An Unexpert Opinion
Couldn't help noticing that over at Slate, they're sponsoring a site with the ambitious name of Meaning of Life. It's aim is to interview experts on matters of religion and life. The experts are a fairly impressive-sounding roster of professors of theology/divinity, award-winning scientists, science lecturers and experts on meditation.
Unfortunately, it seemed to this decided non-expert that despite their varied backgrounds, they were saying a fairly similar thing throughout. “No, God doesn't exist, or if he does, all religions lead to God, or at least, God would let us all in.” “Sure, faith can coexist with reason, even though faith sure is a puny fella next to the Goliath that is science.”
Maybe I should put that last paragraph differently. Maybe I should say, they're completely unanimous in what they don't say. They don't say that maybe God is Living and True and waiting to judge us for our sins. They don't say that there's a chance it's more important what God says about us, than what we theorize about him. And they certainly don't say that Jesus is the only way to him, and the only way to rightly acknowledge Jesus is make him your Lord.
Wait, that last sentences is not quite true either. One interviewee, Keith Ward, even talks about how, “Jesus says, ‘Unless you take up your cross and follow me you cannot be my disciple’ and ‘He who loses himself will find himself’”. Somewhat unfortunately, the interview goes on to talk about Ward's book which concludes that “it is reasonable to say that ‘the same (Christian) God is worshiped in many diverse faiths’.”