Last year, over my first visit to CedarCreek, it didn't take me long to understand the absolute truth about the number of gums in a gum-dispenser. But this week, they were going to dedicate a whole service to clarify their point. This is the fifth in a series of sermons "I've got questions". I couldn't attend the past two weeks. You can find the first and the second parts here and here.
As I've been around evangelical people for a while (and have read their literature for quite some time), I already knew what to expect. To warm up, let's have a look at 1 John 4:1-10.
Well, the same old interpretation that with Jesus being the only way (and that means believing in guaranteed automatic salvation, no matter what), all else are false. But when you put these verses (mention of antichrist in verse 3) in the context of talking about other religions, the message implied sounds like people whose rhetoric is not so love-inspiring. In case anybody is scratching their head, I'm talking about post-911 intensified Islamophobia and the way such verses are used to instigate the battle of Armageddon.
But when Jesus talks about false prophets (and we know there have been some) does he negate and discredit true prophets as well? Should we ever think that he does not believe that God has sent any true prophet whatsoever? Could we find a single reference in the Bible where Jesus explicitly (not wistful interpretation, I'm talking about explicit expression) has ever stated that for example Moses was a false prophet or if he was once a true prophet, he lost his credibility altogether with coming of Jesus in the flesh?
Pastor Gray began to make his case by a simple example (similar to the gum-dispenser). If we look at the cars manufactured in a factory, we might think that the essence of all is the same while the superficials are different. However, we must understand that actually in different cars, the essence is different while the superficial, morality, looks the same. Clear enough?
He then made the major points of his sermon as follows:
1. All religions make exclusive claims to the truth. So, they cannot all lead to heaven.
2. Origin of Jesus' salvation. He existed before coming.
3. Purpose of Jesus' salvation. He came in the flesh not to liberate us from the flesh (as is the case with other religions).
4. Method of Jesus' salvation (John 14:6). Other religions perform to truth. Christianity is the only religion that has a personal relationship with God. It is grace-based. Work is already completed by Jesus.
Well, he's already opened the debate in his blog (the same .tv domain thing). I'm not going to enter the debate. Just two comments before going to my argument.
At one point in his sermon, he admitted that there are people in other religions (he did not feel like naming Islam) who are more devout than today Christians. Going back to his car analogy, I'd like to ask: while you tell Christians that morality is the superficial of religion and your theology is the core, can you expect better? Probably, if you spend the time (that you waste on the claim of superiority and uniqueness of your theology) to teach people to follow in the very footsteps of Jesus Christ, or as you call it, superficial moralities, we can have a better society.
I would also find the point #3 interesting. The same old method: give your own description of something and then discredit it based on this self-devised description.
I think one of the earliest things I was taught in my religious teachings as somebody from other religions (Islam), was not exactly the same as what I hear in this sermon (and similar sermons). We were taught to view "this world as a farm for the other world". So, basically it doesn't sound equivalent to liberating from the flesh. In other words, this flesh, although not a goal, is a means (not a barrier) in our journey. We are advised in Quran to focus on the next world, but not to forget our share of this world. Yet, we are taught that the worthiest of people before God is the one who is the most obedient to God. And we are also reminded that God is closer to us than the artery of our neck. So?
When it comes to exclusivist evangelicals and their main line of reasoning that all religions make exclusive claims to the truth, it should be evident to any kid that only they have the absolute truth, because only they have access (or are in possession of) the gum-dispenser (or so they claim). Hence, nobody else's claim about the absolute number of gums in their gum dispensers has any merit whatsoever. So, let's get rid of evil things such as religious pluralism and religious tolerance. These are things that we have to temporarily endure as a result of secular humanism in the world and in the US in specific. So, let's convert everybody to Christianity; however, as we are the sole proprietor of the gum-dispenser, only we are the people to judge who is a true Christian or who is not a Chirstian at all.
Fortunately, the position of Islam is not explained in ways that evangelicals choose to make their point. At least, when it comes to Quran, its message is very clear. Although as a Muslim, I cannot be responsible for people in my religion whose claim to truth, like their peers in other religions, is motivated by selectively choosing verses of Quran and imposing their interpretation on those verses. And just like their bigot peers in other religions (specifically evangelicals), they believe that merely repeating their interpretation a million times over hundreds of years would make it a valid proof in and by itself in the absence of evidence.
There are consistent patterns in Quran, repeated so much, that don't leave us with the benefit of the doubt. And Quran is very explicit about pick-and-choose approach to the word of God.
1. There is only one God, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses (and many other Hebrew prophets named in Quran), Jesus and Mohammad. All are sent by the same God and we as Muslims do not differentiate between any of them and their message. And by the way, Allah is not the God of Islam. It's simply the Arabic word for God. If you happen to read an Arabic translation of the Bible, you will see Allah (so-called God of Muslims) all over the Bible.
2. Prophets are not perishable foodstuff to be disposed of after their expiry date. In Quran, God repeatedly reminds us (Muslims or anybody else reading the Book) that prophets are chapters of the same book (with Mohammad being the last chapter). To make anybody understand this absolute truth, God doesn't leave us on our own to fantasize about our own unique gum-dispenser. In several instances, God names the prophets in a chronological order and makes it clear that all are sent by the same God and we, as Muslims, do not differentiate between any of them and their message. Prophets are not sent to tell us about the word of God; they are THE word of God. Specifically, when Jesus is mentioned in Quran, he's described as the Word of God or Spirit of God.
3. Salvation does not come through either faith or works alone. All over Quran, God speaks of people who believe in God AND do good deeds. God has made it clear that without following his words and merely by claiming faith in Him, there's no way to heaven (and Jesus too has made this clear in Matthew 7:21-23 and elsewhere). Morality is not the superficial of Islam; it is the core. And likewise, acting on our own, without continuously trusting in God, would lead us nowhere in our quest for truth. Salvation is by faith AND works, with faith being given the precedence all over Quran. And both faith and works are believed to be a matter of grace by God.
As I've been around evangelical people for a while (and have read their literature for quite some time), I already knew what to expect. To warm up, let's have a look at 1 John 4:1-10.
Well, the same old interpretation that with Jesus being the only way (and that means believing in guaranteed automatic salvation, no matter what), all else are false. But when you put these verses (mention of antichrist in verse 3) in the context of talking about other religions, the message implied sounds like people whose rhetoric is not so love-inspiring. In case anybody is scratching their head, I'm talking about post-911 intensified Islamophobia and the way such verses are used to instigate the battle of Armageddon.
But when Jesus talks about false prophets (and we know there have been some) does he negate and discredit true prophets as well? Should we ever think that he does not believe that God has sent any true prophet whatsoever? Could we find a single reference in the Bible where Jesus explicitly (not wistful interpretation, I'm talking about explicit expression) has ever stated that for example Moses was a false prophet or if he was once a true prophet, he lost his credibility altogether with coming of Jesus in the flesh?
Pastor Gray began to make his case by a simple example (similar to the gum-dispenser). If we look at the cars manufactured in a factory, we might think that the essence of all is the same while the superficials are different. However, we must understand that actually in different cars, the essence is different while the superficial, morality, looks the same. Clear enough?
He then made the major points of his sermon as follows:
1. All religions make exclusive claims to the truth. So, they cannot all lead to heaven.
2. Origin of Jesus' salvation. He existed before coming.
3. Purpose of Jesus' salvation. He came in the flesh not to liberate us from the flesh (as is the case with other religions).
4. Method of Jesus' salvation (John 14:6). Other religions perform to truth. Christianity is the only religion that has a personal relationship with God. It is grace-based. Work is already completed by Jesus.
Well, he's already opened the debate in his blog (the same .tv domain thing). I'm not going to enter the debate. Just two comments before going to my argument.
At one point in his sermon, he admitted that there are people in other religions (he did not feel like naming Islam) who are more devout than today Christians. Going back to his car analogy, I'd like to ask: while you tell Christians that morality is the superficial of religion and your theology is the core, can you expect better? Probably, if you spend the time (that you waste on the claim of superiority and uniqueness of your theology) to teach people to follow in the very footsteps of Jesus Christ, or as you call it, superficial moralities, we can have a better society.
I would also find the point #3 interesting. The same old method: give your own description of something and then discredit it based on this self-devised description.
I think one of the earliest things I was taught in my religious teachings as somebody from other religions (Islam), was not exactly the same as what I hear in this sermon (and similar sermons). We were taught to view "this world as a farm for the other world". So, basically it doesn't sound equivalent to liberating from the flesh. In other words, this flesh, although not a goal, is a means (not a barrier) in our journey. We are advised in Quran to focus on the next world, but not to forget our share of this world. Yet, we are taught that the worthiest of people before God is the one who is the most obedient to God. And we are also reminded that God is closer to us than the artery of our neck. So?
When it comes to exclusivist evangelicals and their main line of reasoning that all religions make exclusive claims to the truth, it should be evident to any kid that only they have the absolute truth, because only they have access (or are in possession of) the gum-dispenser (or so they claim). Hence, nobody else's claim about the absolute number of gums in their gum dispensers has any merit whatsoever. So, let's get rid of evil things such as religious pluralism and religious tolerance. These are things that we have to temporarily endure as a result of secular humanism in the world and in the US in specific. So, let's convert everybody to Christianity; however, as we are the sole proprietor of the gum-dispenser, only we are the people to judge who is a true Christian or who is not a Chirstian at all.
Fortunately, the position of Islam is not explained in ways that evangelicals choose to make their point. At least, when it comes to Quran, its message is very clear. Although as a Muslim, I cannot be responsible for people in my religion whose claim to truth, like their peers in other religions, is motivated by selectively choosing verses of Quran and imposing their interpretation on those verses. And just like their bigot peers in other religions (specifically evangelicals), they believe that merely repeating their interpretation a million times over hundreds of years would make it a valid proof in and by itself in the absence of evidence.
There are consistent patterns in Quran, repeated so much, that don't leave us with the benefit of the doubt. And Quran is very explicit about pick-and-choose approach to the word of God.
1. There is only one God, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses (and many other Hebrew prophets named in Quran), Jesus and Mohammad. All are sent by the same God and we as Muslims do not differentiate between any of them and their message. And by the way, Allah is not the God of Islam. It's simply the Arabic word for God. If you happen to read an Arabic translation of the Bible, you will see Allah (so-called God of Muslims) all over the Bible.
2. Prophets are not perishable foodstuff to be disposed of after their expiry date. In Quran, God repeatedly reminds us (Muslims or anybody else reading the Book) that prophets are chapters of the same book (with Mohammad being the last chapter). To make anybody understand this absolute truth, God doesn't leave us on our own to fantasize about our own unique gum-dispenser. In several instances, God names the prophets in a chronological order and makes it clear that all are sent by the same God and we, as Muslims, do not differentiate between any of them and their message. Prophets are not sent to tell us about the word of God; they are THE word of God. Specifically, when Jesus is mentioned in Quran, he's described as the Word of God or Spirit of God.
3. Salvation does not come through either faith or works alone. All over Quran, God speaks of people who believe in God AND do good deeds. God has made it clear that without following his words and merely by claiming faith in Him, there's no way to heaven (and Jesus too has made this clear in Matthew 7:21-23 and elsewhere). Morality is not the superficial of Islam; it is the core. And likewise, acting on our own, without continuously trusting in God, would lead us nowhere in our quest for truth. Salvation is by faith AND works, with faith being given the precedence all over Quran. And both faith and works are believed to be a matter of grace by God.
