"Anglican Split Is Really About Scriptural Authority, Not Gay Marriage"

Click here to read an excellent article by Eric Metaxas entitled Anglican Split Is Really About Scriptural Authority, Not Gay Marriage. He hits the nail on the head.

By the Way, Christianity is Not a "Religion of Peace" Either

In my previous post I made the case that we should reject the ignorant, politically correct, and patently false notion that Islam is a religion of peace. In doing so, I did not want to imply that Christianity is a religion of peace. When we look historically at the religion Christianity has become we see much violence. This is to our shame.

Please allow me to take a moment to clarify one key term. When I say "religion," I'm referring to man's attempts to get to God by his own means. This describes any religion in the world that does not have Jesus Christ at its center.

Institutional Christianity poses some problems when it comes to definitions. While it has many aspects of man-made religion, it also focuses to one degree or another upon Jesus Christ. Additionally, many wonderful Christian people attend institutional churches. This makes things a bit murky.

The sad reality, however, is that institutional Christianity has a long history of violence. This all began when Constantine made Christianity the preferred religion of the state. Whenever the church and state come together, the church becomes the whore of the state. This always (no hyperbole) leads to violence and aggression. All through the Middle Ages the church struck out against any they deemed to be heretics. During the crusades, many Muslims were slaughtered in various attempts to retake the holy land.

During the Reformation, both Catholics and Protestants killed in order to defend what they considered to be theirs. Dissenting groups such as the Anabaptists felt the wrath of both sides, finding little shelter anywhere. Even in modern times many within the church support violence. When President George W. Bush, himself at least sort of an evangelical, decided to start two different wars the church in this country largely lauded him.

When we look at the life of Jesus Christ we see one of non-violence. In fact, we see a man of peace. This is the model he left for us to follow. While the man-created institutions that masquerade as Christianity embrace war and violence, those who truly seek to live as Christ did desire lives of peaceful existence with all people. This is not to suggest that Christians cannot endorse or even commit violent acts; rather, I'm saying that those who do so have no biblical basis for their beliefs and actions.

Ultimately, Christianity is not a religion of peace because Christianity is not a religion.

Christianity, at least what we see in the scriptures, is about knowing and living for Jesus Christ. It is not man's attempt to get to God, but rather God's successful reaching down to mankind. He has done so in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ never retaliated even though he would have been completely justified in doing so. This is the type of life we must lead.

Let's follow after Christ, rejecting both the violence and made-created religion that permeates this world.

Can We Please Do Away With the Ignorant Notion that "Islam is a Religion of Peace"?

One ubiquitous talking point for both politicians and talking heads is that "Islam is a religion of peace."

This idea persists because it is politically correct. However, a glance around the globe tells us otherwise. The Islamic State (or whatever its latest name is) is, well, Islamic. Boko Harem also claims the name of Islam. So does Al-Shabaab.

Remember Al-Qaeda and the Taliban? Both are Muslim groups. The list goes on.

Quite frankly, the above groups' behavior is not surprising. After all, they learned from the founder of their religion: Muhammad. Ever since the starting of Islam it has been bathed in blood. The rapid spread of Islamic ideology and way of life soon after its founding occurred mostly at the end of the sword.

Islam has been consistently violent wherever it has gone, at least until those areas submit wholesale to its rules and laws. Only after a society kneels to the demands of Islam does it become somewhat more peaceful (and even then dissenting residents face the wrath of Islamic rule).

I'm not suggesting that all Muslims everywhere are terrorists. Most are not. However, the reality is that Islam far outpaces any other religion when it comes to violence. Just watch the news. It is all too common.

What we need to understand is that Muslims who are engaged in violent activities are simply following the model they've been given by Muhammad. In light of that, it is understandable why they behave the way they do. More surprising is why more Muslims aren't involved in terroristic acts.

The reality is that any ideology, belief system, or worldview that does not come from Jesus Christ cannot be fully peaceful. The reason for this is that only Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Only Christ brings true peace to the world. Only through the gospel can people come to know what true life and peace are all about.

The world is full of all sorts of false religions. At a spiritual level none of these are peaceful. Probably because of the manner it which it started, Islam appears to be the most violent. How many more atrocities have to be committed in the name of Islam before the talking heads and politicians wake up to this reality?

Islam is most definitely not a religion of peace.

How should we followers of Christ respond to Muslims? I'm glad you asked.


(Before I receive any angry responses about Christianity please let me tell you the name of my next post: "By the Way, Christianity Is Not a Religion of Peace Either.")

7 Steps for How Christians Should Respond to Muslims

Below are seven concrete steps we followers of Jesus Christ should take when interacting with those who claim Islam as their faith:

1. Love Muslims.

2. Befriend Muslims.

3. Sacrificially serve Muslims.

4. Live holy lives in front of Muslims.

5. Willingly die for Muslims.

6. Do not retaliate against Muslims.

7. Share the Gospel with Muslims.

Wait...What?

As I was checking out from my hotel in India on Saturday, one of the employees handed me a small box. The two of us had become acquainted throughout my two week stay there. He wanted to give me a gift upon my departure. I opened the box and found the above ornamental sun. At first I thought it was pretty cool.

However, after a few seconds the employee said to me, "This is a sun god to protect your home. You can hang it up in your house to protect you and bring you blessings." My reaction was something along the lines of, "Wait..what?" I didn't actually say that, but it is what I was thinking.

I should have known. Much of Indian life and culture carries Hindu overtones. It is often difficult to know where culture ends and Hinduism begins. In this respect it is far different from the secularized culture here in the USA. Almost any type of statue, sculpture, pin, broach, or anything depicting any sort of likeness in India is directly related to Hinduism.

Well, I like the sun ornament gift I was given. Unfortunately, it's going in the trash. The reason is that I was told that it is a god. Of course we Christians know that it is not in reality a god of any kind. It is simply metal artwork. However, since I was told that it is a god I do not want to mess around with it. I refuse to play the postmodern game of thinking, "It means different things to us, so it's O.K."

My primary concern is that I do not want anything around my home that might confuse other people. Nothing idol-like is going to take up space in my place of residence.

I will always appreciate the employee who gave me this gift. I'm just not going to have it in my abode.

False Gods, False Gods Everywhere

India is a fascinating land because the worship of false gods is so blatant.

During my two weeks here I’m staying in a hotel that is about a forty minute drive from where I’m working. As I make that exciting and frenetic voyage back and forth each day I pass many, many Hindu temples. While they vary somewhat in the details, the architecture is essentially the same. Just as a Baptist church building sits on every street corner in Texas, there’s a Hindu temple in every neighborhood in India. Additionally, Islamic mosques – easy to spot because of their distinctive minarets – are sprinkled here and there between the temples.

The facility where I’m working is similar to the JCB plant back home in Savannah. The heavy equipment, tools, machines, offices, and even building color schemes are the same. The one main difference is that small Hindu shrines sit inside each assembly area. If I want to cross from one side of the skid steer building to the other I have to walk past pictures of Krishna, Vishnu, and Shiva to do so.

Last night I had the privilege of visiting with a co-worker’s family. He is a very friendly Indian man who I just met two day ago. To use an expression from the American South, his family “put on the dog.” Not literally mind you. This means that they prepared much nice food. I was stuffed with all sorts of wonderful Indian cuisine by the time I left. The only sad part is the false god worship. Not long after I first entered his home, my co-worker pointed to a picture up on a wall and said, “This is our family god Krishna.”

India has 800 million Hindus and 200 million Muslims (other religions, including Christianity, make up small percentages). For comparison, the entire United States only has 300 million people. The Indian religious scene is refreshing in a sense in that the people are at least honest and up front about the false gods they worship. There’s no hiding it. Of course they do not think of it as idolatry, but that’s what it is nonetheless.

We residents of the United States know that the worship of false gods is alive and well in our country. Just as numerous false gods exist in India, there are many others in the USA. The difference is that those in America are a little more subtle. What are they? Let’s name a few: money, power, status, privilege, comfort, food, sports, sex, cars, clothing, technology in general, Facebook, smart phones, exercise, politics, vacations, movies, houses, and even pets. You could probably add many more to this list. The American false god smorgasbord is as thriving as it is varied. I’m not sure which is sadder: Indians intentionally worshiping false gods or Americans cluelessly doing the same.

I realize that I’m painting with broad strokes here. There are doubtlessly many Indians who worship from the American list above. Also, some Americans do worship the more traditional false gods; I can think of a Hindu temple, Islamic mosque, and Buddhist place of worship in our relatively small city of Savannah.

My primary point in this post is that false gods take many forms. They are everywhere. We must all be vigilant to rid these from our own lives. Also, these realities should spur us to share the gospel widely and abundantly. While India has a vast population that needs the good news of Christ, let’s not forget about the need back in the USA.

As I write this post I can hear what sounds like some sort of Hindu chanting in the background. I’m not sure if it is coming from inside or outside the hotel. Regardless, someone is doing his morning puja (worship). We live in a world in desperate need of the only good news. Let’s be liberal sharers of the one message that can combat everpresent false gods.

Off the Blogging Grid, On to India

I'm going to be off the grid for the next couple of weeks - off the blogging grid that is.

Tomorrow I fly to New Delhi, India for fourteen days. I'm traveling for work-related reasons. Many of you know that I'm employed in the Quality Department for JCB here in Savannah. The purpose of my trip to India is to assist a factory there with some quality issues.

I hope to have time to do some sightseeing while there. The Red Fort looks like a good choice. As for blogging while in India, that depends on time, work demands and internet connection. If anything interesting happens I'll try to blog about it.

Islam and Homosexuality: Two Great Gospel Challenges

As I look at the world today, many challenges stand in the way of the spread of the gospel. Various belief systems and/or lifestyles are at odds with the good news of Jesus Christ. They are too many to list here. However, when I think about the big picture of missions, two great challenges in particular come to mind: Islam and homosexuality. Both are worldviews. Both are lifestyle choices. Both are directly at odds with the gospel of Christ.

My purpose is not to equate Islam and homosexuality. They have some obvious differences. Islam is a world religion that is hundreds of years old. It has set beliefs and practices. Muslims is general are very much against homosexuality.

Homosexuality is more a lifestyle choice than an organized religion. Its adherents are generally more focused upon embracing specific sexual behaviors than they are on specific beliefs about God. Some homosexuals even claim to be Christians (I'll leave that one for another blog post).

Despite their differences, Islam and homosexuality have one thing in common: they are at odds with Christianity. Specifically, both Muslims and homosexuals have a heart problem - a spiritual heart problem. That problem is the most significant problem anyone can have. Their heart problem is that they do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Thus, their hearts are still far from God.

What are we, therefore, to do?

First, let's avoid the trap of letting politics confuse us. I'm determined to steer clear of any sort of Republican vs. Democrat fighting on these topics. I have no interest in fighting foreign wars in Muslim nations or in fighting culture wars against homosexuals here in the USA.

The important war is in the spiritual realm. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ultimately, the gospel is a war that God has already won over Satan.

Our duty, then, is to endlessly love and pray for both Muslims and homosexuals. Let's develop relationships with them. Let's lovingly and truthfully tell them all about Jesus Christ. Let's treat them with respect as humans made in God's image. Let's love them even if they hate us.

Muslims and homosexuals need Jesus Christ just like everyone else. Only Jesus is powerful enough to break their chains of sin. He did it for us. Let us literally pray that he does it for them as well.

Vatican City Explained

I found this helpful, if slightly confusing:

An Oldie but a Goodie

Paganism Alert

For paganism, click here.

This by no means suggests that all Catholics are pagans. Far from it. However, practices such as this are nothing more than paganism revisited.

Are Mormons Saved?

A few days ago I asked whether or not Roman Catholics are saved. My answer is that we would do well to get to know Catholics individually before making any judgments about their salvation.

But what about Mormons? Are they saved?

This is a significant question for several reasons. Mitt Romney is going to be running for the white house as the Republican candidate. Like it or not, this legitimizes Mormonism in some people's eyes. Additionally, some high profile pastors such as Joel Osteen believe that Mormons are saved. Osteen has much influence even though his theology is bankrupt and vapid.

So what about it? Are Mormons saved?

If they hold to stated Mormon beliefs, then then answer is a sad but resounding "No." They deviate too far from core doctrines of the faith to be in Christ. This has been written about by many people in many places; therefore, I have no desire to get into many details. Let me just mention that for Mormons the primary goal in life is to eventually reach godhood status. This violates multiple aspects of orthodox Christianity (to read more about why Mormons are not Christians, click here).

A related question is whether or not an individual Mormon is saved. I'm referring here to someone who attends a Mormon church. My answer is that it is possible but not likely. We've all had Mormon missionaries knock on our doors. The nice young men never start out by speaking about the wacked-out Mormon beliefs. Instead, they try to make it sound palatable to Christians. They describe it something like just another denomination that has further revelations about Christ (The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Doctrines and Covenants). It is possible that someone who is a Christian could be duped by Mormons into thinking that Mormonism is valid. This would have to be a fairly ignorant Christian, but I can see how it could happen.

That said, I do not know how a true Christian could attend a Mormon church for any length of time and not smell a rat. Eventually it would become apparent that biblical Christianity and Mormonism are significantly different. In particular, the teachings on the person of Jesus Christ deviate a great deal from what we read in scripture.

To sum up, I believe that an ignorant Christian could be deceived into attending a Mormon church for a relatively short period of time. However, if that person is truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit, he will discover that Mormons are in fact not saved.

To read a comparison chart between Christianity and Mormonism, click here.

To read more about Mormonism from someone who has both lived and escaped it, check out Arthur Sido's blog entitled The Fo-Mo Chronicles.

We should remember that Mormons are outside of Christ and therefore need him. They are not our enemies. Rather, they are people lost apart from Christ. Let's share the true gospel with them.

Are Roman Catholics Saved?

"Are Roman Catholics Saved?"

I raise this question because it has been floating around ever since the Reformation. Because we live in a country that has millions of both Protestants and Roman Catholics, it is worth asking.

However, there is a problem with the question itself. It assumes a simple yes-or-no answer for all Roman Catholics. The reality is that it isn't that simple.

My guess is that there are millions of Roman Catholics in this country who know Jesus Christ as Lord. There are also millions who do not.

I'm also guessing that there are millions of Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc. who love Jesus. I'm certain there are many who do not. Even within the non-denominational crowd both exist.

We do well to avoid lumping Christian groups together as a whole. We do much better to ask the question of one person at a time. A better question is, "Is that particular Roman Catholic saved?"

Of course, the only way to truly know the answer to the question is to get to know that Roman Catholic. When we spend time with people we can usually tell whether or not they know Jesus (God is the final arbiter in this, but we can usually make a pretty good guess).

A funny thing has happened to me along the way in life. My Protestant background suggests strongly that Roman Catholics do not know God because they are simply trying to work their way to heaven. However, when I have gotten to know a number of Roman Catholics, I've found that many have a deep love for Christ. They may use some different terminology than I do and have differing practices, but their commitment to Christ seems genuine.

It is easy for us to fall into the trap of holding onto a straw man argument when thinking of Roman Catholic theology. It is not a monolith. Beliefs vary. All do not agree with the Pope on everything.

Let's get to know people personally and talk about the things of God. When we do this, we gain a much better understanding of whether or not they know him. This gives us a real answer to the above question, one person at a time. This is much more accurate and valid than making judgment calls about entire groups of people.

Choose Your Religion Flow Chart

Let's take this for what it is and not be offended.  We need to be able to laugh once in a while.

The Day the Buddha Went Swimming

While we were on our trip to New York State we visited a small park in one of the many forests of the Adirondack Mountains. As our kids were swimming in a cold creek, I went wandering in the woods. I had heard that this was a place where Wiccans like to occasionally get together so I didn't know what I might find.

After a short stroll I came across something I wasn't expecting. Instead of Wiccan paraphernalia I found a small statue of the Buddha. He looked like what you see in this picture except that he was blue in color, only about four inches tall, and attached to a piece of concrete (like the top section of a cinder block). I wasn't sure what to do with it.

On the one hand a four inch statue of the Buddha is simply that. It was plastic sitting on top of concrete. There was nothing alive about it. I could have left it there and it would have never done anything except very slowly decay over thousands of years. The Buddha is not alive and neither was that statue.

On the other hand, the statue did represent what has become a false god. Although the Buddha himself did not desire to be worshiped, he nonetheless now has millions of followers around the globe. When we as a family briefly visited Thailand during our few months in India, we saw cultures trapped in the grip of this false religion. Near our own city in India (Varanasi), Buddhists would pilgrimage to see the Dhamekh Stupa, a large brick structure built where the Buddha may have preached his first sermon.

As I stood in the woods I had to decide what, if anything, to do with the statue. I did not want any young people to find it and become intrigued by Buddhism because of it. It wasn't the statue itself but the curiosity it might bring about that concerned me. After all, any world religion competes directly with Jesus Christ for Lordship over the human heart.

What could I do with it in that situation? I decided it was time for the Buddha to go swimming. After scanning the area for a good spot, I tossed the statue as far as I could under a small waterfall. My hope is that it landed in a spot where the current is too strong for anyone to find it.

God does not need us to defend Him against petty false religions. On the other hand, we have the responsibility to share the gospel and tell of the dangers of false belief systems. The Buddha statue represents a challenge for the devotion God deserves from all people. I hope this particular image of Buddha remains where he is, never to be seen again.

Varanasi Street Scenes

This is a nice video of Varanasi, the city in India where we served for several months a few years ago. I like this particular video because it has no commentary; instead, it simply shows life as it is in this Hinduism-dominated city.

BTW - I have no idea why it says "Varanasi Cruise 2010."

Video of Varanasi Ghats

In contrast with where we now live, this video shows a glimpse of our home city from late 2006 until early 2007. Varanasi is the holiest city of Hinduism, and therefore is in desperate need of the gospel. The ghats (large stone steps) are the focal point of life and worship along the Ganges River.

Varanasi Hit Again

In 2006-2007, our family had the opportunity to serve the Lord for several months in the city of Varanasi, India. Varanasi is considered to be the holiest city in all of Hinduism. Even if you have never heard of it, you've probably seen photos of people walking down large stone steps to bathe in the Ganges River at Varanasi.

Because of its religious significance, Varanasi is occasionally the target of terrorist attacks. According to news reports, a bomb detonated today at one of the busiest locations along the river. At least one person has died and about 20 are injured. Read more about it here and here.

Above all else, the city of Varanasi needs prayer for spiritual awakening to the glorious grace of Jesus Christ. Although some Indian Christians live in Varansi, it is Hinduism that dominates all of life there. Muslims make up a significant minority.

Please pray for the people of this city.

Ravi Zacharias on the Bible

Zacharias is a brilliant speaker and apologist. I'm thankful to God for him. Listen to this lucid and firm answer to why we should believe the bible.

Photos of Mecca from 1885

Click here for some interesting photos of Mecca from long ago.