Perhaps the mother of all questions when it comes to religion is: Does it really matter which belief system one chooses to plug into, because, after all, all roads lead to Heaven, right?

The answer is terribly important, of course, because if only one road leads to Paradise we had better make sure we're on it.

Popular thinking would have us believe that an all-loving God will welcome everyone into eternal Heaven providing we give any flavor-of-the-month religion our best shot.

Broader still, God will embrace even the atheist who loudly contended that there was no God.

After all, God is all-forgiving, all-merciful.

He's Santa Claus, isn't he?

Hmm!

I recently overheard a conversation between a Bible-believing evangelical and a guy who maintained that God is not so narrow as to restrict Himself to one Book, one Way.

The conversation went like this:

The route we choose is not determined by us, really.

I have to believe that Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, the lot, will all be welcomed to some kind of an after-life.

Don't expect me to believe that those who don't accept your Jesus are doomed to an eternal Hell.

Many other books are considered as sacred as your big, fat Bible.

I do base my spiritual beliefs on the statement that the Bible is the one-and-only inspired Word of God.

The Bible points out clearly that it—the Bible—is God's Triple-A road map to Heaven.

The road is very narrow and the way very exclusive.

God's route to Him is through His Son Jesus Christ who died and rose again for all mankind.

Essentially, the Bible states it's Christ's way or the highway.

Because of that totalitarian position, Christianity cannot be part of any smorgasbord religious offering alongside the teachings of the eastern religions, cult propaganda, or man-made, feel-good philosophies.

Christianity is all about Christ being the way, and the only way.

Period!

We all have our own truth.

There can only be one truth.

Truth is not subjective.

It is absolute, not relative.

The Bible is replete with the statement, "Thus saith the Lord."

Proverbs 14:12 in the Old Testament states pointedly, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

It matters little what we think.

If we reject what the Bible states, we face the consequences of what the Bible warns about—a literal, eternal Hell.

Our eternal salvation and our place in Heaven can be determined right now.

That may sound overly simple, but Christ did say we must come as a child and simply call upon the Lord.

The Bible says:

If you choose to reject or ignore that, be prepared to face the consequences of eternal, wide-awake separation from God.

What about those who have never nor will ever hear this? How will they be judged?

Those who have not heard nor ever will have the opportunity of calling out to Christ for his free salvation, will be judged by God by their response to His witness in creation.

Anyone who worships the God of creation and not the creation itself will be welcomed into Heaven.

Having said that, we are instructed by the Bible to spread Christ's message of salvation to all creatures.

It is said there are more people alive on the earth today than have ever lived in total, so the onus is on the Christian to spread the news.

God's creation reflects the existence of a creator, plus we are born with a God consciousness which prompts us to seek and worship.

There has never been a tribe discovered that did not worship something.

There are relatively few who have not heard the story and the offer of salvation through Christ.

But very few do accept the offer.

That statement is supported by Matthew 7:14 which says, "Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Well-meaning Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims must turn from their man-made religions and bow to Christ who died for all.

All religions demand solid effort by man to reach God.

Christianity is the only religion where God reached down to man and completed our salvation.

But we must call out and embrace it.

Why would any forward-thinking person rest their future on the musty writings of 66 books that make up the Bible?

Good solid question there!

I guess the simple answer is that the Bible claims to be the Word of God.

Many times Jesus of the New Testament referred to the writing of the Old Testament as being from God.

The Bible remains the all-time best seller, and has stood the many atheistic attacks.

If the Bible were not of God, it would have been sliced, diced and tossed centuries ago.