Wednesday, 30 May 2007

What about other religions?

I guess we all worry a little about offending the sensibilities of those we are speaking to and when this question gets asked its hard not to offend people. Our cultures big no no is exclusivity, don't make a truth claim, definitely don't question someone elses beliefs and never ever say one religion is the only way.

But that's where we have a problem, Jesus himself said "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." The early years of the church were a battle to the death over just that issue, Christians would not bow the knee and worship the emperor and it led to hundreds being put to death.

However, it is worth pointing out that actually Christianity is not alone in this, every religion makes truth claims, every religion can't therefore be right. Take the issue of God, Islam, Christianity and Judaism say there is one God, Hinduism there are hundreds of gods and Buddhism there are no gods. Now they can't all be right can they because they are contradictory. Like wise in the way they deal with death and with life beyond death, and again they cannot all be right because they are mutually exclusive.

The issue becomes what is true. And we live our lives every minute of every day as if there are absolutes. The challenge is to be prepared to examine the ultimate absolute, what is the truth when it comes to faith. Not religion because religion doesn't save, Christianity is not a call to become religious it is a call to relationship with God through the risen Lord Jesus who died in our place. It is the only religion where sin is dealt with, where God is so holy that he has to solve the problem and me pulling my socks up is not enough because I am so rebellious.

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