All Roads Lead to Heaven. Really?

All roads lead to heaven. That seems to be the popular view when discussing the afterlife. From Oprah to the average person on the street all faiths lead to the same destination. This may be partly due to the fact that there are so many faiths in our world. Therefore, no one wants to say that everyone else is wrong and they are right. Instead, it is not so much what you believe that is important, but how you believe. A person goes to heaven not based on a correct belief but in the passion and sincerity with which they believe.

However, this view does not work in other areas of life. For example, 2 + 2 = 4. It does not equal 5 or any other number. Or take money as an example. If you owe a person $100 and you try to pay the debt with a $10 bill you will still owe $90. And finally, directions. If you want to go from Los Angeles to New York City across the US by car you must travel east. You cannot get there by going north or south. In each of these scenarios there is only one possible solution. In practically every area of life people have no problem with only one solution to a situation. No one is saying that 2+2 should also equal 6 so as not to offend others. No one is suggesting that we make $10 equal to $100 to make it easier for people to pay debts. Yet in the area of religion and admission to heaven we swing the door wide open for all to enter as they choose.

As we look at Scripture we see that all are welcome to spend eternity in heaven but not as they choose. The invitation is open to all but only through the one way provided. In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is the only way to be saved. A person can gain access to heaven through Him alone. It is only by accepting Christ as Savior and Lord that a person can spend eternity with God.

To some this may seem offensive. Many will say that people are being excluded from heaven. However, Jesus does not exclude people from eternal life. The invitation is open to all who will call upon Him for salvation. Yes it does require a denial of false beliefs. However, if you were wrong would you not want to know and believe what is true?

On September 11 the tragedy that occurred exposed a major flaw in the belief that all roads lead to heaven as long as the believer is sincere and genuine. The men who crashed planes into buildings were practicing their beliefs with extreme devotion. So if you want to say that all roads lead to heaven then you must also say that what those men did was not wrong. They were simply doing what they believed their faith taught. However, if you believe that heaven can only be accessed through one person, Jesus Christ, then you have the ability to call what they did evil and reprehensible.