Also See Arrogant Christians?
Christianity is exclusivistic: It claims to be the one and only true religion, which places Christianity at odds with the growing belief that it is all a question of ‘perspective’ (See Section on Relativism) and all claims to truth are equally valid. America in the twenty-first century embodies ethnic, racial, cultural, and religious diversity. Our urban and suburban neighbors come from all parts of the globe. America, as a democratic nation, places great value on tolerance, especially tolerance of religious expression. As American citizens, we are guaranteed the free exercise of religion by the Bill of Rights . Unfortunately, some people have taken equal tolerance of religious expression to mean that all religions are equally true ie. equally valid paths to God. In effect, democracy has been applied to ultimate truth. (See Section on Religious Pluralism) It has often been said that for Christians to claim that Jesus is the one and only way to God is grossly arrogant. However what most people do not realize is that Christianity is not the only religion that claims exclusivity. (See Christian Exclusivism Explained and Defended) Islam claims theological and linguistic exclusivity. Muslims believe that the sole and consummate miracle of Islam is the Qur’an, which is only recognizable in Arabic and hence requires a sophisticated knowledge of the language. Any translation is believed to de-sanctify it. Hinduism, while claiming to be a religion that ‘accepts all religions to be true’ (Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda) is absolutely uncompromising on the authority on the Vedas (Hindu scripture), the law of karma (the law of moral cause and effect) and reincarnation. Buddhism was born when Gautama Buddha rejected the ultimate authority of the Vedas and the caste system. Sikhism came as a challenge to both Hinduism and Buddhism. Atheists reject the viewpoints of those who believe in God.
All religious traditions make claims which contradict the claims of other religions. All truth is, by definition, exclusive. If truth does not exclude then no assertion of a truth claim is being made. Ironically to deny the exclusive nature of truth is to make a truth claim making the condemner equally arrogant. The vast majority of mankind unquestioningly follows the religion of their parents with very few taking the time to check out the validity of their beliefs. ‘Truth’ in regard to religion and faith is a word that seems to be rapidly becoming obsolete. Sadly fully two thirds of Americans now deny there is any such thing as ‘truth’. However it is interesting as to how much of this denial is tied to ‘feel good’ religions and ways of life. However If we are to trust feelings alone as the basis for choosing our religion then we had better be very sure that what we are ‘feeling’ is right. The problem here is all of us can attest to plenty of times when our feelings were wrong. How wise is it to determine truth by our ‘feeling’. Doing so could mean we are putting ourselves in the place of God and looking to ourselves for what we "feel" is right. If religion is whatever a person feels is right it could very well lead to chaos. It is entirely possible that some people have a religion where they felt theft was acceptable? Or maybe they ‘felt’ it was necessary to bring back human sacrifices to appease their gods. How about Hitler who felt it was ‘right’ to kill millions of Jews? The point here is humans could and do set widely differing standards for themselves that no two of them will agree on. Actually no philosopher through the centuries has been able to define what morality is. The standards have to be set by the Almighty Himself. Nothing else will work.. Just look around. Buddhism is getting exceedingly popular in America today. Why not? You can have a dose of spirituality from three to five in the afternoon and then go live your life anyway you please. Islam is attractive because of Geopolitical considerations. Hinduism is rich in philosophy and its ideology of treating the Earth with reverence (whether practiced or not) has much appeal.
Disgusted by religious bickering, some people have thrown up their hands and said, “The world would be a much better place if people simply stopped arguing over doctrinal disputes and focused on living in peace with each other.” That when you strip away the extras “all world religions essentially teach the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man”. However only someone who does not understand world religions can make this claim. For example: Buddhism doesn’t even claim there is a God. See Religious Pluralism It is important to remember that the Christian’s claim that Jesus is the only way to God is not based on their opinions but on the words of Christ himself. He was the one who said He was ‘The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man comes to the Father but through Him’. Any claims that Jesus made can only be taken as the truth and not just a personal opinion if He was who He said He was…the Son of God. Talk to people of any religion. No matter how committed they are to their particular religion, if they know anything about history, they will have to admit that there has never been a man like Jesus of Nazareth. He is the most unique personality of all time. However most people dont realize that there is overwhelming evidence for His deity. His claims have been confirmed by the record of prophecy, His miracles, and the resurrection. (See The Uniqueness of Jesus and Jesus..Unique Savior Or Average Fraud).
Unlike any other religion Christianity does offer criteria by which its truth-claims can be evaluated. The Bible has proven itself to be historially accurate however the central claim of Christianity is that God entered human history 2000 years ago through a man named Jesus Christ who died on a cross between two thieves and rose from the dead three days later. The truthfulness of Christianity depends upon a critical historical event--the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In a first-century letter to a group of Christians the apostle Paul wrote the following about the significance of Christ's resurrection: "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." (I Cor. 15:14) In other words, if Christ did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is false. The Resurrection .. Fact or Fiction? Thus, to disprove Christianity one would only need to show Christ was never raised from the dead. Some years ago a skeptic of Christianity named Josh McDowell set out to do precisely this. He wanted to write a book that would refute Christianity. In his book Evidence that Demands a Verdict he writes, “After more than 700 hrs of studying this subject, and thoroughly investigating its foundation, I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted upon the minds of men, or it is the most fantastic fact of history.”
As a skeptic of Christianity Josh McDowell not only found the evidence for Christ's resurrection from the dead compelling, but himself became a follower of Jesus Christ. Because Christianity offers criteria by which its truth-claims can be evaluated, this makes it a great place to start one's investigation. If Christ did rise form the dead... He was the son of God and His statement of being the only way to the Father was true therefore Christians are not being intolerant and ethnocentric, but truthful when they claim that He is the only way to God. [Also See How Will Those Who Never Learn the Gospel Be Judged?]
FOOTNOTE
Doubtless, there are moral living Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, Jews etc. but if this life were only about morality, then how you live would be the most important thing. However philosophers from Socrates to Immanuel Kant have been unable to define what morality is. The Christian concept on the other hand states that no matter how well we live, we cannot live up to the standard of God. The very word ‘sin’ means missing the mark. So the question is not whether I’m a ‘Mother Teresa’, or a ‘Ted Bundy’. The question is whether I have come to the realization that I have fallen short of God’s standard and, therefore, apart from the grace of God have no possibility of being with Him in heaven. (See What Is Sin?) It’s important to realize that God does not consign anyone to heaven or to hell. Each person chooses to respond to or reject the grace of God. If I have lived a life I think is so good that I don’t need God, then my own arrogance and confidence have blinded me. The worst thing is to say to God that you don’t need him. (See More Than One Way To God) Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came into this world to make dead people live. He came so that those who were dead to God can come alive to God. It is often asked whether it is fair to condemn people when they have never heard about Jesus and simply follow the religious traditions of their parents. The apostle Paul referred to this when he was speaking to the people of Athens when he said, “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the Earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us”. (Acts 17:26-27). When a heart hungers for Him, God can reach down past the barriers of culture, environment, and beliefs in ways that are beyond our understanding.
Also See
The Gospel..A Hate Crime? Welcome to the 21st Century. The Relevance of Christianity The age-old questions continue to haunt us: Where did I come from? Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? Where am I going? Am I significant in a universe that sees me as just one more piece of cosmic dust Religious Pluralism, Universalism, Exclusivism and Inclusivism (several terms related to religion which can get very confusing and need to be distinguished) | 
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