Home
News (Blog)
Opdatering van Evolusie-Skepping artikel
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Ons sien op die internet gereeld dat nuwe webblaaie verskyn, bestaandes opgegradeer word, maar ook dat oues verdwyn. 'n Internet-gebaseerde artikel wat dus heelwat skakels na ander inhoud op die internet vertoon, moet dus gereeld opgedateer word. Juis om hierdie rede is die ... Read more
Esterhuyse sê Genesis en Eksodus is belangrike mites
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Prof Willie Esterhuyse het só gesê op 'n dakonferensie vir Eietydse Spiritualitiet. Volgens 'n berig in die aanlyn Kerkbode is Esterhuyse se mening dat die Bybel nie ’n geopenbaarde waarheid is van bo nie en dat die teks insigself ook nie heilig is nie. ... Read more
Saambly is reg?
Monday, 30 November 2009
Verskeie stemme het begin opgaan vanuit die NG Kerk en die Hervormde Kerk dat die kerk 'n sagter stanpunt moet formuleer oor saambly. Die gevoel is dat tye verander het en dat die kerk nie so hard en eksklusief moet wees teenoor diegene wat ... Read more

Latest Articles & News

Popular Articles & News

Can Christians be intolerant towards other faiths? Print E-mail
Monday, 23 July 2007

After an interesting evening on 702 Talk Radio, where I served as a guest on the topic "Demonic Problems That Christians Face," something that has struck me is the perception under the public that Christians with more Biblical / conservative values are intolerant towards people of other faiths. Since I listed Islam, Mary Worship, and other sects as possible sources of demonic activity, I was perceived by many as extremely intolerant.

Time did not permit that we could discuss this in greater depth. One very important distinction that I want to stress is that according to a Biblical worldview, other faiths cannot be tolerated, but that does not mean we do not tolerate the people that believe in something else. In fact, the core of Christianity is that God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son (Joh 3:16) as a sacrifice for all the sins of the world (Joh 1:29). God hates sin, but He loves sinners. The core of the gospel is that we love the world and spread the good news of God’s love and redemption for the whole world. Regarding truth and salvation, we as Christians are at its core in no superior position than any other person. We do not deserve what we have in Christ for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Therefore we cannot and may not judge any person, for God is the only Judge (Rom 2:1).

Postmodernist thought says that there does not exist something like absolute truth, and that the only type of truth that can exist is subjective truth. This type of thought accommodates different "truths." The fact of the matter is that postmodernism deconstructs itself in this regard, for according to its own philosophy, the notion that there cannot exist any absolute / objective truth, cannot be absolutely true! Logically, it is impossible to believe that someone with a different belief / ideology than yourself can also be right. And no postmodernists believe that! For starters, they do not believe that so called fundamentalists are right. They believe that they are wrong in not acknowledging that there cannot be something as absolute truth.

The belief that someone with an opposing belief than yourself can also be right, is related to cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the notion to hold onto conflicting viewpoints and regard them both as true.

As Christians, we believe that there is absolute truth in God, for there can only be one true God. The whole concept of idolatry would not make sense otherwise. The God of the Bible is a jealous God that does not tolerate the worship of any other than Himself. Yet another distinction: We as Christians believe that there is absolute truth in God, but we are aware that we cannot know the whole truth here on earth. We still know in part. Christians ought not to claim that they know everything within themselves. They ought to be humble about how they formulate truth and they have to submit under the constant guidance and correction of the Holy Spirit. The other fact is that we cannot know the whole truth about God and the spiritual realm within the realm of natural reason, but we can partake in God’s Spirit and therefore partake in the truth on a spiritual level (see 1 Cor 2:12-16). In this sense the "trueness" is spiritual and even though we might experience the whole truth in God spiritually, it cannot completely be put into natural human words / language or be explained or understood completely within human philosophical categories. The truth about God and the spiritual realm is not completely knowable within the natural sphere (e.g. language, science, philosophy, etc.). The spiritual dimension can therefore not be measured by any physical, scientific measuring instrument, for the reality of the spiritual realm is not physical but metaphysical.

So, to conclude, Biblical Christians believe in one true God: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the only way, truth and life (Joh 14:6). God is holy and cannot accommodate idolatry. Any belief and trust in anything other than the only true God or any other way or medium to get to God or to any form of spiritual enlightenment is idolatry. Christians love all people, regardless of their faith. That however does not mean that we regard the faiths of other religions as true. Christians are intolerant and exclusivistic in the content of their faith, and not in their attitude towards other persons. And because of this inherent exclusiveness of the Christian faith, that is the reason why the Bible says:

1 Pet 4:11-19 "If anyone speaks, let it be as the words of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as of the ability which God gives, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory, and the might forever and ever. Amen. (12) Beloved, do not be astonished at the fiery trial which is to try you, as though a strange thing happened to you, (13) but rejoice according as you are partakers of Christ's suffering, so that when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. (14) If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you. Truly according to them, He is blasphemed, but according to you He is glorified. (15) But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or a meddler in the affairs of others. (16) But if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God because of this. (17) For the time has come for the judgment to begin from the house of God. And if it first begins from us, what will be the end of those disobeying the gospel of God? (18) And if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (19) Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing, as to a faithful Creator."

If we as Christians cannot suffer for what we believe, that might just be an indication that we are compromising on the truth and accommodating untruth.

 

Philip du Toit

Discuss this here.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 26 July 2007 )
 
< Prev   Next >
Useful Links

Latest Forum Posts

Polls
Is evolusie en die bybel versoenbaar?
 

Who's Online
There are currently 8 Guests and 0 Users online

Cape Town Weather

Joh 8:32 ...and the truth shall make you free.

Translate Afrikaans to English  |  Cheapest notebook and desktop sales online  |  HP Compaq Dual Core for R4475  |  SA News  |  Afrikaanse  Nuus  |  Guitar Chords  |  Free Piano Lessons!!  |  Free Guitar Lessons!!  |  Add Melody to Chords  |  Free Classified Ads!!  |  Free Property Listings!!  |  Free Fax to Email!!  |  Car buying online  |  Web Hosting R17 p/m  |  Jobs SA  |   Toets jou persoonlikheid

TRU Developing - Creative Web Development