Approaching Non-Christian Religions

1. Approaching Non-Christian Religions

2. Islam • Hinduism • Buddhism • Judaism People are in a culture, rather than having much detailed knowledge of their religion. Unlike Protestant groups, identity doesn’t depend upon a sharing of clearly defined doctrinal points.

3. General approach • - Authority • - Forgiveness of sin • - Grace • - Personal relationship with God • - Jesus makes all the difference • - There’s a hole in the psyche and heart of every thoughtful person which only the doctrines of the Truth can fill perfectly

4. Islam overview [1] • Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, with over 1 billion followers. It is a monotheistic faith founded by a man named Muhammad in 7th-century Saudi Arabia. • According to Muslim belief, the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad, a camel driver, in a mountain cave and delivered a message from the one true God. The Prophet Muhammad dedicated the remainder of his life to spreading a message of monotheism in a polytheistic world. His life's work is recorded in the Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam. • In 622 AD, the Prophet fled north to the city of Medina to escape growing persecution. This event is celebrated by Muslims as the hijira ("flight") and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar (622 AD = 1 AH).

5. Islam overview [2] • In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca with an army and defeated it easily. By Muhammad's death, 50 years later, the entire Arabian Peninsula had come under Muslim control. • The word "Islam" means "submission," reflecting the religion's central tenet of submitting to the will of God. Islamic practices center on the Five Pillars of Islam: confession of faith, daily prayer, fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage and charity. • The sacred text of Islam, the Qur'an, was written in Arabic within 30 years of Muhammad's death. Muslims believe it contains the literal word of God as gradually revealed to Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel over the course of 20 years. Also important is the tradition of the sayings and actions of the Prophet and his Companions, collected in the hadith.

6. Common ground • - Theoretical acceptance of OT characters • - "Say not 'trinity'“ • -

7. What we have to offer • - No provision for mercy, grace and forgiveness • - Man's Need For The Death And Resurrection Of Jesus

8. I once heard a very significant comment from a Turkish Christian. He knows some isolated villages which had been staunchly 'Christian' for centuries, but in the last 100 years had become Moslem. But they retained an old Christian meeting room, where a Christian man they called 'the priest' lives. Although they're all Moslems, whenever they sin, or the village judges someone to have sinned, they go to see 'the priest' and enter into the meeting room, where he sprinkles water on them and tells them Jesus forgives them. Now all this is of course far from Biblical Christianity as we know it, but it serves to illustrate the crisis of Islam- there is no provision for mercy, grace and forgiveness, and it is this which our new brethren and sisters are so enthusiastically grasping and preaching in its true terms.

9. The whole Islamic concept of sin is what makes the cross unnecessary to them. They believe that God forgives who He wants, as He wants; and that sin isn’t really a separation from God, but rather it is a slip made because God created man with a weak nature. This effectively makes God responsible for sin, which can’t be right. Because God predestinates our fate, there is no need for atonement or reconciliation with Him. And this explains the fatalism and lack of true spiritual energy found in many Islamic people. There is no real concept of having offended God; there is no real forgiveness from Him, although there is the idea that sin can be cancelled out by keeping certain commandments. Yet the Bible reveals that there is forgiveness with God, that He may be feared (Ps. 130:4).

10. Jesus - a man like us, although the Son of God. Our representative, with our nature and temptations, but who never once sinned. And we enter that covenant with Him, we become “in him”, so that all that is true of him becomes true of us…by being baptized [immersed] into His death and resurrection. This Saviour couldn’t have been Muhammad - for Muhammad sinned and asked for forgiveness (33.37; 47.19; 48.2). No man [who has sinned] can redeem his brother (Ps. 49:7).

11. Hinduism overview [1] • 900 million Hindus worldwide, making Hinduism the third largest religion (after Christianity and Islam). • The term "Hinduism" includes numerous traditions, which are closely related and share common themes but do not constitute a unified set of beliefs or practices. • Hinduism is thought to have gotten its name from the Persian word hindu, meaning "river," used by outsiders to describe the people of the Indus River Valley. Hindus themselves refer to their religion as sanatama dharma, "eternal religion," and varnasramadharma, a word emphasizing the fulfillment of duties (dharma) appropriate to one's class (varna) and stage of life (asrama). • Hinduism has no founder or date of origin. The authors and dates of most Hindu sacred texts are unknown. Scholars describe modern Hinduism as the product of religious development in India that spans nearly four thousand years, making it the oldest surviving world religion.

12. Hinduism overview [2] • Hinduism is not a homogeneous, organized system. Many Hindus are devoted followers of Shiva or Vishnu, whom they regard as the only true God, while others look inward to the divine Self (atman). But most recognize the existence of Brahman, the unifying principle and Supreme Reality behind all that is. • Most Hindus respect the authority of the Vedas (a collection of ancient sacred texts) and the Brahmans (the priestly class), but some reject one of both of these authorities. Hindu religious life might take the form of devotion to God or gods, the duties of family life, or concentrated meditation. Given all this diversity, it is important to take care when generalizing about "Hinduism" or "Hindu beliefs." • The first sacred writings of Hinduism, which date to about 1200 BC, were primarily concerned with the ritual sacrifices associated with numerous gods who represented forces of nature. A more philosophical focus began to develop around 700 BC, with the Upanishads and development of the Vedanta philosophy. Around 500 BC, several new belief systems sprouted from Hinduism, most significantly Buddhism

13. Buddhism Overview [1] • Buddhism was founded by an Indian prince named Siddharta Gautama around the year 500 BCE. According to tradition, the young prince lived an affluent and sheltered life until a journey during which he saw an old man, a sick man, a poor man, and a corpse. Shocked and distressed at the suffering in the world, Gautama left his family to seek enlightenment through asceticism. But even the most extreme asceticism failed to bring enlightenment. • Finally, Gautama sat beneath a tree and vowed not to move until he had attained enlightenment. Days later, he arose as the Buddha - the "enlightened one." He spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching the path to liberation from suffering (the dharma) and establishing a community of monks (the sangha). • Today, there are over 360 million followers of Buddhism.

14. Buddhism Overview [2] • Buddhist beliefs vary significantly across various sects and schools, but all share an admiration for the figure of the Buddha and the goal of ending suffering and the cycle of rebirth. Theravada Buddhism, prominent in Southeast Asia, is atheistic and philosophical in nature and focuses on the monastic life and meditation as means to liberation. • Mahayana Buddhism, prominent in China and Japan, incorporates several deities, celestial beings, and other traditional religious elements. In Mahayana, the path to liberation may include religious ritual, devotion, meditation, or a combination of these elements. Zen, Nichiren, Tendai, and Pure Land are the major forms of Mahayana Buddhism.

15. Common ground • ‘Buddhism’ means to be an awakened one, with the implication that humanity is asleep. With this agrees the New Testament: “Awake, you who sleep, and Christ shall give you light” (Eph. 5:14 ). But is Jesus who gives light, not a stirring up of ones self power. • The first step of the eightfold path is right understanding. • Buddhists commonly liken their idea of karma to a seed, which is planted and develops into a plant. The works of a man in his life are seen to control who he becomes in the next life. But the Bible takes a different angle. What we sow is not actually the plant that comes out of the ground (1 Cor. 15:35-49). It is sown a seed. But for those in Christ, they will rise out of the earth to be given a new body. Yes, what we sow we will reap, our actions now have eternal consequences at judgement day, but the gift of the new body through resurrection is a gift through God’s grace.

16. What we have to offer The Bible as Authority • The Vedas, the most authoritative Hindu Scriptures: “No historical records can give us the certainty to know the ancient authors and the dates of their works…Veda means wit or wisdom. It was a “Book of knowledge” or the divine unwritten wisdom, because it was transmitted, not by writing, but by oral repetition through a succession of teachers who claimed to have received the divine wisdom and were thence called Brahmans” (Lit-Sen Chang, Asia’s Religions , Vancouver: Horizon, 1999 p. 181).

17. What we have to offer The Bible as Authority [2] • It would seem that these ‘Scriptures’ are merely the traditions of men. By contrast, the Bible was written down and carefully transmitted by copying. Amazingly, the manuscripts recently discovered (especially the Dead Sea scrolls) reveal that there has been no essential change to them over millennia of copying. This is to me nothing short of a miracle, and a proof that God has preserved His word- the Bible. There are at least 24,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts available for analysis - far more than for the Hindu scriptures. The next most well supported book, Homer’s Iliad, has only 643. And there are original fragments of John dating back to 120 AD, and of Matthew to 65 AD- i.e., almost at the time they were originally written .

18. Truth • If a Hindu asks why he or she believes as they do, the answer can only really be ‘Because I accepted the traditions of my fathers’. The issue of truth doesn’t come into it- for there is nowhere to appeal to for ultimate Truth. Jesus said that His word was Truth (Jn. 17:17), that “the truth” makes us free (Jn. 8:32), that we will be guided into all truth (Jn. 16:13); because “I am the truth” (Jn. 14:6).

19. The Meaning of Persons • The goal in Hinduism is to bring the individual person to the realization that indeed he is not a separate being, but rather a partaker of the great Self. So the saying is “Atman (self, soul) is Brahman.” The goal of the individual through yoga and spiritual exercise is to realize and know that he is Brahman. This is to me an effective atheism, replacing the one true God by self-ism.

20. The Hindu view of humanity seems to me to devalue the human person. By contrast the Biblical record of the one God and the attitude of His Son Jesus shows a tremendous value placed on the importance of the individual. We are promised “the redemption of the body” through being given a body like that which Jesus now has (1 Cor. 15:52,53; Phil. 3:20,21).

21. Love • “This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins”. Love is an issue of awareness, not a denial of individual self for a great cosmic Self. Love is a sacrificial act, a personal act of laying down one’s life for others, just as Jesus has done for us. True Christianity enables us to live lives that are real, to experience present life as a great and thrilling reality.

22. Sin • Buddhism and Hinduism fail to address the problem of sin. It denies that human wilfulness is the root problem of wrong behaviour, and by doing so takes the focus away from what every honest human being knows is our essential problem. They discount the whole issue of origins, dismissing the Biblical record of creation: “The aim of Buddhism is to develop wisdom and compassion and thereby attain Nirvana. Knowing how the universe began can contribute nothing to this task”. This means that the focus is only upon the present. Yet take a read through the Bible. It starts with the record of creation, and the entire Bible is filled with allusion back to the early chapters. There is a far greater internal harmony within the Bible than within Buddhist & Hindu writings.

23. Forgiveness • According to their doctrine of maya[illusion], Hinduism seems to consider this life to be an illusion, an annihilation of the human personality. Sin is merely ritual disobedience or infringement of the caste system, not a real, felt, hurtful act against a loving Heavenly Father. Thus Hinduism has lost sight of telling right from wrong in real life. Sin can be got round by paying money to a priest [as, effectively, in Catholic and Orthodox churches]. Yet the offence of sin is against God, and the way to attain forgiveness is only through the sacrifice of His Son and our association with it. Of course, most human beings are the same- they have no real sense of offending God, no sharp sense of right and wrong, seeing everything as an effective illusion, and deciding between good and bad behaviour merely on the basis of expediency. Hinduism has turned this basic human condition into a religion. It offers no real salvation from it. In the real Christ there is ample, real and relevant salvation from sin and all negative effects upon us, from wherever they may come.

24. Judaism Overview [1] • Aside from its staunch monotheism, Judaism has few essential beliefs. Jewish identity arises primarily from belonging to an ancient people and upholding its traditions. Dogma, while important, is secondary. Although the medieval thinker Rabbi Maimonides once enumerated "13 Articles of Faith," many Jews do not accept all these, and Jewish beliefs vary widely on theological matters such as human nature and the afterlife. • Divisions within Judaism, known as "movements," have developed in modern times as varying responses to secularism and modernity. Orthodox Judaism is the most conservative group, retaining nearly all traditional rituals and practices. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Reform Jews retain their Jewish identity and some traditions but take a liberal approach to many Jewish beliefs and practices. Conservative Judaism lies in the middle of the spectrum, taking a moderate approach in its application of Judaism to the modern world.

25. Judaism Overview [2] • Jews of all movements celebrate many special days throughout the year and throughout each person's life. Major religious holidays include Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Hanukkah, historically a minor holiday, has become more prominent in the last century for Jews who live in areas that celebrate Christmas. The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship at the synagogue, is observed each Saturday. In Judaism, all days begin at sunset, so all holidays begin at sundown and end at sundown. • To recognize the role of God and the Jewish community in each person's life, numerous life cycle events are observed with traditional rituals. At the first Sabbath after the birth of a child, the proud father is called forward in the synagogue to recite blessings for mother and child. Eight days after birth, baby boys are circumcised. • At the age of 13 (12 for girls), a boy becomes a Bar Mitzvah, or "Son of the Commandment" and a girl becomes a Bat Mitzvah, "Daughter of the Commandment." The occasion is marked by the youth's first public reading of the Torah in the synagogue (only boys may do this in Orthodox congregations), followed by a large and joyous celebration.

26. The Jewish Conscience • There is evidently a pang of conscience within the Jewish people, prefigured by the bad conscience of Joseph’s brothers, until they finally accepted Joseph as their Lord. That conscience is surely indicated by the way in which Isaiah 53 is omitted from the Synagogue’s yearly haphtarot readings, and how it is markedly absent from the mediaeval commentaries. There is simply the statement in brackets: “Some things are missing here”

27. What we have to offer • - Grace • - Forgiveness • - Hope of the Kingdom • - Messiah • - Hope for Israel

28. Discussion points • The following bullet point questions can usefully be put to Jews- many of them are discussed within Orthodox circles anyway: • - Can the Torah liberate man or give him salvation? • - What is the basis of salvation? • - Were all of Moses’ laws intended to be eternally binding? • - Where do we make a difference between the commandments of God and those of men? • - Will Messiah give a new Torah?

29. Jesus Of Nazareth Is The Messiah Judaism Expected • The NewTestament describes the work of Jesus through allusions to the Psalms. But each of the passages alluded to had in fact already been interpreted by the rabbis in their various Targums and Midrashim as applying to Messiah. Messiah was to be despised (Ps. 22:6; 69:19-22); rejected (Ps. 118:22); mocked (Ps. 22:7,8; 69:8,20; 89:51,52); whipped (Ps. 129:3); impaled on a stake (Ps. 22:1,2,14-17); thirsty (Ps. 22:16); given wine nixed with gall (Ps. 69:20-22); have lots cast for his clothes (Ps. 22:18,19); have unbroken bones (Ps. 34:21); rise from the dead (Ps. 16:10); ascend to Heaven (Ps. 68:19); be at the right hand of God (Ps. 80:17; 110:1); be High Priest (Ps. 110:4); judge the nations (Ps. 89:3-5); reign eternally (Ps. 89:35-37); be the Son of God (Ps. 2:7); speak in parables (Ps. 78:2); calm a storm (Ps. 89:10); have Hosanna sung to him (Ps. 118:25,26); be blessed for ever (Ps. 45:1-4,8,18); and come in glory at the Last Day (Ps. 102:6-23). The picture which the rabbinic writings had created of Messiah was exactly the person whom Jesus was and whom the early church preached.

30. Islam • Hinduism • Buddhism • Judaism People are in a culture, rather than having much detailed knowledge of their religion. Unlike Protestant groups, identity doesn’t depend upon a sharing of clearly defined doctrinal points.

31. General approach • - Authority • - Forgiveness of sin • - Grace • - Personal relationship with God • - Jesus makes all the difference • - There’s a hole in the psyche and heart of every thoughtful person which only the doctrines of the Truth can fill perfectly