Talking about Interfaith tolerance, I can assure you that if you walk around the major streets anywhere in the world now, something striking you will notice: a mosque on one corner, two or more churches on one street, a meditation centre next door and even a temple tucked behind a row of stores: different faiths, colours, convictions all around us.
In such diverse faiths, one can ask, “Aren’t we worshipping the same God but in different ways”?
Yes it can be argued that it is a comforting thought in a world full of chaos and conflict. Who wouldn’t want a world where everyone’s faith and belief system can actually be enveloped as one? Yet, you will agree with me that it is not as easy as it sounds. The truth sits in a quiet tension, somewhere between genuine love for humanity and an uncompromising commitment to what is true.
The Belief Behind Interfaith Tolerance
Yes, Interfaith tolerance is good. It is about respect for one another. Imagine interacting with people who doesn’t share same belief and still see their integrity and genuineness. Interfaith Tolerance says, I refuse to hate you even though I may not agree with you.
But tolerance doesn’t mean sameness. That I respect your belief does not mean that I affirm it as true. This is where it gets tricky.
You see, real tolerance is actually when we acknowledge one another’s differences honestly. You don’t need to flatten every difference. It is pure honesty.
Pretending all religions are identical isn’t tolerance, it’s intellectual laziness wrapped in polite language.
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Why “Same God” idea is Appealing
It do sound loving and progressive when the idea that all religions lead to same God. Disagreements take the back seat and all discomforts of exclusivity are removed immediately.
You’ll see it on bumper stickers that spell out COEXIST, each letter shaped like a religious symbol. It’s on university posters, peace rallies, and social media captions that say, “All faiths teach love.”
Most faiths do support peace, compassion and justice but do these moral similarities erase the theological contradictions at their core?
There are different profound answers for same questions like Who is God? What happens after death? How do we find God? Let’s be true, the various answers to these questions cannot be true at same time.
Interfaith Tolerance: Where are the differences?
The below comparisons explains how the major faith globally describe God and salvation.
| Religion | View of God | Path to Salvation / Enlightenment | View of Jesus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christianity | One personal God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) | Salvation by grace through faith in Christ | Son of God, Savior of the world |
| Islam | One indivisible God (Allah) | Submission and good works | Prophet, not divine |
| Hinduism | Many gods, or one expressed in many forms | Karma, reincarnation, spiritual realization | Enlightened teacher at best |
| Buddhism | No personal deity | Liberation from suffering (Nirvana) | Not central |
| Judaism | One God (Yahweh) | Covenant faithfulness and obedience | Awaiting the Messiah |
From this table one can deduce that the foundations of truth, salvation and divinity are different but similarities only exist at the ethucal level such as kindness, peace, honesty, integrity and so on.
So while people may share moral instincts, they don’t necessarily share the same God.
The Seemingly Danger in Blending All Beliefs
Syncretism is a word used to describe multiple religions mixed into one spiritual entity. It has the idea that you can have a touch of Islam, Christianity and other religions together and still have the truth.
But the question is does truth work that way?
Two ideas that contradict each other cannot both be true. You cannot say Jesus is God and Jesus is not God and have both statements to be true. Neither can you say God is three persons and God is one person and mean same thing.
According to Lewis C.S, “If all religions were equally true, then Christianity would be false because it claims to be the only way.”. This logic is actually right in the sense that it is either Jesus was right when He said He is the way, the truth and the Life (as seen in John 14:6) or He wasn’t.
We do not create unity by merging all faiths, we are actually creating confusion. We will sacrifice worshipping the living God who has revealed Himself in history to worshipping an abstract divine being we developed by ourselves.
The Bible’s view about Other Gods
The Bible makes it clear from Genesis to Revelation, there is only one God. One divine being who alone deserve our deepest worship.
- Acts 17 shows Paul in Athens surrounded by idols, respectfully acknowledging their devotion but pointing them to the “unknown God” they were missing.
- Isaiah 45:5 echoes, “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”
- Deuteronomy 6:4 declares, “The Lord our God, the Lord is One.”
In Jesus’ ministry, He never compromised by showing compassion to outsiders. He healed the Gentiles and yet called them to the one true faith in God. He revealed the truth to the Samaritan woman after showing her much love. Love and truth were never in competition.
Is it Possible To Respect All Faith Without Losing Our Own Faith?
Simply Yes, and it’s actually how it should be.
We are not better because we believe in Christ. We are just forgiven because of Him. The heart of Christianity does not call us to arrogance but to humility. In any interfaith setting, this understanding should make us the most respectful people.
It is possible not to affirm someone’s conclusion and yet still honour his or her sincerity. True tolerance is built on empathy and not on compromise. You can respect someone’s faith journey but still affirm that Jesus is the only way to God.
We owe people of other faith something more than polite silence if we sincerely love them, we owe them honesty spoken in love.
Interfaith tolerance works perfectly well when it is built on mutual respect and not forced sameness. This is the truth that often get clouded. When the society decided to erase theological boundaries in a bid to achieve peace, the society actually loses both. Real truth comes from learning to love even when we disagree. It does not come by pretending that we agree.
Jesus did not die to create another religion. His coming on earth was actually to bridge the gap between God and man. Christianity is all about God reaching down to man. However that doesn’t make Christianity superior, it actually explains and amplifies God’s grace.
What then should be a Christian’s Response
A Christian should be both courageous and curious. especially now our world is full of conflicting views.
Ask questions with genuine interest, learn about other faiths and listen without judgement. Most importantly be ready to give a reason for your own hope with conviction though respectfully and gently.
Remember you do not need to prove others wrong, you just need to reflect the One who is right.
Interfaith Tolerance: One Love, One Truth
Therefore all religions are not the same God in disguise, however, that doesn’t mean we can’t walk together with people of other faith in love and humility.
Many religions reach out for God. But only one God reached down to humanity through Jesus Christ. It is not arrogance. It is the heart of the Gospel. The truth that was offered freely to all persons.
This is where the truth about interfaith tolerance begins. It is not in pretending we’re the same, but in learning how to love each other even when we’re not.
