Are All Religions the Same?

There is a common belief, frequently expressed today, that all religions are the same. Added to this is the thought, “We all worship the same God, right? The important thing is that you believe.” Despite a vocal minority of atheists, most people today express a belief in God or some higher power. Some of these beliefs are of the “big guy upstairs” variety – vague, uninformed, childish even. Many people’s belief systems are a hodgepodge of spiritualities that they have chosen, ala carte, if you will, and formed what they consider their “faith.” It becomes clear after just a little inspection that the deity at the center of this kind of belief is the person themselves; their “holy trinity”, me, myself, and I.

I’m not sure how prevalent this kind of spirituality is or how you would measure it, much less seek to improve upon it directly. If there is a way to bring this “me-first” spirituality to a place of deeper truth, then one thing that needs to happen is a better understanding of the world’s great religions. Timothy Keller notes that in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century there was a common belief that religion was no longer the center of truth, or even slightly truthful, and so was no longer useful. It was believed that within a generation or two, it would be completely gone. This secularization thesis has been discredited and is now almost gone. Today, virtually all major religions are growing in the number of adherents. Harvard University pondered a few years ago that it might be a good thing for its students to learn the difference between a Sunni and Shiite. The university didn’t have the consensus to go ahead with anything like a required course in religion, but that’s another discussion. We are not Harvard, we’re Hicks. We have the freedom to discuss these things. What’s more we have the greater freedom and resources to consult the Holy Scriptures and see what God hath revealed about himself and humanity. What does God say about religions other than the “biblical” faiths of Judaism and Christianity? Over the next several weeks we are going to look at several of the world’s great religions. We even hope to have a couple representatives of those faiths speak to us and give us the perspective that only an adherent of that faith could. In the end we expect to come to a greater understanding and appreciation of other faiths and a greater understanding and appreciation of our own faith.

You may have surmised that we believe all religions are not the same. What are the implications of this truth? Are some religions better than others? Why am I a Christian? Do I have reason to believe that Christianity is the best way?

We are going on a quest in search of truth. Matthew’s Gospel speaks of certain wise men, Magi, who went on such a quest at the time of Jesus’ birth. They were the Ph.D’s and professors of their day. They were part of an international wisdom movement. They are depicted as both kings and astrologers. And their journey to Judea and Jerusalem is the beginning of the proclamation of Jesus to the Gentiles. They brought three gifts so we number them at three. They followed a star that they believed to be special, a sign that was pointing them to the birth of a King. They didn’t know the Biblical prophecies. They were probably not very familiar with Hebrew history. They simply went on a journey in search of truth.

They, of course, make it to Jerusalem and inquire of the vassal king of Rome, Herod the self-titled Great, about where they might find his replacement. They are directed to Bethlehem. They bring their gifts and place them at the feet of the Christ child and then they quietly go home.

In the eyes of these wise men, Judea was probably an unlikely place to look for ultimate answers. But of course, from our perspective, it was a very likely place. The Jewish people have always claimed a special knowledge of God. In fact, they’ve claimed a special relationship with God as the chosen people. The Hebrew scriptures give an account in Genesis of the creation of humanity, its multiplication and dispersal through the Near East and beyond. The scriptures tell us that God chose a man named Abram who was from Ur of the Chaldean empire, one of the oldest civilizations, known for their advancements in agriculture and civil planning. This Abram and his wife Sarai are the beginnings of the chosen people. Abram and his wife avoid calamity at the hands of the Pharaoh of Egypt. God makes covenant with this couple and they give birth to a child in their extreme old age. The backdrop on the world stage to God’s dealing with this couple is two things:

1) There are many different peoples and cultures in the world

2) Other peoples and cultures are worshipping other gods


There are hints throughout the book of Genesis that various people groups have begun to depart from the God of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. But the hints are basically that the mass of humanity had grown evil. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth.” The judgment of Noah and the Flood didn’t seem to change this. The Tower of Babel was a testament to human pride. We are told God confused their language and produced many more language groups. More languages mean different cultures and the possibility of different religions.

Later in Genesis when Jacob and Rachel flee from Rachel’s father, Laban, Rachel steals the “household gods” and takes them along with other valuables for their journey. The whole book of Genesis spans many years, exactly how many no one seems to be convincingly sure. But in the span of this one book the world of the ancient Near East has become an incubator of religions.

In the Hebrew scriptures that we call Old Testament, the God Of Israel pits himself against the gods of Egypt and the gods of Canaan. If you haven’t read those stories, spoiler alert, God wins. You also have the instances where God uses both powerful rulers and humble people of other faiths and cultures to do his will - Darius of Persia in the Old Testament and the Roman centurion in the Gospels come to mind. These persons, though not a part of God’s people, are sometimes called “God-fearers”. They are often described, ala the Centurion, as “upright and devout”, not unlike a certain Abraham who, strictly speaking, was not himself an Israelite. He was however called a “friend of God,” and father of not just one people, but many.

God, especially as we picture Him in the Old Testament, is often thought of as narrow-minded and cruel towards pagan, “unchosen” peoples. But that is not the full picture. The Lord is always looking for people who “fear” (read “love”) him.

“The eyes of the Lord scan the whole world to find those whose hearts are committed to him, to be strong on their behalf.” 2 Chronicles 16.9

The God of Adam and Eve, of Noah, of Abraham, makes it clear that he hasn’t forgotten the Garden, the Flood, and the Covenant that one day his world will be made right and the original promise of the Creation will find fulfillment through the Redemption and Salvation of all peoples.


The Scriptures maintain that the Lord is God of all nations and that He will draw all nations once again (back) to Him. The Messiah that will come from God’s chosen people will be a light to the Gentiles and the desire of all peoples. Jesus echoes this thought when he tells his disciples,

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” John 10.16


The desire for God and the desire to please God are some “threads of redemption” that can found in the world’s great religions. There is some common ground in which some vital truths can be found among our faiths. There are also differences that we would do well to understand. Let us be wise men and women who are willing to give time and energy to first things, important things, truthful things. Nobody else is talking about this stuff. Where are the god-fearers and truth seekers of today? You won’t find it on Entertainment Tonight or Sports Center. Harvard can’t talk about it. But we can.