Unwavering faith versus political correctness?

Question

Question to Christians: While we should never force religion upon anyone, nor deny anyone’s right to free religious expression and practice, should we as Christians compromise the truth of the Gospel in order to show respect for other religions of the world? Is it not possible to show respect for every individual while still exposing the deception of false religions as Christ has commanded us to do? After all, if we don’t need Christ to be saved, why did He go to the cross? And if we need Him, how can we turn our backs to those who do not know Him?

I do not understand why words like arrogance and intolerance are so often associated with those who boldly stand behind the words that were not spoken by any man, by Christ Himself (even among Christians!)….Who are the faithful ones who truly believe in Christ and the Gospel - and are not ashamed of it, or Him??

Answer 1

I couldn't agree more. We have two choices; either follow the truth of the Lord God, without compromise, or else follow the world and it's political correctness so as not to offend anyone. It can't nor should it be both. I will not compromise the message of God, His truth, for anything or anyone. Especially to an evil and corrupt generation as we live in now. The truth hurts sometimes, I could care less if His words are offensive to anyone. I am not ashamed of Jesus Christ.

Loving someone is telling them the truth! Helping them, guiding them. That is Love. Not sugar coating everything that comes out of your mouth. God is love and He has a million other qualities. Why do people get hung up on this one characteristic of God? He is also jealous and wrathful. Don't think you are doing Him any favors by not preaching the Gospel and His bible just eactly how He told us to do it. You either serve the Lord or you don't. There is no such thing as a half-Christian. Do what is pleasing to God or don't. Make your choice and quit wavering already. I say get in the fight or get out.

Answer 2

I don't think you necessarily have to compromise the truth of the Gospel to show respect for other religions. Arrogance and intolerance are words associated with people who are arrogant and intolerant... words that should never be used to describe a Christian. Respecting someone's beliefs, no matter how different they are from your own doesn't make you ashamed of the Gospel. In fact, it is evidence of how strongly you support it. We are called to live godly lives and reach out to everyone, regardless of what they may believe in, or what their circumstances are. I think we should love everyone for who they are, and leave the judging for the guy upstairs, who has so much more experience and knowledge than we could ever hope for.
Hope this helped some, God bless.

Answer 3

It might help you communicate your "good news" if you made the slightest attempt to understand the people you are preaching to. What you regard as "unwavering", others see as pig-headed and arrogant (not very "Christian" values). Did Jesus go around "breaking reeds"?

I recall Paul proudly proclaiming his chameleonic abilities. "To Jews, I act as a Jew, to the Greeks, a Greek." He knew that if you can't think like another person, you can't talk to them.

As for intolerance, your inability to conceive that anyone could disagree with your assertion, that Jesus is God, pretty much makes the point. Try logic to make your point, not repetition. To convince someone to change his mind, you actually have to do the work. Asserting a "fact" without demonstrable proof will only win over the gullible. Boldly, unashamedly standing behind the words of God doesn't LOOK all that different from standing boldly, unashamedly in the middle of the highway. Explain HOW you are "right" and you might make some headway.

Better yet, instead of preaching the gospel, try acting it out instead. The only people Jesus told off were the authorities who were imposing their doctrinal viewpoint unfairly on others. See any irony there?

Answer 4

you need to understand the difference between faith and intellectual assent. Lets examine this in a round-a-bout manner through the following question: If I ask "what is truth?" I have taken a scientific approach to the question and have presupposed the answer to be an idea, set of ideas or a concept. This is not...I repeat NOT, a Christian or spiritual (in general) approach. The Christian way to phrase the question is "Who is truth?" In Christianity, truth is a person; Jesus.
Okay, when dealing with facts or ideas, we often get faith (a matter of the heart which is placed in a person, not a set of ideas) confused with assent, to agree intellectually with an idea. What this means is that I can believe in something, but give assent to it in a way very differently than how you deal with it intellectually.
It can get very technical...people who believe the same thing can approach the accomanying ideas so differently that those who confuse belief with assent will throw stones at others and accuse them of not believing at all. Christ is never reflected when we do that. This is why tolerance is needed if we are going to be ministers of reconciliation between God and the world.

Answer 5

Yes, truth does need to be upheld, and error exposed, but this MUST be done lovingly. Far too often truth is flung in the faces of those perceived not to believe it like a weapon wielded by a fearful combatant. We should be looking for ways to 'let our gentleness be evident to all.' We need to be known by Love - thoughtfulness, patience, understanding, compassion. Anything less, we should be ashamed of.

Answer 6

It is up to God and the teachers and prophets He brings forth to open people's eyes to false religion. Our job is to be loving, compassionate, and show people in our life what God does for us. It's the decisions we make everyday with God's help that will show people having a relationship with God is better than anything here on earth. Live your life how God's wants you to and He'll do the rest. Have faith my friend!

Answer 7

Jesus wasn't very politically corect now was He? And look what the leaders of His day did to Him. It isn't easy to stand in the face of everyone and say "This is what I believe and this is why." But most people don't even study for themselves so they can't say with any authority what they do believe. They are like sheep without a shephard.

Answer 8

So you think Christ commanded you to be disrespectful of other religions? No ministering to those in need then? No wonder Christians get a bad rap, with idiots like you running around. Study the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer or Mother Teresa and learn what its about to be a Christian, @sshole.

Answer 9

I was going to answer this question but after reading Jewel Flower's answer, I can't think of anything better to say. She said it perfectly. God bless you Jewel.


To Born Again Christian. Peter did not say God is no respecter of people, he said:

[Acts 10:34] Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
[Acts 10:35] Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.

Quite a difference from your translation, he was saying how God accepts all people who are upright.

Answer 10

I believe we should be tolerant, even if we do not agree with someone else's religion or political point of view. I believe we should be kind when we do explain our point of view as opposed to theirs so as Not to be cramming anything down their throats(which usually makes people mad and doesn't work anyway). I do NOT believe in watering down the truths of our faith just so as not to offend those who don't believe it. In other words, I do not believe in "Political Correctness" which is nothing more than Not standing up for the truths you believe in just because someone else Might be offended. What I DO believe in is in discerning how far I can go without actually hurting someone, and in not bulldozing my point just because I know I'm right. I also believe in planting seeds, then praying and letting God do the rest.

God wants the salvation of everyone more than we do, If we express our views in an appropriate time and way we have done our part, and that is what is important. We cannot be judgmental of those who don't believe in Christianity because God made them too and wants to save them as much as He wants to save us. Yet, still, for some reason, He allowed them to be born of another faith. Jesus said,"To whom much is given, much will be expected". That means that if we were given the gift of the Christian faith then God will expect us to live that faith, and hold us accountable for our abuse or transgressions against it. But for those who have not been given that gift, he will still judge them by their hearts just as he judges us by our hearts, but not to the same degree as He will judge us because they have not been given the same gifts and knowledge. In other words, there may be Christian who is so wrapped up in the fact that He is "Saved" and forgets all about God's commandments and has only judgment and contempt in His heart for anyone who does not believe as he does(Pharisees?). Then there is the non Christian who was raised since birth in a different culture and religion and possibly has heard very little if anything about Jesus and His teachings, but, he truly loves God(whatever he may call Him) and is a kind and tolerant of others and lives a good life. Now, in the end who do you thunk God will judge more favorably?

If Jesus taught us to love God with all of our heart and soul, and and our neighbor as ourselves, then he wants that from everyone, not just Christians, because he died to save everyone. God judges the heart so he knows everything about us. Now don't you think that since we can only come to the Father through Jesus Christ, and that if someone was never given the opportunity in his whole life to know Jesus, don't you think that just maybe Jesus will come to him and offer him that opportunity at the hour of his death? That is something that we will never know about. However, if the non Christian becomes Christian at the last possible minute, he may go into heaven before the Christian who had no love or tolerance in his heart.

I am a Christian and I do not say that all Christians act like Pharisees, but I was just trying to bring up the point that we cannot know who is or who isn't going to be saved. In the end, only God does. And I say that God does indeed want us to evangelize but with love and gentleness and by example. Sometimes if we just live the life of love, forgiveness and tolerance, even if we say nothing, some people may want to know what gives us such happiness. "They will know we are Christians by our love".