Monday, January 12, 2009

Ultimate Questions (part 1)

I am often asked about the means of salvation. I love this subject because it seems to me to address one of the most important questions anyone can ask. In answering the question I always refer to the Bible as the authority because I am no different than anyone else. If we seek to answer the profound questions of life and have naught but ourselves to appeal to, then we are left with the corruptible opinions of people. In such cases, people's choices are generally a matter of taste. It is as if there were a supermarket of ideas and each shopper selects a unique assortment of propositions to purchase. Few make their choices rationally; most look to justify their passions and maintain autonomy (I answer to me).

If you have been down the road of, "I did it my way," and have found it lacking I invite you to consider the message of the Bible. Join me, and you may find that the light gets stronger the closer you get to the truth. In so doing, you may need to clear your vision by unlearning all that you have learned about the Bible's message heretofore. If you have a Bible I encourage you to keep it close by to look up verses that I did not print.

Now, let us ask the question, “How can a person gain salvation?" Please note that I am framing the question in the classical Christian sense because it is the Christian faith that claims to follow the Bible. Notice also that I say this with the full awareness that many atrocities have been committed in the name of Christianity throughout the ages. There are no justifying words to excuse them. But those who commit such acts must twist and manipulate the Scriptures to justify their actions. Let me be clear, the Bible does not condone inquisitions, or crusades, or forced conversions, etc. Those who have done such things in the name of Christ will receive their just reward.

Skeptics love to point out the skeletons in the Christian closet. Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris (to name a few) are happy to use history to set up religion as the greatest evil in the world. But, let us not forget that the godless alternatives have their own closets full of bones. They are located in places such as Auschwitz and Stalingrad. The difference between the killing done in the name of Christianity and the killing done in the names of atheism or humanism (man as god) is that the actions of the Nazis and the Soviets were NATURAL OUTWORKINGS of their philosophy. It was Nietzsche's concepts of the will to power and the superman that gave rise to Hitler's master race. Hitler personally translated Nietzsche's writings into Italian and presented them as a gift to Bonito Mussolini. Furthermore, it was Frederick Engels, the good friend of Karl Marx that suggested he dedicate his Das Capital (his major work on economics) to Charles Darwin. Engels told Marx that Darwin gave him the foundation on which he could justify his philosophy and therefore deserved the honor.

I mention these things in an effort to encourage you to avoid the error of dismissing the message I seek to share because of its damaged packaging. Other faiths (including atheism and agnosticism) have damaged goods too. So please try to evaluate what I say objectively.

In my next entry I will begin to answer the question. And, the best way to answer it is to not answer it too quickly. I believe the answer is found within the teachings of the Christian faith, so long as it maintains fidelity to the Bible. So, I will begin by telling you what being a Christian is not.

(to be continued)

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