Interfaith Unity in Prayer?
➤In recent decades, the dangers of interfaith spiritual compromise have become increasingly visible, and an ever-increasing number of Americans who profess Jesus Christ as Savior also believe there are many ways to God.
Consider the Findings of Latest Research
A 2021 Pew survey on views of the afterlife, summarized by Christian Century, reported that 58% of American Christian adults believed “many religions can lead to eternal life in heaven.”
In that same analysis:
- Catholics (about 72%) were most likely to say many religions may lead to heaven
- Mainline Protestants (about 67%) followed closely
- Evangelicals were divided:
- About 44% said other religions can lead to heaven
- Only about 50% said Christianity is “the one true faith leading to eternal life in heaven”
An ever-increasing number of those who profess Jesus Christ now believe there are many ways to God.
The 9/11 Response Boosted the Growing Trend
Shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the White House Office of FaithBased and Community Initiatives began actively bringing together representatives from many different religions, helping to normalize broader interfaith cooperation in American public life.
This was primarily a response to the backlash against Islam that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks carried out in the name of Islam. That moment spurred an already dangerous trend onward.
Since that time, interfaith movements have grown, oftentimes promoted by Christians who took the bait.
Such efforts have led some notable Christian leaders to compromise, polluting the name of Jesus Christ and distorting the world’s understanding of what it truly means to bear His name.
In time, the Christianled interfaith trend drew enough concern and resistance that it cooled for a season.
Yet, it is rising again—especially in countries where Christians are few and live under the dominance of strongly antiChristian religions.
A weak understanding and clear proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in American Churches is resulting in greater compromise here, too.
We Are Called to Peace, Not to Compromise
We are called to “pursue peace with all men” (Hebrews 12:14), yet peace must never come at the expense of truth.
Interfaith prayer gatherings, where each participant prays to their own god, might appear peaceful or unifying, but they clearly contradict the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God’s People Must Be Set Apart
From the beginning, God has gathered those who fear Him—whether under the Old Covenant or now under the New—into His family through grace and faith in Him alone.
Our Lord has always drawn a line of distinction between His people and those who worship false gods, warning them not to be joined in spiritual fellowship with those who deny Him.
That God is jealous for His name and how those of us who bear His name live and manage our associations is well-established throughout all of scripture.
“For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14; 20:5)
In the same passage, God commanded Israel:
“Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.” (Exodus 34:12)
God knew that befriending people who denied Him could lead to compromise altogether.
Acknowledging prayer to any other god but God is already a compromise.
Remember, God’s Spirit eventually left Solomon’s Temple desolate about 350 years after Solomon died, because the priests polluted it by bringing in the abominations of false gods (II Chronicles 36).
The Harlot Religious System
Scripture also gives us a sobering picture of what compromise looks like in the last days—the great “harlot” described in Revelation 17.
She portrays a false church that outwardly professes Christ but spiritually unites with religions not born of Him.
It is an unholy alliance, where the name of Jesus may still be spoken, but hearts are no longer wholly loyal to Him.
These kinds of gatherings may seem harmless and even claim to promote a “good cause,” but nowhere does God’s Word endorse or permit them.
The New Testament makes this plain:
II Corinthians 6:14–17 says, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers… What agreement has the temple of God with idols?… Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing.”
Galatians 1:8–9 – “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you… let him be accursed…”
Here, Paul was speaking about anyone who teaches any other way to God than by grace through faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. That includes other religions.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be gracious and kind toward all, and to share Him with everyone, too, as the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.
We must remain spiritually distinct from those who reject Him as He is, no matter how sincere or earnest they may be.
Yes, Jesus prayed that His people would be one—but this unity is only among those who belong to Him and are sanctified by His truth.
Any “unity” that joins prayers to many gods is not the unity Jesus prayed for.
A Call to Holy Separation
The Word of God is clear: we are to live in love, but also in holy separation from the spirit of this world and from every form of worship that denies the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our faith rests in Him alone, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
We are therefore called to stand apart from the spirit of this age and from every alliance that would draw us into spiritual partnership of any kind with those who reject the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and faith in Him alone.
Watching His plan unfold,
Mark S. Case
