I have never counted each and every one, but I am told that there are over 2,000 different religions, cults, and sects in the world. That is a lot of spiritual beliefs floating around on planet Earth. Someone once explained to me that religion is like a bicycle wheel. There are many spokes that lead to the same hub. They would say that there are many religions that lead to the same God.
Where does that put true Christianity? I know I am going to sound narrow-minded, but then isn’t the way narrow? First, I’d like to say that true Christianity is not a religion. It is a personal relationship with the One true God. That being said, out of all the world religions none agree completely with another. Some would teach reincarnation. Some would teach purgatory exists. Some would teach we only get one chance to get it right.
Moving on, some would teach there is a burning, fiery Hell. Some would teach that Hell is here on earth. Others would disregard Hell completely in the afterlife.
Some would teach that Jesus Christ was a great prophet. Others would say He is God in the flesh. Others would declare Him to be a created angel. Some just a man.
All of these “spokes” supposedly, at least in some thinking, lead to the same truth, but they all can not be right as they differ one from another. I have heard it said many times that it does not matter what one believes, just as long as he believes. Or put another way, what one believes is truth for him. However, truth and belief are two different things. Sadly, it does not matter what we may choose to believe. The Truth stands in and of and by itself regardless of what we may believe.
2+2 has always equaled four – and it always will. We may choose to believe it equals 5, or 12, 150, but what we believe does not and will not change the facts. Neither will what we believe about religion change what is really true. Whether in the field of mathematics or religion, the principle always applies. Some would say that is comparing apples and oranges. No, that is just using some old-fashioned logic. Besides two apples + two apples = four apples and two oranges + two oranges = four oranges. We’re foolish and prideful to think we can form our own truth. Truth is more powerful than you and I.
So here’s the question. If these 2,000+ religions all claim to be true, but yet they are contradictory in their teaching, how are we to know which one is really true? The fact is that only one or none of the thousands of religions can be true. All religions do not lead to truth. Yet to accept the truth we must forget preconceptions, personal beliefs, and/or philosophies. The truth can only be uncovered by those who are willing to face it honestly.
There must be something unique about the truth to make it stand out from error. If only one religion can be true, then we must know which one, and if we know which one, then we must follow it. This is the point we will explore in Part 2 of this series.
Knees for the Nations 
I always hate the statement “That’s my truth and you have your truth.” I would like to ask them what Pilate asked, “What is truth?” The meaning of the word truth has become subjective. It’s mean and offensive to state absolutes. People want to be their own gods by deciding what or who God is. They pick and choose what characteristics they’d like him to have, what role he should play in their lives. They make God into their own image. It’s astounding to me how Christians have so assimilated to the culture that they blatantly reject passage and explain away their reason. I came to Christ because I was actively searching for who the true God. In girl scouts we had to go to various places of worship and the pastors or representatives would explain what they believed. By the time we were done I was so confused. It’s really so simple: “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6).
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Not sure how I missed this one, Lori, but you’re absolutely right. The devil uses “religion” to confuse people. Glad you eventually saw through it.
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