First, let me explain my christian denomination as I do not want anyone to misunderstand my background and faith in the christian tradition. I was baptized in the Reformed Church which is a denomination of the Protestant faith. As a tradition, the beliefs of the church are very traditionally christian and we follow the teachings of John Calvin, a reformer of the Christian faith during the Reformation period in the 1600s. The Reformation basically is the period that the Roman Catholic church and the Protestants separated to form a separate denomination as they were unhappy with what the Catholic church (at that time, the sole Christian church) was doing and the reformers wanted to renew what the Christian faith was about by bringing fundamental beliefs back into the faith and educating the population in the teachings of the Bible as many were not allowed to look or read the Bible at that time. In addition, the reformers were also "cleaning up" the Church as the Church at that time was corrupt (for those who doubt this, you may study the issues by looking at Christian church history or taking a course in Western Civilization). The Reformers, though, were not fundamentally against the Christian faith but rather, they were interested in exposing the population to the true Christian faith; in a way, they were encouraging the general population to think. Other famous reformers included Martin Luther and John Wycliffe. The closest to the Reformed Church is the Presbyterian tradition.
Well, enough about the reformation as this is not about the reformation history. The reason that I am writing this is because I am alarmed by the stance taken by many Christians with regards to non-christians or espousing the christian faith. Even as a christian, I am sometimes surprised by the comments made (including within my Church as there is no reformed church here in Singapore, I attend a Presbyterian church). Below are some of the issues that have caught me by surprise.
- Tolerance and the use of certain words to describe other religions
- Beliefs and understanding of the Bible
- Evangelism
- What it means to be Christian
With regards to the first point on tolerance. I am surprised at the words that have been used sometimes to describe other religions. For example, I have heard terms such as "spiritual warfare" or similar to describe places that are heavily populated with other non-christian religions; even between Protestants and Catholics, terms have been used to separate the two. I am appalled by this practice as my understanding of the true christian faith is one of tolerance and love, not one of claiming that the other religion is false. I had been troubled by this terminology and had done some research on this issue. The result that I had discovered is that few people understand who read the Bible understand how it works. The Bible is generally divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. Many readers tend to forget that both christian books have to be read together in order to understand the text; some readers just read the Old Testament and believe that it's God's word on an issue or others just read the New Testament and believe that this is the Word. Sad to say, both books have to be read in conjunction. However, nowhere in the bible does it describe that other religions are wrong or belong to the devil. By using the term "spiritual warfare", few grasp the fact that one is signifying battle with Satan, i.e. a war between good and evil.
Now this is where I am surprised. I cannot find anything in the Bible to mention that other religions belong to the devil. The only references to other religions are from the Old Testament that states that God will lead the Israelites to the promised land but they must beware not to worship other Gods (the Pagan Gods of the inhabitants of the land) as he has made the Israelites his Children and he is a jealous God; nowhere does it say the other religions are bad but rather he had issued a warning to his own people not to stray from him. Over the years, many though have taken this to mean that other religions are bad or believers of other religions are bad...again this is the result of our fallacy as human beings rather than what the Word of God is.
This leads me to my second point. Beliefs and understanding of the Bible. This is a very sensitive topic to christians as many devout christians would like to believe that they understand the Bible. Let me be very clear on this issue....no one truly understands the Bible as it is written in a way that it is open to interpretation. God gave us the Bible as a book on his instructions which he speaks to Christians through but it does not mean that everything is to be read historically. Having read the Bible from front to back and having taken a theology class does not qualify one to be an expert; reason being (for enlightened christians who understand this element) WE ARE HUMAN AND NOT GOD! (Surprise! Surprise!). Also, God gave us free will which allows us to interpret situations differently and this can cause misunderstandings in our interpretation; only GOD knows what the true interpretation of the Bible is. Therefore, as human beings and christians, let's stop playing God!
Well, this then leads up to another question. Some have said that God speaks directly to them and therefore they have a solid understanding of things that God wants them to do including interpreting the Bible (i.e. making them more favored in God's eyes). Also some have used the writings in the Bible, e.g. Genesis, to dispel evolution as a theory. Lets examine this carefully.
To begin with, God speaks to everyone regardless of whether you are a christian or not! Some may ask me how I can make such a statement and it is blasphemy. Hold on before you decide to burn me at the stake...for all devout christians, read the Bible and ye shall find the answer. God created all of the world and everything in it (according to Genesis) in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. God created us humans as well as his children; we fell out of favor through the original sin of Adam and Eve which resulted in us having free will and the "problems" of the world...looking at this then, aren't we all Children of God then regardless of what religion or creed we belong to? As such, shouldn't God have the ability to speak to all of us regardless of whether we are Christians or not? Want more...in Exodus, God instructed Moses to speak to Pharaoh but he mentioned that he shall harden Pharaoh's heart...in this example, did God speak to Pharaoh or just merely pulled a string and Pharaoh hardened his heart? Let's be honest...God speaks to all of us in his own way and this may be verbal or non-verbal and does not require a burning bush. So for those who believe that God speaks to them directly, let's say that God speaks to all of us as he has a plan for all of us.
Another point to take note...Genesis and evolution can go hand in hand. Remember God created the world in 6 days? Take note 6 days in God's time can mean a thousand years in ours...as christians, we always say the words "in God's time" but do we really understand it or is it just a catch phrase? Also, we have no interpretation of what we humans looked like back then but our images and interpretation is based on what we look like now. Therefore, as God is all forms and all shapes, what is to say we did not evolve because God wanted us to?
Evangelism, my 3rd point. This is a point that I see very constantly a misunderstood issue. As a christian, I keep hearing that we must evangelize to expand the kingdom of God. I agree; however, I do not agree with the means that churches use. For a start, God did not ask us to go out and shove christianity down people's throats. Take for example the people who stand at MRT stations, bus depots, shopping centres etc asking people to convert...the means used sometimes are confrontational in that they try to push the Bible down strangers throats by asking if they want to be saved. Another example is the fervor that is shown when a non-christian visits a church, the christians clamor on the person and try to force the newcomer to accept Christ. I would like to point out to everyone that evangelism is not about shoving christianity down someone's throat, it is about showing by example the love and behavior that a true christian should exhibit. Going out and "forcing" a person to accept Christ is akin to the crusades and look where that got us! Again, for fundamental christians, take a look at how Jesus spread the faith; Jesus went out and spoken to people, showed love and patience so that people understood his position. Jesus did not shove christianity down people's throats but instead showed them the truth of the religion which is God loves us. Therefore, should we not also follow the same example if we deem ourselves christians? Jesus did not discriminate in his love, even towards non-christians (read story about the Samaritan woman at the well or the prostitute who was about to be stoned in the New Testament), so why should we? Have we forgotten the fundamentals of our own religion in our fervor?
Lastly, what does christianity really stand for? Does attending Church every Sunday without fail, reading the Bible daily, espousing Bible verses word for word, praying religiously etc make a person more christian than the next? Actually, contrary to any belief, the truth is NO. I would like everyone to note that there are many people who deem themselves christians because they put aside a single day (Sunday) to be "holy" because the Bible prescribes it but the rest of the days, they indulge in other pleasures...look into yourselves and answer truthfully if this is you (don't lie, God knows!). In fact, many of us ARE! Why? Because we are human (re-read the Bible if you do not understand). Christianity is in actuality a faith and a belief in God and not a status symbol. Remember that the first apostles did not have a Church to gather in; Jesus did not have a Church to pray in. Moreover, christianity is about one's relationship with God and speaking to God as you would your own Father; it is not about a fixed process but rather a conversation with God so we have a relationship with him. The New Testament and the cruxifixtion of Jesus gave us this ability. Praying is not a formulated process and we should not read the Bible because we have to. We are christians because we have a true relationship with God and believe in the fundamentals of what he stands for which is to Love all.
I have heard many criticize or distant themselves from people who refuse to accept Christ. Such people criticize others as the devil or worse. Please don't fall into this trap. If your friends want to convert, they will accept in their own time (i.e. in God's time and way); you are not the person who will convert anyone but it is through your own example and through your love that you will convince others of your faith. God asks that You be faithful to Him but does not state that if you convert more people, it makes you holier, please remember this! God loves All his Children which means everyone in existence! As christians, please do not go forth and make comments like I cannot be in a relationship with someone who is a non-christian...this is unbecoming because God provided you with this person to love and treasure and not solely to convert as a project. Please get it right, all christians, we LOVE the person and not because of the person's religion...LOVE the person and don't try to make excuses to convert the person (including dragging the person to Church).
In conclusion, we are all Children of God regardless of what faith we belong to...God created us all (or for the freethinkers, something did put us here which is undeniable). Let's stop creating the barriers and learn to understand one another and LOVE one another as was intended. If we all start looking, we may actually realize as christians that all our faiths and religions are linked with similarities. Christians....let's start behaving like true christians (in the vein of Jesus Christ) instead or behaving like warmongers....Jesus LOVED us all despite us crucifying Him, He died for our blindness and sins, why can't we learn to love like he did without barriers? Ponder this....
4 comments:
well, it capture my attention when it comes to issue like this. I do have people who comes up to me and ask me to join their religion when I already have my own. They wanted to change me, my religion, my perception, etc. The worst is that they told me mine is not a good one!!?? who will they to judge? Next, is that different people told me different things about their same faith, I would say that its misinterpertation of the words they see or read. But please have a world meeting together on their own faith to keep the accuracy and consistency.
Actually the truth about religion is that it is one's faith and belief (it's your relationship with God and not anybody else's). Religion is a personal issue and not a social issue. I understand your concern.
Christianity itself is very divided with numerous denominations; Presbyterians, Catholics, reformed church etc. Even amongst the Christians, there is a division between the Catholics and Protestants. However, the sad fact amongst Christians is that we all read from the same book. Again, these divisions are man-made and few christians take the time to understand their basic manual (the Bible) to figure out what they believe. Instead, the sad fact is that many christians take the words of their leaders as the gospel truth and forget that such interpretations are again by Man and not through God.
Pastors and church leaders tend to like to play god and portray themselves to be more holy. Again, they forget the words of the Old Testament (their own manual) which mentions that they are appointed by God for a purpose but does not annoint them as infallible! A fallacy that is attributable to us as humans.
Today, there is a world conference on tolerance between the christian and non-christian faiths. This can be seen through the Roman Catholic religion under Vatican III where the Church is inviting leaders of various religions to gather in Rome for discussions in order to gain a better understanding of one another's religions. However, similar to any human endeavor, human beings ultimately still want to deny such tolerance.
Finally, to all christians who read this blog...remember the words of Jesus when the guards were about to stone the prostitute: "Let he who is without sin be the first to throw the stone" - interpretation: You may judge another if you are without sin. Similarly, judgment is not for anyone to render except the Supreme Being. If we are christians as we claim, let us truly understand what we stand for. Christianity is not a recreational club or a social gathering, it is a faith and a way of life!
I apologize for the way that christians have approached you and all in the world. Christianity, like any religion, is about tolerance and love. Before any christians condemn me though, I emphasize that I am not against the christian faith (I am a christian) but rather I would like to point out some of our unbecoming behavior that I believe we can improve. Let's come back to the heart of worship and stop destroying ourselves.
great post! a friend once told me that she does not preach unnecessarily because at the end of the day, it all boils down to her own personal connection and relationship with God. she doesn't believe in shoving her own beliefs down other ppl's throats. ironically though, she planted seeds of doubt in me when she quoted a phrase from the bible that is of course, very much open to interpretation.
the phrase, "be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" and a general interpretation can be found in many various sources. and this is smth that could cause friction/agony between a christian and his/her non-christian partner...
http://www.truechristianity.com/christian/yoking.htm
Reese, your comment is very true. The problem with many of the Christian writers is that they prefer to take a verse out of the Bible instead of viewing the entire Bible as a whole which includes both the historical and biblical contexts.
I had a look at the link you had provided. Again, the interpretation was taken from a very literal context instead of viewing Jesus' life in totality. Historically, Jesus and his disciples traveled and lived amongst the people, regardless of whether they were believers or not. Jesus himself administered to the people with various sermons and these were open to both Jews/believers and non-believers. For anyone to say that Jesus and his apostles only spoke to believers would be nonsence. Take for example, Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman (a non-believer at the well) as well as he went forth to save the prostitute from being stoned; all these actions were performed regardless of whether the receipient were a believer.
In addition, for anyone who suggests that Jesus and his disciples left areas where the people were non-believers is again nonsence. During Jesus' time, the only way that travel could be accomplished was by foot. Jesus wanted to reach out to as many people as he could (as the prophecy already stated when he would be betrayed and crucified). Due to this, Jesus and his disciples had to move quickly so that the words of the Son of Man could be spread to as many people as possible; Jesus did not leave because the people were non-believers but rather he had a journey to accomplish. In fact, Jesus lived with the common folk (believers and non-believers) and these are truly shown in various books within the Bible; the love for people is one of the premise of christianity so it would be contradictory (especially from a christian perspective) if Jesus abandoned his people.
Again, please do not be affected by what the verse states. A literal interpretation will only contradict the true nature of christianity. There are christians who understand the true meaning of christianity and there are others who pretend (just like the phaerisees who pretended to understand the Old Testament but were indulging in sin); however, the key is that God will make the final judgment.
The problem,though, is that all arguments put forth by both sides will be endless in a religious debate. What I would like to put forth though is to ask you not to be affected by the verse; if a christian feels that the verse is an instruction from God to isolate his/her fellow being, so be it and let God be the final judge for we all shall face our ultimate creator in the end;
Being "religious" by attending Church every week and memorizing the Bible does not maketh a true believer of the faith...
Again, thank you for your comment.
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