First Congregational United Church of Christ – Eugene, Oregon

THE SEARCH FOR SPIRITUAL UNITY WHEN RELIGIONS GO ASTRAY A Youth& Adult Education Class Based on the Book: Religion Gone Astray by Mackenzie, Falcon & Rhaman

Session 2 Claiming to be the only Truth and Pathway to God

The claim that “my” religion is the only true religion and the only way you can get into heaven and avoid hell is a claim for exclusivity that undermines and is inconsistent with the core teachings of all three of the great religions. Nevertheless, it is a claim made and practiced by some sub-groups within each for various historical, political, sociological, scriptural and hermeneutical reasons. It may also be a signal that religion has gone astray and needs to be called back to its core values and beliefs.

Exclusivity in Judaism

Judaism evolved prior to the existence of either Christianity or Islam and in the midst of a pagan culture with multiple gods. Consequently, the essential claims to exclusivity made in Jewish scripture came about within the context of a growing sense that God was One, not many, and that God had “chosen” Israel to bring that crucial message to the rest of the world. The belief in one God gradually evolved into an appreciation that all people are united by that One, and then to the realization that all people are part of that One. The Torah states the “uniqueness” of Judaism quite plainly: “For you are a people consecrated to the Lord your God: the Lord your God chose you from among all other people on earth to be His treasured people” (Deut. 14:2). Their “chosen-ness” was for a divine purpose, not because of any exceptionalism on their part. And because they were chosen for a special task, they had responsibilities that other people did not have which set them apart, even to this day. They were given the Torah and the Shabbat (Sabbath) and they were to live in obedience to what it demanded of them as “a light to all nations.” There are some aspects of the Jewish experience that seem to create separation from others and a perceived sense of “exclusivity.” Orthodox Jews, for example, usually live close to one another, partly because they do not drive on the Sabbath and their participation in synagogue life on the Sabbath requires that they be within walking distance. Their strict observance of the Torah requires a distinctive lifestyle, dress, diet, and social inter-action. Sometimes anti-Semitism forces Jews into an exclusive group for protection and a long history of persecution has impressed upon them a sense of being set apart by circumstances mostly beyond their control. In addition, the basically tribal nature of Jewish identity often appears as exclusivity. This identity is not predicated on the acceptance of a belief in their “chosen-ness” but rather on membership in what is essentially a family entity. Being “a member of the tribe,” therefore, is a more substantial foundation of Jewish identity than any particular belief system or level of religious observance. It is fully possible to be an atheist and a “non-practicing” Jew and still be a recognized Jew of good standing within his or her own community.

First Congregational United Church of Christ – Eugene, Oregon

Exclusivity in Christianity

The Christian scriptures bear major responsibility for any sense of exclusivism within Christianity today. To the Ephesians (4:5), Paul said there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” In Acts 4:12, Peter argued that “There is salvation in no one else (but Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” And the Gospel of John states un-categorically that “Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (Jn. 3:18). These verses, and others, represent a sense of triumphalism throughout the New Testament that has inspired the many horrible acts committed by the church and individual Christians against Jews and Muslims over the centuries. In addition to the expulsion of Jews from Europe during the Middle Ages and the Inquisition in Spain, the Crusades represent another horrific use of Christianity to justify violence, torture, and the acquisition of wealth at the expense of non-Christians. After the conquest of America and the near complete extermination of its original inhabitants in the name of “Manifest Destiny,” the idea that the United States is the new promised land and deserves to triumph over the rest of the world has fueled a sense of nationalism which in turn has contributed to Christianity’s exclusive claims both at home and around the world. Today, a literal understanding of Jesus’s alleged “I am” sayings spurs the religious fervor of millions of Evangelical, Fundamental and Pentecostal Christians who continue to believe that it is their mission to “save the world” for Christ by rejecting any other path to spiritual enlightenment and personal/social redemption. The example and teachings of Jesus that point to, underscore, and emphasize unconditional love and acceptance are seemingly disregarded for the sake of a triumphalist attitude and an exclusivistic claim to have the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth—so help them, God! When Christians believe they are more worthy of God’s love than are others, and then behave like it, they are reflective of a religion gone astray that needs to be called back to its core teachings.

Exclusivity in Islam

Islam has its core teaching about Allah, the Merciful, the compassionate One. This compassion or love extended to the neighbor enlightens and inspires devout Muslims as they live out their faith in the midst of fellow believers and non-believers around them. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the final law-bearing Prophet, along with Moses and Jesus, but that all revelation from God ceased after the words of the Qur’an were given to Muhammad. In other words, the Qur’an is the “final revelation” from God. Muslims share a deep reverence for Abraham, Moses and Jesus. And the Kaaba, the black cubic stone structure in Mecca which is the focal point of every Muslim’s pilgrimage, is revered as the House of God which belongs to everyone. During his time, the Prophet Muhammad received delegations of Jews and Christians for conversation and negotiations and sometimes invited them to perform their Sabbath and Sunday services in the mosque, which was considered “simply a place consecrated to God,” and was therefore open to all. But like in Judaism and Christianity before it, the character of Islam is now determined as much or more by the interpretations given its sacred scriptures than by the text itself. First Congregational United Church of Christ – Eugene, Oregon

Depending on who is reading and interpreting the Qur’an, Islam can be as discriminating and exclusive in its application to life as either of the other two religions that came before it. The Wahabi clergy of Saudi Arabia, for example, have taken a literalist view and have since extended the word idolaters to encompass all non-Muslims. Consequently, people are now being stopped and turned away at checkpoints on the way to Medina and Mecca “to preserve the purity and sanctity of these two sacred sites.” The fact that the verse in question referred to idolaters in the seventh century seems to be lost on the interpreters.

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Does God have any membership rules about who can enter heaven? Do you have to be a Muslim, a Christian or a Jew? The Qur’an insists that neither gender nor religion determines your placement in heaven and yet many Islamic institutions cite a teaching about two frightful angels, named Munkar and Nakir, who visit the gravesite of a person freshly laid to rest and ask three questions: “Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What is your religion?” Should your answer be wrong, you will be tormented in your grave and in the fires of hell. The Hebrew and Christian scriptures might also be referenced in ways that support this exclusionary view. But at their core, all three religions have only one qualification for entrance, and the password is righteous deeds.

Questions for Discussion

1. If you were asked to choose a religion besides your own, which tradition would you choose? Why would you make that choice?

2. Is there a religious tradition that you feel uneasy about? What makes you uneasy? What are your sources for information about that religion? Are those sources reliable? How would you go about acquiring an appreciative understanding of that faith? How would you go about connecting with a member of that tradition?

3. Sometimes people of different faiths can work together on social justice or earth- care projects. If you were working with someone who believed her religion held the only truth, would that bother you? Would that stand in the way of your collabor- ation with that person? Would you raise the issue? What outcome would you desire?

(The above material is drawn from the book Religion Gone Astray by Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Imam Jamal Rahman, upon which this class is based.)

Next Weeks Topic

Justifying Violence in the Name of One’s Faith