The Problem of God
“The Problem of Exclusivity”
Acts 4:1-12

The claim of Christianity, that Jesus Christ is the only way to connect with God, may be the most controversial claim in modern history.

Many followers of Jesus wrestle with the notion of exclusivity.

Exclusivity
	Narrow-minded bigots
	Singleness of truth

God reveals himself…
	An inner desire to know Him (Romans 1:19,21)
	The Spirit of God (John 15:26, Acts 5:32, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 John 4:2)
	Through nature and man himself (Romans 1:20, Acts 4:17, Psalm 19:12)
	Cause and effect that exists (Cosmological)
	Experience that points to a designer (Teleological)
	Imagination of something greater than us (Ontological)
	A sense of right and wrong (Moral)

Inclusivism - All religions have merely different paths to the same “God.”

Inclusivism…
	Argues no one truth, which is a truth statement
	You are a product of where you were born
	Violates the “principle of noncontradiction”
	Makes the modern view of tolerance intolerable

Christianity is not alone in exclusivity!
	All ideas are no equal
	4 blind men and an elephant

How do we respond?
	Work for cooperation, which is not agreement (Matthew 25:14-30)
	Civility to people and culture without approving their belief
	Engage with reason; not emotion
	Pray for the Spirit of God to open eyes

“the truth will set you free.” - Jesus (John 8:32)

Further Reading
Joe Boot, How Then Shall We Answer? Overcoming Objections to the Christian Faith
John G. Stackhouse Jr, Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World
Richard J. Mouw, Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivilized World
Fritz Ridenour, So What’s the Difference: A Look at 20 Worldviews, Faiths, and Religions and How they Compare to Christianity
Alvin Plantinga, “A Defense of Religious Exclusivism” in The Analytic Theist: An Alvin Plantinga Reader, ed. James F. Sennett
N.T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society