Do all roads lead to heaven?

1. Do all roads lead to heaven? Encountering the religious people of the 21st century

2. Statistics

3. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 18) • NOT in so-called Islamic or Buddist countries

4. Hinduism • Hinduism is one of the oldest world religions • Religious practices in some branches of Hinduism are based on one of the religious writings such as the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita. • This makes Hinduism a very complex religion with many forms. It accommodates various views and religious practices, such as no god, many gods (330 millions) and one God.

5. In some branches of Hinduism ‘salvation’ is achieved through Gnanamarga (way of knowledge), Bhaktimarga(way of devotion) or Karmamarga (way of good deeds). • In some branches, salvation leads to a personal experience of God and the intimate sharing of his nature. • Man in Hindu’s scriptures has a spark of divinity. He can therefore not be called a sinner. • Salvation is not the same as the one advocated in Christianity. It is neither salvation from sin nor salvation through faith in a Saviour. • It is the moksha or mukti(release) from the recurrence process of birth and death (karma), the end of the cycle of reincarnation. It is achieved when the soul subsumes into Atman, the universal soul.

6. Svetasvatara Upanishad, 1:11 • When the Lord is known all fetters fall off; with the cessation of miseries, birth and death come to an end. From meditation on Him there arises, after the dissolution of the body, the third state, that of universal lordship. And lastly, the aspirant, transcending that state also, abides in the complete Bliss of Brahman

7. Enlightenments of the Sixth-fifth Century BC • Persia: Zoroaster (c.628-551) • Greece: Epimenides (6th ) Aisopos (c. 620-564), Pythagoras (c.582/70-495), Parmenides (c. 515-450 bc) and Empedocles (c. 490-430 bc). • China: Lao-tzu (500s bc) and Confucius (551-479 bc). • India: Siddhārtha Gautama, Buddha (c. 490-410), Mahavia • It was the era when according to the biblical record, the glory of God departed from Israel (Ezekiel). God was seen as the ‘God of heaven’ during that period. From a biblical perspective, this period was a ‘dark century’

8. Buddhism • Buddhism came out of Hinduism and started in India in the sixth century BC. • During this time Siddhārtha Gautama (c. 490-410),attained enlightenment after a 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35. He became the Buddha, “The awakened or enlightened one.” • Buddhists are striving for Nirvana or Bodhi (enlightenment) the end goal of life. It means one is free from greed, hate and delusion. Nirvana is not a place like heaven in Christianity or paradise in Islam, it is a state, condition.

9. Eightfold path • Right views • Right thought • Right speech • Right behavior • Right occupation • Right effort • Right contemplation • Right meditation

10. Islam • It was founded in the 7th century A.D. by Muhammad. According to the Islam he was a prophet who received his first revelation from God in 610 A.D. This revelation was followed by many others, which are found in the Qur’an, the scripture of Islam. Muslims also have the Hadiths a collection of sayings and deeds of Muhammad. The Qur’an has many elements of the biblical revelation.

11. Islam II • Islam has different branches. However, most believe in the six articles of faith and the five pillars. • They believe in Allah, the books of Allah, angels, prophets, predestination and the last days. • The pillars are pilgrimage to Mecca, prayer, fasting, confession, and almsgiving.

12. Qur’an, Sura55:54-56. • They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach). Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny? In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched.

13. Pluralism • On the one end of the discussion we have people who belief that there are plural ways to the one salvation. This means people are saved by the one God in their own religion. God gave each religion its own revelation and way of reaching Him. For the Muslim this revelation is in the Qur’an and for the Christian it is in the Bible. There is no need for a special revelation in Jesus Christ to be saved.

14. Postmodern • Postmodern people in our day agree with this, but they would like to add some more to it. In their understanding there are multiple salvations and not just one. Each religion has its own salvation. Adherents of religions are not saved by the one God, but by many gods, each in his or her own religion. • “Good fences make good neighbors”; “Religions are to be good neighbors to each other. Each religion has its own backyard. There is no 'commons' that all of them share. To be good neighbors, then, let each religion tend to its own backyard, keeping it clean and neat” (Paul Knitter 2002:183)

15. Inclusivism • On the other end of the discussion we have those who say that without personal faith in Christ and his work on the cross there can be no salvation. Some, with an important addition, support this view. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ but you do not need to personally know about him to be the recipient of his work of grace on your behalf. In this understanding there is room for people of other religions to be saved through Christ, without knowing Him personally.

16. Exclusivism • The evangelical view has been that salvation is found in Christ alone. It admits that God in His grace has revealed himself to people of other religions in their own religions. But these revelations were giving to draw people to Himself, so that they can be saved through faith in Christ. The revelations were preparatory. Evangelicals reject the notion that people are saved by the one God in their own religion. They also reject the notion of multiple salvations. If this understanding is taken for granted, than missions among people of other faith should include the offer of salvation through Christ.

17. The importance of prayer and spiritual warfare • Christians should always keep in mind that they are God’s missional community, involved in God’s comprehensive missions in this world. As such they will be working with God in reaching out to people who adhere to other religions. • In all encounters, it should be clear that God visited these people before us. This is seen for example in the story of Cornelius in Acts 10.

18. Christianity • Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Joh 14:6 ESV) • And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12 ESV)

19. This encounter is a battle against the gods of POR. Our God is the same who said: “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt” (Exod 12:12); “I will punish the god Bel in Babylon” (Jeremiah 51:44). He will cause the gods in other religions to bow before Him, even when His people is unfaithful: “Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the LORD” (1 Sam 5:3). • The encounter with POF is not just an encounter between human beings. It includes an encounter that takes place outside of our physical world, in which we participate through our prayers and spiritual warfare. This battle is the Lord’s.

20. “Preach the word” (2Ti 4:2 ESV) • Christians need to proclaim the message of the Triune God effectively and powerfully. • Christians always want to share God the Father and Creator of Man with their fellow human beings in other religions. • They also want to share Christ in his humiliation, suffering and glory, who should be accepted as Lord in all aspects of live. • Furthermore, Evangelicals want to be used by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate his transforming power.

21. In the mist of other religions, Christianity has a message to proclaim. This message is valid even in the midst of religious pluralism and absence of absolute truth. Christians can proclaim this message with boldness, because of the Person who is at the centre of the message, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. However, we have to admit, that we need humility in interacting with people of other faith. We should be bold, but we should also be humble.

22. “We know only in part, but we do know. And we believe that the faith we profess is both true and just, and should be proclaimed. We do this, however, not as judges or lawyers, but as witnesses; not as soldiers, but as envoys of peace; not as high-pressure salespersons, but as ambassadors of the Servant Lord” (Bosch 489). • Muck and Adeney (2009) speak about “giftive mission”. We have a gift to offer, who is Christ. We have to offer this gift in an appropriate manner.

23. Conclusion • In our 21st century we will continue to encounter people of other faith. They are our neighbours. Contrary to what some people advocate, we do not want to let them go their own way and we go our own way. We should engage them with the person of Jesus Christ. We recommend that these encounters take place in a manner that will give honour and glory to God. This requires a good knowledge of the people and their religions. There are areas in which we want to learn from them and we want to share Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world with them.