Concluding “The Clash”

Posted: November 5, 2011 in Uncategorized
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When you consider just how many religions there are in the world, it can seem a bit overwhelming.  After all, 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…”.  How can we possibly do this when there are so many different belief systems to cover?  How can we intelligently defend the Christian faith and provide a reason for the hope within us to a Buddhist without spending hours upon hours understanding the core doctrines of his beliefs?  In reality, there’s a much easier way to “make a defense”.

Whenever any other religion besides Christianity approaches the issue of salvation, redemption, etc., the focus is ultimately on man.  While a supernatural figure or entity may enter into the picture, the responsibility of attaining perfection rests on man’s shoulders.  Christianity alone proclaims man to be incapable of achieving salvation on his own power.  The only way perfection can be attained is through someone who is perfect.  The Bible repeatedly states that mankind is fallen and sinful — by default, imperfect.  However, God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem mankind.  Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again three days later.  His death served as payment for the sins of humanity.  By confessing Jesus’ lordship and believing that He was raised from the dead, one may be saved.

The message of the Gospel truly is simple — confess and believe, and you shall be saved.  When a Christian understands the Gospel’s terms of salvation and recognizes the underlying assumption that all other religions hold, he can more confidently defend his faith.  Gaining a greater understanding of specific religions would certainly help in finding common ground when addressing non-believers — the apostle Paul provided an excellent example of this when he addressed the Greek Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34).  Even so, understanding that all other religions believe that man is basically good and capable of saving himself is a tremendous advantage.  How so?

If man is basically good, then it should be easily observed.  However, we see exactly the opposite.  Looking around on the news at all the crimes, violence, political corruption, and numerous other examples of immoral behavior should provide a clear picture of the state of mankind.  Some would argue that man only appears to be flawed because of society’s influence.  The problem is, people make up society.  How could society be the reason people are flawed, when society is made up of people?  If one truly considers the state of the world, it is readily evident that something is wrong; not just wrong on the surface, but inherently wrong.

Once we understand the true condition of man’s nature, we are better able to relate to any belief system we encounter.  Because other religions will teach — in some form or another — that man is basically good and can save himself, our response would be to point out the impossibility of this claim.  If man is basically good, then why does he continue to do bad things?

In order to stand before a holy God, man’s sinfulness must be fully atoned for.  Even so, the One who created mankind is eternally faithful, steadfast in His love, perfectly just and righteous, yet abounding in grace and mercy.  By accepting His gift of grace, there is no longer any need to seek salvation on one’s own might.  No one can satisfy the price for their sins — it’s too steep.  That’s what Jesus did on the cross 2,000 years ago. His death and resurrection are sufficient.  There need be nothing else.

 

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

The Clash: Taoism

Posted: November 2, 2011 in Apologetics, Worldview
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During the Mid-late 100’s B.C., there was a great deal of political upheaval in ancient China.  The ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius sought to re-establish order by calling all people, including the emperor, to live according to the Tao — the underlying principle that he believed governed all existence.  Another Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, rejected Confucius’ teachings. Instead of mandating everyone to live according to an established set of laws, Lao Tzu taught that peace and harmony could only be found if people aligned themselves with the Tao.  His teachings are recorded in the Tao Te Ching, the scripture of Taoism.  Another Chinese philosopher, Chuang Tzu, expounded on Lao Tzu’s writings in the Tao Te Ching and wrote more expansively on the mystical nature of the Tao.  In their teachings we are introduced to the world of Taoism.

One of the fundamental aspects of Taoism is its exploration of the existence and nature of the Tao.  The Tao is shrouded in mystery, so there is no specific way to define it.  In essence, it is a force that underlies all existence. It is believed that by becoming more in tune with the Tao, we can reach harmony with the universe.  This should be done via the principle of wu-wei.  Wu-wei advocates doing something because it is a natural action, as opposed to doing something that goes against the natural purpose of something or someone else.  Stated simply, wu-wei is performing an action because it comes naturally.  By aligning ourselves with the Tao through this “purposeful inaction” of wu-wei, Lao Tzu taught that the Tao would be able to work through us to achieve harmony.

Taoism holds that the Tao is divided into two parts — the Yin and the Yang — that are constantly opposed to yet interact with one another.  For example, where the Yin side represents dark, cold, and good, the Yang side represents light, hot, and evil.  This idea is represented by a circle with two halves, one white and one black, curling into each other.  While the opposite sides are opposed to each other, together they create balance and harmony.  Everything is believed to have a Te, or inner connection with the Tao.  Because the Te for one person, animal, object, etc. may be different from that of another, the characteristics present in one Te should not be imposed on that of another.  Doing so will cause the oppressed to resist, thus disrupting the harmony of the Tao.  According to Taoism, people should respect the different Te that others possess and abstain from imposing their own viewpoints on others.

Taoism teaches that while there is a degree of chaos and disorder in the world, this chaos can be remedied by aligning oneself with the Tao.  As one is aligned more with the nature of the Tao, he achieves peace and harmony in himself and helps bring order to society.  However, because good and evil are not only coexistent, but also considered mutually dependent, this harmony is achieved with no regard for moral absolutes.  After all, if the Te of each person is different, what if the natural flow of the universe would require someone to perform horrendous atrocities, all in the name of maintaining the balance of the Tao?  Since it is considered more worthy for balance and harmony to be achieved through the Tao, this is a necessary price that must be paid.

Taoism provides no standard for moral absolutes, and therefore no way of knowing justice.  The Tao is supreme, and allowing it to produce balance and harmony is considered the highest order.  However, approaching reality with such a relative attitude  towards moral standards is extremely dangerous.  If people are supposed to follow their Te in order to achieve harmony with the Tao, then we need to understand what the true nature of man is.  Regardless of whether man should pursue harmony with the Tao or not, his natural character is going to come out.  One can look at the world as a whole to see what happens when man follows his natural character.  It’s not pretty.  A look at the newspaper or news channel provides clear evidence that we live in a fallen world.  Taoism would argue that the deterioration we see in society is a result of falling out of harmony with the Tao.  The irony is that by telling people to follow their natural character, Taoism is encouraging the perpetration of brokenness and pain.  It fails to take into account man’s nature: fallen, helpless, and incapable of achieving perfection on his own (Romans 3:10-18).

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith….” (Romans 3:23-25)

God’s Word tells us what man’s true character is.  Man is sinful, and he has fallen short of God’s glory. He has no way of being justified on his own.  Even so, God sent his Son, Jesus, to pay the price for man’s sinfulness and rebellion towards Him.  The payment of Christ’s blood is sufficient for man’s sinfulness and satisfies God’s justice. Christ gave his life as a gift of grace, to be received through faith in Him.  As a result, no one can claim that through his own works he is justified in God’s sight (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Seeking to bring harmony to the universe by looking within oneself will only further the depravation in the world around him.  The only way man can be rescued from the vicious consequence of sin and death is to look beyond himself, placing his faith in Christ.

 

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

The Clash: Judaism

Posted: October 26, 2011 in Apologetics, Worldview
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(Before reading this post, please understand that there is a definite distinction between the religion of Judaism and the Jewish people.  Judaism is a religion, while the Jewish people are a separate ethnic group. While many Jews believe in the precepts of Judaism, not all Jews hold to this religion. Many others place their faith in different belief systems.  This post considers the religion of Judaism and how it differs from Christianity.)

While the history of the Jewish people reaches much farther back in time, the term “Judaism” will be used to refer to the system of beliefs that developed in Jewish culture between 200 BC and 70 AD.  From 200 BC on, new traditions and ways of life developed that moved Judaism further from the religion of ancient Israel.  One of the primary developments was the impact of the office of the rabbi — a Jewish leader who holds religious authority.  After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, rabbis became the authorities for establishing religious traditions and laws.  As a result, Judaism is heavily influenced by the teachings and insights of these leaders.

While much of Judaism was heavily influenced by the teachings of the early rabbis, the religion has since divided into three major groups — Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative.  Orthodox Judaism places a heavy emphasis on tradition and strict adherence to the Law of Moses, as interpreted by the rabbis.  When the Enlightenment swept across Europe during the eighteenth century, many Jews felt the best way to preserve their identity was to pursue modernization.  The denomination of the faith that this movement gave rise to was eventually termed Reform Judaism.  Because of its emphasis on innovation and modernization, this branch is more liberal than the other two.  Finally, Conservative Judaism takes a more middle-ground approach.  While not as strict as Orthodox, Conservative Judaism does have some liberal elements as well.

Regardless of the denomination, Judaism maintains the basic premise that man is naturally good.  As a result, man is supposedly able to earn his salvation.  Whether that be ultimately realized in the legacy a person leaves (Reform and Conservative) or in a future physical resurrection (Orthodox), man is believed to be capable of achieving it on his own.  However, man isn’t in that kind of situation.  Romans 3:23 says that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”.  Psalm 14:2-3 provides an Old Testament reference, as well:

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

When addressing the Jewish religious leaders on one occasion, Jesus put it a bit more bluntly:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.  So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” – Matthew 23: 27-28

While Jesus was addressing the hypocrisy of these leaders, the diagnosis of the human condition is the same.  Despite any attempts at attaining righteousness on his own, man’s efforts to earn salvation are like whitewashing a tomb.  People may appear to be good by the things they do and the ways they live, but their hearts are “desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He made a covenant with them.  That covenant required them to observe numerous laws and regulations.  However, many years after the Israelites had taken possession of the Promised Land, the nation that had been so magnificent under David and Solomon’s reign split in two.  Eventually, both Israel and Judah would turn away from the Lord, be invaded by a foreign nation, and taken into captivity.  Despite their unabashed apostasy, God promised the establishment of a new covenant:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.  And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.  For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34

The new covenant that God promised was ultimately realized in His Son, Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for every sin committed by every human being.  Whereas the sacrifice of animals was required to sanctify a person under the old covenant, Jesus’ death freed us from sin and is able to “…purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”  (Hebrews 9:13-14)

“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
Hebrews 9:15

Judaism proclaims that good works are required for salvation to be obtained.  However, the covenant that God has made with mankind through Christ leaves no room for us to obtain salvation on our own.  It is only by His grace and mercy that we can ever receive eternal life.  (Titus 3:5-7) Because of his sinful nature, man maintains the belief that he can better himself on his own power.  While the “word of the cross” (1 Corinthians 1:18) may seem foolish to many, it is the only hope that mankind has for eternal redemption.

 

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

The Clash: Islam

Posted: October 19, 2011 in Apologetics, Worldview
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The religion of Islam began in the early 600’s AD.  Founded by an Arabian man by the name of Muhammad, Islam is by far the predominant religion in the Middle East, and is spreading rapidly into other nations as well.  According to Islamic doctrine, Muhammad received revelations from the angel Gabriel, which were eventually compiled into the Quran, the Islamic holy text.  One of the primary revelations Muhammad received was that only one god existed, and that his name was “Allah”.  This revelation was in direct conflict with the religious beliefs of the surrounding Arabian tribes, who worshipped a multitude of gods.  As Muhammad began to preach about his revelations to the people of Mecca (in present day Saudi Arabia), persecution forced him and his followers to flee to the city of Medina.  Muhammad soon went to war against the Meccans, ultimately defeating them and gaining control of their city.  Within a year of this conquest, Muhammad was able to unite all the tribes of the Arabian peninsula under his religion.

The term “Islam” means “submission”.  Consequently, a follower of Islam is known as a “Muslim”, or “one who submits (to the will of Allah)”.  In order to please Allah and gain entrance to paradise, Muslims must have their good works outweigh their bad works here on earth.  Though their entrance to paradise is determined by Allah alone, Muslims may make progress toward this goal by following the “Five Pillars” of Islam.  The Five Pillars are: 1) reciting the Shahadah (There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet), 2) praying five times a day, 3) giving alms, 4) regular fasting, and 5) if financially and physically able, making a pilgrimage to Mecca.  Additionally, Muslims hold the Quran to be the sacred word of Allah.  Certain other scriptures are accepted as well, but only the Quran is believed to have endured uncorrupted.

Because Muslims must perform good works in order to gain entrance into paradise, Islam is yet another religion that relies on the belief that man is basically good.   After all, if man were able to save himself by his own deeds, he must be perfectible by his own power.  As a result, if performing good works and following the Five Pillars are what make one good enough to gain entrance to paradise, man must be intrinsically good.  However, who determines what is “good enough”?  According to Islam, only Allah knows for sure.  One might spend their entire life as a devout Muslim, but still not perform enough good deeds to satisfy Allah.  While it might be satisfying to attempt to achieve salvation, what if all of one’s good deeds still weren’t good enough?

God understands our nature better than we do.  He realizes that we are sinful, lost, and totally incapable of performing enough – indeed, any – good deeds on our own power.  In essence, left to ourselves, we’re hopeless. However, in His infinite and unfathomable grace, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life on earth and to die for our sins.  His death paid the price for our sins – in full.  Consequently, if we accept His gift of grace, God accepts Christ’s death as payment for our sins.  Because it must rely on someone’s own deeds, Islam can only hope to cover over one’s sins with good works – much like covering an ink blot with white-out.  You might not be able to see it, but the blot’s still there.  It hasn’t been taken away. The question isn’t how many good deeds one must perform.  The problem lies in what must be done about the bad deeds. If the bad deeds can be taken away, the situation is resolved.  Islam can only hope to use enough good deeds to cover the bad ones.  Christ’s blood is sufficient to pay for every one.

The Clash: Secularism

Posted: October 12, 2011 in Apologetics, Worldview
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Although there has been a desire to explain the universe apart from God for centuries (e.g., Ancient Greeks, Romans), Secularism as we know it came into existence during the Enlightenment (late 17th through 18th centuries).  As scientists like Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Bacon, and several others began to discover the natural laws that govern the universe, many people began to gravitate toward the belief that the world could operate apart from God.  Deism, the belief that God created the world but no longer manages it, began to gain greater acceptance.  However, when Charles Darwin introduced his theory of evolution, those who wished to rule God out entirely were given the answer they sought.  By stating a theory of origins devoid of God’s involvement, Darwin introduced a belief that denied any need for God in the creation of life.  Consequently, if we didn’t need God in order to exist in the first place, was there any reason we needed Him at all?  Although other theories of evolution had been previously offered, Darwin’s gained increasing popularity among the scientific community.  As the 1800’s came to a close and a new century began, Secularism continued to gain acceptance in academia, science, political theory, and a number of other disciplines.

While many may not consider Secularism to be a religion, it nonetheless holds a number of basic beliefs.  Fundamentally, Secularism denies the existence of God and seeks to provide an explanation for life apart from His sovereign rule.  As a result, it strives to explain reality only by the use of science and natural laws.  The belief that God doesn’t exist produces a number of additional consequences as well.  Without God, there is no standard of morality, no purpose or meaning to existence, and no afterlife.  Secularism holds that we only exist for the here and now, with no hope for an eternal future.  Therefore, any form of “salvation” is simply what one makes of life.  If there is no life after death, then the best thing one could do is to live their life to the point of maximum enjoyment.  Apart from any purpose or solid moral foundation, all of life becomes relative.

Needless to say, Secularism and Biblical Christianity are entirely at odds.  Secularism places its foundation solely on scientific reasoning, while Biblical Christianity is grounded on God’s Word.  Many would claim that because Secularism is supposedly able to explain reality by only natural means, Christianity’s acceptance of the Bible makes it entirely irrelevant.  However, they neglect to understand that true Biblical Christianity doesn’t discount scientific reasoning or natural laws.  In fact, those things would be unable to exist apart from a sovereign creator God.  If there was no omnipotent Creator over the universe, how could order be brought to chaos?  What about the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the amount of disorder within a system can’t decrease, but can only increase?  Biblical Christianity doesn’t discount scientific reasoning.  Rather, it makes it possible!  Additionally, claims of moral relativism are completely illogical, as they contradict themselves.  If I say that all truth is a matter of opinion, is my statement true?  Secularism attempts to explain reality apart from God, but, upon serious consideration and honest analysis, it is entirely unable to provide a reasonable explanation.

If you’d like to explore the evidence for the reliability of the Bible, check out the “Apologetics” tab in the category menu to the left.  There’s also a series of posts addressing evolution in this section as well.

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