Sunday, June 22, 2008

RC Sproul Jr on Pluralism

I have never thought of it this way.

Seek Ye First

by R.C. Sproul Jr.

...What is it the pluralists want more of? On the surface it might seem that what they want more of is religions. One religion isn't enough. We need to construct, according to these people, a world with plenty of room for Hindus and Hottentots, for Muslims and Mormons, for Buddhists and Baptists. When we look deeper, however, we run headlong into an inescapable spiritual reality, that every religion in the end is all about authority. What they want is multiple authorities. If there is, in the end, only one authority, and I am not that authority, then I am under authority. But, if there are lots of authorities, which is another way of saying there is no authority, then I am free to rule my own world...

..I fear our motives are scarcely more honorable than our unbelieving friends' motives. It is a different twist on the question of authority. They will not affirm the lordship of Christ over them because they fear that Christ will reign over them. We are fearful of affirming the lordship of Christ over all things, including our neighbors, because we are afraid of our neighbors ruling over us. Pluralism is a half-hearted attempt at a compromise of convenience -- we won't condemn you if you won't condemn us. We won't say you are wrong, if you won't say that we are wrong. We won't find your views backwards and repugnant, if you won't find our views backwards and repugnant. What a deal? And all it costs us is the central and first affirmation of our own faith: Jesus is Lord. All we have to give up to win peace with our neighbors is the proclamation of the Gospel...whole article

That is too true.

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