We live in a world of choice. Want peanut butter? Chunky, smooth or natural? With jam or chocolate mixed in with it or perhaps marshmallow goo? The squirrel, bear or giant peanut-man variety? Ice cream parlours pride themselves in having so many flavours that you regularly second guess your choice and find yourself looking covetously at your friend's cone.
And not only do we live in a world of choice, but we live in a world where many choices are subjective and it doesn't matter what you choose. Chocolate, vanilla or cookie dough ice cream? It doesn't really matter. All are fine and acceptable (though friends might find you boring on the one hand or disgusting on the other if you go against their preferences).
Such subjectivism has carried over into the religious realm. A vast number of people in the Western world believe that all religions are equally valid. "We have no right to judge someone else's beliefs." "All paths lead to God." "All religions are true." My main point here is not to argue against such relativism or pluralism, although Steve Turner has some interesting thoughts for those who blindly assert wide-ranging commonality among all religions (as quoted in Ravi Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God (Dallas: Word, 1994), pp. 42-44 for whole poem):
We believe that all religions are basically the same-
at least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of creation,
sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.
My desire here is to point out a powerful idea of Keller's that flows from the assertion that Christianity is unique and therefore different from other worldviews. All worldviews contain a potential danger. When we believe that we are right and others are wrong we often swell with pride and look down upon those who do not share our outlook. This leads to the belittlement and persecution of those holding other opinions. Keller explains: "Most religions and philosophies of life assume that one's spiritual status depends on your religious attainments. This naturally leads adherents to feel superior to those who don't believe and behave as they do." (p. 20). However, because Christianity is a religion of grace where we are saved not by our attainments but through faith, Christians have no right to look down upon others: "The Christian gospel, in any case, should not have that effect." (p. 20).
All worldviews (not merely religious ones, but atheistic ones as well, as the twentieth century has clearly demonstrated) have the potential of abusing those outside of their walls. Christians have mistreated many over the years, and these failures need to be addressed. However, when properly observed, Christianity leads the follower of Jesus to love and not abuse the non-believer. Two more quotes from Keller and then we will be finished: "It is common to say that "fundamentalism" leads to violence, yet as we have seen, all of us have fundamental, unprovable faith-commitments that we think are superior to those of others. The real question, then, is which fundamentals will lead their believers to be the most loving and receptive to those with whom they differ? Which set of unavoidably exclusive beliefs will lead us to humble, peace-loving behavior?" (p. 20) and "Why would such an exclusive belief system lead to behavior that was so open to others? It was because Christians had within their belief system the strongest possible resource for practicing sacrificial service, generosity, and peace-making. At the very heart of their view of reality was a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this could only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them. It meant they could not act in violence and oppression toward their opponents." (p. 21).
What type of a Christian am I? Do I reflect the love of Jesus towards those who are different from me? To those who hate me and what I stand for? What are some examples of my love in action?
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44)
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