“Beyond doubt, the worshipper of God shows ignorance when criticizing others on account of their beliefs. If the saying of Junayd were understood- ‘-the color of the water is the color of the vessel containing it’-you would not interfere with the beliefs of others, but would perceive God in every form and in every belief.” Ibn Arabi, 13th century
As the above quote shows, disagreements about who holds the truth about God are an age-old dilemma, sabotaging discussion and fostering separation and exclusion instead of unity.
We have been sold a bill of goods if we believe the Divine doesn’t honor all efforts of reaching out to God- or whatever name you assign to the Infinite One.
“Humankind has given God names that reflect their highest ideals- thus the Zoroastrians addressed god s Ahura Mazda (Wise Creator) or Allah (the Great Adored) by the Muslims and the old English word, God, meaning the Ultimate Good, and because God is unknowable, God cannot be named. Yet no matter what name is given to the Divine it is one and the same mystery that we seek. The greatest of the (historic) God Seekers urge us to be faithful to our vision of God regardless of the religious creed of our birth. Just as many paths may lead to the top of the mountain, the paths we climb in our search for God lead us not only through cathedrals, synagogues, pagodas, and mosques, but perhaps through (nature) as well.” David Manning White
Martin Buber said, “What does all mistaken talk about God’s being and works matter in comparison with the one truth that all who have addressed God had God in mind? For whoever speaks the word God and has Thou in mind addresses the true Thou of that person’s life.”
Firecracker Bible Phrase
Perhaps one of the more divisive religious phrases has been from the Bible- John 14:6- “no one comes to the Father, but by me”- or “except by me”.
For the most part, over the centuries the Christian church has interpreted that as- only those who believed in Jesus as Lord and savior were guaranteed salvation and a place in heaven.
This belief created a monster- an exclusive elite of US vs THEM- the ins and the outs. The blessed and the forsaken. A kind of travesty of the survival of the fittest!
So…We have the Crusades, and the Inquisition, and the burning at the stake of dissenters called heretics, and missionaries who hurried off to primitive tribes, and to countries with different forms of worship, to try and change them all into western Christian clones so they would be ‘SAVED’.
Our Native American youngsters were put into institutions where their native religious beliefs were supplanted by Catholicism, and their native culture effectively erased.
Until Vatican II a Catholic wouldn’t even set foot into a Protestant church, and Christian children either taunted or worried about Jewish friends who were going to be left out of heaven.
Dear God! Did no one think about what other interpretations of that phrase might be???
Rethinking the Phrase
Here’s the full phrase- “JESUS SAID TO HIM (Thomas), ‘I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.” (John 14:6)
Take that little word “by”. It can also mean ‘through the medium of, or through the agency or instrumentality of’. It can also mean with the sanction of or the conformity of”.
So suppose that phrase is not exclusive and meant just for Christ believers.
Suppose what Jesus meant is that he was modeling for us how someone who was in an intimate relationship with the Divine would behave, speak and act. And were we to do the same, no matter what path we were on, we also could move into the Light of God.
That person would be-
• compassionate toward the marginalized, the poor, and downtrodden, would look down on no one., valuing the life and worth of each person, and all of creation.
• forgiving of others, even those who persecute you
• bringing healing into the lives of those who need it (and for most of us, that means emotional and spiritual support and nurture),
• of service to others…always
• naturally going the extra mile
• nonjudgmental
• bringing hope to the dispirited
• spending renewal time in quiet and prayer
• in constant communication and in a loving and deep communion with the Divine
Here’s what John Spong in his book, The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic, says about John 14:6.
“The journey is not an outward one, but an inward one. God is not up there; God is in here.
The only way into the reality of God is to live into the meaning of the Christ life, to discover the freedom to give yourself away.
That, alone, is the pathway to the Father.” (p.186) 21st century
There are Many Others Who Believed the Way Was Open to All
Here are some:
“God is the universal substance in existing things. He comprises all things. God is the fountain of all being. In him exists everything that is.” Seneca- 1st century
“In the presence of God with His dream of order, 
there is neither male nor female,
white nor black, gentile nor Jew, Protestant nor Catholic,
Hindu, Buddhist, nor Muslim,
but a human spirit stripped to the literal substance of itself. “
Howard Thurman -20th century
“Gather us in: we worship only Thee:
In varied names we stretch a common hand;
In diverse forms a common soul we see;
In many ships we seek one spirit-land;
Gather us in.” George Matheson 19th century
“What does all mistaken talk about God’s being and works matter
in comparison with the one truth that all who have addressed God had God in mind?
For whoever speaks the word God and has Thou in mind addresses the true Thou of that person’s life.”
Martin Buber- 20th century
“The object of all religions is alike.
All seek their beloved; and all the world is love’s dwelling:
why talk of a mosque or a church?” Hafiz -14th century
“No human faith is superior. 
No religious faith is inferior.
All collective judgments are wrong.
Only racists make them.” Elie Wiesel- 20th century
“There are as many ways to God as souls:
As many as the breaths of Adam’s sons.
The Hadith- Muhammad, 7th century
“Whoever performs devotional exercises, in the belief that there is but one God,
is bound to attain Him, no matter in what aspect, name or manner he is worshipped.”
Sri Ramakrishna- 19th century
“…Study broadly in the world’s religions
and adapt whatever you need from wherever it is found.
It is not enough to be versed in only one religion…” Rabbi Rami Shapiro- 21st century
“God has never tied salvation to any pattern. Whatever possibilities belong in any pattern of life belong in all,
because God has given it so and denied it to none.
One good way does not conflict with another,
for not all people may travel the same road.” Meister Eckhart -14th century mystic
If you have yourself come to God,
The others too are seeking him;
However different be the ways
The destination is the same.” Mohammed Taqui Mir- late 18th century
“I do not understand how people declare themselves to be believers in God,
and at the same time think that God has handed over to a little body of humans all truth,
and that they are the guardians of the rest of humanity.” Swami Vivekananda- 19th century
“God is the substratum of all souls. Is that not the solution of the riddle?”
Ralph Waldo Emerson- 19th century
As you can see, for centuries various individuals in all the different religions have proclaimed the human family to be on the same journey, yet by different paths. But the believing and acting on that principle languishes
Why?
It threatens the tribal mindset- the feeling that my group is the one and only, the best, and all others are outsiders. The feeling that my ways are the only right and true ways gets in the way of any mutual understanding.
In many ways we humans are still so emotionally and spiritually primitive. If individuals can see the problem, why has it taken so long for the collective religious groups to not have found a resolution sooner?
“Coming to the Father…”
In any case…that “coming to the Father” would include all those- whatever their religious practice- who lived life according to those ideals that Jesus showed in his life.
It removes the onus of that exclusive “only me and mine, but not you and yours” mentality that has fostered so much hate and division world-wide and over the centuries.
And, it’s a call to the church to cease seeing non-Christians as being outside the loving providence, care, and provision of God ( and that includes eternal life) merely because others follow a different pathway up the mountain!
Follow Your Path
My friends- Whatever your path, remain true to it. I myself follow the Christian path, but that doesn’t mean that I value Rabbi Rami Shapiro, or Rumi, any less than John Spong. My faith has grown and my journey deepened through the writings of many seekers on other paths. Our dogmas and creeds are capable of blinding us to truths revealed to those from other traditions.
“Creeds grow so thick along the way, their boughs hide God.” Lizette Woodworth Reese
Instead of panicking that you are diluting your faith, consider those new insights as enriching your journey. Even some of the practices of other traditions may help invigorate and enhance your own spirituality. Reflect on how many folk today meditate or practice yoga or chant.
And approach the Divine- by whatever name is meaningful to you- knowing that God is of no religion, and honors ALL those who seek and search for connection with this Infinite Love.
A Prayer by Swami Akhilananda 
May He…
Who is the Father in Heaven of the Christians,
Holy One of the Jews,
Allah of the Mohammedans,
Buddha of the Buddhists,
Tao of the Chinese,
Ahura Mazda of the Zoroastrians, and
Brahman of the Hindus
lead us from the unreal to the Real,
from darkness to light,
from disease and death to immortality.
May the All-Loving Being manifest unto us,
and grant us abiding understanding and all-consuming divine love.
Peace.
Peace.
Peace be unto all.
Call to Action
The journey starts with you. Approach the whole concept of the inclusive nature of God’s love with an open and inquiring mind. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and begin to see and share your new insights.
Try doing some reading. Here are some suggestions: 
The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God by Bishop Carlton Pearson
God Is Not a Christian, Nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu…: God Dwells with Us, in Us, Around Us, as Us by Bishop Carlton Pearson
The World’s Religions (Plus) by Huston Smith
I Asked For Wonder: A Spiritual Anthology by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Wisdom of Heschel by Abraham Joshua Heschel
God Is Not a Christian: And Other Provocations by Desmond Tutu
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, et. al.
The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner
Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe by Richard Rohr
The Heart of God: Prayers of Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore
