Salvation and Culture

Christianity also has a distinguishing interpretation of salvation.

There is a profound and fundamental difference between the ways that other religions think of salvation and the way described in the Gospel of Jesus. All other religions present salvation as an escape from the shackles of individuality and physical embodiment into some kind of “out of this world” transcendent spiritual existence.  When Christ speaks about salvation he is not talking of an escape from this world but of transforming us, and the world.

Other religions or philosophies do not offer such hope for the world. Outside of Christianity, no other major religious faith holds out any hope or even interest in the restoration of perfect peace, justice, and wholeness in this material world. No faith holds out a promise of eternal salvation for the world— this world—that the cross and resurrection of Jesus do.

Biblical texts such as Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21-22 depict a renewed, perfect, future world in which we retain our cultural differences (“every tongue, tribe, people, nation”).

This regard for cultural diversity is also unique to Christianity. Every human culture has (from God) distinctive qualities and strengths for the enrichment of the human race. Every culture also has distortions and elements that will be critiqued and revised by the Christian message, and yet each culture will also have good and unique elements which Christianity embraces and adjusts to.

This is why Christianity, more than any other major religion of the world, has been able to infiltrate so many radically different cultures.

We’ll continue in this vein next time.  In Christ…

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"Wise" is not an Option

“I know many people who accept Jesus as wise, even a prophet, but why must they also accept that He is the son of God?”

You may be familiar with the incident involving a “rich young man” who addressed Jesus as “Good teacher” and Jesus asks him “Why do you call me good?”

In the same way we might respond with a question, “Why do you think of Jesus as wise? Or even possibly a prophet? “ After listening to their answer we could continue with, “I certainly agree with you there. And yet, if you agree that Jesus was wise, what do you think of his claims to be equal with God as when he said, “The Father and I are one?”

Listen closely as they reply.  When they finish, we might be able to follow up with, “C. S. Lewis seems to me to have gotten it right when he said that if Jesus was merely a man claiming to be the Son of God, he must be a lunatic and certainly not a great moral teacher. Lewis goes on to say, “You can call him a fool or call him Lord and God. But it appears he did not leave us the choice of seeing him as [merely] a great human teacher.”

Christianity also has a unique interpretation of salvation. There is a profound and fundamental difference between the ways that other religions think of salvation and the way described in the Gospel of Jesus.

More on this next time, In Christ…

Looking in the Mirror

Something out of the ordinary this week: Two weeks ago I received a request from the local newspaper to submit a response for a weekly Sunday column on the general topic of religion (I have no idea why they contacted me).  Comments from representatives of various faiths are presented.  Submittals are limited to 150 words.  The question of the  week was: Why are religion and spirituality in decline?

Rajan Zed, editor for the weekly column - Faith Forum - opens with:

In a write-up in Psychology Today, “3 Reasons Why America Is Starting to Lose God,” the author, quoting a recent report based on General Social Survey, points out that “American adults were less likely to be religiously affiliated and to believe in God than they were previously” and “Americans were less likely to attend religious services, pray, and report being spiritual”.

The author, Dr. Andy Tix, then gives the reasons of decline as “the rise of self” (individualism, self-control), “negative attitudes” (about religiousness and spirituality) and “the decline of awe.”

However, the author indicates that “individuals often rely on religion and spirituality as important resources for working through difficult times and finding meaning and purpose in life” and “decades of research show that intrinsic forms of religiousness, in particular, have small but reliable associations with better mental health.”

Following is my submittal as printed in the Reno-Gazette Journal, Sunday, May 15.

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Guest columnist Kenneth L. Donajkowski, pastoral council secretary, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church

Reflecting on "The Joy of the Gospel" by Pope Francis, I am the reason religion and spirituality are in decline.

The decline is only initiated by dissolution of social, cultural, and familial bonds that constrained many to mere outward displays of nonexistent faith. That said, all that remains is “attraction to faith,” encounters with Jesus of Nazareth exemplified by those who profess faith in him.

To the degree my Catholic life appears “like Lent without Easter” or “like someone who has just come back from a funeral;” to the degree I use hurtful speech, am unkind to those who think differently, ignore those in need, fail to say and show how Catholicism (i.e. personal relationship with Christ) changes me for the better; then to that degree I am responsible for the decline. With artificial bonds rightly loosened, their integrity moves them away. The problem identified, the solution is clear.

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In Christ...

Creation; Jesus of Nazareth

Most ancient pagan religions believed the world was created through struggles and violent battles between opposing gods and supernatural forces. Unique among the creation accounts, the Bible depicts a world that is brimming with dynamic, abundant forms of life that are perfectly interwoven, interdependent, and mutually enhancing and enriching. Furthermore, the Creator’s response to this is delight. He keeps repeating that it is “all good.” And when he creates human beings he instructs them to continue to cultivate and nurture the vast resources of creation as a gardener with a garden. No other religious text outside of the Bible claims that God created the world out of love and delight.

Let’s turn now to the uniqueness of Christianity’s founder. All other major faiths have founders who are teachers; teachers that point the way to salvation. Only Jesus of Nazareth claimed to actually be the way of salvation himself. The founders of every other major religion came as teachers, not as saviors. They came to say: “Do this and you will find the divine.”  While Christ says “I am the Divine.” – “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

A few months back this question was submitted: “I know many people who accept Jesus as wise, even a prophet, but why must they also accept that He is the son of God?”  In a related account in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, we hear a rich young man address Jesus as “Good teacher.” Jesus responds – as he typically does - with a question: “Why do you call me good?”  In the same way we might respond with a question, “Why do you think of Jesus as wise? Or even possibly a prophet?”

Out of space, I’ll finish this thought next time.  In Christ…

Atrocities Wrap-up and on to Christianity as Unique

While grave atrocities have certainly been committed by men in the name of religion, there is no comparison with the human death toll directly brought about by atheist regimes.  The best historical estimates for deaths associated with the Crusades, the Inquisition, and witch burnings total approximately 200,000.  That is, over a span of 500 years, 1% of those killed by Stalin, Hitler, and Mao over a few decades.

It is at this point that atheists will likely make some claim that amounts to asserting it is unfair to blame the atrocities of certain individuals on atheism per se.  At its very best this argues for both parties conceding that there is something evil in man’s nature that can drive him to use any excuse – yes even religion - to oppress and brutalize his fellow man.  It certainly does not justify saying religion is the only excuse he will use or even the most common.

To the contrary, Christianity provides the strongest moral foundation for condemning all of these atrocities.

We will now consider 5 specifically unique characteristics of Christianity. Its concept of Creation, its founder, its view of salvation, its cultural and geographic diversity, and its understanding of love.

The first and second chapters of Genesis show God speaking the world into being and literally getting his hands dirty: “And God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life."  This is way different from all other ancient creation accounts.

More on this next time.  In Christ…