TWO ISMS THAT FAIL THE TEST

Two powerful belief systems in our modern culture are pluralism and multiculturalism.  These isms, having been born in the fertile fields of academia have now come to dominate the worlds of education, politics, media, and entertainment. Pluralism asserts that all belief systems, including religions, are of equal value and should be given equal attention and respect. Multiculturalism is the belief that the cultures of all nations and races are of equal merit and value; that no one is superior to, nor worse than another.  While these assertions sound plausible and appealing in the isolated school room, they will not stand the test in real life.

To argue that one religion is equal to all others says that the Voodoo of Haiti or the murderous system of Islamic fundamentalism is equal to the best of those who follow Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Multiculturalism would argue that the culture of the ancient barbarian tribes was equal to that of modern America, Switzerland or Norway.  That means that cannibalism is no worse than eating beef or that Rome's killing for sport is no worse than a Little League ball game.  It says that our culture, with its advanced education has no merit over the primitive tribes who had no written language or formal education, that our determination to provide quality health services to all is no better than the primitive tribesmen who left their sick and wounded to die. Only those who minds have been numbed by the noxious air of liberal academia would affirm such rubbish.

Is there no qualitative difference in the religions of the world?  Has Christianity no advantage over Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism?  All are ancient. All have their holy books and ancient modes of worship.  All have produced their great minds and teachers.  All have produced great cultural treasures such as art, sculpture,  literature and music. All have impacted large numbers of people, shaping their values and lives.

While all had great founders, only Christianity had God's only begotten Son as its founder (John 3:16). All have worship, but only in Christianity do we learn how to worship the Creator in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  All have a sacred book, but only in Christianity do we have a message given by inspiration of God's Holy Spirit giving us divine directions how to be saved and to worship and serve Jehovah.  All bring some social and cultural benefits to their adherents, but none of the others have provided the remarkable social and cultural benefits of Christianity. Only in Christianity and Judaism do we worship Jehovah, the great Creator and Ruler of the Universe. Only in Christianity do we have God's messiah Son as our Savior and Guide. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me' (John 14:6). In Hinduism, Buddhism, and a host of other lesser religions we see the sordid fruit of idolatry as men bow before and worship images made by human hands. The God of all mankind has plainly forbidden such practices (Ex. 20: 3-5 ; I John 5:21). We see the failure of those pagan systems when we look at the civilizations that have been dominated by them. Ignorance, superstition, cruelty, violence, oppression, poverty are the hallmarks of most pagan systems. In the wake of Christianity we see education, enlightenment, civilization, democracy, progress, prosperity, benevolence.

With ears stopped and eyes closed, those wedded to their idols of pluralism and multiculturalism continue to shout, there is no difference, they are all the same. While little children, with open eyes, can see the lie of their doctrine.  We can appreciate whatever values may be found in any religious system, but we affirm the superiority of the Cause of Jesus. While we respect every man's freedom to worship as he thinks best, we do not therefore conclude that God is obliged to accept his errant worship or to reward him for it. However ancient and beautiful a man’s religion may be, we are obligated to teach him the gospel of Jesus and seek to win him to our Savior's Cause.

These twin errors of pluralism and multiculturalism lie at the foundation of the new theology of the "change agents."