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.”

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.”

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 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.

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.

Many people today would claim that all religions are basically the same; that while they have their differences, all will eventually lead to the same place.  These folks would likely consider one’s religion to be of no more consequence than their favorite soda or sports team.  In the secularized society we live in today, religion has been downgraded significantly.  Instead of holding a place of reverence and awe, religion has been relegated to a point of mere preference.  As a result of this attitude, many people have fallen out of touch with the numerous differences in doctrine that various religions hold.

In the next few posts, we’re going to take a look at several religions.  Contrary to the view of many, we will see that there are in fact significant differences among these different belief systems — whether it be in the belief in an afterlife, the terms of salvation, the nature of God, the nature of man, etc.  Once we’ve briefly explored many of their basic doctrines, we will contrast them with Biblical Christianity.  As we delve into the foundational beliefs of these religions and uncover their bedrock assumptions, pay close attention to how they specifically clash with Christianity.  Once we’ve finished the series, we’ll take a closer look at the common thread that runs through every religion contrary to a Biblical Christian worldview.

With that said, there’s one last thing I want to point out.  In light of 1 Peter 3:15 — where we are called to give a reason for the hope within us — it can seem extremely daunting to believe that we would have to study every single belief system in order to understand how to defend our faith against it.  However, as we will see at the end of this series, there is a much more “efficient” way to address the beliefs we come into contact with. Even so, this still doesn’t give us the freedom to take a “Cliff’s Notes” summary approach — we need to be willing to dig deep into understanding other belief systems.  We need to be willing to do the research on Islam so that when we meet a Muslim, we can better relate to his position.  Paul did this with the Athenians in Acts 17. Through prior research and understanding of the culture he was in, Paul was able to effectively speak to the people in the Areopagus.  We too need to be ready to address those in our culture.  Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a closer look at just how we can do that.

Okay, here it is, the fourth and final post in our series on evolution. In the past three posts we’ve taken a look at a basic introduction to evolution and its credibility as a scientific theory. After considering the evidence against evolution, it’s pretty safe to say that its reliability is at the very least highly questionable. That raises a very interesting question: If there are so many problems with evolution, why is it still taught and accepted as a fact? Moreover, why aren’t opposing theories like Intelligent Design and Biblical Creation taught alongside it? After all, in real science, the facts are allowed to be interpreted through opposing theories. In the end, the theory that best explains the facts — and not the other way around — is accepted.

The reason that evolution is still accepted as fact, the reason evolution is still taught as the truth is not because of its stellar credentials. It is because evolution is a foundational aspect of an entire belief system (worldview). Evolution provides a premise for how life originated without requiring the existence of a Creator. As a result, since there is no room for a Creator in an evolutionary-based worldview, people have no accountability to Him. We would therefore be free to do as we pleased with no lasting, eternal consequences, since we would essentially be extremely intelligent animals that somehow attained consciousness. That makes things kind of convenient if one doesn’t want to believe in God, doesn’t it? No responsibility, no eternity, no worries, right?

Contrary to what some may believe, ideas do have consequences. Good ideas have good consequences, bad ideas have bad ones. So what kind of consequences does evolution produce? If people are nothing more than cosmic accidents that are highly evolved, then they really don’t have any basic value. After all, what value does an accident have? Accordingly, if people have no value, then the value of life is extremely low. Practices like abortion, euthanasia, genocide and others can simply be justified as steps that need to be taken to thin out “human weeds”. People have no obligation to the well-being of others, since there is no higher standard to appeal to. People are their own standard. Therefore, everyone would be logically justified in doing whatever pleased themselves, regardless of the cost to others. Our only focus in life should be to consume and enjoy, plowing over anything that gets in the way of our desires. Morality does not exist, since there is no higher standard for people to refer to than themselves. Some may argue that morality has evolved with people, since it was considered a valuable genetic trait that furthered the human population. However, this doesn’t fit very logically with the evolutionary belief system. If I’m here as an accident, then I don’t have any obligation to anyone else. Therefore, I am here for no one else but me. If something will make me happy, then it is in my nature to get it, no matter the cost to anyone else — even if it costs them their life. Someone might tell me that I shouldn’t do something for myself because it would endanger or disadvantage someone else, thus throwing a kink in evolutionary progress. However, since I am naturally selfish, I wouldn’t really care about furthering the evolution of my kind. I would exist for myself, and my ultimate goal would be to make myself happy.

The truth is, people do feel an obligation to a higher standard, whether they want to accept it or not. If we truly stooped down to hold such a low value of ourselves, life would become utter chaos. Tragically, many buy this belief system hook, line and sinker. The result: empty, unfulfilled lives that constantly try to cover their loneliness with material wealth and sensual indulgence. Regardless of how much they try, regardless of how much they gain, it is never enough. If evolution were true, there would be no void, there would be no loneliness. Our selfish pursuits would provide satisfaction. The satisfaction would eventually wear off, but we would just mechanically go back for more. Humans are more complex than that, though. When the satisfaction wears off, there is a deeper longing that just can’t be effectively ignored. We can try, but its gnawing never fully goes away. Humans aren’t materialistic creatures. They have desires that can’t be fully answered by material things. In that case, what does one get when they go beyond the material? They must consider the supernatural.

Humans are spiritual beings. They can’t be fulfilled with simply food, shelter and rest like any other animal. They need something deeper. They need something that fills the “void of loneliness” that exists in every person. Materialistic evolution cannot explain this need. People can deny its existence, and many can therefore ignore it effectively. However, they are unable to live in absolute consistency with an evolutionary worldview. They hold moral convictions, whether they believe in morality or not. They consider the welfare of others. They treat other people with value, although an evolutionary worldview cannot make sense of this. Evolution degrades humans to a place beside the animals, but it fails to satisfactorily explain what makes humans superior to animals. Could it be that people were created in the image of God? Wouldn’t that explain why life is given value, why morality is important, why we would seek to be considerate of others? If something was created, wouldn’t its Maker have inserted some level of value in His work? God did. He considered his creation to be of such high value, though it was tainted with sin, to be worth the life of His only Son, Jesus. That’s how valuable life is. Evolution considers humans to be material accidents, whereas Christianity identifies humans — all humans — as beings with unspeakable value.

Consider the evidence. We must decide for ourselves which worldview to believe in. However, remember that ideas always, always have consequences. Know the consequences that a worldview will produce. Never commit to a path before first knowing where it will end.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

Proverbs 16:25

“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.”

Gyms are interesting places.  The equipment is interesting, the variety of people — and their workout routines — are interesting, and the music is interesting.  I’ve used my share of the equipment, I’ve observed several very unique workout regimens, but I’ve only recently thought very seriously about the music.  Most gyms play guitar-induced rock anthems that get the adrenaline flowing and keep you focused on your workout via their monotonous rhythm.  The gym I go to is no exception.  It’s odd in that downstairs in the locker rooms one hears all those gushy songs about love, life, and all that good stuff, but when you migrate upstairs to the weight systems, the mood quickly changes.  Guitars start crunching, drums start throbbing, and the occasional scream is elicited from the pulsing speakers.  Even though I can’t understand the words to most of the songs, there are a few that are intelligible enough to grasp something of a meaning from them.  And it just so happens that those few songs are also some of the most catchy.

Some songs are just destined to be catchy.  I don’t know what the formula is, but those exceptionally well-crafted pieces of music that conquer it can be mighty hard to get out of your head.  Sometimes that’s a good thing, but all too often it isn’t.  For a time I never really thought about the potential impact of the songs playing around me as I worked out, but when I would catch myself humming them later, I began to realize just how powerful the influence of a finely made song truly is.  Some songs are so well produced that they can enter your mind and embed themselves to the point that you sing them without realizing it.  However, therein lies a problem: just what are the songs we sing and listen to telling us?  Are we ingesting truth, or are we gulping down lies?  Be that as it may, songs are not the only area where this subconscious ingestion takes place.  What about movies, TV shows, speeches, books, or information taught in a classroom?  Just how often do we step back and take a look at the information that is flying at us and test it against Biblical truth?  Just how often do we, as Christians, choose to think critically about the messages around us?

Critical thinking is not an easy task, but it needs to be a very integral part of every Christian’s life.  2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  While this truly is a tall order, it is of extreme importance if we are to lead our lives as obedient and effective Christians.  If our minds are not in order, we can hardly expect our lives to be any better.  Learning to take control of our thoughts in order to bring them under Christ’s control will drastically improve our focus and set our eyes more fixedly on Him.  Test your thoughts about a particular situation, person, etc.  Do they line up with Biblical truth?  Test the music you listen to, the movies you watch, the literature you read.  Are you allowing it to influence you negatively?  Or, even worse, is it something that should be influencing you in the first place?

I have already written one post that provides a basic definition of critical thinking (LINK).  This one isn’t written as a sequel to it, but more so as an accent mark. Critical thinking is a highly valuable pursuit that everyone — Christian or not — should cultivate in their lives.  However, we will never reap the benefits without first implementing the process.  I will be one of the first to say that I have a great deal of improvement to make in this area.  Disciplining yourself to stop and analyze all the messages that bombard you every day is indeed a challenge, but, like so many other disciplines in the Christian life, it is a challenge worth pursuing.

Before I write anything else, I want to commend the customer for taking the initiative to try and share his faith.  It takes guts to do that, and it’s especially challenging to do it with a stranger.  Although I was unable to understand all the aspects and circumstances surrounding the customer’s witness, he did not appear to be very knowledgeable of the beliefs the cashier’s religion holds to.  Although he very likely knew what he believed about being “saved”, I don’t know if he had an understanding of what members of the particular cult believe.  He didn’t need to know every tenet of the cult’s doctrine; he just needed to know a few of their basic beliefs, including their view of salvation, which is very different from that of Christianity.

Although it can be very helpful to know and understand the positions of other religions and belief systems, please understand that I am not suggesting one go out and conduct a highly intensive search on every philosophy that crosses their path.  Before any research on another belief system is made, Christians need to be sure that they know what they believe and that their beliefs line up with Scripture.  After this crucial foundation has been laid, research can be conducted on other beliefs.  This extra- curricular research is entirely optional and definitely not mandatory.  However, it can be extremely valuable when entering a witnessing opportunity or in understanding a particular cultural viewpoint.

Here’s an illustration.  Suppose an army needs to know what obstacles they may face in a particular tract of land before they launch an assault.  Because they may not get another shot at taking this extremely valuable territory, they need to know what they are going up against before they go all in.  Obviously, the wisest move would be to scout out the land.  Once the scouts return with the necessary information — what the layout appears to be, where the opposition is weakest, etc. — the advance can proceed with a much greater amount of confidence and likelihood of success.

The Christian approach to witnessing and understanding other worldviews is somewhat similar to that army’s scouting procedure.  We don’t need to go into a witnessing opportunity with a militant attitude, but we do need to obtain any information necessary to conducting a successful mission.  Understandably, a Christian can’t know every belief about every worldview he encounters, but a basic knowledge of the fundamental beliefs of several major belief systems will give him a distinct advantage not only in witnessing, but also in understanding events and opinions throughout our culture.  If Christians are to be ready to “give the reason for the hope” that we have (1Peter 3:15) as well as being on guard to “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) that the culture throws our way, we need to take time and understand the different worldviews that challenge the Christian worldview.  If we can learn to do this minimal amount of foundational work consistently, we will be able to enter witnessing opportunities and interaction with the culture with greater confidence, focus, and effectiveness.

If you would like to learn more about the beliefs of several prominent religions and belief systems, check out these links:

Chart depicting six major worldviews and their beliefs on a variety of topics

Essays on several religions and belief systems

Essays covering topics that different worldviews address

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

 Why should Christian be concerned about these cults in the first place?  Consider it this way: Christians need not be concerned about Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses because they are so different from Biblical Christianity.  Rather, Christians should be wary of these cults because they appear on the surface to be extremely similar to Christianity.  If you entered into a conversation with a Jehovah’s Witness or a Mormon about matters of religion, you may not quickly detect an obvious difference in your positions.  That is exactly what makes these cults so dangerous.  Christians who are not firmly grounded in the Bible — the true Bible, that is — may be easily swayed by a teaching on a few points of doctrine they are not familiar with.  As a result, they may be persuaded to accept the cult’s entire belief system, not realizing the conspicuous contradictions they hold toward Biblical Christianity.

 Because of the great extent of material a blog post would have to cover in order to take an in-depth look at particular Pseudo-Christian cults, I’ll have to wrap this one up by adding a few links to some resources.  As stated before, the great danger of these cults lies not in how different they are from Christianity, but how similar to it they appear on the surface.  Christians therefore need to understand these differences so they are not swayed by non-Biblical teachings.  Knowing what other religions and belief systems accept as truth is an invaluable step toward becoming an informed Christian.  More on that topic coming up in the next post.

List of articles concerning cults

Article about discerning cults

Fact sheet on Pseudo-Christian cults