Pope Francis, once again, has landed himself in hot water by stating that there are many roads to God – not just Christianity. And it was not enough for him to state this once, but he doubled down on it again a few days after his first remarks. He said this a week ago at an inter-religious gathering of young people in Singapore: “Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true? There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.”

When the current Pope first made some worrying remarks about how all religions are basically taking us to the same God, I thought I would let others deal with it. And many have of course, both Catholics and non-Catholics. But given that he seems to want to keep pushing this, I suppose I should finally weigh in on it.

Pope Francis, once again, has landed himself in hot water by stating that there are many roads to God – not just Christianity. And it was not enough for him to state this once, but he doubled down on it again a few days after his first remarks.

He said this a week ago at an inter-religious gathering of young people in Singapore: “Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true? There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.”

And just the other day in a video message to an ecumenical youth gathering in Tirana, Albania, he reaffirmed this stance: “I invite you to learn together to discern the signs of the times. Contemplate the difference of your traditions like a richness, a richness God wants to be. Unity is not uniformity, and the diversity of your cultural and religious identities is a gift of God. Unity in diversity. Let mutual esteem grow among you, following the witness of your forefathers.”

Let me say a few things before some people get all bent out of shape about this. One, I have long made it clear that while I am an evangelical Protestant, it is not my purpose with this site to incessantly attack Catholics. I certainly have many major theological differences with them, but I count many of them as my friends, I speak at their meetings, and some of my fav authors are Catholics, and so on.

Two, some have said that we need to take his words in context, and that he does not really mean what he has said. Well, it seems pretty clear to me just what he was trying to say, especially in that first comment. It is very hard for anyone to weasel their way out of what was declared. He even specifically mentions Muslims, Hindus and so on as he makes his point.

Three, forget my views if you like. It is not just Protestants who have very real problems with all this. There are plenty of orthodox Roman Catholic groups which have also spoken out about his remarks. See here for just one of many such pieces: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-pope-francis-every-religion-is-a-way-to-arrive-at-god/

And I have plenty of Catholic associates, friends and acquaintances who are all equally disgusted with this and many other things the current Pope has done and said over the past 11 years. One gal who is as devout and gung-ho a Catholic as you will ever meet actually told me once: “Pope Francis is a heretic.” Plenty of folks within the Roman Catholic Church are quite concerned about these matters.

Is Jesus just one of many ways?

Not only does biblical Christianity unambiguously affirm that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to the Father, but this is even basic Roman Catholic teaching. Always has been. And no one actually reading the New Testament can ever come up with any other ideas.

You will not find there any idea that Jesus thought of himself as just one of many great religious leaders and teachers, and that he was just one path among many that would take us to God. Indeed, simply consider some of the things he said about himself:

Matthew 11:27 All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

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