Is it Naive to Believe Jesus is the Only Way to God?
We recently posted an article titled, "Is Jesus the Only Way?" on our Tulane website (http://www.everytulanestudent.com). This week a student replied with the following comment:
Re: Jesus Christ being the way to god. Yes. it is naive to believe this. The fact that quotes from a story are quoted does not convince anyone that Jesus is the way to god. The Bible is a story created to give some sort of "meaning" to an otherwise questionable existence. By saying that ppl must believe in christ as their savior, you are denying all other religions. You are wrong and naive to be so wrapped up in a story. It is one thing to use church as a way to structured existence. It is quite another to believe in these (ridiculous) stories so vehemently that you actually made such a website. Shame on you.
How would you respond to such an email?
First, I want to thank the reader for taking the time to read the article and to care enough to post a reply. In an age of endless electronic information, it is rare for people to stop, read, and thoughtfully reply to any message on the internet. Secondly, I want to thank the reader for his passion. That too, is rare.
But I would also like to ask, "Why would an article on Jesus being the only way to God elicit such a heated response?"
I think it is because Jesus has always been a controversial person. He has a way of getting under people's skin.
Jesus once told a friend of his, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." I don't know about you, but if a friend of mine said that to me, I would wonder what he had been smoking. No ordinary person makes such a statement.
We like to think of Jesus as a nice, moral teacher who showed us how to live. (It's his followers who are a bit excessive in their devotion to him.) C.S. Lewis addressed this idea in his book Mere Christianity:
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
In other words, Jesus said some pretty radical things about himself. He said he was the only way to God (John 14:6). He said he had the authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:24). He even allowed his disciples to worship him while he was still on the earth (Matt 14:33; John 9:38). No great moral teacher has ever made such a claim. Mohammad did not. Buddah did not. Not even the Dali Lama has. Why? Because a person who was indeed a great moral teacher, and nothing more, would never make such a claim. A David Koresh might - but I don't hear many people describing David Koresh as a great moral teacher (nor have I heard of any of his followers claiming Koresh rose from the dead). Great moral teachers don't say such things. An ego maniac might. A crazy man might. But no honestly moral teacher would say such a thing.
Yet Jesus did. And and that's why he gets under people's skin.
When we look at Jesus' claims, were are faced with two alternatives: Either he was telling the truth or he was not. Let's assume for a moment Jesus was not telling the truth. What would that mean? There a two possiblities. Either he knew that his claims were false or he didn't.
For Jesus to knowingly make such a false claim about himself would make him a liar. That would be pretty ironic for a man who encouraged people to live holy, devout lives. And futhermore, it would make him out to be stupid, because his own countrymen had him killed for claiming to be God. His lie would have led to his own death.
Another possibility is that Jesus sincerely believed he was God, but was delusional. But ask yourself this question, when you consider his life, does he seem like a crazy man? Would the man who taught the things that Jesus taught, performed that acts of righteousness that Jesus performed be able to hold up with such dignity under the scrutiny and antagonism he received if he was crazy? When you look at the life of Jesus you see a man who is calm under pressure, able to refute his adversaries with wise phrases like, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
The only other choice is that he was telling the truth. And if that is the case, each of us has a choice. Either we acknowledge him as Lord or we do not.
Jesus is either a liar, he is a lunatic, or his is indeed Lord.
So how would Jesus respond to the reader who posted the message at the top of the page? I don't know for certain, but my gut tells me he would respond with compassion.
Why do I say that? Because Jesus faced a person with real doubts near the end of his early ministry. Shortly after his death and resurrection, Jesus popped in on a conversation some of his friends were having in a back room. A week earlier, several of Jesus' proteges had seen Jesus alive after going to visit his tomb, and they were excited about it. But one of the guys, Thomas, wasn't there and was having a hard time believing them. Thomas said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." He was a pretty hard-core skeptic.
While these guys were hanging out talking, Jesus appeared in the room, even though the door was locked and said something equivalent to, "Hey dudes." Thomas looked up, shocked to see him standing there. "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe."
Thomas response was, "My Lord and my God."
Jesus' response was, "You believe because you have seen me. But fortunate are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Jesus responded to his friends skepticism with compassion and with a challenge. You have doubts. That's fine. Put your finger here. Reach out and see if I'm real. Jesus was compassionate. He understood his friend needed something more. But he issued a challenge. "Stop doubting and believe." Once Jesus had revealed himself to Thomas, he called him to change his mind.
I believe that's how Jesus would respond to the reader's email.
How about you? Who do you believe Jesus is? Is he a liar? Is he a lunatic? Or is he Lord? What is your response to the person of Jesus Christ?
If you have never given much thought about Jesus being Lord until now, let me invite you to begin a relationship with him. The following link will explain how you can begin a personal relationship with him today: http://everytulanestudent.com/connectingwithGod.php.
If you would like, please feel free to post a comment or a question on this blog, or shoot me an email.
Pete Kelly
Director - Campus Crusade for Christ, New Orleans
Email: Pete.Kelly@uscm.org
Re: Jesus Christ being the way to god. Yes. it is naive to believe this. The fact that quotes from a story are quoted does not convince anyone that Jesus is the way to god. The Bible is a story created to give some sort of "meaning" to an otherwise questionable existence. By saying that ppl must believe in christ as their savior, you are denying all other religions. You are wrong and naive to be so wrapped up in a story. It is one thing to use church as a way to structured existence. It is quite another to believe in these (ridiculous) stories so vehemently that you actually made such a website. Shame on you.
How would you respond to such an email?
First, I want to thank the reader for taking the time to read the article and to care enough to post a reply. In an age of endless electronic information, it is rare for people to stop, read, and thoughtfully reply to any message on the internet. Secondly, I want to thank the reader for his passion. That too, is rare.
But I would also like to ask, "Why would an article on Jesus being the only way to God elicit such a heated response?"
I think it is because Jesus has always been a controversial person. He has a way of getting under people's skin.
Jesus once told a friend of his, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." I don't know about you, but if a friend of mine said that to me, I would wonder what he had been smoking. No ordinary person makes such a statement.
We like to think of Jesus as a nice, moral teacher who showed us how to live. (It's his followers who are a bit excessive in their devotion to him.) C.S. Lewis addressed this idea in his book Mere Christianity:
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
In other words, Jesus said some pretty radical things about himself. He said he was the only way to God (John 14:6). He said he had the authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:24). He even allowed his disciples to worship him while he was still on the earth (Matt 14:33; John 9:38). No great moral teacher has ever made such a claim. Mohammad did not. Buddah did not. Not even the Dali Lama has. Why? Because a person who was indeed a great moral teacher, and nothing more, would never make such a claim. A David Koresh might - but I don't hear many people describing David Koresh as a great moral teacher (nor have I heard of any of his followers claiming Koresh rose from the dead). Great moral teachers don't say such things. An ego maniac might. A crazy man might. But no honestly moral teacher would say such a thing.
Yet Jesus did. And and that's why he gets under people's skin.
When we look at Jesus' claims, were are faced with two alternatives: Either he was telling the truth or he was not. Let's assume for a moment Jesus was not telling the truth. What would that mean? There a two possiblities. Either he knew that his claims were false or he didn't.
For Jesus to knowingly make such a false claim about himself would make him a liar. That would be pretty ironic for a man who encouraged people to live holy, devout lives. And futhermore, it would make him out to be stupid, because his own countrymen had him killed for claiming to be God. His lie would have led to his own death.
Another possibility is that Jesus sincerely believed he was God, but was delusional. But ask yourself this question, when you consider his life, does he seem like a crazy man? Would the man who taught the things that Jesus taught, performed that acts of righteousness that Jesus performed be able to hold up with such dignity under the scrutiny and antagonism he received if he was crazy? When you look at the life of Jesus you see a man who is calm under pressure, able to refute his adversaries with wise phrases like, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
The only other choice is that he was telling the truth. And if that is the case, each of us has a choice. Either we acknowledge him as Lord or we do not.
Jesus is either a liar, he is a lunatic, or his is indeed Lord.
So how would Jesus respond to the reader who posted the message at the top of the page? I don't know for certain, but my gut tells me he would respond with compassion.
Why do I say that? Because Jesus faced a person with real doubts near the end of his early ministry. Shortly after his death and resurrection, Jesus popped in on a conversation some of his friends were having in a back room. A week earlier, several of Jesus' proteges had seen Jesus alive after going to visit his tomb, and they were excited about it. But one of the guys, Thomas, wasn't there and was having a hard time believing them. Thomas said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." He was a pretty hard-core skeptic.
While these guys were hanging out talking, Jesus appeared in the room, even though the door was locked and said something equivalent to, "Hey dudes." Thomas looked up, shocked to see him standing there. "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe."
Thomas response was, "My Lord and my God."
Jesus' response was, "You believe because you have seen me. But fortunate are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Jesus responded to his friends skepticism with compassion and with a challenge. You have doubts. That's fine. Put your finger here. Reach out and see if I'm real. Jesus was compassionate. He understood his friend needed something more. But he issued a challenge. "Stop doubting and believe." Once Jesus had revealed himself to Thomas, he called him to change his mind.
I believe that's how Jesus would respond to the reader's email.
How about you? Who do you believe Jesus is? Is he a liar? Is he a lunatic? Or is he Lord? What is your response to the person of Jesus Christ?
If you have never given much thought about Jesus being Lord until now, let me invite you to begin a relationship with him. The following link will explain how you can begin a personal relationship with him today: http://everytulanestudent.com/connectingwithGod.php.
If you would like, please feel free to post a comment or a question on this blog, or shoot me an email.
Pete Kelly
Director - Campus Crusade for Christ, New Orleans
Email: Pete.Kelly@uscm.org
posted by Pete Kelly at 8:25 PM
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