Typical evangelism for any religion involves someone going out at some degree of expense and risk to share what one believes to be true. It is a pretty simple and logical concept: If you think you know the true path to forgiveness, joy, peace and eternal life and you truly care about others, then of course you’ll want to share the Good News (regardless of how you define it).
However, some people hold the view that all religions are equally valid paths to God. As I was reflecting on the discussions on the Jesus is still the only way thread, I was reminded that people who hold that view should have a completely different model of evangelism. Wouldn’t it be most loving for them to send “reverse missionaries” to encourage everyone to follow their local religions? After all, consider the persecuted people around the world who could avoid pain, suffering, economic loss, prison and even death if they just held beliefs more palatable to their culture.
For example, you’d want to send people to Christians in India, N. Korea, China, all Arab countries and more to explain to them that Hinduism/Islam/Buddhism/etc. are just as good and that they should leave Christianity to maximize their comfort and happiness. If you follow any organizations like Voice of the Martyrs you are probably familiar with how much Christians suffer for their faith in many parts of the world. Why suffer like that if other religions are just as good?
And loving universalists (those who believe everyone is going to Heaven, regardless of what they believe) should go to China to encourage people to be atheists.
What a tragedy that hundreds of thousands or even millions of Christians died unnecessarily for their faith over the centuries. They should have just recanted and gone with the local religion, right?
What I’ve found is that religious pluralists and universalists do no such thing. They typically think their “home religion” is correct (why else would they belong to those denominations?) but are afraid to offend someone or risk rejection for sharing their view, or perhaps are unwilling to work to learn their beliefs well enough to defend them.
Shouldn’t false teachers who insist that all religions lead to God lend their time and money to being reverse missionaries? Yet I never hear of them undertaking such efforts to reduce the “needless” suffering of Christians around the world. Real faith is behaving as if what you say you believe is true. Yet these folks don’t follow through to the logical consequences of their worldview.
Of course, since I hold the view that Jesus is the one way to salvation then it is on my heart to share that with people.
good logic neil!
I never thought if it that way – good points!
Neil, what an interesting counter to religious relativism. I’ll put that one in my toolbox.
I’ve noticed that people are really suffering from a “want-to-be-nice” syndrome. We don’t want to offend people, or question their knowledge. We go out of our way to say “I think” when we know otherwise.
At work, I’ve noticed that even though people know something is true, they still say “I think”. If I asked their names, would they respond with “I think it’s Edgar”.
Sounding doubtful makes us look so open-minded – smart… “all religions are the same” sounds much nicer than what the Bible teaches.
Another problem I’ve noticed is Bible teachers saying “I think the Bible is saying ….” well – does it say it, or does it not?
Edgar,
“If I asked their names, would they respond with “I think it’s Edgar”.”
Ha!
I admit I sometimes say, “I think the Bible is saying . . .” because I’ve been wrong before on things and I don’t want to be dogmatic on something I haven’t fully researched.
But I do avoid saying, “Here’s what it means to me . . .” in the context of implying it is a special revelation to me.
Excellent post, Neil. (Where do you find the time? Did you find Hermoine’s Time-Turner and use it to blog?
)
I’ve often thought that religion is deeply personal precisely for the reasons you mention – it would be ridiculous to tell someone to “just be Hindu” to get along in life. As a governmental matter, then, I think there is a strong obligation to ensure that individuals may practice their religions as they see fit. Such is an acknowledgment of the sincerity of their beliefs.
I think you’re missing some obvious things here. As one of these horrible people who try to respect religions different from my own, what I want is a world where people aren’t oppressed for what they believe at all, as long as acting on those beliefs doesn’t infringe on the rights of those around them. So I wouldn’t send missionaries to China to tell everyone to be atheist. Rather, I would try to support measures (in whatever small way I could) to make it safer to practice a religion in China.
Its also possible to think a belief that you hold is valuable and true and still not absolutize it to the degree that it becomes the *only* true and valuable belief. But I don’t think that many people have the raw courage to face another belief system with openness and a willingness to be challenged and really grapple with it, rather than dismiss it because I already know the truth and I already know you’re wrong. That’s the kind of courage that my position requires of me to hold it, just as your position requires the courage to risk rejection when trying to spread the gospel to people you think are wrong.
I think its unfortunate, but predictable, that you don’t see any value in my position.
Hi Doug, nice to hear from you again.
“As one of these horrible people who try to respect religions different from my own,”
Wow, a passive-aggressive ad hominem attack and straw man in just the 2nd sentence. Good start!
Seriously, do you think I don’t respect people of other religions? Please ask my Muslim employee who regularly asks me to pray for his family (I’m pretty sure he knows I’m not praying to Allah). Or ask my New Age friend who I’ve spent hours talking to about her faith in an effort to understand it. Or my Hindu friend I had lunch with last week. Or my Hindu employee. Or my Mormon friends. Or all the atheists and agnostics I intereact with. Or people of different Christian denominations. Let me know if you need more examples.
I don’t make relationships contingent on people believing what I do. But I also don’t take the intellectually bankrupt position of pretending that we can all be right. If nothing else, I usually try to point out to people of other faiths that our beliefs have mutually exclusive truth claims, and that we should follow the evidence where it leads.
“Rather, I would try to support measures (in whatever small way I could) to make it safer to practice a religion in China”
You “would?” That’s my whole point. What are pluralists doing individually or collectively now to make these things happen such that their loving actions would be consistent with their worldview? The only one I know confronting leaders of countries hostile to other faiths is our President, and we know how popular he is with pluralists.
I know you can’t be everywhere or support every ministry, but I have yet to hear of pluralists acting in this way with any seriousness – either as reverse missionaries or, for example, in making Saudi Arabia safer for Christians.
I don’t quite follow your second paragraph. You think your view is true. That doesn’t offend me in the least. Let’s share and examine each other’s truth claims and see where that leads. I have the “courage” to do that.
I think my view is true, but you interpret that as me saying that my view is extra-true – which, of course, you find discrediting towards me. I’m not sure how you arrived at that seemingly humble conclusion, though it is a handy way to dismiss my arguments and seize the moral high ground.
“I think its unfortunate, but predictable, that you don’t see any value in my position.”
Nice closing! You win the prize for “pre-emptive, pre-judging martyrdom ad hominem attack.” Sorry to be so pointed, but I have had a lot of passive-aggressive attacks like that from liberal theologians this week. I wonder if you all even realize you are doing it because it appears to be so effortless and relentless.
If you really think all religions are equally valid paths, then that is your real religion (Practically speaking, that makes you part of a Hindu sect, by the way). So go out and preach it.
Hi Bridget – thanks! Though now you need to explain to me what “Hermoine’s Time-Turner” is. I usually learn new things when you comment.
Harry Potter fans should have caught the reference. One of the overacheiving characters was given a time-turner (magical hourglass) so she could load up her schedule. It allowed her to travel back in time throughout the day and do two things at once.
Ah, that explains it. I’ve seen one of the movies and read none of the books. I’ll have my daughters fill me in on the details. Better yet, I’ll work it into the conversation and act like I’ve read the books. (“Yeah, uh, you know, it was one of those Hermoine’s Time-Turner things . . .”)
I have been thinking about his, but haven’t gotten around to saying anything.
Acutally my church could use some reverse missionaries. Our universalist faction has just driven away another bible-believing (and preaching) pastor.
However I am afraid that missionary work among headhunters would probably be safer.
Hi SST – I’m really sorry to hear that. Too bad the universalists don’t just start a Unitarian church or become a Hindu sect (nothing against Hindus; it just seems that universalist doctrine makes more sense there than in Christian circles). That is a shame that they don’t believe Methodist doctrines yet are in a position to drive away Bible-believers.
Actually we are finally getting a little support. The DS came a preached a pretty good sermon. And she sent an interim pastor who preached on the truth of the Bible.
Our pastor asked to be moved because he felt there was nothing more he could do at our church but he made some progress while he was there.
It will be interesting to see what God sends us next.
Neil, you really are the thinking blogger. You have a good point though I I have a friend that always challenges me and this year I said I going to learn how to defend my faith. My pastor at teaching bible.org would always give us information about how to defend our faith.
Thanks, Syinly. It is just one of those glaring inconsistencies I’ve never seen them address.
Good for you for studying on how to defend the faith!
Neil,
You assume Doug is referring to the adherents of other religions, when he said he respects the religion of others. ” As one of these horrible people who try to respect religions different from my own…”
I freely admit to having no respect whatsoever for other religions and believe them to be false (that is, non Judeo-Christian religions). The people who buy into them I can respect, but not the false religion itself. And I respect the right of those people to believe what they want, though I pity them for their poor purchase.
But then, perhaps Doug was referring to the people. I dunno. I just want to know if he’s related to Marvelous Marvin.
As to the post, I think the people to whom you refer are typically lazy in their beliefs. They fall back on their “All religions are valid” angle in order to avoid the tough job of evangelism. (I’m more honest—I come right out and admit I’m too lazy to actively evangelize. I’m working on it.) If all religions/belief systems are valid, why bother? They’re all going to glory, too, aren’t they?
Marshall, you are spot on. No reason to respect lies, though we should respect the people trapped by them. I think you are right about the laziness as well. I would add cowardice to that.
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