Jesus among the World Religions
Dear Mosaic Boston Family,
The Hindu teacher Swami Sivananda writes, "The fundamentals or essentials of all religions are the same. There is difference only in the non-essentials." Many today have passively accepted this sentiment. It's the mood of our city and age. Strike up a conversation with your friends about God, and within minutes, this is where you are: "it doesn't really matter what you believe, it's all the same" ::shrug:: change the subject to something less controversial, like politics, "did you see the latest tweets?"
I understand and respect the desire behind this sentiment. We long for unity amidst diversity. We don't want to talk about that which divides. However, pretending our real differences don't actually exist leads to superficial unity, which is tenuous at best, and dangerous at worst. Plus, it's super condescending to the billions of people who wholeheartedly believe.
The major world religions are not all the same. They do not point to the same God. All religions do not say that all religions are the same. They have fundamental differences and only superficial similarities. Each makes exclusive truth claims and holds to an uncompromising commitment to a particular way of defining who God is or is not.
To say all beliefs are equally true is itself, a belief, and a nonsensical one, for the simple reason that to deny that belief, would also, then, be true. But if the denial of that belief is also true, then all beliefs are not true. I'm giving away too much of the sermon. Join us tomorrow as we look at "Jesus among the World Religions."
Praying for you!
Pastor Jan
Announcements:
Baptism Seminar
Sunday, September 23, 5 p.m.
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Sunday, September 30, 1-3 p.m.
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Parishwide Worship Night
Friday, October 5, 7-9 p.m.
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