The question comes in various forms. More often: “Aren’t all religions the same?” Don’t all roads lead eventually to the same place?”

This is not just an academic question. When a loved one is dying, you want to know. When you are facing your own death, you want to know. What is required to assure ourselves that we are going to a good place?

I want to recognize the human tendency to minimize commonality and over-emphasize our differences.

Emo Philips story

In conversation with a person I had recently met,
I asked, “Are you Protestant , or Catholic?’ My new acquaintance replied, “Protestant.” I said, “Me too!
What franchise?” He answered, “Baptist.” “Me too!” I said.
“Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?” “Northern Baptist,” he replied. “Me too!” I shouted.

We continued to go back and forth. Finally, I asked, “Northern conservative fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1879
or Northern conservative fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912?

He replied, “Northern conservative fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912.”

I said, “Die, you heretic!” (Leadership, Fall 1992)

Too often, we part company with people with whom we have much in common over silly differences.