"Is Jesus the only way?" conversation openers

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -- Jesus (John 14:6)

Jesus' bold saying is a challenge to modern and post-modern minds. There is a tension between the ideal of truth and policy of tolerating all. Below are some notes on the more common objections I've heard to Jesus' claim, and ways to move the conversation forward. 

Objection: There are lots of great teachers

There may be a lot of great teachers from a human point of view, but God raised only one of them from the dead. God made clear which of the great teachers is the way to resurrection and life. We aren't left guessing about it or trying to see who has a better argument (or arguer). Once God has weighed in on the question, human arguments are pointless. 

Objection: There are good atheists too; they should go to heaven

Heaven is God's home. If someone hates God but thinks God owes them admission to his home, God may not think the same way about that. (This is in the context of the "atheists" who are intentionally spiteful about God and believers, the atheists of the "it's cool to be cruel" school.) 

Objection: It's not fair to have eternal fate depend on some obscure belief

God raised Jesus from the dead, and probably every adult in the world has heard that by now. There's no barrier to hearing it: anyone who knows even the barest basics about the major religions knows that. God loves everyone, and desires to save everyone, and sent a savior for everyone. 

After the initial round of discussion, the next move is explaining more about the good news: it means we can trust God. It means God loves us. It means he hasn't abandoned us to pointless lives that are nasty, brutish, and short. Or wherever the good news intersects the listener's felt needs.