“Our Sister Religions”?

My alma mater, Baylor University, is planning a series of events this week called “Seeking Understanding.” According to the report in the student newspaper, it is designed as a reaction to the news headlines regarding protests against a Ground Zero mosque and the planned Qur’an-burning by a 50-member Gainesville, Fla., church.

The Baylor event gives me pause, and I’m trying to figure out if my discomfort is from the inadequacy of the event’s goals or the inadequacy of the event coverage. Someone help me out here.

As I have said before, Christians are to be good neighbors and good communicators, but it seems that the organizers of the “Seeking Understanding” event advocate for only one of those goals.

We are called to be good neighbors, seeking “the peace and prosperity of the city,” as the Bible puts it. Regardless of what our neighbors do with the gospel, our calling is to work together with mutual respect for the well-being of the city. Baylor’s “Seeking Understanding” looks like it will help the Baylor Family to that end.

But we are also called to be good communicators of the gospel, and that’s where I need a bit more information about what the organizers of the Baylor event want to accomplish. The organizers refer to Judaism and Islam as “our sister religions,” and refer to adherents of Judaism, Islam and Christianity as “the children of Abraham.” I would have preferred for the Lariat story to ask a few more questions, because these terms often serve as a sort of shorthand for the belief that we’re all part of the same spiritual family.

Indeed we are not, and that is why it necessary to learn to be good communicators of the gospel as well as good neighbors. Regardless of our religious background—or lack of any religious background—we are all in need of God’s gracious rescue provided in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not disrespectful to communicate this truth. In fact, it is disrespectful of our Lord’s mercy and unkind to our neighbors to not communicate this truth.

Good neighbors—good communicators. Not every event of a Christian church or a Christian university has to achieve both goals—but no event should pursue one of those goals at the expense of the other goal.

So, someone help me as I seek understanding about “Seeking Understanding.” Is the event an inadequate response to religious bigotry, or is it just the coverage of the event that’s been inadequate?

In the meantime, Joe Carter provides some helpful advice for those who feel the only way they can prove they’re against mosque protests and Qur’an burnings is by siding with the pluralists.