People today don’t like to be told what they ought to do because we live in a pluralistic society. People have this idea that everyone is right and no one is wrong, so it’s all right for people to have their own convictions but they shouldn’t impose them on other people.
The basic assumption behind this idea is that there is no absolute truth. But this assumption is illogical and self-contradictory. If we take that belief as truth, there is no reason to take that belief seriously because the belief itself may just be an opinion.
Taking something illogical as truth seems to be the sign of the times. Instant messaging and texting seem to encourage this trend because this way of communication encourages expressing the feelings of the moment without going through a logical process.
This pluralistic milieu also seems to affect ideas about religion. Many people seem to think that all religions are essentially the same. They pursue the same goal and differ only in method. So they criticize Christians for being dogmatic when they say that people are saved only by faith in Jesus Christ. They oppose public displays of faith and condemn missionaries who go to foreign countries and try to convert people.
If Jesus is merely the founder of a religion like Muhammed, Buddha, or Confucius, Christians are indeed wrong in saying that people can be saved only through him. But if there is enough evidence that Jesus is truly the only savior of mankind, it’s not Christians but those who criticize them who are wrong because Christians are merely stating the facts.
Before criticizing Christians as dogmatic or close-minded, they must see whether their claims about Jesus are justified. A good starting point is his resurrection. The founders of every major religion died and were buried. Muhammed died and was buried; Muslims even believe that visiting his tomb enhances their chances of going to heaven. Buddha died; his disciples cremated his body and sent the ashes to 8 different locations, building shrines at each. Confucius died and lays in his tomb. But Jesus has no tomb because he rose from the dead. There was no body to bury.
I once read that a law professor whose specialty was in court evidence once said that the case for Jesus’ resurrection is so strong that jurors in any U.S. court would have to agree based on the evidence that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.
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