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The Constant Push for Religious Unity
What Should Christians Do?
By Adam Bartlett
There has been an ever increasing tide among those of religious affiliations over the past decades to put aside differences and unite based on the common grounds. The idea is to lay down all the areas of belief that cause distinct lines of separation and find the areas that all can find agreeable. The push comes because of the constant barrage from secular channels for tolerance of anything and everything regardless of morality. It is the era of "Self" everything and if it makes you feel good then it should be acceptable to all.
Even now as the new pope made his entrance to the world, his first statement was about his plans to unite all religions. The media covered the event of pope John Paul dying and the inauguration of the new pope more than anything I can remember. Television was saturated with flowing accolades of the dead pope and the hype of the incoming one and what he would do and how he would compare.
I cannot ever remember more talk and seeing more people of religious prestige bending over backwards to heap praises on pope John Paul. I heard over and over, the media, religious leaders, even our president referring to this man as "holy father." Matthew 23: 9 and call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Most Christians just sat back and watched and listened to these things without batting an eye. There were very few that actually said anything that would be construed as negative about the pope, Catholicism, or any of the statements being made during this time. In fact there was a story on the news about a Christian radio talk show host that was fired because of the answer he gave. During his question and answer segment a caller asked if the pope went to heaven. He simply said that the way to heaven was to accept Jesus into your heart and follow His teachings and whether or not the pope had done that was between him and God.
There were many polls that came out after that incident and there was an overwhelming majority of Christians that said they agreed he should have been fired for his comments. The station manager said that his comments caused undue conflict between faiths about a matter in which the answer was clear. In other words he was saying that it should have been obvious that the pope was in heaven.
I am sure many remember that right after 911 there was a great push especially in this country to protect and even appease the Muslims so they would not feel targeted. How absurd! Their followers were just responsible for this terrorist attack and it is a well proven fact that their own bible (Koran) teaches that this is not only acceptable but a command for them. I know that the company I work for even went a step further and in the corporate office built them a special prayer room so that they could go there and perform their ritual prayers.
I wonder how many Christians were as angry as I was when our president said over and over on national television how that the Muslim faith was a peaceful religion. That is about as big an oxymoron as honest politicians. I am sure that the victims of those that died in the twin towers were especially comforted by his remarks. I bet they even went out and hugged the first Muslim they seen and told them, "I know you are really following a peaceful religion and it is not your fault."
What happened as a result is that many people in this country actually converted to Islam as a result. Our schools were even forcing students to study about Islam and disguising it as a cultural lesson. These same schools are barred from teaching anything about Christianity or even mentioning Jesus yet they force the teaching of this religion on our children. What did Christians do in response? Nothing as usual, with the exception of a few that said it was wrong, but the majority didn't even acknowledge it.
Then we have the homosexual movement and their inclusion in many churches now. There are many ordained ministers in mainline churches and there is tremendous strife over this issue. Why is it even an issue? Because the media and Hollywood has created this atmosphere that if you call it for what it is then you are a bigot. They not only want to force everyone to believe it is not chosen but rather it is hereditary, but they want to force it on our children and lure them into it. There is rarely a show on television that does not touch on the homosexual topic or flaunt it. So what have we done? We have sat back once again and allowed it to flood our society and fear to speak out against it.
Romans 1: 24: Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26: For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
I have a hard time seeing how this scripture agrees with the world's view of homosexuality. I also cannot see how there can be any question for anyone that claims to be a believer in these very scriptures as to whether or not it should be accepted. Can anyone with common sense look at the verses above and honestly believe that God accepts this as normal? Can anyone with common sense look at the verses above and tell me how they can think that God actually created individuals to be homosexual?
1 Timothy 4, 2 Timothy 3&4 and other scriptures tell us that in the last days this will happen. Many will depart from the faith and start following false teachings and doctrines. They will abandon the truth and listen to the world and even allow the world in the churches. Ministers will compromise the truth and start telling their people what they want to hear. Ministers along with well known personalities will invent gimmicks, methods, and new ways to get God to do your bidding. There will be those that actually believe they can control God and the way He works. Churches will become social clubs with no real spiritual content. Ministers will simply be puppets to scratch the spiritual itch of the people. Sure sounds like what I see today! It will get so bad that Jesus made a statement speaking of the time He will return; Luke 18:8 Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
There are so many false teachings in mainline churches that it is hard to find the true ones. There are some out there but they are few and far between. Because of the lack of truth in the churches and the compromise that has been allowed, it opened the doors for all the false teachings and errors that are plaguing the churches today. This domino effect has caused a world full of lukewarm Christians that are too blind and complacent in their faith to recognize what is upon them.
There is so much spiritual ignorance among Christians today that they don't even see what is happening and there are some that chose to ignore it even knowing the cost. This is not something new to God's people; it happened thousands of years ago.
Jeremiah 7: 9: Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
10: And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
11: Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
I have seen this in so many churches today and I see so many Christians living out this very Scripture. I have to blame both the leadership and the people themselves. It is the leadership's responsibility to teach the truth, disciple and help to mature those under his care. It is also just as much the individual's fault because we are commanded to 2 Timothy 2: 15: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
When we see all the errors in the churches today it is easy to understand how easy it will be for them to accept this religious unity with open arms. I see it every year when the city has its National Day of Prayer observance. All the different faiths join together and unite as they pray to what they say is the same God. Christians ignore the fact that some of the ones they are holding hands with deny Jesus, yet for the cause of unity we can pray together and expect God to honor the event.
I for one cannot stand side by side, hand in hand, and pray with a Muslim, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Hindu, Unitarian, Rabbi, and many others including a Catholic priest, and believe we are praying to the same God. If a person says that they belong to Jesus which is the meaning of a Christian then there are certain things that must distinguish us from the rest. Jesus did not join hands with the Pharisees and Sadducees; he rebuked them for their error.
What Should Christians Do?
First we must distinguish what a Christian is because there are two types. One type professes to be a Christian yet there is no evident fruit nor do they exhibit a lifestyle that would be considered Christ like. The other is the person that tries the best they can to follow the precepts of Christ and even though they may fail they make the right decisions to recover and present an image that is more Christ like. The name Christian is loosely applied and accepted by many that do more harm to Christianity than if they would not claim it at all.
There are some very evident things that Christians should do that separate them from those that simply profess the name. Ephesians 5: 11: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. I know that there are many that do not like to be so direct but there are no gray areas in this faith. You are either light or you are darkness. Matthew12: 30: He that is not with me is against me; Matthew 10: 32: Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33: But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
What Christians must do in light of the time we are in is simple; stop being timid and shy about your faith. Stop being a Christian in church and basically cease to exist the rest of the week. Stop allowing a defeated foe to rule your spiritual condition. Stop accepting a watered down version of the Gospel. Stop allowing ministers to go unbridled and misleading souls with false teachings and gimmicks just because of their position. Take the "church" back because it belongs to each one of us because "WE" make it up and it is not a pastor's to manipulate.
You don't have to be an outspoken activist but you don't have to cower to the world and hide your faith. Be a Light and Salt as we are commanded to be. You have as much right in public to proclaim your faith as anyone else does to exhibit the world as they do openly and brazenly. I guess it comes down to believing the Scriptures that we say apply to our lives and then openly expressing them.
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!
God bless, Adam
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