i've reached a point where i have been taught to value different cultures/religions so much, that the thought of evangelizing to a muslim, buddhist or hindu actually can cause some anger in me because i feel like christians are just imposing their views and not valuing their culture. even if it is done in a sensitive way.
but, if their beliefs, in the christian worldview, ultimately leads to eternity in hell... what does that mean?
what do i do? is this just the result of a faulty, sociological worldview that overemphasizes empathy and pathos? can jesus translate into other religions (and thus cultural practices) without becoming relativistic?
i'm glad i finally get to wrestle with this. as i grew up in my faith, i was surrounded by christians, so the answers were always relatively "easy' or at least didn't have a reality with which they collided.
now, there are faces to the faceless. and i think that they are beautiful.
have mercy, oh lord.
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Good post, Leah! Important, difficult issues to deal with for sure.
ReplyDelete*I want to preface the rest of this comment by pointing out that I'm basically still in the "surrounded by Christians" atmosphere, because that's what happens when you attend an evangelical Christian seminary and work at an evangelical Christian church (all that to say, maybe I'm not at all qualified to even contribute to a discussion like this).
My hesitation usually comes when Christians deal with this issue and their conclusion becomes, in every practical way, a universalistic theology. In fact I recently heard a Christian say that surely God won't send a muslim (or buddhist or hindu) to hell if he/she sincerely believes his/her religion and seeks to live it out faithfully. That certainly sounds quite nice, but you have to make some pretty significant alterations to the Bible if you want that to be true.
And yes, I think Jesus can absolutely translate into other religions & cultures. He wasn't a Westerner, a capitalist, or a Democrat!
thanks for the comments jake!! i agree, very much, for your thoughts. i know a lot of people more brilliant than i have done some thinking and bible studying related to this. they probably have some answers for me, it's just a matter of finding the books they wrote.
ReplyDeleteor... maybe they won't have answers either. i wish i had more time to supplement my studies with biblical studies to further explore how the gospels would comment on these issues.
but... that might not give me answers either... it reminds me of "til we have faces" by c.s. lewis where the character discovers that the answer to all her questions and frustrations about injustice lie not in a spoken answer, but in a person.
but, if you do have some revelatory insight, please please pass it on! :)