"People of other religions amongst us"

An atheist friend once argued that it's contradicting for a person to respect another's religion because it means you are agreeing and acknowledging their religion and their God. For instance, if I, a Christian, does not convert a Buddhist and instead, respect him/her as a Buddhist, then it's as if I am saying "Yes, there are other gods besides Jesus Christ".  And apparently(according to him),. that shouldn't be the case as I should be believing that there is only one God (which is my God, Jesus Christ). I wasn't able to counter back effectively at that time.

I found my answer few weeks ago on my church bulletin.

" PEOPLE OF OTHER RELIGIONS AMONG US"

by Deacon Sherman Kuek

One of the complications arising from living in Asia stems from the religious composition of the Asian population. The Asian continent is the very source of the world religions that thrive in the world today: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and a good many other religions.

Having to make sense of this plethora of religions together with their variety of truth claims must be disconcerting to the Asian man on the street. This is so even for those of us who follow Jesus Christ, who call ourselves Christians. Over the centuries, Asian Christians have come to make sense of these other religions among them in different ways.

The immediate question that confronts us Christians today is: do people of other religions need to hear about Jesus Christ? Is it necessary for us to share the good news with them? And if we do not do so, are they then all going to be damned to an eternity of torment and suffering?

The Catholic Church, especially since the Second Vatican Council, has come to assess other religions in rather positive light. Of course, as we shall see in a while, this positive assessment has to be understood in proper terms lest we entertain false perceptions about the status of our non-Christian neighbours in relation to the Church.

The Second Vatican Council teaches that God's salvation plan includes all peoples: even Jews, Muslims and peoples of other non-Christian religions. "Christ, the New Adam, through the mystery of His incarnation, death and resurrection, is at work in each human person to bring about interior renewal." (Dialogue and Proclamation, 1991, 15).

This holds true not for Christians only but also for all persons of good will in whose hearts grace is active invisibly. For since Christ died for all, and since all are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the Paschal mystery.   (Gaudium et Spes, 1965, 22)

The Church further goes on to say that all these who have "not yet received the Gospel are related to the people of God in various ways"  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 839).  In numbers 839- 842 of the Catechism (also in Lumen Gentium, 1964, 26), further explications is given on the unique nature of each of these relationships. 

In a way, if not for that atheist friend, who used to constantly challenge me on my religion, I wouldn't have sought to understand more on my religion. I am a cradle Catholic, so being a Catholic is the most natural thing to me and it has never occurred to me to think from the perspective of people who are not. So it's actually a good thing that I am being challenged constantly by this friend. It broadens my mind and pushes me to seek the answers to the questions that I never thought existed about my religion.