Apologist Debunks 'All Religions are Fundamentally the Same' Claim

By John Malhotra, Christian Today Reporter Saturday, July 12, 2008

Renowned Christian apologist and evangelist Ravi Zacharias has a new book out that carries an intricate dialogue between Jesus and Krishna, a deity of Hinduism – the third largest religion in the world.

In New Birth or Rebirth? Jesus Talks with Krishna, a Subramaniam, a real-life Hindu of the twentieth century, enters a fictitious conversation between the two religious figures who respond to each other's view of life and the afterlife. As they speak words straight from the texts of Christianity and Hinduism, the author aims to make evident the vast differences between the two major religions.

"[L]et us not be so mindless as to think that Christianity and Hinduism are saying the same thing and that, in the end, the differences do not really matter," Zacharias says. "Both claim to be true and legitimate. This rationally implies, then, that it does matter what you believe. "

Zacharias admits it was a challenge to write on Krishna, a figure revered by millions of people worldwide. But his purpose for writing the book, he says, is because of the notion that all religions subscribe to the notion of exclusive truth.

"At base, one of my consistent premises throughout this series is that the popular aphorism 'All religions are fundamentally the same and only superficially different' simply is not true," he says. "It is more correct to say that all religions are, at best, superficially similar but fundamentally different."

The book is the fourth in the Great Conversations series by the author and it has received positive responses from the Indian community for its beautiful explanations on Christian and Hindu beliefs, including answers to various questions like Whom do Hindus worship? Why do they believe in reincarnation? and several others.

In his latest book, Zacharias notes that the question is not whether one enjoys the discussion carried in the text "but whether the arguments are fairly presented."

"That is much harder to do, especially where length is limited. I have, therefore, selected to write about what I consider to be the greatest differences between Jesus and Krishna," he says.

Zacharias was born in Madras, India, and later immigrated to Canada. He converted to Christianity following a suicide attempt at a very young age, and later founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in 1984. He is the author of numerous Christian books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner Can Man Live Without God? and bestsellers Light in the Shadow of Jihad and The Grand Weaver.