Pastor Ron Kool opens by noting the enormous religious diversity in the world—over 11,000 religions—yet almost everyone falls into seven major groups, with Christianity and Islam comprising more than half of the global population. Using worldwide and North American statistics, he highlights the rapid rise of the religiously “non-affiliated” and the decline of Christianity in the West, which increases our proximity to people of different faiths.

From there, he introduces the idea of religious exclusivism—the belief that only one faith is ultimately true—and shows that Scripture supports this claim. He then explores why many people push back against exclusivism today, citing concerns about arrogance, cultural bias, and the fear that exclusive truth claims create conflict. The session ends by acknowledging these tensions and preparing to address how Christians can thoughtfully respond in the next part.

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