For some time, many students of the Bible's teaching about the end times have considered that one ingredient in the end scenario would be a one-world religion; a blending of the world's various faiths and spiritual philosophies into a common denomination of religion for everyone. The synthesis of all faiths would become the preferred religion, a standard for all to follow; and Christians would thus become the enemies of the world-religion and its all-inclusive dogmas.
Given the world's religious makeup, however, it seems unlikely that Christians would be the only ones alienated by a "one size fits all" religion. Indeed, the current religious climate shows that Muslims are every bit as devoted to their own doctrines as any Christian fundamentalist or orthodox Jew. And that's why some people are coming to view fundamentalism of any type, Christian, Jewish or Muslim, as dangerous to world peace and harmony. And there's truth to that feeling. If there was a one-world religion that tried to merge all faiths into one unrecognizable blob, Christians wouldn't be the only ones objecting.
Nor is it likely, for pretty much the same reason, that John Lennon's vision of world peace could ever be fulfilled, in which he asked us all to imagine a world with "no religion", thus removing the source of much of the world's conflicts and enmity between peoples. There's just too many who would never be willing to give up their cherished beliefs for the sake of world harmony.
That's why I don't think a one-world religion or no religion is as likely to happen as a "unified-world" religion; a "big tent" view of religions, with room for all faiths and non-faiths under the same umbrella of acceptability. The only religions left out would be those that still insist on their exclusive right to be the "true faith"; which is exactly what Christians must hold to if they are to be true to the exclusive claims of Christ as the "way, truth and life."
No better picture of this unified world religion could be seen than, of all places, at Michael Jackson's funeral. Jackson was a co-author of the song "We Are the World", originally performed in 1985 for a benefit concert on behalf of African nations. The song was performed at Jackson's funeral, with a visual background composed of various religious symbols arranged together in an way as to emphasize that all faiths are valid. The clear message of the whole scene was "All faiths are of equal value, and deserve equal respect." It's the religious version of Rodney King's "Let's all just get along."
Even some sincere Christians like George W. Bush want to gloss over religious conflicts by supposing that Christians and Muslims "believe in the same God." That would be like saying we all believe in the same George W. Bush, except that some say he has two daughters, while others insist he has two sons and a wife named Diane. At some point we have to decide if world harmony may just not be worth the price of discarding the truth.
If such a unified world religion ever takes hold of enough people (as it has already become the preferred view of many), then Christians will be given a line in the sand that they cannot cross without denying the exclusive claims of their Savior, Jesus Christ, who insisted that "no man comes to the Father except through Me." In the end, the religion that will be persecuted by the world will not be those who cling to their religious truths, but those who are willing to die for the fact that there can be only one Truth, and His name is Jesus.
