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windows xp sp1 keygen czMay 05, 2005
Unique Christian Pluralism
Ever been to the website, ExploreFaith.org? I only just noticed it myself. One of their ads showed up in the ad banner at the top of this site here, in fact.
I haven't really given the site a thourough looking-at, but something there has caught my attention straightaway. They have a list of questions under the headings of God's Love, Your Faith, The Church, and Who We Are. In the category of "The Church", is this question:
I found the opening paragraph to Dr. Marcus Borg's answer striking:
Religious pluralism is a fact of life in North America, and in the world. To absolutize one's own religion as the only way means that one sees all of the other religious traditions of the world as wrong, and dialogue, genuine dialogue, becomes impossible. Conversion can be the only goal.
What I find interesting, here, is that in most frames of reference, this is a true statement. However, from a New Christian standpoint, this presents a false dilemma.
You see, this idea they present is correct only if the person "absolutizing" their own religion believes that being right is the key to salvation.
As a New Christian, I am perfectly comfortable saying that other religions are not as correct in their theological understanding of God, Humanity and Creation as I am, and also that that's okay. I simultaneously believe that the New Church is the crown of all the churches, and that followers of other creeds will also be saved. In other words, I can "absolutize" my religion without reducing all dialogue with those of other faiths to a mere attempt to convert them.
As can be seen throughout the internal sense of the Word, it is not Truth that saves, but Good. Yes, having more truth makes doing good easier. Yes, having more truth will reduce the amount of spiritual suffering one goes through when trying to be good. But good is still possible among those who have practically no truth at all. And it is those who strive to be good—to lead lives of charity, to love their neighbor, to love their God—that find their reward in heaven. Whether they expect to or not.
For example, from Matthew:
"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'