Is It Arrogant to Insist My Religion Is Right And to Convert Others To It?

"It is arrogant to insist your religion is right and to convert others to it." --Quoted from: the worldview of a pluralist.

This is the next claim we are likely to encounter "out there" in the public. This statement ASSUMES there is no true religion. This is very dangerous because...what if there is. Just for the sake of argument...what if one of the religions are right...then is it "arrogant" or does it then become seriously important?

As a Christian, I believe Christianity is not only true, but THE ONLY TRUTH when it comes to the meaning and purpose of life, who we are and who God is and how we can know God. So this statement above is aimed at me, among others. But you know that old saying, "when you point your fingers at someone you have three of your fingers pointing back at yourself"? This is an example where that saying fits. For a person to say to me that I am arrogant to insist my religion is right and to try to convert others to it, is arrogant. After all, is this person not insisting his view is the right worldview and is he not trying to convert me to it?

John Hick wrote that once you become aware that there are many other equally intelligent and good people around this world who hold different views from you and that you will not be able to convince them otherwise, then it is arrogant for you to continue to try to convert them or to hold your view to be the superior truth. John Hick believes that. That is John Hick's view. How arrogant then, of John Hick, to hold this view as superior to my view. How arrogant of John Hick to try to convince us otherwise!! Do you see how these arguments are self-refuting, and quite frankly, far more arrogant than many religious views.

That is a Western-view Mr Hick writes from. Non-Western cultures have no problem saying their culture and religion is the best. Non-Western cultures do not hold Hick's view. So basically Hick is saying, "My culture's approach to other cultures is superior to yours." He makes himself guilty of what he himself condemns...the "sin" of ethnocentrism (belief that your culture is superior). He is a walking self-contradiction. I do believe the Christian culture and faith is superior to all others. Mr Hick feels this is arrogant. But if I am arrogant for holding this view, he is too, for holding his view that his way is superior to mine.

"It is no more narrow to claim that one religion is right than to claim that one way to think about all religions (namely that all are equal) is right. We are all exclusive in our beliefs about religion, but in different ways" --Timothy Keller, The Reason For God, Pg 13.