Exclusive? Why?

Do you think about how exclusive math is?  What if three or five wanted to be the end product of two plus two?  Why should four always show up as the exclusive answer?  Isn’t that being intolerant?  Being dogmatic?  Isn’t it confining to know that mathematics requires specific answers, not allowing for creativity?  Our pastor mentioned this during his sermon Sunday morning.  Easy for him, he is a mathematician, and he was a math teacher.  Math carries provable specifics. Two plus two equals four.  That is a truth, exclusive of five and three or what their desires might be.

Yet mankind squirms under the confining restrictions of truth, seeking instead relevancy in regard to culture, timeframe, geography and greatest of all, personal desires.  Mankind wants nothing less than for everyone to be themselves, as defined individually and open to interpretations.

The morning’s scriptures were John 13:36 – 14:6, and the sermon covered much more than I will attempt to mention here.  I’d like to focus on the last three verses:

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:4-6 KJV)

Don’t you just love Thomas?  Here, as in John 11:16 and John 20:25, Thomas’ plain speech is as open and honest at it gets.  Jesus says He’s going and they know where (He has spoken of His death for some time now – remember, this is taking place at the last supper.) Thomas says what some of the others must be thinking.  Even Peter misunderstood a conversation in the last of chapter 13.  It’s left up to Thomas to state clearly, "We don't know," and ask for an explanation.

Jesus gives a dogmatically doctrinal answer that He has stated many times in the gospels, but is as plain as Thomas’ question.  It includes that awesome acknowledgement of who He is:  “I am.”  He is all – the way, the truth and the life.  Exclusive.  Dogmatic.  Intolerant.  All of those words apply, just as two plus two only equals four.  This verse can be omitted or ignored, but it cannot be explained away.  Neither can Luke’s:

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 KJV)

Yes, it was written down by men.  Men who were inspired by God to share the message they were given.  If they were not – this is all false.  If they were, they can be ignored only by accepting the consequences of that ignorance.

Is there truth, or is existence simply relative to personal whims?  Does two plus two always equal four and never five nor three?  Why?