By Mark W. Christy, PhD

Most people in the world typically imagine some sort of heaven as their future resting place upon their demise. To believe in the existence of such a place, one is required to traverse the line of demarcation between the physical laws of science and venture into the supernatural sphere. Once the journey begins, most simply choose the foolhardiest of options by simply conjuring in their minds the blissful future which they hopes awaits them. Others seek out various religions that essentially offer various means and methods whereby one is told they can attain unto heaven. Still others look for divine communication to help them correctly discern the path that leads to heaven.

Amid the many world religions, the more sophisticated offerings supply what is claimed to be divine communication (of sorts at least). Among these, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism could be easily included. Both Islam and Buddhism (also Mormonism and others) provide guidance for reaching heaven, but the guidance offered is ultimately based on the word of one person claiming to be a divine messenger. One could argue that Buddhism is further troubled by the fact that none of its scholars can conclusively prove Buddha’s actual existence, and many even openly question this matter. With these dubiously constructed foundations, many world religions strive to gain an acceptance among the religiously inclined.

Before proceeding, it may be helpful to cast this discussion in a way that is simpler. A person who holds to the teaching of Islam is essentially believing the words of a man who went into a cave and came out declaring his appointment as God’s messenger. On the other hand, a Buddhist holds to the teaching supposedly received by Buddha while he was meditating under a Bodhi tree. Given that the Buddhists offer a view of God (ultimate reality) that is completely impersonal, a sensible person would be well within his/her right to question how such communication could have ever even took place.

While these religions and their many companions offer options that break down when ration is employed along with wisdom, Christianity offers quite a different option. While it proclaims that its teachings are divinely inspired, those teaching do not arise from one person in a manner that is devoid of witnesses. Rather, the Bible was written by approximately 40 authors over a period of around 1,500 years. Its events took place often in full view of the public. Its writers were often persecuted and even killed, often by the very people who ultimately proclaimed its divine origins. It offers many propositional truth claims which force it to traverse a very thin line if it is to stand on its claim to exclusive truth. In other words, if any of its claims prove false, then the whole of Scripture rightfully should become suspect.