Most of us live in a religiously pluralistic society. Though many deplore “religious pluralism” as something evil, it is an inescapable fact of our existence, and any attempt to undo it would be hugely unjust and would cause immense human suffering, just as apartheid did.

We can’t choose whether to have it or not, but we can choose how we respond to it.

The following two stories, or rather variations on the same story, seem to me to point to a Christian response to religious pluralism.

     “I shall conclude my sermon … by reciting to you a very short
     and beautiful apologue, taken from the Rabbinical writiers.  It
     is, I believe, quoted by Bishop Taylor in his ’Holy Living and
     Dying.’  I have not now access to that book, but I quote it to
     you from memory, and should be made truly happy if you would
     quote it to others from memory also.

     “’As Abraham was sitting in the door of his tent, there came unto
     him a wayfaring man; and Abraham gave him water for his feet, and
     set bread before him.  And Abraham said unto him, ’Let us now
     worship the Lord our God before we eat of this bread.’  And the
     wayfaring man said unto Abraham, ’I will not worship the Lord
     they God, for thy God is not my God; but I will worship my God,
     even the God of my fathers.’  But Abraham was exceeding wroth;
     and he rose up to put the wayfaring man forth from the door of
     his tent.  And the voice of the Lord was heard in the tent,–
     ’Abraham, Abraham, have I borne with this man for three score and
     ten years, and canst not thou bear with him for one hour?’”

from Sydney Smith, A Sermon on those Rules of Christian Charity, by which our Opinions of other Sects should be formed, preached before the Mayor and Corporation, in the Cathedral Church of Bristol, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1828,   quoted in The Monthly Repository and Review, December, 1828

And here is a second version:

    And it came to pass after these things, that Abraham sat in the
    door of his tent, about the going down of the sun.

    2 And behold, a man bowed with age, coming from the way of the
    wilderness, leaning on a staff.

    3 And Abraham arose, and met him, and said unto him, Turn in I
    pray thee, and wash thy feet, and tarry all night; and thou shalt
    arise early in the morning, and go on they way.

    4 But the man said, Nay, for I will abide under this tree.

    5 And Abraham pressed him greatly: so he turned, and they went
    into the tent: and Abraham baked unleavened bread, and they did
    eat.

    6 And when Abraham saw that the man blessed not God, he said unto
    him, Wherefore dost thou not worship the most high God, creator of
    heaven and earth

    7 And the man answered and said, I do not worship thy God, neither
    do I call upon his name; for I have made to myself a god, which
    abideth alway [sic] in mine house, and provideth me with all
    things.

    8 And Abraham’s zeal was kindled against the man, and he arose,
    and fell upon him, and drave him forth with blows into the
    wilderness.

    9 And at midnight God called unto Abraham, saying, Abraham, where
    is the stranger?

    10 And Abraham answered and said, Lord, he would not worship thee,
    neither would he call upon thy name; therefore have I driven him
    out from before my face, into the wilderness.

    11 And God said, Have I borne with him these hundred ninety and
    eight years, and nourished him, and cloathed [sic] him,
    notwithstanding his rebellion against me; and couldst not thou,
    that art thyself a sinner, bear with him one night?