The Christian Speaks: Why is Christianity So Exclusive?

The New Inklings may disagree on a lot of things, but ignorance and obnoxiousness, regardless of faith, will not be tolerated. If you’re new, refer ye to the Pub Rules before proceeding.

It will never be possible by pure reason to arrive at some absolute truth.  ~Werner Heisenberg

This quote summarizes the current philosophical mood in our culture.  The post-modern era has been in full swing for some time, and one of its core tenants (if there really are such things in post-modernism, which is a vague term itself) is the concept of relative truth.  In other words, what’s true for you may indeed be true for you, but it may not be true for me.  Even so, there is no way to know absolute truth.

I find the whole thing amusing, quite honestly.  In some cases, this works.  For example, consider this statement about myself:  I must take medication so that my transplanted kidney continues to function. This statement is true for me, but it isn’t true for Franny B.  She’s never had a kidney transplant, and thus she doesn’t have to take meds for it.  Therefore, it isn’t true for her.

But in other areas of life, it doesn’t work.  A stop sign is a stop sign, no matter if you think it’s message is true, valid, or not.  Try telling the cop, “I don’t believe in stop signs.  They may be true for others, but not for me.”  You’ll still get a ticket.

Many in today’s culture feel that religion falls into the first category–that your religion may be true for you, but not for me.  And since I’m a Christian, that brings up a topic that many agnostics and atheists have issue with:

Why is Christianity so exclusive?

Many Branches or One Path?

While many of the new breed of atheists want to end religion all together, many agnostics are fine with people practicing their religion as long as, (1) they keep it to themselves and discuss it without judgement, and (2) they allow others to practice their religions or non-religions.  Others, in the name of tolerance, say that all religions are branches off the same tree or tributaries all feeding into one river.  That sounds good, but is it true, especially when it comes to Christianity?

It’s been pointed out that most religions share several basic tenants:  be a good person, treat others well, live with respect to others, etc.  While there are many similarities on the surface, when one digs deeper they find that not all religions are the same.

Take Jesus for example.  Christians believe Jesus is son of God who became a man, lived a perfect life, died as a substitute for all mankind, taking the divine penalty for sin on himself, and then raising from death three days later.  Islam, however, only see Jesus as one of a succession of prophets.  He did not die on the cross, and he was not the son of God.  Judaism rejects Jesus as God and the Messiah.  Buddhism has varying views on Jesus, but most agree that he was only an enlightened man.  These are just three of the world’s major religions, and they don’t agree on Jesus.  All they agree on about him was that he was a smart guy.

Many would say that we should just go with what we agree on about Jesus and forget about the rest.  To do that, however, guts the core of Christianity.  Without the Jesus of Scripture, there is no Christianity.  If he was just a good guy who taught some good things, he wouldn’t be worth following.

And that’s the issue with the exclusivity of Christianity:  it shows Jesus to be the son of God who lived perfectly, died on a cross to pay the price for man’s sins, and was raised from death never to die again.  And that same Jesus said this in John 14:6,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Is that an exclusive statement?  Yes.  Jesus claims here that no one can be reconnected with God apart from Him.  The preachers and authors of the New Testament affirm this.  The apostle Peter preached these words in Acts 4:12,

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

There is no other way these references can be read.  In their context, they proclaim that Christianity isn’t just a branch on the spirituality tree along with other religions.  It’s the one path to God.  The reason?  Jesus’ historical death and resurrection validate his message.  No other religion has a God who was physically raised from death (see our discussion “Hodgepodge Jesus” for more on this subject).

I realize, in our culture, that many find this arrogant.  Unfortunately, many Christians have approached those whom they disagree with the angle of exclusion, and it has turned off many to the message of Jesus.  It is better, however, to see these statements as radically inclusive.

Radically Inclusive

Yes, Jesus said that no one comes to God except through him.  But can you see what this means?  Anyone who comes to Jesus is reconnected to God.

Many people say the Bible is anti-women, pro-slavery, and anti-gay (all of which would make great post subjects).  Christianity, however, did much to elevate women.  The Bible called men in Greco-Roman societies to honor their wives, to remain sexually faithful to them (ancient Greek men were known to have wives for childbearing, several sex slaves for pleasure, and a prostitute for an occasional “treat”), and it gave them honor in the church community that they did not find in their secular cultures.  The Bible has an entire book, Philemon, dedicated to how the apostle Paul introduced a runaway slave to Jesus and implored his Christian master to accept him back as more than a servant, but a brother in Christ (and thus subvert slavery, not through legislation, but through life change).  Scripture shows people from all walks of life being changed through Jesus.

In the opening scenes in Revelation, we see Jesus, the Lamb, on his throne, surrounded by heavenly creatures.  They sing praises to him, and say this in Revelation 5:9,

…with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Anyone, regardless of their ethnic background, social situation, or economic level can reconnect to God through Jesus.

Is Jesus the only way to God?  Christians say yes.   But while there is only one path to God, anyone can walk on it.

The comments have been turned off for this post. Don’t worry, you’ll have your chance to join the conversation on Wednesday.

The Agnostic Speaks: What Would Change Your Mind?

This topic quite honestly has had me coming back and forth for a few weeks now. I find myself going “well if x, y, z… Nope, that wouldn’t make me believe.” Strange as it may seem, its not the “proof” of Jesus’ existence or resurrection that I require when it comes to changing my mind. You see I’ve held and nurtured my Agnostic feelings for so long and have found an incredible sense of peace amongst said beliefs that its very difficult to step outside of that box. But it’s what must be done. This is a good example of how Aaron and I challenge each other.

What would need to happen would be this:  something would have to click with me that I should do good in this world for Jesus, not just because I feel it’s the human and right thing to do. Something would have to alter the belief that I am not in control of my destiny but Jesus is; that the divine cannot be found in me but only found in a man who died on a cross thousands of years ago. I would have to believe that the light and love I try very hard to bring to others is only possible by believing in Jesus.

It’s hard to explain.  As much as Aaron’s Christianity feels like the right fit for him, my non-Christianity feels right to me. The best example I can find is this: we’ve all witnessed that faithful person eyes closed, tears falling, hands waiving in the air, being overcome with the “holy spirit”. I’ve been in the presence of many such people and for a long time I was desperate to feel that way. It always eluded me when it came to Christianity. So I prayed more. I read the Bible more. I knew what I was supposed to feel, but it just wasn’t there.

This isn’t to say that I haven’t been overcome and had a similar reaction to moments in my life. The feeling that what I was witnessing was so much bigger than me; it was something inspired by something beyond typical humanity. Those moments that just seem to transport you to a some beautiful place in your soul.  Yes, I do believe we all have this special spark, energy, or soul if you will.  The moment my daughter was born, I remember the world took on this soft hue, time stood still, I was overcome with this feeling of peace, warmth, and love like I’ve never known before. Never once in those many moments did I ever find myself capable of feeling that these emotions were the result of Jesus or felt that it was Jesus trying to talk to me.

Something would have to make me believe that the only way to tap into the “God” energy in this world (which I feel I have done many times in my life and try to do so as often as possible) is through suddenly believing that attempting to connect with the spirit of a man who died on a cross is the only way that I can ever do so.

The comments have been turned off for this post.  Don’t worry, you’ll have your chance to join the conversation tomorrow.

The Agnostic Speaks: The Big C

The New Inklings may disagree on a lot of things, but ignorance and obnoxiousness, regardless of faith, will not be tolerated. If you’re new, refer ye to the Pub Rules before proceeding.

Ahh Conversion. Strangely, although Aaron thinks its “rarely” discussed, from my perspective its all that “typical” Christians seem to want to achieve. It feels as though it’s, more often than not, the main goal of a Christian; to have someone believe what they do. When I see a mega-church, it feels like its all about the numbers, all about how many people you have in the pews. However, I do agree with Aaron’s observation that it can feel like someone is “illegally trespassing onto someone’s spiritual, emotional, and philosophical property” when my agnostic belief is challenged.

I feel so lucky to have the friendship that I do with Aaron. To me it’s exciting and challenging to be able to discuss theology with someone who does not share my view. It ensures that I dive deeper and nurture my own beliefs, but to also make sure I do everything I can to read and understand the other person’s perspective. I have to say that our theological discussions have only proved to deepen my own agnostic beliefs. The interesting thing here is that while our friendship does not depend on whether or not I convert to Christianity, and although I have “faith” that its never going to be something he pushes onto me, Aaron still hopes that someday I may “come to Jesus” if you will. If anything it’s so that I can hang out with him and his family in the after life.

I on the other hand do not want Aaron to lose his faith. I find myself stressing about it sometimes, particularly when it comes to our blog. What if one day I make a few points that cause him to question his Christian affiliation? It is so much a part of him and what makes Aaron… well , Aaron. I went through such heartache and conflict traveling down my path. Although it was worth it for me in the end, I would never want to see Aaron go through that after all he has experienced and certainly not after all the good he has done in this world.

Ultimately conversion feels like an overall scheming event to me. Why does it matter so much that I think a certain way, believe a certain thing? Why not focus on your own life, focus on being selfless, good and kind to others as Jesus taught? (something that is found in Christians and Non-Christians alike) That, to me, is a more important and “Christian”-like way to act than forcing me to change my mind or attend your church. From my perspective, when you nurture yourself, when you live your life in a good and kind way. People take notice and appreciate your faith more than you could have ever hoped.

The comments have been turned off for this post. Don’t worry, you’ll have your chance to join the conversation tomorrow.

The Christian Speaks: Fanatics and Hypocrites – Proof that Religion is False?

Back in early September 2010, the US media took a small story and blew it up into an international crisis:  Florida preacher Terry Jones’ planned for his church to publicly burn copies of the Koran on Saturday, September 11.  Jones’ planned event drew international attention, mostly condemnation.  President Obama, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and General Patraeus all warned that Jones’ event would put our military personnel in the Middle East in harm’s way.  Caving under all the pressure, Jones canceled his bonfire.

In late September, Atlanta-based megachurch leader Eddie Long was sued by four men, each alleging that he used his position of authority to coerce them into sexual favors.  Long denied the allegations from his pulpit.  As this post is being written, there has been no news of court proceedings or further legal action.

The list of religious fanatics and hypocrites stretches for miles.  Fanatics such as Jim Jones and David Koresh are forever burned into our religious history.  Spiritual hypocrites who are exposed for their greed or indulgences they’ve preached against are just as notorious (anyone remember Jimmy Swaggart or Robert Tilton, both of whom are still at it?).

Many have rejected the legitimacy of Christianity due to such fanaticism and hypocrisy.   The question is, do such “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and snake oil salesman invalidate the claims of Christianity?

No.

In fact, the Bible tells Christians to expect such swindlers to have their fifteen minutes of fame, and even to expect some believers to fall for it.  Here are just two examples:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  ~ 1 Timothy 4:1-3

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.  ~ 1 Timothy 6:3-5

The ravings of a maniac or the sins of a hypocrite do not invalidate the teachings of Scripture any more than the scandals of certain politicians invalidate the platforms of their respective parties.  In fact, they serve as a reminder to take a look at ourselves.  In my case, the exposure of financial fraud by several well-known TV preachers reminds me to look at how I view money and finances.  When I hear of a preacher (famous or not) whose downfall comes as the result of sexual sin, I’m reminded to make sure I’m protecting my marriage.  And when a cult leader’s lunacy makes headlines, I’m reminded to (as Scripture says) watch both what I believe and my life closely.

Because at times, I am hypocritical.  At times, I am fanatical.  We all are.

The comments have been turned off for this post. Don’t worry, you’ll have your chance to join the conversation on Wednesday.

Ye Olde Viral: Jesus Double Feature!

Each Friday one of us will post something that tickled our fancy.  It may be a video we found on YouTube.  It may be a book review.  It may simply be us making fun of ourselves.  Whatever it is, our hope is to get you to think, even if only for a nanosecond (which is, on a typical Friday, all the thinking that most of our brains can handle). Remember  “Tis better to be infected by Ye Olde Viral than with Ye Olde Influenza.”

Since we’ve discussed Jesus this week, He is the subject of today’s Ye Olde Viral.  And it’s a double feature!

I (Aaron) cringe every time I see this video.  I also laugh until I nearly wet my pants.  It’s everything that’s wrong with “Christian music.”   The video made it onto YouTube several years ago  It’s a segment from a Christian talk show that was filmed in the early ’80’s featuring the Christian group Sonseed.  The YouTube video went viral, getting nearly 4.4 million plays and spawning many parodies.  My favorite part of the entire video is guitarist Frank Franco, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Ned Flanders.

The second is part of a series of videos done by Vintage21 Church.  These videos were part of series they did on Jesus back in ’03.  This one features what Jesus thinks about football (OK, not really, but it’s pretty darn funny):