Oops. I forgot that our group will not be meeting on Easter Sunday. The post below is for April 11. It’s been two weeks since we’ve been able to meet. I’m looking forward to getting back together with everyone. Our myth that we are discussing this time around is perhaps the one that fosters the most misunderstanding about being a Christian. The fact that we believe that a relationship with Jesus is the only way to eternal life (at least that’s the Biblical view – some church folk actually believe the myth that there are “many paths to the same truth”) sometimes labels us as intolerant. In some circles this is referred to as the scandal of Christianity – the fact that it is exclusive. When we get into our discussion, we’ll certainly examine this claim. And contrary to popular belief, Christianity isn’t the only belief system that claims exclusivity. We’ll bust that little myth open too. Sounds like we’ve got a lot to discuss, doesn’t it? Show up on April 11 with your Bible, your opinions, your comments, and the homemade cookies are a nice touch too. Props to those of you who passed the fragrant plate around last time!
Myth: We’re All God’s Children
- The Question: Are there many paths to one truth, or is Christianity as exclusive as it claims to be?
- The Problem: There are so many other beliefs, most of which claim exclusivity, even in our “age of tolerance”.
- The Informing Text: Acts 4, Romans 11
- The Big Idea: Although we believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life, this is no cause for personal pride because we ourselves have been grafted in by His Grace.
In our age of political correctness and tolerance of all religions, it is unpopular to claim that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. We as biblically informed believers ascribe to this truth. For this we are labeled by those promoting tolerance as “intolerant”. It is interesting that by claiming to be tolerant of all ways, they are not tolerant of our way because it disagrees with their world view that supposedly promotes this tolerance! This is a logical inconsistency. If they were truly tolerant of all ways, there is nothing that they could or would say against our way of believing! They may say that they disagree with the biblical view, but if they were truly tolerant of all ways, it should be accepted as a viable belief system too with as much right to be discussed and accepted as any other idea.
Why is Christianity not tolerated? Because if it is true, all other ways are not. Jesus was and is exclusive! (John 14:6) This offends those who are not believing in Jesus Christ’s way of grace by faith. So they claim to be tolerant of all other ways, except biblical Christianity and persist in a logical fallacy!