The “Neighboring Faiths” Interviews begin this Sunday, April 11. Our congregation will host this series of interviews I will lead with four religious leaders: Rabbi Neil Blumofe will be our guest on April 11, Imam Islam Mousaad on April 18, Hindu priest Girish Chaitanya on April 25, and Buddhist monk David Zuniga on May 2.
The point is to aid us in building relationships with our neighbors—many who come from other faith traditions.
But personal interaction with non-Christians requires discernment—which, of course, could be said of any step in a believer’s life. In trying to decide as conscientious Christians what kind of and how much contact to have with non-Christians, Terry Muck says that 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 would lead us to answer five key questions. When he wrote this, Muck was living in Austin and teaching at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary near the UT campus. This is found on pages 84-86 of his book Those Other Religions in Your Neighborhood:
1. Does this contact jeopardize my commitment to the new creation? If yes, temporary withdrawal may be necessary. For example, my immature faith may be unable to withstand such contact right now. In such a case, withdrawal has not so much to do with the situation as it does with my own faltering steps toward putting on the new person, the new life in Christ. Perhaps this will change, but right now I am unable to make this contact in a useful manner.
Or perhaps I am at a point in my life when I need to spend time alone with God. I need solitude with my Lord, just as Jesus often withdrew to pray. I need those times to recharge my spiritual batteries. Separation at such a time is a positive step toward spiritual growth, not a defensive step of fear.
2. Does this contact jeopardize my brother’s or sister’s commitment to the new creation? Sometimes babes in the faith need to be protected as they learn to digest the warm milk of new faith. They are not ready for the steak and potatoes diet of pluralistic contact. It is possible that interfaith contact will never be comfortable for some. Some might be called to it while others are not. The community should make the decision. Separation is not a rule for these people; it is simply a wise use of their calling and ministry talents.
3. Will Jesus Christ be glorified by this contact? The hostility of some contact may make it unwise. We should not feel compelled to make contact in physically or spiritually threatening circumstances. Yet God does not want us to be timid in contact. As we have seen, God expects the talents of the Word to be risked in the spiritual marketplace of the world in the hopes of high returns. On the other had, God does not necessarily depend on us for getting his will done. God may have other plans, and the obvious danger inherent in a situation may be a warning against closer contact.
4. Will the church be glorified by this contact? As the church in the world we have a mission, and sometimes that mission coincides with the mission of other religions. Feeding the poor, helping the sick, and freeing the captives are teachings of all the great world religions. Sometimes we can join hands in accomplishing those things. When a church asks itself whether or not to get involved in such a ministry, the following should be considered.
What is the other group’s attitude toward Jesus Christ? Basic respect for the teachings and work of Jesus Christ is a requirement. It seems unlikely that anything profitable will come from working with people who think Jesus was a fake or who have no respect for what he did. It would be a bad witness for us to do so.
Will the methods used and the results obtained in this collaboration be something we can be proud of? Measure them against the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 6:22-23. We do not want to be involved in anything that will reflect negatively on the witness of the body of Christ.
5. Will the non-Christians I am involved with be helped by this contact? Some kinds of contact will not reflect positively on others. Overly aggressive or manipulative evangelistic campaigns hurt rather than help those who belong to non-Christian religious traditions. The “do no harm” principle of physicians regarding medical treatment is a useful one to consider in concert with the other four principles.
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