Christianity The Most Inclusive And Exclusive Religion

The following is quoted from the article "Christianity is the most inclusive (and exclusive) religion | HuffPost"

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Christ's offer of forgiveness and salvation is perfectly inclusive because it is based entirely on his work. The beneficiaries of such grace - what the church is called to be - therefore have no reason to boast in their own superiority (be it financial, educational, social, cultural, racial, etc.) since they know their greatest asset is pure gift. The more "religious" a Christian becomes, the more humble, sacrificial and loving she desires to be.

The irony of this inclusion is that it simultaneously and necessarily excludes everyone who does not come to Christ and trust him alone for salvation. If you are in a sinking ship, and a lifeboat is offered, your only responsibility is to cling to that lifeboat. If you don't believe your ship is sinking, you will have no reason to seek out a lifeboat. Does that mean the lifeboat is divisive? Is it exclusive (in the negative way we use that term) because it will only save those looking to be saved, those open enough to admit they need saving? Or, is not this exclusion precisely the factor that makes its salvation worthy and secure in the first place? Consider two different reactions to the statement, "there's a lifeboat" - 1. "Only one? Ugh." 2. "There's one! I don't have to look anywhere else? Hallelujah!"

No other religion or worldview considers salvation as 100% gracious in this way, and yet that is precisely what makes them all more exclusive than Christianity, not less. If I have to save myself from the sinking ship in any way more than admitting that I'm sinking, then my salvation will be based on my own strength, and the hierarchies become inevitable. The irony of the critics of orthodox Christianity is that in trying to be more inclusive, they actually become less. They propose what Christian theology calls "works-righteousness", which means that something we do or achieve can merit salvation (or whatever term is given to salvation, such as happiness, paradise, nirvana, purpose, etc.). That inevitably throws the burden back upon ourselves, offering no real hope or mercy. It further oppresses the oppressed as well as offers false hope to the "achievers" and successful of the world.
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