What are some of the ideas from non-Christian religions about how to get to heaven?

from the old testament

• The Old Testament does not include a “how-to” guide to heaven in the same way that the New Testament emphasizes faith in Jesus. Instead, it focuses on God’s covenant relationship with His people, obedience to His commands, trust in His promises, and reliance on His mercy and provision (Exodus and Deuteronomy). The ultimate hope of heaven, or eternal life, is more fully revealed in the promise of a coming Messiah who would redeem humanity.
• Prophecies pointed to a Savior who would bring ultimate redemption (e.g., Isaiah 53; Micah 5:2).

from the new testament

• Christianity is the only religion that teaches salvation is a free gift of God, received through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
• Salvation and entry into heaven come through faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” emphasizing belief in Jesus as the path to eternal life. Acts 16:31 reinforces this, stating, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
• Confessing and accepting Jesus as Lord is also essential. Romans 10:9 explains, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” while John 1:12 adds, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
• Salvation is a gift of God’s grace and cannot be earned through works. Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast,” and Titus 3:5 confirms that God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.”
• Genuine faith is accompanied by repentance and a transformed life, but this is not what saves us. Acts 3:19 instructs, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,” and 2 Corinthians 5:17 assures, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Once we are saved, a transformed life that grows in Christlikeness is the result.

implications for today

Of the other religions and religious movements that believe in heaven, each offers an alternative path based on human efforts and often includes various levels of heaven or paradise. In addition, some religious groups do not believe in heaven at all. Instead, reincarnation is adhered to as a belief that a person will return to earth as another life form. In other cases, it is believed that a person's spirit lives on in this world.

Below are some of the beliefs regarding heaven and the afterlife from other religious viewpoints:

Atheism: Atheists do not believe in God or the afterlife. In this worldview, this life is all that exists.

Baha'i: This religious movement combines ideas from multiple religions, including Christianity and Islam, and presents that a person's soul continues its spiritual journey after this life and eventually comes to a final resting point with the god of Baha'i.

Buddhism: Buddhist teachings adhere to reincarnation, meaning a person returns in additional, repeated life forms until achieving a state called nirvana, a blissful spiritual state of ultimate being.

Hinduism: Like Buddhism, Hindu teachings accept reincarnation and eventual nirvana, including the idea of many millions of gods and goddesses.

Islam: Islam speaks of a paradise where faithful Muslims will live with Allah in the afterlife. Those not in paradise will be subject to great judgment. Entry into paradise is based on adherence to the five pillars of Islam, the teachings of the Qur'an, or dying as a martyr.

Jehovah's Witnesses: The Watchtower Society, providing the beliefs of the movement, teaches faith plus a variety of works, based on its teachings, in order to reach a positive afterlife. It teaches a special level of afterlife for the top 144,000 faithful witnesses, a heaven on earth for others, and the annihilation of those who do not make it.

Judaism: Jewish teachings discuss heaven and hell as presented in the Old Testament, believing faith in God and obedience to His teachings are essential to be with God in the afterlife.

Wicca: Wicca includes much diversity regarding its teachings yet generally accepts reincarnation. It also teaches there is no need for salvation, with many believing one can eventually become one with the god and goddess. There is also an emphasis on the spirits of the dead still roaming the earth.

Unlike other religions that rely on human effort, rituals, or multiple lifetimes to reach an afterlife, Christianity teaches that heaven is a gift freely given by God through faith in Jesus Christ. By trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, believers enter into eternal life with God—not because of what they have done, but because of what Christ has done on their behalf. Salvation is a personal relationship, not a hierarchy of merit, and heaven is promised to all who place their faith in Him. This makes the Christian path to heaven unique, simple, and accessible to anyone who chooses to believe.