General Baptist National Missions Blog

Transformation vs. Accommodation

April 9, 2008

This week I am in New York at the Q-Conference. The main thrust of this conference is a conversation about our culture, the changes we are experiencing, and how the Church might engage this new culture.

I have been reminded, at this conference, of the massive job the Church owns to engage a Post-Christian, pluralistic nation. Chuck Colson shared that Christians are having increased difficulty sharing their faith with neighbors and family because most don't know what they believe and, therefore, can't defend or articulate a coherent belief system. You can find more about his ideas in his new book "The Faith"

One speaker has been a particular challenge for me Eboo Patel. Eboo is the director of the Inter-Faith Youth Core (IFYC) in New York City. I had hoped to hear of his conversion or at least about his journey toward Christianity. Sadly, however, Eboo is a devout Muslim and not about to change. He shared how he hoped that Christians and Muslims could join together for the sake of humanity, even though we have fundamental theological differences.

His presentation made me very uncomfortable, especially as I looked around the room and watched heads bobbing in agreement with what Eboo. I wondered how many young pastors, and church leaders were buying into his ideas without critically thinking about the implications. One church planter excitedly told me how his new church plant was going to involve the three big faiths; Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. ???? Exactly! What is he thinking? How can you join together belief systems that are so diametrically opposed?

While I believe it would be a great, secular, humanitarian idea to join hands, it doesn't fit very well within the realm of the Orthodox Christian faith. We were asked to consider the possibility of setting aside our theological distinctives for the sake of bettering humanity. Don't get me wrong he didn't say we should forget our differences or deny they exist, he asked us to simply set them aside for the betterment of humanity.

Here is just one of many problems with following that idea. The basic presuppositions, held by both of these faiths radically differ, as it concerns humanity, sin, evil, and goodness. These presuppositions determine how we deal with, view and help humanity. One faith looks at humanity and sees the desire to eradicate human suffering on earth, therefore solving the human problem. The other faith looks at humanity and understands a deeper problem; Sin. Sin is the root cause of all human suffering. Joining hands to eradicate human suffering, according to a Christian worldview, ultimately comes down to repentance for sin and a life spent with the Savior. The only true remedy for the condition of humanity is Jesus. No program can alleviate sin. Joining hands to help humanity must be Christo-centric! We do what we do, as Christians, because of our faith. That is not what those of the "Inter-Faith" movement have in mind. We are asked, in a sense to take on a compartimentalism to accommodate their worldview. But our faith does not exist, or at least should not exist, separate from the whole of our life.

You could call this movement Shoes for Sarah, Chocolate for Charlie or Food for Frank, but when you call it an "inter-faith" movement the implications are that all faiths involved are on the same playing field, and have the same basic intentions. That assumption is a serious problem. What Eboo, as well as many within the inter-faith movement, call us toward is the myth of neutrality. While many people, of varying faiths, seek to alleviate the problems of suffering, race, poverty and the like, joining forces, at least from this Christian's perspective, blurs the line between transformation and accommodation.

Make no mistake Christians are exclusive! One of the basic, foundational tenants of our faith is our exclusive proclamation that Jesus is the ONLY way. Our hope is not to simply alleviate human suffering, but to guide all humanity even, those of the Muslim faith, into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. To join with them in the endeavor of alleviating suffering is, in many ways, a validation of their faith and a defeat of our own.

Should we work side by side with other human beings in order to assist in the process of making the world a better place? YES! The problem comes when we are asked to set aside our faith, or at least ignore our differences, for the sake of cooperation. Our faith tells us that the forgiveness of sin, and the pursuit of holiness, is that which makes humanity better. Everything we do, must be an outflow of that basic idea.

Posted 4/9/2008 in Stephen Gray

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