Download Multicultural Societies

Are We All Bound for Heaven?
Christian Theology and Other Religions
Is it possible?
“Western society is now irretrievably mixed, pluralist in character…It is a visible and
obvious fact to be seen in every major city, where Caucasian and Afro-Caribbean,
South Asian and Chinese ethnic types jostle on every street. The questions of the
British census were available in English, Welsh, Bengali, Cantonese, Greek, Gujurati,
Hindu, Italian, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu…”
- Christopher Lamb
Inclusivism
“One religion is best but salvation is possible in other religions”
Religion Polls
Are you religious?
Which religion do you belong to?
Not sure
3%
Refused
1%
None
26%
Yes
33%
Other
6%
No
64%
Muslim
4%
Polls of 1006 people
Christian
63%
Is Britain a…
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Is Britain a...
Don’t know
None of these
Country where most
people don’t believe
in any god
5
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1
15
Religious country of
many faiths
Christian country
62
17
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82%
of all respondents
think religion causes
division between
people
57%
Think religion is a
force for good
49%
of those from non
Christian backgrounds
are religious
Inclusivism
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One of the several approaches to understanding the
relationship between religions.
Asserts that while one set of beliefs is absolutely true, other
sets of beliefs are at least partially true.
It stands contrast to exclusivism, which asserts that only one
way is true and all others are in error.
Also in contrast with pluralism, which asserts that all beliefs
are equally valid within a believer’s particular context.
Inclusivist theology was originally set out by the Roman
Catholic theologian Karl Rahner, and formally adopted at
Vatican II by the Roman Catholic Church’s as their official
position regarding those in other religions.
"Those also can attain to everlasting salvation who through no
fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or His
Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by
their deeds to do His will as it is known to them by the dictates
of their conscience." Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church: Lumen Gentium, 16
There are two groups of Inclusivist
thought:
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Traditional Inclusivism – asserts that the
believer’s own views are absolutely true, and
believers of other religions are correct insofar as
they agree with that believer.
Relativistic Inclusivism – asserts that an unknown
set of assertions are Absolutely True, that no
human being currently living has yet ascertained
Absolute Truth, but that all human beings have
ascertained Absolute Truth to one degree or
another.
Strands of both types of Inclusivist thought of
both types run through all faiths.
Christianity
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Christian inclusivism was a response to a very simple dilemma not readily
accommodated in Christian exclusivism. If, as Exclusivists teach,
salvation is only found in Jesus and received through hearing and
accepting the gospel (e.g. Romans 10:9) then what is the eternal fate
of Old Testament figures such as Abraham and Moses who are
clearly saved (Hebrews 11), yet did not directly hear the gospel?
To deal with this Inclusivists see a wideness in God’s mercy as effected
through the love of God and the cross
- ‘For God so loved the world that he sent his Son…’ (John 3:16)
- ‘He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to
come to repentance’ (2 Peter 3:9)
They believe that we are not born out of a relationship with God
(exclusivism) but already in a relationship with God. The grace of God
(which is required for salvation) is said to be already present within us as
a divine gift. So when people hear the gospel and accept it they are not
turning from darkness to light but are merely confirming what they
already are; a child of God.
This is why there is religion outside of Christianity. It is not that people
have turned from the Truth and created false religions but rather people
are seeking God by the best means available to them at that time.
Therefore, if people in other religions do not hear the gospel they will still
be saved. However, this is not by their religion, but because of their
religion.
Evidence in the different religions
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Christianity
Jesus said “He who is not against me is for me” Gospel of Mark 9:40
Jesus said “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those
who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” Luke 12:10
The Apostle Peter wrote of God: “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9
An aphorism common in some Christian circles: “All Truth is God’s Truth”
Judaism
The Talmud states: “The righteous of all peoples have a place in the World-To-Come” (Tos.
To Sanhedrin 13:2, Sifra to Leviticus 19:18) and affirms that the great majority of nonJewish humanity will be saved, due to God’s overwhelming mercy.
Rabbinic tradition asserts that the basic standard of righteousness was established in a
covenant with Noah: anyone who keeps the seven commandments of this covenant is
assured of salvation, no matter what their religion. This is standard Jewish teaching for the
past two thousand years.
Islam
The Qur’an revealed through Muhammad, states “Those with Faith, those who are Jews, and
the Christians and Sabaeans, all who have Faith in Allah and the Last Day and act rightly,
will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow”
(Qur’an, Surat al-Baqara; 2:62).
“Our God and your God are one and we submit to Him” (Surat al-’Ankabut; 29:46)
Hinduism
Gita states: “O Arjuna, even those devotees who worship lesser deities (e.g. Devas) with
faith, they also worship Me, but in an improper way because I am the Supreme Being. I
alone am the enjoyer of all sacrifical services (Seva, Yajna) and Lord of the Universe” Gita
9:23
“Inclusivism says…
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…that even though the work of Christ is the only
means of salvation, it does not follow that explicit
knowledge of Christ is necessary in order for one
to be saved.
In contrast to pluralism, inclusivism agrees with
exclusivism in affirming the particularity of
salvation in Jesus Christ.
But unlike exclusivism, inclusivism holds that an
implicit faith response to general revelation can
be salvific. God expects from man a response
proportional to the light given. Saving faith is not
characterised so much by its cognitive content as
it is by its reverent quality”
– Ken Keathley
Arguments
Favorable
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Romans 2 indicates that there are justified
law-doers without exposure to the Law--lawdoers not in the sense of sinless perfection,
but in the sense of the obedience of those in
Romans 2:7,9.
Passages such as Acts 4:12 indicate the
ontological necessity of Christ's work, but not
knowledge of that work.
People like Cornelius and Melchizedek show
that one can be a God-fearer who pleases
God, in right relationship, before hearing
special revelation.
That infants who die are saved, without
respect to faith or lineage (something that
almost all proponents of exclusivism hold),
shows that special revelation is not
absolutely necessary for salvation.
That God is loving and good infers that God
would save the unreached.
It would be unjust of God to damn those
without knowledge of the gospel
Criticisms
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Critics of inclusivism argue that general
revelation, or anything else for that matter
besides Christ himself, is not sufficient for
salvation.
"...men, not professing the Christian religion,
[cannot] be saved in any other way
whatsoever, be they never so diligent to
frame their lives according to the light of
nature, and the laws of that religion they do
profess. And, to assert and maintain that
they may, is very pernicious, and to be
detested, (Westminster Confession of the
Faith, X.4, emphasis supplied, quoted in
Robert Reymond's, Contending for the Faith,
s.v. "The 'Very Pernicious and Detestable'
Doctrine of Inclusivism", p. 367).
The only way to the father is through Jesus
(John 14:6), furthermore, "he who does not
have the Son of God does not have life" (1
John 5:12).
Most emphatically, Paul declares: "Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved. How, then, can they call on the one
they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not
heard? And how can they hear without
someone preaching to them? And how can
they preach unless they are sent." (Romans
10:13-15)
Karl Rahner
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Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner. In volume 5 of his Theological Investigations, he
argues that:
1. "Christianity understands itself as the absolute religion, intended for all people, which
cannot recognize any other religion beside itself as of equal right."
2. revelation of God in Christ took place at a specific time in history. Those who lived before,
or who have not yet heard of it, would seemed excluded from salvation. This is
incompatible with God's will to save all.
3. Knowledge of God, and God's saving grace must therefore be available outside
Christianity, including other religions, despite their errors and shortcomings
4. faithful adherents of non-Christians religions should be regarded as "anonymous
Christians"
"Somehow all people must be able to be members of the church."
5. Religious pluralism will always be part of human existence
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In other words, Rahner says:
Christianity and Christ have a unique and exclusive status that other religions do not share
Nevertheless
knowledge of God (God's self-revelation) may be present in other religions
the grace of God and even salvation may be present in other religions
grace might be mediated by the lifestyle they evoke, e.g. selfless love
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Rahner justifies his position as follows:
Consider the Old Testament, the outlook of a non-Christian religion, Judaism.
We discard some practices we regard as unacceptable (e.g. dietary laws)
We retain others as valid (e.g. moral laws)
We can do the same with other religions
Criticisms of Inclusivism…
The term "anonymous Christians" has been widely
criticized:
- John Hick: paternalistic: "honorary status granted
unilaterally to people who have not expressed any desire
for it."
- Hans Küng: "It would be impossible to find anywhere in the
world a sincere Jew, Muslim or atheist who would not
regard the assertion that he is an 'anonymous Christian' as
presumptuous"
 In Rahner's defense, the term "anonymous Christian" was
perhaps intended to suggest that Christians should give the
faithful adherents of non-Christian religions the same
"status" in their reflections on the People of God as they
give to their fellow Christians.
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Inclusivism and Multiculturalism
- Is it possible?
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“…In the wake of Islamic migration and increased secularization in the
West, many people and their politicians are beginning to turn their backs
on a multicultural path to the future.”
“In the course of history, Christians moved from a state of relative
insignificance to an oppressed minority group until the fourth century
when they became oppressors of other minority groups.”
“In Book IV of ‘The Republic’ Plato gives a report of the dialogue Socrates
has with one of his dialogue partners, Adeimantus, about the question
what makes a city a just and good city. Do you know, Socrates asks, what
the difference is between Athens, our city, and the barbarian cities? It is
this that Athens is united, it is a unity, it is one. The barbarian cities,
Socrates says, are “in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the
other the city of the rich”. Our city, Athens, is just and good, Socrates
says, the barbarian cities are not just and not good, because they are
divided into two.
In this sense, our cities today are barbarian cities. New York with its
innumerable black quarters, London with its quarters full of inhabitants
from its former colonies, Rotterdam with plenty of its no-go areas. Why is
this?”...(continues on article ‘The Multicultural Drama: Religion’s Failures and
Challenge’).
On Being a Christian…
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"... it is impossible today for any one
religion to exist in splendid isolation and
ignore the others. Today more than ever,
Christianity too is brought into contact,
discussion and confrontation with other
religions. To the extension of the
geographical horizon of religion at the
beginning of modern times there has been
added in our own time an enormous
extension of the historical horizon."
- Hans Küng, On Being a Christian, p. 89