the exclusivity of christianity in a world of tolerance

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Permalink Reply by Mary Jo Sharp on January 23, 2010 at 6:51pm

Hey there Jimmy!

I'll be addressing this issue at my SEC session. Here's a short answer.

All religions make truth claims about the reality of God (or gods). These truth claims logically contradict one another. Islam says Jesus is not God. Christianity says Jesus is God. These two truth claims cannot both be actually true at the same time. Taken as equally true, these two claims would violate the law of non-contradiction.

So, we have to look for which one best matches up with reality. Realistically, man is suffering from the problem of evil in the world. How did this problem get here and how can it be solved? The religion (or belief) that treats this problem as a real problem and then actually provides a real solution would be the one that best matches the reality of this world. This is where I find Christianity to have the best answer. Jesus' death and resurrection provide an actual solution and treat evil and death as true problems.

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Permalink Reply by Rob Lundberg on January 23, 2010 at 7:29pm

Let me say that this "creed" of the culture does not understand world religions as a whole. All "religions" or "religious" values involve a type of right thinking, right feeling and right action. No matter what one does in their particular religion, these categories are equal. When it comes to biblical Christianity, the key central truth of the Christian faith is the person of Christ. Jesus calls us a changed being. When Jesus says, I am the Bread of Life, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the Door, I am the Good Shepherd and on and on, He is using a verbal state of being (I am) that is calling you and I to a changed being, an inward transformation that only God can make in the life of the individual. It is only when we receive His grace, His mercy and His forgiveness, and are redeemed that our being is changed. When our being is changed, then and only then we have a way of being able to think rightly because we have the mind of Christ, interpret our feelings based upon the standard of the Word of God, and do the right things because our actions are no longer filthy rags. But it is only through Christ that the being is changed.

Also if you take all the religions, as great as they are (quantitatively) you can remove all the founders and the teachings and the tenets of that particular religion would stay in tact. Islam does not need Muhammad, Buddhism does not Gautama Buddha, Hinduism does not need the gurus; because someone else would eventually come along and start those religions.

But take away Christ from Christianity and you cannot have what we know as the Christian faith. Take "Christ" out of the word "Christian" and you are left with "ian" and Ian cannot help us. Christianity stands or falls base upon the finished work of the cross, culminating with the resurrection of Christ in the same body in which He was crucified.

My two cents,
Rob

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Permalink Reply by Jimmy White on January 23, 2010 at 11:03pm

I like this answer, and yet we seem to be painted as religion bashers and not answer givers, putting obstacles between men instead of helping bridge man to God

Mary Jo Sharp said:

Hey there Jimmy!

I'll be addressing this issue at my SEC session. Here's a short answer.

All religions make truth claims about the reality of God (or gods). These truth claims logically contradict one another. Islam says Jesus is not God. Christianity says Jesus is God. These two truth claims cannot both be actually true at the same time. Taken as equally true, these two claims would violate the law of non-contradiction.

So, we have to look for which one best matches up with reality. Realistically, man is suffering from the problem of evil in the world. How did this problem get here and how can it be solved? The religion (or belief) that treats this problem as a real problem and then actually provides a real solution would be the one that best matches the reality of this world. This is where I find Christianity to have the best answer. Jesus' death and resurrection provide an actual solution and treat evil and death as true problems.

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