A recent Probe Ministries survey showed that most born-again Christians believed that a faithful person can get to Heaven through Jesus Christ or another religion. The new poll focused on how often people witness to their faith and why some of them hold back from doing so. The poll was conducted on 3,106 Americans aged 18 to 55 from all religious groups, with 717 who identified as born-again Christians.
According to the Christian Headlines, the survey asked about witnessing to one's faith, with results showing how only one out of five religiously affiliated Americans strongly disagree with the statement that Muhammad, Buddha, and Jesus all taught valid ways to God. The Religious Views and Practices of American Adults survey also found that 60% of respondents admitted they share their beliefs with others at least once a year to convert their peers.
Amongst born-again Christians, 63% said they share their faith with others at least once a year. When asked what hinders them from sharing their faith with those who do not believe, about 70% of born-again Christians said there were other ways to reach Heaven aside from seeking the salvation of Jesus Christ. This response is called pluralism, which states that "There are other ways besides my way, and I don't need to impose my way on others," the survey said.
"If you think that there are multiple ways to Heaven, why would you want to go out of your way to convert someone to your religion?" Probe Ministries senior vice president Steve Cable argued in response to the data gathered in the survey. "Of course, you could be sharing with an unaffiliated person who needs to choose a valid religion"
Cable remarked that the statistics "may seem surprising...at first glance," but acknowledged that in today's culture, "dominant part of all religious groups," which is why the survey results "makes sense." He explained that "the pluralistic reasons were dominant, attracting around two-thirds of the population across all religious groupings."
So what can pastors and church leaders do to combat pluralism and underscore that salvation can only be achieved by recognizing Jesus Christ? Cable said that they must make Jesus Christ's salvation more "exclusive" and "a recurring and prominent theme in our teaching." He added that church leaders and churchgoers must not "tiptoe gingerly around" pluralism. He declared, "We need to boldly proclaim, 'There is salvation in no other name under Heaven other than the name of Jesus Christ.'"
Cable reasoned that God would not have "planned" to sacrifice Jesus on the cross for the salvation of all mankind "if there were any other means to reconcile sinful men and women to Himself." The Probe Ministries senior vice president added that God would never "force reconciliation" on people, who still have a choice "to reject his Grace."
Cable, however, reminded the faithful that they must not "slough off our responsibility to tell others" because it is a "role" that Christians must play, being "citizens of Heaven living on this Earth."
