By: Tony Williams | September 6, 2026
*Note: This article is a follow-up to Dr. Brian Chilton's article about Christian orthodoxy and a prior article on other religions.
Despite what historical revisionists claim, the United States has historically been governed with a foundation of Christian ideology since it was founded. The case for Christianity as a centerpiece of America’s revolution from British rule and the subsequent formation of our government is well documented, as are the preserved written words of the founding fathers that were far more Christian than recent historical critics often give them credit. (1) This influence includes the idea of human equality and unalienable, God-given rights, and the need to balance and check power due to the fallen nature of man.
Shifting Culture
That said, our culture has been rapidly changing for the past 60 years. Opposition to religion in general, but Christianity in particular, has grown immensely. Legislation removing prayer from schools, the reduction of appeals to God in political speeches, a ban on many religious displays, prayers at graduations and sports events, and many other changes are evidence that our society is less tolerant of public displays of Christianity. This is in line with the significant decline in church attendance (especially in mainline denominations), increased skepticism toward religion in general, and the growth of the so-called “Nones”, the group of religiously unaffiliated people in the U.S. According to the Pew Research Center, around 90% of Americans identified as Christians in the 1990s. By 2007, only 78% identified as Christians. As of 2024, only about 62% of Americans reported that they were Christians. (2)
What did Jesus Say?
It is quite common to find social media posts condemning Christians for failing to “love their neighbor” when they try to share their faith with others. They say that Christians are not being Christlike when they challenge other religions or worldviews or witness to people of other faiths. But Jesus was extremely clear when He said that He was the only way to be reconciled to God, the only true God, the Creator of the universe.
Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him in John 14. He is also quoted as referring to Himself as the door or gate (John 10), the resurrection and the life (John 11, English Standard Version), the bread of life (John 6), and the source of living water (John 7, English Standard Version). He also said in Matthew 11 that “no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone whom the Son chooses to reveal him”, and in Luke 10, “The one who rejects me rejects him who sent me”. John 1 says that Jesus was the Word of God at creation, creating the universe. Jesus did not say He is one of the ways. He said He is the only way.
It is safe to say that God hopes all men and women would come to a saving faith in Christ and be reconciled to their Creator (2 Peter 3:9). But it is also safe to say that He will not coexist with other gods, systems, philosophies, worldviews, or ideas that don’t give Him the glory He is due as the sole Creator, sustainer, and savior of the universe. This is not to say God needs our worship and adoration. God is actually worthy of our worship and adoration. Trying to fly without wings or breathing underwater is deadly, not because gravity and water don’t love us, but because they are forces of nature. When we are opposed to God, we are opposing THE force of all nature. Those of us created in His image will only be in line with reality when we acknowledge the reality, laws, and goodness of our Creator.
Is Exclusivity Unloving?
Imagine you are bitten by a poisonous snake. There is only one liquid antidote that will save your life, but any other liquid will cause unimaginable pain, suffering, and a slow, tormented death. I am seated at a table with ten glasses. One contains the antidote, and the others are various flavors of Kool-Aid. Delicious, but very harmful in this scenario. I know which one of these glasses contains the antidote you need because I took it when I was bitten by the same snake and survived. So, what is the loving thing to do? Do I tell you to pick whichever one you like? Do I tell you they all contain the antidote, even though I know it’s not true and nine of them will kill you? Not if I love you. I must tell you the truth. Importantly, I can’t force you to take the antidote, but I need to at least tell you which one I know is the antidote because I love you. It is not a matter of my truth or your truth. It is THE truth that will determine your life or death.
Winning Hearts and Minds
Many Christians (myself very much included) tend to be slightly obnoxious when we first come to faith. I look back at some of the things I told friends and relatives and wish I could do it over again. However, my zeal was warranted, even if my tactics were off. The way that I communicate with others about this has certainly changed over the years as I have grown in my faith. I will never be Billy Graham, but my hope is that I can honor all that God has, is, and will do for me by being brave enough to tell people about this wonderful, free gift He has given me. I want to make God happy, and I also desperately want other people to know the joy and peace discovering the true Truth has provided me.
This is where relationships matter. It has been said not to talk to someone about God until you have talked to God about that someone. Great advice. Another helpful tactic in sharing faith is allowing others to tell you what they actually think. Allow them to share what they believe before you share what you believe. When it comes to interacting with other people’s worldviews, we must know whether we are irrigating deserts or clearing jungles. Once we truly understand what others believe, we have shown them the kindness of trying to understand them, and also found where their worldview overlaps or conflicts with Christianity. And then we tell them what we believe and why we believe it.
Noisy Gongs.
We also must remember what is said in Corinthians 13 as we go about the task of sharing our faith: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” If we hope to win people over to Christianity, we must love them, just as Christ loved us in the midst of our own rebellion, when He laid His life down for us.
The Good News about The Good News
Many struggle to share their faith out of fear of failure to see their friends and family members converted. The reality is, if we fail to share the good news, that itself is the failure. But we are not responsible for that person’s salvation. It is God alone Who is responsible for the results. Sharing our faith is how we are allowed to be a part of what God is doing in others. When we are rejected, we must remember that people who were with Christ also rejected Him on many occasions in the Bible. (3) The presence of the Truth does not guarantee an acknowledgement of it.
Summary
If the Bible is true, all other worldviews are false. If God created the universe and Christ died for our sins, all other worldviews are wrong. But remember, all other worldviews are also making exclusive truth claims. If Islam is accurate, Christianity is a lie. If Buddhism is true, all other worldviews are false. If scientific materialism is accurate, all other worldviews are wrong. Dear friends, do not be blinded to the reality that everyone with a worldview should defend it. Just because Christianity has fallen out of favor doesn’t mean it isn’t true. If we believe in what our God-given written set of instructions says, it is the only soul-saving truth. Therefore, our faith should be vigorously defended by the faithful, especially in light of all of the other metaphysical truth claims in the world today. So be courageous, love others, and tell them the truth whenever and however you can. Leave the results to God.
About the Author
Tony Williams is a retired police officer from Southern Illinois and currently lives in Kentucky with his family. He has been studying apologetics in his spare time for two decades, since a crisis of faith led him to the discovery of vast and ever-increasing evidence for his faith. Tony received a bachelor's degree in University Studies from Southern Illinois University in 2019. His career in law enforcement has provided valuable insight into the concepts of truth, evidence, confession, testimony, cultural competency, morality, and most of all, the compelling need for Christ in the lives of the lost. Tony plans to pursue postgraduate studies in apologetics in the near future to sharpen his understanding of the various facets of Christian apologetics.
References
- A great resource for more information on this topic is The American Story: The Beginnings by David and Tim Barton.
- Pew Research Center (2025) Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off
3. See John 12:37, Matthew 12:22, John 5:39, Mark 10:17, John 6:66, Luke 4:16, Matthew 23:37, Matthew 26:14, Matthew 27:22, and Matthew 11:20.
