What Is Essential In Christianity?

Our culture is becoming more and more pluralistic. That can be good. Miriam Webster defines pluralism as "a situation in which people of different social classes, religions, races, etc., are together in a society but continue to have their different traditions and interests." But in America today, and even more so in Europe, pluralism has come to mean that different religions not only coexist in peace, but that all religions must be accepted as equally true. This oversteps the definition of pluralism.

It also oversteps the definition of "tolerance." Dictionary.com defines tolerance as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own." Today, tolerance has been re-defined as giving a blessing to all beliefs; an approval of the idea that all beliefs, all actions, all lifestyles are not only okay, but approved by God. These can range from drunkenness to abortion to euthanasia to homosexuality, abortion, adultery, and even lying about our fellow men and women.

How does this relate to Christian beliefs and the teaching of Christ? I will have more to say on this in coming articles, but here are a few reasons why a Christian cannot agree that their religion (their God) is but one of many valid philosophies concerning gods and beliefs:

• Jesus said of Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (He did not say, "I am a way, one of many.")
• Luke, a writer who professes to have interviewed eyewitnesses and studied Jesus before writing his Gospel, says that Jesus was and is the Son of God. John, a traveller with Jesus, says that He was at the beginning of creation with God and is God.
• Paul, considered by most to be  the greatest of all theologians, confronted by the risen Christ on his way to arrest Christians, says that if the resurrection of Jesus bodily from the tomb did not happen, then we have nothing, but are to be pitied above all others, for we are still in our sin.
• Jesus stated that He accomplished His mission of redeeming mankind with His death on the cross. His resurrection is the proof that He told the truth.

There is much to say about each of these points and they are certainly do not cover all that a Christian must profess, but this is already too long for one piece. More will be coming on what we, as Christians, must profess and how we must profess those things in love. We will look at the question of whether Christianity is only a philosophy, or if it is centered in the real Son of God.

Please think and pray about our world and the direction of our culture today.