Gary W. Summers
Not long ago, the following statement appeared in a national magazine: “No one religion is better than the other. Stop the hate and murder of those who don’t believe the same as you.”
The first sentence is false. One religion is better than all others because it has been verified to be true. While all religions may have some value, there is only one that accounts adequately for the origin of all things. Only one religion was foretold with hundreds of prophecies centuries in advance. Only one religion sets forth the highest morality possible. Only one answers questions as to why things are the way they are—everything from natural disasters to pain and suffering. Only one provides a remedy for sin—mankind’s greatest problem. Only one reveals the truth about existence after death. What religion—besides Christianity—does all of these things? Not one!
So, by whose authority does someone say, “No one religion is better than the other”? Who possesses such knowledge and insight? There is no higher authority to confirm what this individual said beyond the person who said it, which means that no one is required to accept it. In fact, if all religions are the same, all of us face an immediate dilemma—that of contradiction. Suppose one religion teaches, “Love thy neighbor,” and another one champions, “Kill thy neighbor.” If all religions are equal, then the actions of loving and killing must be equal. If not, why not?
In fact, the author of the original statement must endorse contradiction in any area of disagreement between two or more religions. As Thomas B. Warren showed in his debates with atheists, unbelief in an objective God means that no authority for morality exists; therefore, abortion is both right and wrong. The same goes for stealing, gambling, drunkenness, and every other moral issue. Without an objective source for morality (as saying that all religions are equal implies), everything falls into the realm of the subjective—with chaos resulting.
Is the original statement aimed at fanatical Muslims, or is some other religion hating and murdering people on a grand scale? If radical Muslims are the audience, they too will ask, “By what authority do you say our religion is no better than others?” Does the questioner think his mere affirmation will suffice? If they would listen at all, they would see that Christianity is superior—not equal!
