HOW TO DEAL WITH ALL RELIGIONS ARE THE SAME

Posted on by

The Apostle Paul brought his intellect to bear against the best-of-the-best philosophers and religious practitioners of his day on Mars Hill in Act 17. At that time, Athens was the religious center of Greece and was marinating in every faith and philosophy that existed.

When he was delivering his address to that diverse audience on Mars Hill, Paul highlighted a few things all those in attendance had in common — their shared humanity and inherent religious nature — but then he took a hard right turn into the particulars of the Christian faith that makes it distinct from all others.

One important thing that the assertion “all religions are the same” ignores is the key distinction between universals and particulars. Universals are typically said to be abstract whereas particulars are concrete; i.e., a universal is something particulars have in common, but that commonality in no way means all particulars are the same thing.

No one does a better job of humorously pointing this out where religion is concerned than the English writer and poet Steve Turner in his short work called “Creed”:

We believe that all religions are basically the same. At least the one that we read was. They all believe in love and goodness. They only differ on matters of Creation, Sin, Heaven, Hell, God, and Salvation.

And, of course, the central difference in all religions that Paul highlighted to the Athenians was Christ Himself, which is exactly how you and I should deal with the “all religions are the same” argument as well.

If there was ever a time for a Christian leader to declare in a speech that we all believe the same thing and that every road leads to God, it was then. But that’s not what Paul did.

Why and how Christianity is distinct  

Think about every religion you know without Christianity. The vast majority, if not all, take an approach to our human predicament that is either epistemic, pragmatic, or existential, with some blending two or all three.  

The epistemic path is one that says, “If I just learn something, then I’ll be better.” For example, Buddhism has its four noble truths, its 8-fold path to enlightenment, etc. To the epistemic, knowledge leads to salvation.

The pragmatic approach says, “If I just do something, then I’ll be OK.” Nearly every religion other than Christianity follows this works-based plan, with a good example being Islam and its concept of the deeds scale. The pragmatist earns their salvation by the sweat of their brow.  

The existentialist thinks, “If I just experience something, then I’ll be fine.” Those involved in spiritist and/or new-age faiths always look for a vision, a breakthrough, or some spiritual event that moves them from their current life to one that’s better.

But Christianity is different. It is not epistemic, pragmatic, or existential, but instead is something else.

The Christian faith is ontological.   

Christianity rests completely on a Person — Jesus Christ. The prophets of other religions admit their faith does not depend on them to be true, i.e., you can take them out of the equation and the religion remains intact.

But if you take Christ out of Christianity, it completely collapses. Moreover, Christianity subsumes the approaches found in other religions and pours them all into the person of Christ.

As an example, the epistemic gains knowledge through words. And what do we read at the beginning of John’s Gospel?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is the knowledge of God personified.

With respect to pragmatism and a works-based approach, Jesus was once asked: “What shall we do, so that we may work the works [plural] of God?” Jesus’ answer to them was, “This is the work [singular] of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:28-29).

Lastly, existentialism concerns itself with experience and life. To that end, Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly … I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 10:10; 14:6). 

Christianity diverges from all other religions because it is built upon the person of Christ, who, in His Person, embodies all approaches to spiritual truth.

Paul acknowledged this unique and ontological nature of Christianity when he spoke on Mars Hill and also when he wrote, “for I know whom [not what] I have believed … For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Tim. 1:12; 2 Cor. 4:6).

In other words, Christianity is Jesus. Period. 

This post was taken from a great article by Robin Schumacher CP VOICES | MONDAY, APRIL 03, 2023 “All religions are the same and other lies”

ATHEIST TELLS US HOW TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN

Posted on by

Great article from James Macpherson. James writes Rebel News, Sky News, and The Spectator Australia. He appears on Sky TV weekly as a commentator on The World According to Rowan Dean. He is the author of “Notes from Woketopia: Laying Bare the Lunacy of Woke Culture”.

Atheist TV identity Andrew Denton, whose advocacy has been important to governments’ embrace of euthanasia, described the Catholic Church’s position as “a shameful act, devoid of love or Christian mercy towards the dying”.

“It is difficult to conceive of a less-loving or, indeed, Christian act,” he said.

So Denton, who is an atheist, will tell people how to be good Christians. ‘There is no God! Now let me instruct you on how to be a good Catholic.’

Denton is typical of the new totalitarian elites who now afflict Western civilisation. He and his ilk want everyone to be subservient and obedient, and to accept that people like him are the arbitrators of morality. But worse, Denton completely misrepresents what the Catholic leadership said. They never said a priest would refuse to attend a person’s deathbed or that they would withhold compassion. The Archbishop was very clear that pastoral support and prayers would still be offered. He simply said that if a person chooses to directly contravene Catholic teaching they couldn’t, at the same time, expect a Catholic blessing (the sacraments).

Denton twists the Archbishop’s words to make a political point. As Denton might say, it is difficult to conceive of a less-loving or, indeed, Christian act. Undeterred by context or nuance, Denton continued …

“It is little wonder that the latest census revealed that the Catholic Church in Australia is losing members at a historic rate.”

Denton’s comments would be pertinent if the church was running a popularity contest. But Christianity is true whether everyone believes it or no one believes it. The sun, after all, does not stop shining just because people close their eyes. He continued …

“If the leaders of this institution – which receives enormous subsidies from Australian taxpayers – wish to continue their acts of ferocity and contempt towards the wishes and laws of the broader community, then they can expect to see more of the same.”

Hilarious. On the one hand, people like Denton bang on about the importance of separation of church and state … and, on the other hand, they threaten the church with penalties if they don’t tow the State line. Does Denton really expect Christianity to change its doctrine every time the State changes its laws? Evidently, yes.

I believe Denton is an intelligent and compassionate man. But the entertainer suffers from the conceit of many a public intellectual, believing that his way is the only informed way. It leaves him sounding as doctrinaire as those he criticizes.

Denton’s tirade was prompted by The Australian newspaper report that Catholic priests are likely to deny the last rites to people who commit suicide with the help of the state. “Catholic priests to deny last rides in VAD (Voluntary Assisted Dying) backlash,” the headline read.

In other words, the church will continue to uphold the sanctity of life, even in the face of enormous pressure from the state and euthanasia activists. Well, thank God. Governments – with their support for late-term abortions at the start of life and unbridled enthusiasm for euthanasia at the end – can hardly be relied upon to uphold the value of life.

Christianity is pro-life. If you want people to cheer you as you engage the State to help you die, you might need to find a different religion.

But it’s interesting to me that the Catholic Church’s rejection of euthanasia is news. Is it news because people are surprised the church is willing to take a stand on a cultural issue? Or is it news because the media cannot imagine anyone – not even the Catholic Church – holding fast to timeless truths rather than bowing to the truth of the moment?

If the church said its ministers would bless euthanasia, that would be a news story, since it would represent a complete u-turn on 2000 years of Christian teaching.

I suspect the church’s intransigence on the issue is news because, as Westerners, we are so wedded to the concept of individual autonomy that we cannot imagine anyone – not even God Himself – daring to disagree with our personal choices.

If God loves us, as the church teaches, shouldn’t He cheer every lifestyle choice? And why not our deaths, while He is at it?

People who make a deliberate decision to act against the tenants of the Christian faith expect that same faith to enthusiastically bless them as they do. Talk about entitlement! (But then, isn’t that the very reason we need Christianity – to cure our innate sense of entitlement?)

Christianity is not a cult dispensing emotional support to whatever utilitarian approaches one chooses. It is an internally consistent moral framework based on fundamental commandments (e.g. “Thou shalt not kill”). If one cannot accept this, then one is free to look elsewhere for comfort.

AUSTRALIA: FAST BECOMING AN ANTI-CHRISTIAN NATION

Posted on by

A great article in the WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN by Greg Sheridan 23rd July 2022

Lost in the Secular Desert: Christianity Under Siege

Seven Manly NRL Sea Eagles Players have stood down from Roosters Game over Club’s Pride Jersey

We are on the way to becoming, for the first time, an avowedly anti-Christian nation. Not just non-Christian, but anti-Christian. The census tells us. The culture tells us. The law tells us.

The 2021 census represents an explosive dam burst, with a flood of biblical proportions to follow. For the first time in the modern nation’s history, only a minority of Australians identify as Christians.

This is not a gentle decline. It is a bus hurtling over a cliff. As recently as 25 years ago, nearly three-quarters of Australians called themselves Christians. In 2011, 61 percent was still a solid majority; five years later it was 52 percent, and last year just 44 percent and still falling.

That’s a staggering 17 percent fewer of the population who are Christian in 10 years. Nothing as dramatic and consequential has happened in Australian belief and outlook since 1788.

To be sure, there are nuances in the census. “No religion” does not equate directly to formal atheism. The National Church Life Survey suggests a small majority of Australians believe in God. That’s consistent with the census. Non-Christian religions – Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, and others – take total religious affiliation above 50 percent.

The census also has some surprises. Sydney, Sin City, is the most God-loving part of Australia, just as London is the most religious part of Britain.

Read More: The decline of Christianity is a loss for everyone. Christianity is on the decline as faith falls out of favour. Christianity is the most persecuted religion on the planet

But difficult as it may be for some Christians to accept, and much as some secular commentators may want to play it down, claiming that Christian affiliation was formerly overstated or to avert the public gaze from the radical wave engulfing us, Christians must understand they are a minority. That should free them to become a creative, dynamic minority, offering something magnificent to society. They also should get the same rights as other minorities, but that’s another story.

In his brilliant 2021 book, Being the Bad Guys, Perth evangelical pastor Stephen McAlpine presents the dramatic transformation in Christianity’s standing: “Wasn’t it only yesterday Christianity was regarded as a societal good? Now? It’s not only unpalatable; it’s positively toxic.”

In a justly famous blog post a few years ago, McAlpine suggested most Christians accept that Christendom – with all its virtues and all its villainies – is over and they are now in exile. They envisaged this exile in a metaphorical Athens, debating their beliefs in polite and interested company. That was Stage One Exile. Now, Stage Two Exile is in a much more hostile Babylon, where they confront a state and culture uninterested in their ideas, determined instead to bludgeon them into submission.

This should not take us by surprise as Biblical prophecy tells us what will happen prior to Jesus’ return to this planet to put things right.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14