“A Defense of Religious Exclusivism”
“A Defense of Religious Exclusivism” Alvin Plantinga
Religious exclusivism is an idea that is the complete opposite of religious pluralism. Religious pluralist’s such as John Hick have ideas containing a set of beliefs asserting that multiple religions can not only all co-exist, but they can all also be true within their own beliefs that they hold about the cosmology of the Earth, God, and our existence. And the complete opposite of John Hick’s belief is the idea of Religious Exclusivism. Religious Exclusivism is an idea that is represented by Alvin Plantiga. And what the idea of Religious Exclusivism represents is that whatever religious belief you hold to be true, must be true exclusively, which then deems all other religions to be false. To put plainly, what Hick and other religious pluralists believe is "Belief is highly contingent, therefore we can't assume our beliefs are any more or less legitimate than other people's beliefs." And the belief that Plantiga has, and that other Religious Exclusivists hold is that, "Belief is highly contingent, therefore we have no justification for assuming our own beliefs are less legitimate than other people's beliefs." When you compare the two ideas, the conclusion is that religious exclusivist excludes all religions except his or her own; while religious pluralists, accepts all religions except the exclusivist version of each. Therefore, a religious exclusivist ends up rejecting the views of fewer people.
Plantiga is a devout Christian, and to hold the position of a Christian from a Religious Exclusivist position, you must believe two things to be true. Firstly, you must be a theist, that is to say that you believe the world was created by God, an omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good God. While the second belief of the Christian exclusivist, is to believe that humans require salvation, and God presents this salvation in a unique way through Jesus Christ his incarnated son.
Plantiga considers two
Religious exclusivism is an idea that is the complete opposite of religious pluralism. Religious pluralist’s such as John Hick have ideas containing a set of beliefs asserting that multiple religions can not only all co-exist, but they can all also be true within their own beliefs that they hold about the cosmology of the Earth, God, and our existence. And the complete opposite of John Hick’s belief is the idea of Religious Exclusivism. Religious Exclusivism is an idea that is represented by Alvin Plantiga. And what the idea of Religious Exclusivism represents is that whatever religious belief you hold to be true, must be true exclusively, which then deems all other religions to be false. To put plainly, what Hick and other religious pluralists believe is "Belief is highly contingent, therefore we can't assume our beliefs are any more or less legitimate than other people's beliefs." And the belief that Plantiga has, and that other Religious Exclusivists hold is that, "Belief is highly contingent, therefore we have no justification for assuming our own beliefs are less legitimate than other people's beliefs." When you compare the two ideas, the conclusion is that religious exclusivist excludes all religions except his or her own; while religious pluralists, accepts all religions except the exclusivist version of each. Therefore, a religious exclusivist ends up rejecting the views of fewer people.
Plantiga is a devout Christian, and to hold the position of a Christian from a Religious Exclusivist position, you must believe two things to be true. Firstly, you must be a theist, that is to say that you believe the world was created by God, an omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good God. While the second belief of the Christian exclusivist, is to believe that humans require salvation, and God presents this salvation in a unique way through Jesus Christ his incarnated son.
Plantiga considers two