all eternity; that’s the good news. If in the world of advertisement, we largely listen to all sorts of crap and even allow ourselves to be deceived by it then why can’t religions have the freedom to do so and present to the world how authentic they are? That would be implementing the fundamental right. The job of governing authorities is to maintain law and order and not curbing people’s right to speak, practice and proclaim what is right and truthful. If these things disturb people then it their problem which they need to learn to handle at forums that are open to discuss rather than take matters in their hand.
For those who reject the objective truth that is Christ, for them Salvation is a human agenda with human emancipation as their goal. They expect church communities to start community centers and Justice Organizations, to work for the marginalized and the oppressed in society, forming human communities. They have never understood the faith of Christ. For them to proclaim the Gospel means to thrust the Gospel down people’s throat forcibly or promote so called gospel values. Their idea of proclamation is warped to the core and thus they abuse their positions to give long discourses on Proclamation with their petty concepts. If the premise is wrong the arguments can only be built on superficiality meant to deceive.
For them there are only good and bad in the world. The good will be saved and the bad will be condemned. Some will even go further than this, for they are much more merciful and kind than the God who has revealed himself in human history. For them, ultimately all will be saved whether it is Hitler or Stalin or Satan himself. God’s mercy is greater than human love and far surpasses it but there is a limit to his patience which scripture speaks about.
What are their criteria for judging what is good or bad? Me, myself; that person is better than me. It is as if they are the criteria for judging the faith of the other. Self proclaimed Saints without openly claiming it! Let Jesus who is the way and truth be the criteria for judging the good and the bad. “No one is good but God alone,” says Jesus. (Mk. 10:18; Mt. 19:17) How can you who falsely accuse others as judging get into the business of judging yourselves by saying; “this one will be saved and that one will be saved because they have led good lives.” Whereas, I have learnt through the word that man looks at the outside and God looks at the heart, but these theologians look much beyond God’s sight, ascended above the throne of god. “..for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Sam 16:7
All roads leads to God just as all road lead to one destination. If, that is truth to you then, what about the road that leads you away from your goal and destination? And what about the road that leads to another goal or destination. To such thinking the scripture says: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Pr.14:12& ps.16:25)
And if you thought, that was being intellectual, sorry, utter stupidity! It is no doubt emotional when people ask; “what about the vast majority that that do not know Christ?” The answer is not for the soft hearted, God’s terrible interventions in creation is not for the soft hearted. But for the moment, it should suffice to know what Christ teaches us and what the teaching of the Church affirms in the words of the Apostles: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by whom we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Look at Cornelius (the gentile) in the Acts of the Apostle, in the 10th Chapter; “he was a good and righteous man and God saves him.” Those who thus deduce, suffer from a particular disease that many who approach the scripture like an academician suffer from; A disease, which I would call; ‘chronological myopia’. Though Cornelius was a gentile who used to be generous with the things he had, by giving alms to the poor, yet it was not enough to save him and hence God speaks to him to call for Peter the Apostle from Joppa who proclaims to him the good news, which is the Saving message of God which he offers in His Son Jesus. The scripture tells us that Cornelius and his household believed in the message and were baptized in the faith of Christ. And thus they were saved.
Prayer: Lord, many are the deceptions and traps for the simple and unassuming, be Lord my Savior and help me hold firmly to you and your saving words.
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