Only Jesus

For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 (RSV)

In some corners of the Christian faith exist those who hold that ours is but one of many paths to the divine. The argument states that it is arrogant and narrow-minded to think that only the Christian is the one true faith. In their way, all other religions have validity which we must consider to be true.

Why it is argued, would a loving God allow so many of His creatures to follow a false religion? The argument continues that if we love our neighbor as we claim, then we must allow them the freedom to believe as they choose. Also, it is wrong to evangelize anyone, but they might be more right about the divine than we are.

As the writer of Ecclesiastes noted: 'there is nothing new under the sun.' For nearly the first three centuries of its life, Christians were considered atheists since they did not honor the Roman gods or the emperor divine. The empire wanted Christianity wiped out as it was seen as rebellion.

Persecutions came upon the Church for its refusal to bend the knee to the gods of that age. No matter how appealing other religions made themselves, St. Paul, as well as innumerable martyrs, would only confess, "Jesus Is Lord!" They knew no other foundation other than Jesus Christ. On that, they were willing to die if it was their fate.

Today is no different than ages past. Someone always wants to streamline the faith to make it more acceptable to others. There have been and always will be those who would sacrifice the death and resurrection reality to get along.

If that is the faith they desire, so be it. Still, the truth of Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, is that Jesus is the only way.