This article was originally posted at my site. Only some of my articles are posted on SBC Voices. If you would like access to all of my articles, you can follow my feed here. You can also connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
The title of this article sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but it is a serious and growing reality in our pluralistic society. In an article I recently read in Christian Century Amy Frykholm examines three Christians who have embraced other religions without leaving Christianity behind. Here is an abstract I wrote of her article:
In today’s American pluralistic society, it is common practice for men and women to attend church on Sunday, but also to benefit from yoga and other forms of meditation inspired by Eastern traditions. Some have even taken religious pluralism to a deeper level by enjoying two distinctly different religions. Amy Frykholm refers to these people as “explorers.” Frykholm profiles three such explorers in this article: Paul Knitter, Deborah Risa Mrantz, and Ann Holmes Redding.
Paul Knitter, a former Catholic priest who is still a devout Catholic, found spiritual fulfillment simultaneously in Christianity and Buddhism. Buddhism brought a richer understanding of Christianity for Knitter. He consistently belongs to both communities, firmly believing that “without Buddha, he could not be a Christian.” In spite of this declaration, Knitter is against a “divine deli” mentality where Christians look to other religions for self-confirmation instead of self-transformation. Self-transformation should be the goal of multiple-belonging.
Deborah Risa Mrantz belongs concurrently to Christianity and Judaism. To her, these are not two distinct faiths, but rather, two ways that the one God comes to be known. In her eyes, these faiths are intertwined “as a double-strand DNA helix,” within her heart and soul for the worship of the one God.
Ann Holmes Redding, after 20 years as an Episcopal priest, publicly embraced Islam. She describes what happened to her as convergence instead of conversion, since in accepting Islam she did not leave Christianity behind. Even though she struggles at times with these two religions coexisting within her life, she intends to stand at the fault lines between the two, revealing their common ground.
In conclusion, people like the explorers mentioned above reveal their various needs in their embracing of multiple religions. It is possible that one religion is not providing all that the seeker needs; therefore, he or she embraces another religion without leaving the previous religion behind. Although such call of God may be hard to understand, one must admit that lots of things are hard to imagine and are also true.
I agree with Frykholm that these individuals are “explorers.” The problem is they are merely exploring the forgotten ground of the Serpent. They’re using Satan’s mantra from the Garden of Eden, “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4), to live as if they possess God-like knowledge to join other religions with Christianity in spite of God’s Word revealing that Christianity is exclusive. Jesus in John 14:6 claimed to be the only Way to God the Father, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In other words, there were no Christian-Buddhists, Christian-Judaizers, or Christian-Muslims in the New Testament Church. The apostle Paul referred to preaching Christ crucified as a “stumbling block for the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
Knitter argues that without Buddha, he could not be a Christian. What an interesting statement! It’s interesting because if one reaches the highest point in Buddhism, then he or she is sovereign in a God-like fashion. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to be god-like in sovereignty. Can you hear the Serpent’s voice as he says, “You will be like God?”
Mrantz is a Christian-Judaizer. If Mrantz is correct, someone needs to tell the apostles that they didn’t need to leave Judaism behind in order to become Christians. Someone should have rebuked the apostle Paul in Galatians 2:13 for rebuking the apostle Peter. What was Peter’s sin according to Paul? He withdrew from eating with Gentile Christians when Jews came around. So, the apostle Paul rebuked him for living as if the gospel was not true (Gal. 2:14-16). What New Testament Christians understood is that when the Fulfillment (Jesus Christ) of Judaism came, true Jews became Christians. They could not live as if their Messiah had not come.
Redding is a Christian-Muslim. Even though Isalm rejects the Trinity and diminishes Christ to less than God’s Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, Redding still thinks she can embrace Isalm without leaving Christianity behind. She is correct that there is common ground between Christianity and Islam in that both are monotheistic, but Allah is not a personal god in the least. The Christian God is personal. One can see the distinction by comparing Islamic Paradise with the Christian heaven. The Islamic Paradise is about pleasure, but the Christian heaven is about pleasure in God. All the joys experienced in the Christian heaven serve the purpose of worship. Furthermore, the Islamic gospel is works-based and is a shot-in-the-dark concerning salvation unless one dies in a holy war. In Christianity, God is clear that all those who come to God through Christ will be saved (John 3:16).
In conclusion, there is a wicked presupposition, an idol, an undergirding religion that encourages such pluralistic merging of exclusive belief systems. The true religion of the above three individuals is the religion of the sovereign tolerant interpreter. These individuals believe the merging of Christianity with other religions is true for them, and no one can tell them differently; however, they do not believe their merging of these religions is exclusive. So, they do not demand others agree with them. Make no mistake though these individuals will not accept someone telling them they’re wrong either. Therefore, even though they will not force their merging of religions with Christianity on others, they will force their presuppositions on others; namely that ideas and individuals must be accepted if their beliefs appear to pragmatically “work for them.” Can you hear the Serpent say, yet again, “You will not surely die. You will be like God” (Genesis 3:4-5)?
Source: Frykholm, Amy. “Double Belonging: One person, two faiths.” Christian Century, 25 January 2011, 20-23.
This article was originally posted at my site. Only some of my articles are posted on SBC Voices. If you would like access to all of my articles, you can follow my feed here. You can also connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
“Can you hear the Serpent say, yet again, “You will not surely die. You will be like God” (Genesis 3:4-5)?”
Yep… and I have an answer: “Get thee behind Me, Satan! You are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt 16: 22-23)
The COEXIST bumper sticker actually is sound Biblical advice, but not in the way that most people think:
Matthew 13:25-30 (HCSB)
“25 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds[e] among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this!’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and gather them up?’ the slaves asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn.’” “
Great angle, Greg
Yep.
Jared Moore,
If you would like to take the time to read something of a similar nature to that of which you challenge in your post that is somewhat “closer to home” for us, (SBC folks) check out dcbaptist.org.
I like their motto, “One faith, many cultures, endless possibilities.”
But I can’t tell how close they hold to the exclusivity of Christ. Don’t know much about them.
BTW Jared Moore, this is a good post. It does well lock in harmony with your recent piece on Postmodernity.
CB,
Apparently you know something more about the DCBC than what their website let on. Would you mind connecting the dots instead of assuming we all know as well?
Jeff Musgrave,
It really is all on the website. In truth, I should have let that alone. I should not have made the comment.
For sure as I do comment as to why I made the reference, I will get in trouble with the new rules, because I know I am right and I will not step down or back down and there is no way I will be able to keep singing “Kumbaya.” I would have to go and borrow back the “Onward Christian Soldiers” CD from the rabid Y-W-Fs.
Also, are you sure that 1 Corinthians 7:18-20 is not in reference to the actual state of physical circumcision rather than to “those of the circumcision” in that context?
It is where I am at after studying this stuff for several years now. It is Pauline shorthand for those who are legally Jewish. He uses it that way most of the time in his epistles. The more I study Paul’s letters, the more convinced I am that most of his polemics are directed at a very narrow group. Mostly those who are Jewish converts. It makes a lot more sense in that context. It explains his “superiority rants” for one thing. He was a Jew by birth who wasn’t trusting on his legal standing as a Jew for salvation. How dare they trust in a legal conversion for their salvation in that case. Frankly, Jews of that era didn’t spend a lot of time trying to gather up converts. The only group that would be so worked up trying to get others to “join their club” are those who had done so themselves. Does that make sense?
Jeff Musgrave,
Yeah, that all makes sense, but that specific Text may be about the physical state of being or not being circumcised rather than about the Jewish religion or even the Hebrew Nation. (those of the circumcision)
I think there is that possibility. Also there is much in the “mystery” concepts in Ephesians that gives credit to what Jared Moore stated. In addition, maybe the cleansing of the temple by Jesus comes to mind here as well as the tearing of the veil of the temple from top to bottom.
Just some random thoughts. Nonetheless, I do think the post in and of itself does present the reality and danger of religious construct in this current time of postmodernity.
The main reason I see for not reading it as a statement about physical circumcision is the phrase “remove the marks of circumcision.” If this is talking merely about physical circumcision that makes no sense. If this is about Jewish identity or status, that phrase has purpose and the whole thought holds together much more reasonably.
I guess people interpret the message of the Co-Exist bumper sticker in different ways.
I’ve always viewed the bumper sticker as promoting the idea that in a pluralistic society, we must literally co-exist and to do so, we must treat one another with respect, tolerance and work to preserve the freedoms which allow for pluralism.
I understand some probably view this bumper sticker as all religions being theologically equal and promoting a theological pluralism though.
I read an interesting article a few years back in Christianity Today about a movement towards Paganism (Wicca) among Quakers. The irony here is that the Quaker movement was founding on an extreme anti-pagan sentiment.
Let me ask though, in light of your conclusions that one can’t be simultaneously Buddhist and Christian, Muslim and Christian, etc. (which I think 99.9999% of all folks, Christian and non-Christian alike agree with), what about Messianic Jews? How do you distinguish that movement from these other smaller movements and “explorers”?
And what does the DC Baptist Convention have to do with this, CB?
Big Daddy,
In order to joyously maintain adherence to the newly constructed parameters for thread comment participation now enforced here at Voices, I shall refrain from my normal, direct method of interaction with you and respond in the following more tolerant and peaceful method.
Big Daddy, you are a capable reader on a scholarly level of competence. Therefore, go to the site and use your diligently acquired, “Baylorized,” theological education and make your own judgments as to what the DCBC has to do with this.
BTW, I will have “Kumbaya” playing softly on my Bose System when I comment on Voices now. I gave my CD of “Onward Christian Soldiers” to some rabid Y-W-Fs.
Don’t make me come down there and sit on you, CB!
However, I think that the general intent of the COEXIST bumper sticker is more as Jared intended – all religions are one, equally true, Christianity is just one path – that kind of thing.
However, I think that the general intent of the COEXIST bumper sticker is more as Jared intended – all religions are one, equally true, Christianity is just one path – that kind of thing.
No doubt about that.
Pluralism is the heart of the movement, not just tolerance
This is the natural outcome of tolerance as a faith statement
Theologically the suggestion by BDW in regard to messianic Jews being a Christian-Jewish hybrid is completely false. I’m surprised someone can pursue a doctorate and make such a claim.
WOW. Thanks for the insult.
Seems a bit unfair that you know I’m pursuing a doctorate, yet you won’t share your real name with the folks here at Voices.
And I didn’t say that the “explorer” examples are the SAME as the Messianic Jews. Certainly, there are some SIMILARITIES in the sense that Messianic Judaism blends Christian theology with Jewish terminology and Jewish rituals. They are Christians who identify as Jews.
Why you felt the need to take a personal swipe at me, I don’t know. But I’d like an apology, sir.
I’m going to ask everyone to tone it down. This is the kind of exchange that accelerates and leads to comment wrecks.
Frank, I agree with your position, but it is unnecessary to take a personal shot at Aaron. Your comment was fine up till that point.
Please, let’s discuss the topic and stay away from personal insults/attacks.
If not, I will start deleting and making enemies!!!
OK, I should have chosen my words better. I apologize to Aaron.
However he has made numerous references to his educational pursuits so I feel that manes such fair game. My wording was poor.
Messianic Jews are not a hybrid. They are fully Christian in their belief.
In a sense, Gentile believers are the hybrids acc. To Paul.
Again, my wording was very poor. I actually was surprised to see Aaron make that statement as he is usually more scholarly in his posts. I did him a disservice by speaking carelessly.
What an apology. I apologize but….
Why not just stop making assertions about me. I don’t go around touting my educational pursuits. You just made that claim to minimize your unprovoked personal shot at me.
As to the substance of your comment about Messianic Jews, how about offering something more than an assertion there too.
As I stated below to Jake:
“In some sense the “hybrid” of Messianic Judaism is similar to the hybrid “explorers” that Jared described.
We are talking about a blending of Jewish terminology and rituals with distinctly historic or “orthodox” Christian theology. Adherents still identify as Jews while falling under the umbrella of Christianity.
It’s also worth observing that while Jared argues that one can’t be a Christian and a Buddhist (who disagrees?), every major Jewish body argues that one can’t simultaneously be a Jew and adhere to Christian theology as a follower of Jesus Christ.”
Since you brought up “scholarly,” the scholarly response from you or anyone else would be to distinguish the “explorers” in Jared’s post from the example of Messianic Jews.
I stated that while those two are not the SAME they are certainly SIMILAR in some sense.
Big Daddy,
The maintenance of harmony and tranquil feelings on a Baptist blog demands that we have tolerance for one another.
Therefore, let me encourage you by the words of one of your own, a moderate-to-liberal scholar and theologian who I am sure you admire, Bruce Springsteen, for help when it comes to apologies on a Baptist blog:
From Springsteen’s White Paper entitled: “Tougher Than The Rest”
“….But ’round here baby, I learned you get what you can get….”
Well, one cannot make someone accept an apology. So, that will have to stand as it is.
However, anybody implying that a Messianic Jew is a Christian-Jew in the sense of the CoExist movement, simply does not understand the movement, nor do they understand what a Messianic Jew is.
I think this is one of the biggest problems with the “hyper-tolerance, Rodney King, kum ba yah” proposition. There are only two religions: Christianity and Everything else.
Christianity is exclusive and therefore “coexistence” can only go so far. That is not politically correct and will not please many modernistic moderates, but I don’t see any way around it.
The CoExist movement used (uses) some high-powered celebrities to push their pluralistic message. There’s no more good in their message than there is a “little strychnine” in a cup of water. Poison is poison.
I think this is a very good and timely post.
I think this is one of the biggest problems with the “hyper-tolerance, Rodney King, kum ba yah” proposition. There are only two religions: Christianity and Everything else.
Frank, I think in a sense that’s one real message of the Coexist folks. What they mean is “Let’s all be tolerant of each other–except for Christianity. Christians just need to shut their pie holes.”
Joe, that’s so right on. The whole “tolerance” movement is really a ploy to weaken Christianity. It is as old as the Devil.
Been to the website. Don’t see anything at first glance that would be objectionable. They even have a plan of salvation listed.
As Kumbaya softly plays in the background, cb responds:
See Big Daddy. I told you to “use your diligently acquired, “Baylorized,” theological education and make your own judgments” and you have. Now, all is tolerant, tranquil, and peaceful between us.
Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy, ain’t this fun?
Dialogue fades to music…….
“…Someone’s sleeping, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s sleeping, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s sleeping, Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya…”
DAVID, I for one am ready for the old C.B. to come back, warts and all.
Alright CB, I’m not going to play guessing games.
Now Big Daddy,
Don’t you be mean spirited. You be tolerant. I have already told you that I gave my “Onward Christian Soldiers” CD to some rabid Y-W-Fs, so I can not be aggressive in my opinions or responses here at Voices. Like the drunks back in the days of Prohibition, I have taken the Pledge. So don’t you come here trying to beguile me with the poison fruit of hardcore debate. I have to change my wicked ways so I won’t get hit with the three strike rule.
Get thee behind me O Baylorite!
“…Someone’s crying, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s crying, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s crying, Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya…”
If you’re going to keep talking Baylor, take a moment and learn the song. Then, after Britney Griner leads the Lady Bears to the National Championship in a few days, you can sing along:
http://www.baylorbears.com/trads/bay-oldline.html
That girl can definitely play basketball. Sorry, still hope they get beat, but she is one of the best ever.
Big Daddy,
I will confess you guys have had some pretty high moments in the arena of sports in recent months. I will give you that and I am glad it is during your experience there. That is really nice for your later memories and class reunions in the future.
Yet, I remember schools like Syracuse and Tulane had their short moments in the sun also.
But never forget, the SEC and the flagship, SABANATION, is a Sports Empire on which the sun never sets!
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!
Don’t hate, CB.
Listen, I understand some folks who want to say this year in football was a fluke because we had RG3. I don’t expect Baylor to win a Big 12 title in football anytime soon. I do think though that the current Coach has turned the program around to the point that we’ll be Bowl-bound most years and competitive once again – meaning we can pull an upset from time to time. That’s a vast improvement over where we’ve been.
Now with regard to basketball, Baylor will remain nationally ranked as long as we keep Scott Drew and Kim Mulkey. Both are incredible recruiters. Baylor’s got two 7-footers coming next season; Isaiah Austin played last night in the McDonalds game. We’re set to be solid in Bball for the foreseeable future.
Also, we’ll have a new FB stadium for either 2014 or 2015 season on the Brazos river courtesy of former Astros owner Drayton McLane.
McLane is a great Baptist sports man. He gave Dallas Baptist new lights for their baseball stadium last year; is building University of Mary Hardin Baylor their own stadium for their D3 team down in Temple and is gonna foot 50% or so of the bill for the new Baylor stadium.
I do hope the SEC will give its newest member, the Aggies, a good thumping this Fall. By letting them in, y’all don’t know what you’ve got yourselves in to.
Unless the sports topic is the Hawkeyes or the Yankees, it is off topic.
A person can claim to be a Christian muslim. For that matter, a person can claim to be a Christian buddhist. People deceive themselves all the time.
However, just because they claim to be a Christian muslim or whatever, and they are sincere about their belief does not mean God accepts them.
Only people who repent of their sins and consciously trust in Jesus Christ alone to save them will be saved. Chistian (fill in the blank with the false religion of your choice)’s are not truly Christians.
Joe, your statement “does not mean God accepts them” reminds me of the way Spurgeon frames a prayer of repentance.
“My Lord and my God, you have suffered as a man for all the sins of all those who trust you: I trust you; accept me, give me peace and joy.”
Spurgeon was so helpful to show that a prayer of repentance is not man claiming that he accepts Christ, but rather man pleading that God would accept him.
Yeah, I think I know what people mean when they say “…accept Jesus…” but it’s not very well worded or especially accurate.
Good thoughts Jared, Thanks!
Another group that wants a piece of the title “Christian” is the Mormon religion. In my part of the country it is amazing how the Mormon religion has shifted, even hi-jacked terms from orthodox Christianity wanting to somehow morph into a ‘Christian-Mormon’.
The things you brought up in your post are so important. Good expression of thought in alignment with Scripture.
to the ends of the earth with the Gospel!
I think your wording here is unfortunate, Jared. I wanted to get your take on this statement in light of Scripture. When Paul came to Jerusalem before his arrest, he met with James, the brother of Jesus. James mentioned a false charge that had arisen against Paul, specifically the charge was that Paul was teaching Jews to leave their Jewishness behind to become followers of Jesus. He puts it like this:
James calls this a false charge, but you are arguing the same point as Paul’s accusers in this statement. Question, why would a Jew need to leave behind Jewishness to follow a Jewish Messiah? While it is true that a Gentile doesn’t need to become a Jew to follow Jesus, Paul was very specific about that also; at what point did the apostles teach that Jews should give up their Jewishness? To the contrary, I believe you will find that even Paul teaches exactly the opposite.
Here Paul uses the term circumcision to refer to those who are Jewish (whether by birth or by legal conversion), to distinguish those who are not legally Jewish, i.e. uncircumcised, and tells them to continue on as they are in either case by keeping the commandments of God. He very plainly states that Jews are not to “seek to remove the marks of circumcision,” in other words, don’t stop being a Jew.
I think we need to understand that the apostles never suggested anyone should “leave Judaism”. What they did do was passionately defend the right of Gentiles to belong “in Israel” without being forced to undergo legal conversion to inherit those same promises God had made to them. One of the saddest things the church has done historically is try to force Jews to stop being Jewish. It flies in the face of Paul’s teaching.
I should add, because I forgot to in the other comment, that I thought the piece overall was really good as well. I just take issue with that particular characterization about Jews because I think it is a piece of theology that much of the church has gotten wrong for a long time.
This idea is not mine, but it is appropriate here:
All roads DO lead to Jesus. The kicker is that only one leads to Him for salvation. All others lead to Him for judgement.
Nice!
I agree with Greg who agrees with you.
Good aphorism.
There was a Pew research study a while back on the numbers of American who mix and match their religious beliefs. Almost a quarter of “Christians” also said they believed in things like reincarnation or astrology, etc:
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1434/multiple-religious-practices-reincarnation-astrology-psychic
I think you hit the nail on the head in the last paragraph–this mix-and-match style of religion ultimately comes down to being a worship of self: what works for me? How do I find God? God however, being Holy Lord, gets to set the terms, and the way he has provided is for us to come through his Son.
Good article Jared!
I don’t think for an instant that people can be two religions at once (a house divided or something like that) but I do think multiple perspectives can be enlightening. For example, one can read through the Bible with a traditional Calvinist view and see what they want and be affirmed or can read through with a traditional Arminian view and see what they want and be affirmed.
One can listen openly to another’s point of view on this point of doctrine or that point of doctrine and be affirmed, strengthened, wisened (either with truth or a new version of an old lie), but in the end be better for it. Edison didn’t succeed once at the light bulb, he succeeded in finding 999 ways NOT to make one. Listening to other view points/perspectives doesn’t mean we have to accept one of the 999 alternatives.
This is overly simplified, but here goes… We are all linear western thinkers: 1 leads to 2, then 3, then 4, 5, 6, etc. It’s part of Western Greco-Roman civilization. Eastern thinkers tend to understand that there is a sequence in numbers but would rather think about the properties of numbers regardless of sequence. Both regard 1 & 2 as numbers, but just from different angles.
I think the danger that these “explorers” run into is that they aren’t grounded enough in Christ to know what is and what isn’t orthodox. Trying to understand the Bible from an eastern philosophical perspective is probably a good thing: everyone in the OT came from an Oriental culture. Paul, though a Jew, demonstrates masterful western thinking, but is still an oriental/eastern thinker.
However, these people (and far too many others) go overboard and cling to the source rather than just lessons learned. I didn’t have to become a Russian to learn to speak Russian, but it helped to learn about the culture, music, and history.
Back up on #14, BDW asked a valid question that deserves an answer:
“Let me ask though, in light of your conclusions that one can’t be simultaneously Buddhist and Christian, Muslim and Christian, etc. (which I think 99.9999% of all folks, Christian and non-Christian alike agree with), what about Messianic Jews? How do you distinguish that movement from these other smaller movements and “explorers”?”
I think the main part of the question and certainly the part that I would like answered is that of Messianic Jews. What about ’em and why?
Thanks for noting that it was a decent question.
Yet, a functionally anonymous commenter decided to take a shot at me instead.
In some sense the “hybrid” of Messianic Judaism is similar to the hybrid “explorers” that Jared described.
We are talking about a blending of Jewish terminology and rituals with distinctly historic or “orthodox” Christian theology. Adherents still identify as Jews while falling under the umbrella of Christianity.
It’s also worth observing that while Jared argues that one can’t be a Christian and a Buddhist (who disagrees?), every major Jewish body argues that one can’t simultaneously be a Jew and adhere to Christian theology as a follower of Jesus Christ.
BDW, he has revealed his full name and location to me.
“””What about ’em and why?”””
100% Christian because they accept Jesus Christ as the Lord, or Messiah, and trust Him alone for salvation.
Jake and Aaron,
Allow me to attempt to answer the question you have both raised regarding how one can distinguish the Messianic Jews from the other “explorers”. I do think it is a legitimate question to some extent – at least from a secular perspective.
The main difference is that Messianic Judaism, on its surface, is not attempting to blend together Christian and Jewish religious practices and terminology. Rather, those who are Messianic Jews are attempting to worship Jesus using those rituals and symbols that God gave them, which ultimately did indeed point to Jesus.
Messianic Jews rightly recognize that Judaism is an incomplete religion. Everything about it points forward to a Messiah, who they know to be Jesus Christ. And so all the terminology, ritualism, and symbolism involved in Judaism is fulfilled in Christ. Thus, Messianic Jews simply go back to those things in order to show the completion of the Jewish religion, which is true Christianity.
This is vastly different from the “explorers” who simply are attempting to blend together the worship of Christ with rituals and practice that is wholly unrelated to Jesus. God gave the Jews their religion to point to His Son, but He did not give Muslims Islam in order to point to Christ, nor did He give Buddhists Buddhism in order to point to Jesus. And the signs, rituals, and symbols were not given by God in order to lead people to Christ.
Those religions are false in that they do not naturally lead to Jesus and any blending of them with Christianity is completely foreign to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Hope that clarifies. i am sorry it took so long to get an answer.
Having said what I did above, I do want to point out that I do have some serious reservations about Messianic Judaism – at least the teaching of some congregations, which may or may not subtly teach salvation by grace through faith and works. And I am always concerned about anyone who teaches as Dispensationalism as a foundational doctrine and calls those who are Covenantal heretics. I have had this experience at my Church.
Thanks DR,
I agree with you and you worded it well.
Thanks Jake, glad it was helpful.
We are starting to see some snippy and personal comments guys. No more.
Discuss the topic, not the people.
We are going to make this a snark-free zone.
Snark-free??
This is going to harder than if a guy was one of Michael Vick’s former Pit-Bulls being taught to live in a old widow woman’s house who raises Persian Cats.
CB,
You are partially correct, in that I falsely accused you of trying to change the subject. I misread the thread line while trying to wait on customers wishing to purchase products from my store. However, I will let stand my comment about you being passive-aggressive (kumbaya my backside!) or may be I am wrong and you are simply being sarcastic toward the owners of this blog and are using passive-agressive tactics to mock their new policies? If I am wrong I will be happy to accomodate you with an apology.
Sarcastic?
You think, there Jake Ole Buddy???!!!
What do I have to do?
We are not going to devote time to talking About one another. Please stop. I don’t care what you think of the other contributors. Discuss the topic of the post.
I don’t know how many times I have to say this. Your opinions of one another are not germane to the post. Discuss the topic.
Dave,
I apologize…..I’m trying to follow the rules…..mea culpa, mea culpa!
I think the general idea behind the pluralism is for people stop fighting about religion, and that means they want us to stop evangelizing. The premise is that if we all accepted that there is no absolute truth, that we could all live peacefully. They don’t see a difference between the Christian gospel being personally offensive to people and a Muslim who says “Accept Islam or die” because both seem to stir up hatred. The pluralists are willing to accept the naturally conflicted relativism that allows for Religious pluralism because they fear purveyors of the truth that they think are behavior police in disguise. Insofar as the Church has pushed moralism above the gospel, they are essentially right about us.
That’s why we need to get the message right in the public square. It’s also why we don’t need to back down on the gospel. We tend to think we had it good when everyone was behaving well. When we get the message right, they will have truth to accept or reject, and when they reject truth, it won’t always be pretty – and people will blame us. Things have gotten worse in the US in part because we actually have started getting the message right as a group and in part because we didn’t for a long time. What started in the 60’s wasn’t a rejection of the gospel, it was a rejection of moralism.
What is perpetuating it today is a trend toward getting the gospel right combined with today’s instant international information exchange. That is, we have other religions instantly available to us for our “education” about them. More information has the effect, not of making people more tolerant, as the claim is, but of fostering intolerance. It makes the culture less ideologically homogenous, not more. In a fallen world, which the secularists typically deny, people don’t like it when their different beliefs are challenged too much by the presence of all the other beliefs and they get irate about it – less tolerant. Ironically, religionists, especially Christians, get blamed for it. We just need to see it for the blessing it is because we have been promised that it will happen as we fulfill the Great Commission.
The believer and the unbeliever do exist, in all of us.
“Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief.”
There is spiritual warfare. The war may be over but the battles still rage on.
But thanks be to God for the victory won by our Lord, Jesus.
Thanks.