Why Christianity can't be merged with other religions
If you want some excitement, tune into American politics as the claws are out and the fur is flying at the moment. One of the dramas involves Bernie Sanders, a “democratic socialist” who is among the frontrunners for the Democratic nomination to run for president.
He was recently interviewed on CBS News by a feisty Norah O’Donnell and found himself in a state of awkward self-contradiction click here for interview. When challenged that his health plan will cost 60 trillion dollars over 10 years, he defended himself by saying that nobody knows how much it will cost. He then indicated that it is impossible to find out.
Norah responded, “You’re going to propose a plan to the American people and you’re not going to tell them how much it’s going to cost?”
On the ropes, Bernie blurted out, “Of course I will.”
Unfortunately both of Bernie’s statements cannot be true because they contradict each other. They are mutually exclusive opposites and if you placed them together into one sentence you would see that very clearly.
The only way to create one sentence from the two that makes any sense would be to change one of Bernie’s remarks to say something different. For example, “It is possible to know the cost and here it is,” or “It is impossible to know the cost and so I don’t know what it will be.” This could be described as “the reinventing the facts method.” Going for this option is to present oneself as a liar.
The only other alternative is to join the two statements together in a way that doesn’t make sense: “It is impossible to know the cost and here are the figures.” This could be called “the nonsense option,” and is tantamount to presenting oneself as an idiot.
These are important principles to remember when considering the religions in the world. In the major religions, (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc.) you have mutually exclusive systems of belief that cannot be merged together with integrity. You cannot take very distinctive religions and fit them together, and at the same time retain their unique identity and message.
Therefore, the only way of seemingly pulling them together is by trickery, just like trying to fit together Bernie’s contradictory statements by making changes to the basic information. That involves distorting the major teachings of the religions, and that is not honest. The alternative of pulling them together untouched is to create nonsense.
We live in a democracy and are free to believe what we want in terms of a religious faith. Making such a choice is something like buying a car. The car can look very appealing on the outside, but it is always wise to look under the bonnet.
The Bible clearly says that salvation is only found in Jesus, the Son of God. For example, when preaching about the name of Jesus in Acts 4:8-12, Peter clearly says in verse 12:
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Such exclusive and absolute statements are commonplace in God’s Word. Let’s take a look at 1 John 5:11-12:
“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
You don’t have to agree with these verses and you don’t have to like them, but please don’t be fooled by the rhetoric that tells you that pure and undiluted Christianity can be merged with other faiths. It is totally impossible.
Wayne.
To learn more about Wayne’s book, Revelations of the Kingdom for Suspicious Minds, read his blogs, or to make contact with Wayne, visit waynejohns.co.nz
