THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995 TAG: 9512080063
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Mathews Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
LAST WEEK'S Issue of Faith: In response to criticism from a frequent anonymous caller, I gave my once-a-year-or-so explanation of what this column is - and isn't - about. In a nutshell, this is a column for people of all faiths. It is not a Christian column, even though as a Christian I might sometimes address Christian issues or approach something from a Christian perspective. I also made a statement of my own personal beliefs.
This week's Reader Responses:
From Sarah Lindamood of Chesapeake: ``It's important that we acknowledge that there is truth in other religions, because if we don't do that, we lack charity, and if we lack charity, then we truly do lack the message of the Gospel. It is through charity that God comes into our life. Christ died for us out of love, not out of hate, and should we decide to hate one another because of words, then we truly are denying his message.''
From Willard Savin of Elizabeth City, N.C.: ``If there are those who would take exception, I would suggest they humbly get on their knees and with an open mind talk it over with God. They will receive responses very similar to yours.''
From Ann Durland of Virginia Beach: ``It's funny how much (all the) religions are alike when it comes to basic principles. Love thy God and one another. Real simple - but not very easy.''
From Rick Wade of Virginia Beach: ``Although you assert that you are not promoting your beliefs, in fact you are, because you clearly believe that people can find their way to God by a variety of paths.
``You think all religions are equally valid. This is a religious belief itself, namely, relativistic liberal Christianity, and you preach this message through your column.
``You think you are giving a voice to all religious faiths, but in fact you are denying the essence of your own and that of others.
``You are denying the essence of Christianity which centers on Jesus Christ who insists that he alone is `the way the truth and the life.'
``Paul says `there is no other name under heaven by which one must be saved.' This is historic, biblical Christianity. Christianity, according to the Bible (and what other source is there for knowing what it is?), knows nothing of this `all roads lead to Rome' silliness.
``You deny the essence of other faiths, too, which purport to give the truth, I know of no other major religion which claims that it is just one of many ways.
``Professor Stan Gaede says it well in his book `When Tolerance is No Virtue': `To accept this interpretation (that two contrary beliefs can both be true) one has to deny the essential validity of both truth claims . . . By asserting that all truths are equal, it actually denies the validity of a good many truth claims. And in that sense, it is not nearly as tolerant as it purports to be and certainly doesn't do justice to a great many beliefs. I would argue that we respect our differences more authentically by taking each truth claim seriously on its own terms.'
``You need to decide what you want to do. Do you want to promote your religious views (which you do continuously) and accept cheerfully the challenges of those disagree with you? Or do you want to engage others in serious, though friendly, discussion about religious beliefs in which it is permissible for one person to say he or she thinks another view is wrong? Or do you want to be a religion writer and report and comment on religious events and ideas? I vote you choose the third option.''
From H. Stokely of Virginia Beach: ``Jesus was condemned by people who studied the Bible diligently and who were convinced that their interpretations were correct. They rejected Jesus as the messiah because he didn't fit their expectations. Down through the ages since, religious people who `know' their Bible, have done awful things in (Christ's) name. The problem is that God seems to be too big for us. So, the only logical option is to make him smaller.
``There is real spiritual danger in substituting the words of knowledge, for the words of faith. Often, a religious person says `I know' to create the impression that his faith is strong. By this the Creator of the Universe is diminished and limited, if that is possible.
``In contrast, uttering the words of faith, the believer can say: `I don't know, but I am trusting - clinging to - relying upon the Creator (who is greater than anything I can conceive, or in any way understand).'' By this the believer can grow toward God, rather than attempt to make God small enough to fit into our narrow and exclusive religious concepts.
``If and when God shows himself, it will again probably be in a somewhat different form than the knowing and diligent self-righteous expect of him. Will they then reject him again?''
From Chris Astle of Newport News: ``I wish I had said that! Actually, I have. But not so well!'' by CNB