Is Christianity True? - A Response

I had the good fortune of receiving intelligent, constructive comments on certain posts of mine a few weeks ago. My post where I stood Jesus and Siddhartha (the Budda) side by side elicited a couple great comments. Both Wing and Eug left thought provoking comments (thanks guys!...this is why Blogger pwns Xanga), and both asked essentially the same question:

How do we know that what we believe in (Christianity) is true?

I don't know where to start answering such a question. I have undertaken quite a radical paradigm shift the past few years in how I approach the Bible, Jesus, God, religion, faith, etc... In fact, I know that my views are quite fringe in the Christian Church. It is a rather nice coincidence that I have been asked this question now, for I have just read three books that tackle this issue (two by Borg, one by Pagels). These books have really helped me understand where I now stand, for all three articulate the same general paradigm that I find myself coming into. In order to bring to light my thinking, I'll present my thoughts in a question-and-answer format. This recognizes the fact that much of what I need to say isn't logically linked together, but is more like a mosaic of thought-clusters and opinions. I think this is the best way to describe my thinking at this point - a messy mosaic. It is too soon to come down with a definite position; all of this is thinking-in-progress. Also, my aim is not to persuade you, my faithful readers. No, my goal is to bring to light where I stand, to share my own opinions and thoughts. Don't expect persuasive argumentation to try and convert you to my way of thinking - that is not my aim. Anyways, on to the juicy stuff.

Is there a God?

Yes - that is what I believe. However, our language about God is imperfect at best. We must take our human descriptions of God with a grain of salt.

What is the nature of God?

This is hard to answer. I think God is both personal and impersonal. That is, God is both a Sacred reality that one can be in a personal relationship with, and God is a Sacred, impersonal presence/energy/reality that permeates everything. The great religions of this world have seen God in both ways. I think they are the result of genuine encounters with the Sacred. I do not think that they were all deceived. Therefore, I take into consideration that a number of religions see the Sacred as a personal deity, while others see it as an impersonal cosmic force. Honestly though, most of my interactions with God I would classify as personal and relational. But, at the same time, God is the great mystery. Not only does our language break down when we talk about God, but the very being of God is so great, and so vast, that surely we can't possibly understand everything about God. So I remain open to the mystery that is God.

So are you a pluralist?

I guess deep down, yes. I try to be inclusive all the incredibly rich and diverse religious traditions this world has seen. I do think that these different religions traditions did, and do, have honest, genuine encounters with the Sacred reality. God did not limit itself to one, and only one, culture or religion. I think that mainline Christian thinking, acceptable to most Christians I know, does provide some resources for thinking in this way. For example, few would deny that God is active among non-believers by means of his Spirit. However, most do not go to the pluralism that I find myself in.

If you are a pluralist, then what is salvation?

Salvation. Hrmm. It can mean a bunch of things I suppose. But I think at the center of it is transformation. (Here I recognize my debt to John Hick and, to a lesser extent, Marcus Borg). Salvation is the transformation of humanity, both individually and socially. Many of the religions in the world reveal the feeling that something is out of place, something is wrong. Something needs to change. I realize my definition of salvation as transformation is very Christian. The Christian story aims for the resurrection of the dead into a new heavens and a new earth. The goal is a transformed existence. However, despite the very Christian way of seeing things, I think this theme of transformation is common throughout a number of major religions in this world. Even secular thinking hopes for transformation of that which ills society.

What about hell then?

Honestly, the concept doesn't sit well with me. That God would condemn the majority of the human race to eternal punishment is a bit much. And, as much of Christianity tends to put it, that God would condemn the majority of the human race to eternal punishment because they did not believe--give intellectual assent to--certain 'truths' strikes me as absurd. I cannot imagine a God that could do such a thing. Especially a God that would watch the universe create itself for billions upon billions of years. Why would he want to go through all that just to throw most of it into a pit of fire. Just doesn't make sense to me.

So does God judge us?

I don't know. Honestly, I don't. I don't have an answer to this yet. I believe that human injustice must be addressed. Each of us has acted unjustly to our fellow humans, and to the world that sustains us. I don't think God will brush this injustice aside. But, at the same time, I don't think God is going to condemn most of humankind. In the end, I'm not afraid. I know God is with me: he is mine, and I am his. I do not fear judgment. And Christian tradition has always said that Jesus bore God's punishment for the world. If Jesus did indeed fulfill this role, then what is to fear? Just how it all will work out, I don't know.

Then how do you view Jesus?

A very broad question, one which I can cover only briefly. First, Jesus was most definitely an incredible human being. I stress that 'human being'. There's this quote I came across in one of the books I just read: to rob Jesus of his humanity is to rob him of his greatness. The compassion and love he showed, the barriers he broke down, his teachings, his healings, all of them are marks of a great man. Moreover, Jesus intimately encountered and experienced the Sacred. I agree with Marcus Borg in that Jesus' whole ministry and life was driven by his deep, intimate, relationship with God. And the compassion and love that he found in the presence of God, he showed to those whom he came across in life. Jesus was a person saturated by the Divine.

What about the incarnation then?

I think this is one of those areas where human language and understanding fails us. What does it mean to say that literally Jesus is God? I have no idea what to make of this language. I think Jesus shared an intimacy with God that few humans have experienced. In many ways, to look upon Jesus is to look upon the Sacred itself. This doesn't deny that other humans in history could have played similar roles. However, there is something else about Jesus - people still encounter him, to this very day. Those who are Christians personally encounter God in the figure of Jesus, they have from the very beginning. There is something about Easter, boy I tell ya.

What do you think the Bible is?

I do not think the Bible is revealed text: I don't think that God dictated the contents of the Bible to the people who wrote it. I see the Bible as a human document. Written by humans, edited by humans, compiled by humans. The Bible is a collection of texts resulting from the encounter between ancient communities and the Divine. It is a human response to Sacred experience. And so I do not see the Bible as a book about doctrine and dogma, but rather of experience and story. The Bible testifies to God and Jesus; it is the one whom the Bible speaks of that is of utmost importance to Christianity; the text itself is just a medium, a messenger, a pointer. In the words of a fellow blogger: there will be no Bible stand in heaven.

Why are you a Christian?

The question you've all been waiting for, my faithful readers. Well, there are a number of reasons. First, I think that Christianity is a valid path for bringing people to encounter God. In Christianity, in it's way of life, it's rituals, it's forms of prayer, it's stories, it's Scriptures, it's community, I am brought into a transformative relationship with God. I think I genuinely do, and will continue to, encounter the Divine within Christianity. Second, I am captivated by Jesus. I just can't get away from this guy. Trust me, I've tried. There is something about who Jesus was, and I would say, still is, that seizes me. Third, I have found a sense of community and belonging within my particular Christian community. Fourth, I think that Christianity has much to tell us about God, humanity, and the nature of the religious life; and I am willing to stick with it to listen and follow.
Here I will raise the same question that Pagels does in her book - why is being Christian today virtually synonymous with believing certain things. Why is Christianity defined by 'belief'? What about all the stories we tell? the values we hold? the rituals we perform? our church communities? our life of prayer? our life of self-giving love? the central place of Jesus in our lives? the Way of Jesus that we follow? Are none of these markers of 'being Christian'?
If Christianity is all about believing certain things to be true, then I might just be S.O.L. (Shit outta luck). But if being Christian is more than that (e.g., following the Way of Jesus the Messiah/Christ), then I'm home.

Why are you so liberal?

The question that I'm sure is in all of your minds at this point. The short answer - it's the path that my life has taken me. It is the result of my experiences, encounters, thoughts, feelings - everything. The somewhat-longer answer. I don't think Jesus would be so quick to condemn people. He offered forgiveness to people outside of the established system of ritual purity, that is, apart from the temple and the sacrificial system. Jesus also associated with the people that society marginalized: the unclean, the impure, the poor, the prostitutes. He did not come to them with a message of fiery judgment, but with compassion and love. He didn't go around telling people what to believe in order to be saved; rather, he healed the sick, loved the unloved, and told them to follow in his footsteps. But his fire, oh yes his fire was reserved for those who marginalized others and condemned them to lives of misery. What would Jesus think about the Church today? We are so quick to label who is 'in' and who is 'out'. So, ironically enough, it is my view of Jesus that makes me so liberal.


This is a difficult post. It is both hard for me to write so openly and honestly about such a controversial topic - a topic that may (will?) marginalize me - and also I bet it has been difficult for some of you to read. I first drafted this post a couple weeks ago and let it sit and simmer for a while, then came back to it last week to edit it, and now finally return to publish it. I welcome and look forward to your comments. Please, don't bother yelling 'heretic' and quoting scripture at me, you'll get nowhere. But if you do, I will appreciate the fact that you are motivated by my eternal well being - in fact, I will be flattered! However, blogging is all about dialogue and discussion, so please, comment with that aim. Don't forget my warning right at the beginning: all of my thinking at this stage in my life is still 'in progress'. I have changed my mind many times over the past few years, and I don't see that process ending any time soon.

Grace and peace,
Kev