A Word About Pluralism

In a recent article on Kansascity.com, it was asked, “How should we regard religions other than our own?” This is actually a very good question. The article goes on to explain the views of Diana Eck of Harvard, who had spoken at Village Presbyterian Church over the weekend. One of the bullet-points summarizes the inclusivist view as being one whose faith is “large enough to include all others.” As an example of how this works out the article posits that the Christian God would save a sincere devotee of another religion on the basis that that person would be a Christian given the opportunity. But is this so? Can Christianity be made to reconcile with other world religions?
In evaluating various religions, one must first look at the truth claims that they make. It may seem exclusivistic or arrogant to say that one religion is right and another is wrong, but this must be done. Logic dictates that if religion “A” states that the earth revolves around the sun and religion “B” states that the sun revolves around the earth they cannot both be correct. One has to be right and the other wrong, and it is on the basis of the verifiable dogmatic truth claims that a religion makes that one can differentiate true religion from false religion.
Let us assume, for the sake of argument, that Christianity is true. With this in mind, there are many propositions made within the teachings of Christianity that contradict the teachings of other world religions. For example Christianity teaches the physical resurrection of the dead at the end of time, yet Hindus believe that we are absorbed into the one-ness that is Brahman. Again, Christianity teaches that Jesus is the unique Son of God, yet Jews adamantly deny this. Lastly, Christianity teaches that Jesus was crucified, died, was buried and rose from the grave. On the other hand, Islam denies that it was Jesus that was crucified, but was merely someone else that God made to look like Jesus. In light of all the directly contradictory teachings among these, the three largest of the world’s religions, can they all be true? Can Jesus be both divine and non-divine? Can he be crucified, yet not crucified? Can man be physically resurrected, yet not physically resurrected? These are all logical absurdities. Obviously one must be true and the others false. But one is still stuck with the question of which one is the true religion.
In the case of Christianity, the core truth claim that is made is that Jesus is divine and that he was crucified, was buried and rose from the grave. This one claim is the greatest, and most fantastic, that is made. If this one claim can be proven, there would be little reason to believe that the Bible would be false in the many lesser claims. This has also been the most attacked doctrine of Christianity, yet none has been able to adequately explain the empty tomb. No explanation other than the actual resurrection of Jesus can explain why his closes followers were willing to die saying that he was raised. No explanation is adequate to show how Christianity grew so quickly in the face of persecution without violence on the part of its followers. No explanation is sufficient to account for the lives that are changed by the teachings of Jesus to this very day.
In answer to the initial question: How should we regard religions other than our own? For Christians it’s a simple answer. If Christianity is true, then all other religions are wrong. And if this is the case then there are very dire consequences in the afterlife for those who follow any other religion. The Bible is very clear about that. The Christian, then, is under a great responsibility to make others aware of what they know to be true and to make them aware that the only way to escape judgment in the afterlife is to call upon Jesus Christ to forgive them and to save them. This is what I, as a Christian, believe and practice; and if I’m wrong don’t let me amble my way ignorantly into the abyss…show me the right way.

Civil Rights vs. the Bible

I was reflecting this week upon the death of the civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. As I pondered the stand she took on the bus that day 50 years ago, I asked myself one question. In light of the many exhortations within Scripture for Christians to humble themselves and to consider others as more important than ourselves, should Ms. Parks have given up her seat even though there was an injustice involved? Steve Camp has addressed the idea of "rights" for Christians in several of the posts on his blog. I'm wondering now if the entire idea of the civil rights movement was ever "Biblically Correct"? (A dangerous question for a white man to ask.)

Just a thought.

NOTE: Please do not mistake what I'm saying here. I am in no way stating that what came out of the Civil Rights Movement was wrong. I truly believe that every human being is valued in God's eyes and that no one should be mistreated for any reason, least of all because of skin color or gender. I am merely pondering whether the Civil Rights Movement and the idea of civil disobedience espoused by Dr. King was a biblical movement or if it was in violation of Paul's exhortation to submit to those in authority as they have been put there by God.

Digression

Sorry, folks, but I must digress from my usual socio-political and theological ramblings...but so what...it's my blog!
Last Thursday I played hookie from work (shhh!!! don't tell my boss!). I had to. It was the perfect day. The temperature had dropped 20 degrees from the previous day and it was overcast and drizzly. A nice thunderstorm had rolled through at about 2am and it was pretty cool and miserable. So I donned my camouflage, grabbed my rifle and hiked 1/2 mile across a cut cornfield at 5:30 a.m. I set up just inside the treeline at the back of the property at the base of a tree about 20 feet from a major trail that ran north-south from the south side of the cornfield to the north side (near a soybean field that was on private property). About 7:00, just as it was starting to get light, I could hear some movement in the brush to the northeast but I couldn't make out any forms. About 8:00 or so I moved and again about 10:45. Finally I settled in at the perfect spot. I was just inside the treeline inside a ring of four large trees. From my 3-foot diameter hiding spot I could see down the treeline to the northeast corner of the cornfield and the woods there. I could also see the trail 20 feet to the east. The wind was about 5-10 mph out of the east-northeast. I was hidden well and the wind was carrying my scent away from the woods.
After I had been in my spot for about 15 minutes I glanced up at the north end of the cornfield (about 80 yards away) and just caught sight of a large doe walking past an opening in the trees. I didn't have a shot but my senses were on high alert. I began glancing back and forth, watching both the opening in the trees straight ahead and the trail just to my right. It was then that I saw it...a smallish 6-point buck stepped into view...25 feet away! Then it hit me. I'm right handed and I would have to turn my body 90 degrees to the right to shoot without spooking my quarry. So I gently scooted my body slightly to the right on my stool. The deer imediately stood up straight and began looking around. I was stone still. As soon as I felt he had let his guard down I scooted a little more. Again he looked around to determine the cause of the sound I had made. He turned and looked me right in the eye. I held perfectly still and he turned back away. I made my final turn. The deer looked up one more time and turned his body. He had been quartering away and was now quartering toward. I raised my rifle and put the crosshairs of my scope just behind his left shoulder. With a loud report, the gun sent the 150-grain CoreLokt bullet slamming into the lungs of the animal. He stumbled forward about 5 steps, fell on his side and breathed his last. My first deer!! And it's a buck!!! Granted it's only a small 6-point buck that's likely no more than 1-1/2 yrs old, but again it's my first deer (just started hunting last year).
I'm picking my meat up from the processor tomorrow. I'll have to remember to let everyone know how those backstrap steaks taste!

Weekend

Woo Hoo!!! The Weekend is HERE! Granted, I have to work my part-time job tonight but in the morning I'm gonna be sittin' in a cornfield in Linwood, KS looking to shoot Bambi's mom! That's right...I'm goin' Deer Huntin'!! Hope I get something this year. Last year was a bust.

General Goings-on

I know I haven't posted in a little while. I'm in a bit of a funk lately. Things have been really slow at my primary job the last couple of weeks and I'm getting frustrated. During my down-times (which have been frequent) I find myself wondering if I'm in the right place. I'm becoming less and less satisfied with where I am, but have very little time to do anything about it. Between my regular job, my part-time job, 5 kids and church activities I barely have time to sleep!
I have done this much, though:
1) I sent my resume in to two different companies for a position as a writer of academic research papers. (pay is anywhere from $8/pg to $20/pg)
2) I've been looking into starting a freelance writing career. I've begun taking some of the things I've already written to see what may be viable material.
Hopefully things will get better soon.

Disturbing progression

Check out this article and then consider that this same woman could have gone to an abortion provider like George Tiller. He advertises on his website that he and his clinic are "specialists in 2nd trimester elective and 2nd/3rd trimester therapeutic abortion care." One of the services he offers is "Late Abortion Care for Fetal Anomaly" and provides pregnancy termination for cases like "anencephaly, Trisomy 13, 18, and 21, polycystic kidney disease, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, Potter's syndrome, lethal dwarfism, holoprosencephaly, anterior and posterior encephalocele, non-immune hydrops, and a variety of other very significant abnormalities."
I don't know if this would fall under "other very significant abnormalities" or not (seems to me it would, but that's probably determined by the "mother") but had this woman gone to Geroge Tiller, or someone like him, this beautiful little girl would never have seen the light of day -- in spite of the fact that the condition was correctible through surgery in the womb!
It sickens me...it really does.