"Monotheistic Religions"

I occasionally have people ask about "monotheistic religions" (i.e. non-christian religions that claim to worship a single God that is somewhat similar to the God of Christianity). This mostly refers only to Islam and (modern) Judaism. When I answer, I try very hard not to contradict anything that the Catechism (i.e. the modern Catechism of the Catholic Church from 1993) says. I do find it interesting that I do have to speak to how the Trent Catechism does not appear to say the same thing that the modern Catechism does (yes, that too is a very cautious statement in itself).

The Trent Catechism seems to have the opinion, simply put, that if they do not worship Jesus Christ, that they are worshiping idols. The modern Catechism makes it sound like there might be a closer affinity between those other beliefs and the fullness of the Catholic faith. We are to trust God that those two perspectives do fit together somehow, even if we do not yet understand how that works out in the end.

To make it perfectly clear: Jesus said to the Jews of the first century that if they rejected Him they were also rejecting the Father. In other words, you can never "monotheistically" get to God the Father, unless you "triunely" go through Jesus Himself. He left no wiggle room. It is either Father, Son and Holy Ghost, or it is none of them.

Let us consider for a moment the modern Catechism's assumption that "monotheistic religions" intend to worship the One True Creator. It is perfectly possible for someone to "intend" to do something but fail in the task. I could write you a letter and "intend" to mail it to you, but put the wrong address on the envelope. It will not get to you no matter how much I "intended" it to do so. In the same way a Muslim or a Jew can "intend" on worshiping the Creator, but can still miss the mark.

In addition, a person can say that he is worshiping the Creator, but not really do so. If I said that I forgive you for something, but secretly hold a grudge in my heart and actually refuse to forgive, my words do not override the reality. In the same way if Muslims and Jews intend to worship the Creator, Whoever He may be, but in their hearts they reject the trinity and accept a false notion of God, how can that be called anything other than idolatry?

Finally, we must acknowledge that in all of this, God knows our hearts. He knows whether a person is truly humble in seeking Him and is willing to change if they are corrected in their errant search for the One True God. He knows if we have the ability to find out that Islam and (modern) Judaism (which is really just Pharisaism) are denials of the truth. He will only hold people accountable for what they truly know, and He will never be unjust.

Therefore, the Catechism is correct in saying that other "monotheists" seek to worship the Creator (or the God of Abraham, or however they word it in each context). To assume from that, however, that they can succeed in that attempt is entirely another issue. That would put the modern Catechism in contradiction to Trent and we know that cannot be the case. Truth does not change, and if Jesus said He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life", then there are not multiple "ways, truths, or lives". Christ is the only path to eternal salvation; for which there is no wiggle room.