It would be much more in keeping with a democratic, consensual age if God had allowed for many different ways of knowing him in different religious systems.

Peter, how can you suggest that God didn’t allow for other ways of knowing him?  Are you suggesting that for example Ghandi or other highly spiritual people in other faiths don’t "know God"? 

I have a relatively new friend that is a self-proclaimed atheist.  I’ve been able to share my faith with him and he has warmed to the idea of God, but the reality is that I could tell he already knew God from the moment I met him. I could tell he knew God by the way he loved his wife and son.  I could see him living the kingdom of Jesus by the way he accepted me and cared for others around him.  He already "got it" more than most Christians.  There were dozens of "God moments" we shared in conversation even though we didn’t mention God and he didn’t know the story of Jesus at all. So just because someone doesn’t know about God or Jesus doesn’t mean they don’t know God.  For that reason I have to realize that there is more than one way to know God. 

Christianity and the Bible may be THE way that you and I came to know God and that is why we embrace it, but that may not be so for everyone.  This is why emergent needs to embrace a hint of religious pluralism to succeed beyond just developing into another denomination.  I applaud the fact that Mclaren and other emergents are joining with emergent Jews in discussion as well as looking for emergents in many different faiths. http://emergent-us.typepad.com/emergentus/2005/12/emergent_christ.html

Matt, I agree with you that people desire the life described by Jesus but struggle with the terms we tend to use. They want the kingdom, but if the only way we present the kingdom is through mentions of the divinity of Jesus, supernatural acts, or literal afterlife then it isn’t accepted. 

Pete, I don’t think you can just dismiss the effect of terms on the ability to reach people.

So, in the emerging church, can’t we say "Jesus is God" and celebrate that?  Can’t we chalk the rest up to mystery and/or sacrifice the rest of the sake of unity?

The flip side of your comment is "Can’t we just STOP saying Jesus is God for the sake of unity and get on with living the lifestyle of Jesus?"