Introducing New Faith “Perspectives”
There’s a movement in this country that’s making our work in youth ministry very interesting. This movement is trying to make relativism and multiculturalism the norm, demonizing fundamental Christianity for its claim to absolute truth.
With more and more people preaching that there are many paths to God, it’s amazing to me to see so many religions fold under the pressure.
Forgive this over-generalization, but you don’t see many other faiths putting up a big stink about absolute truth. It’s becoming the norm to encourage spiritual interest and explore “faith” in any sense of the word, but it’s becoming very unpopular to suggest that any one religion can claim the title of “truth.”
Nobody seems to truly believe in their faiths deeply enough to stand on their holy books and say, “this is what I believe.” Nobody, that is, except for some Christians. (I say “some” because many Christians have definitely gone the route of relativism.)
Different people, they encounter god differently, and if some people at a certain stage in their life need to focus strictly on Christianity, then that might be appropriate for them, as long as they don’t take anything away from those of us who feel differently.
Different people do not–cannot–encounter God through false belief systems. It’s doesn’t happen! If you think you’re encountering God through a seance, meditation, yoga class or a prayer session, and Jesus is not at the center of it, that experience has nothing to do with the true God.
What really gets me is what this quote implies, and what I think many people believe: That Christianity is a domineering, elitist religion because we’re not willing to fold and say what we believe is just one option on the path to enlightenment.
Your students probably have friends that openly and confidently tell them that Christianity is just one way to get to God, and criticize them if they don’t believe that. I guarantee your public school is filled with students that sincerely believe that they can figure out whatever they want to believe, and that to them, that is “truth.”
And your students aren’t protected just because they go to church a couple times a week. Some of them are probably even afraid to admit that they are followers of Christ, or that they believe there is only one way to heaven. Some students in your youth group are still deciding whether they believe that there is only one way to God.
This is a tough time to be a Christian, and it’s only getting tougher. Youth ministry must:
- Teach absolute truth. There is only one way to God. The truth of scripture is 100% true. Other “truths” are not.
- Focus on worldview. Our paradigm of existence determines everything else we believe.
- Get dirty spending quality time with students. We must listen to truly understand the journey our students are in, and then carefully respond with questions and challenges to help them discover the wonderful reality of Christ.
- Pray!!! Faith is not something we can muster up in our students. We need the Holy Spirit to work through us and even in spite of us.
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It’s interesting to notice the subjective language the class attendee uses. I just started re-reading The Screwtape Letters again, and his focus on “jargon” comes to mind. These days it almost seems that the cultural view is feelings equal truth.
You’re so right. And if feelings equal truth, that really means you can believe whatever you want. The only “absolute truth” in that worldview is “tolerance” (let everyone believe whatever they want), but you better not dare to tell someone else what to believe.