How To Share Your Faith With… Islam

How To Share Your Faith With…
Islam
By Phil Roberts
Official Name: Islam
Key Figure in History: Muhammad (A.D. 570-632)
Date of Its Establishment: A.D. 622
Adherents: Worldwide: Estimated 1.28 billion; 69 percent live in South and Southeast Asia; 27 percent in
Africa; 4 percent other; United States: Estimated 5 to 8 million
What is Islam?
Islam is the world's youngest major world religion. It claims to be the restoration of original monotheism
and truth and thus supersedes both Judaism and Christianity. It stresses submission to Allah, the Arabic
name for God, and conformity to the "five pillars" or disciplines of that religion as essential for salvation.
From its inception, Islam was an aggressively missionary-oriented religion. Within one century of its
formation, often using military force, Islam had spread across the Middle East, most of North Africa, and
as far east as India. While God is, in the understanding of most Muslims, unknowable personally, His will
is believed to be perfectly revealed in the holy book, the Qur'an.1 The Qur'an is to be followed completely
and its teachings form a complete guide for life and society.
Who Was Muhammad?
Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be the last and greatest prophet of God-"the seal of the prophets."
It was through him that the Qur'an was dictated, thus according him the supreme place among the seers
of God. A native of Mecca, Muhammad was forced to flee that city in A.D. 622 after preaching vigorously
against the paganism of the city. Having secured his leadership in Medina, and with several military
victories to his credit, Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca in A.D. 630. There, he established Islam
as the religion of all Arabia.
What Is the Qur'an?
The Qur'an is the sacred book of Islam and the perfect word of God for the Muslim. It is claimed that the
Qur'an was dictated in Arabic by the angel Gabriel to Muhammad and were God's precise words. As such,
it had preexisted from eternity in heaven with God as the "Mother of the Book" and was in that form
uncreated and coeternal with God. Islam teaches that it contains the total and perfect revelation and will
of God. The Qur'an is about four-fifths the length of the New Testament and is divided into 114 "surahs"
or chapters. While Islam respects the Torah, the psalms of David and the four Gospels, the Qur'an stands
alone in its authority and absoluteness. It is believed to be most perfectly understood in Arabic and it is a
religious obligation to seek to read and quote it in the original language.
What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?
They are the framework for the Muslim's life and discipline. Successful and satisfactory adherence to the
pillars satisfies the will of Allah. They form the basis for the Muslim's hope for salvation along with faith
and belief in Allah's existence, the authority of Muhammad as a prophet, and the finality and perfection of
the Qur'an.
The five pillars are:
1. The Confession of Faith or Shahada: It is the declaration that there is no god but Allah and
Muhammad is his prophet. Sincerity in the voicing of the confession is necessary for it to be valid. It must
be held until death and repudiation of the Shahada nullifies hope for salvation.
2. Prayer or Salat: Five times a day, preceded by ceremonial washing, the Muslim is required to pray
facing Mecca. Specific formulas, recited from the Qur'an (in Arabic), along with prostrations are included.
Prayer is, in this sense, an expression of submission to the will of Allah. While most of Islam has no
hierarchical priesthood, prayers are led in mosques by respected lay leaders. The five times of prayer are
before sunrise, noon, midafternoon, sunset, and prior to sleep.
3. Almsgiving or Zakat: The Qur'an teaches the giving of two and one-half percent of one's capital
wealth to the poor and/or for the propagation of Islam. By doing so, the Muslims' remaining wealth is
purified.
4. The Fast or Sawm: During the course of the lunar month of Ramadan, a fast is to be observed by
every Muslim from sunrise to sunset. Nothing is to pass over the lips during this time, and they should
refrain from sexual relations. After sunset, feasting and other celebrations often occur. The daylight hours
are set aside for self-purification. The month is used to remember the giving of the Qur'an to Muhammad.
5. Pilgrimage or Hajj: All Muslims who are economically and physically able are required to journey as a
pilgrim to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrim's required simple dress stresses the notion of
equality before God. Another element of the Hajj is the mandatory walk of each pilgrim seven times
around the Kaabah-the shrine of the black rock, the holiest site of Islam. Muhammad taught that the
Kaabah was the original place of worship for Adam and later for Abraham. The Kaabah is thus venerated
as the site of true religion, the absolute monotheism of Islam.
The Doctrines of Islam
God: He is numerically and absolutely one. God is beyond the understanding of man so that only His will
may be revealed and known. He is confessed as the "merciful and compassionate one."
Sin: The most serious sin that can be ascribed to people is that of "shirk" or considering God as more
than one. Original sin is viewed as a "lapse" by Adam. The fallen nature of humankind is not endorsed by
Islam. Humankind is considered weak and forgetful but not as fallen.
Angels: Islam affirms the reality of angels as messengers and agents of God. Evil spirits or Jinn also
exist. Satan is a fallen angel. Angels perform important functions for God both now and at the end of time.
Final Judgment: The world will be judged at the end of time by God. The good deeds and obedience of
all people to the five pillars and the Qur'an will serve as the basis of judgment.
Salvation: It is determined by faith, as defined by Islam, as well as by compiling good deeds primarily in
conformity to the five pillars.
Marriage: Muslims uphold marriage as honorable and condemn adultery. While many Muslim marriages
are monogamous, Islamic states allow as many as four wives. Men consider a woman as less than an
equal, and while a man has the right to divorce his wife, the wife has no similar power (see Surah 2:228;
4:34). Nonetheless, the female has a right to own and dispose of property. Modesty in dress is
encouraged for both men and women.
War: The term jihad or "struggle" is often considered as both external and internal, both a physical and
spiritual struggle. The enemies of Islam or "idolaters," states the Qur'an, may be slain "wherever you find
them" (Surah 9:5.) (See Surah 47:4.) Paradise is promised for those who die fighting in the cause of
Islam (see Surah 3:195; 2:244). Moderate Muslims emphasize the spiritual dimension of jihad and not its
political element.
Diet and Food: Muslim dietary codes forbid the eating of pork and the use of intoxicating drinks. Other
meats may be eaten from animals slaughtered by devout Muslims. Healthy diet and lifestyle are
encouraged.
Answering Muslim Objections to Christianity
Christians and Jews are acknowledged as "people of the book," although their failure to conform to the
confession of Islam labels them as unbelievers. Following are several questions that Muslims have about
Christianity.
Is the Trinity a belief in three gods?
Christians are monotheistic and believe that God is one. But both in His work in accomplishing salvation
through the Person of Jesus Christ and through biblical study it has become clear that His oneness in fact
comprises three Persons- Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and the third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.
Mary is not part of the Godhead. The notion of God, who is three-in-one, is part of both the mystery and
greatness of God. God is in essence one while in Persons three. This truth helps us understand God as
truly personal and having the capacity to relate to other persons. As well, Christians confirm the holiness,
sovereignty, and greatness of God.
How can Jesus be the Son of God?
Scripture affirms that Jesus was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin
Mary. It does not in any way claim that Jesus was directly God the Father's biological and physical son. It
rejects the notion of the Arabic word for son walad, meaning physical son, for the word ibin, which is the
title of relationship. Jesus is the Son in a symbolic manner designating that He was God the Word who
became man in order to save humankind from its sin. The virgin birth was supernatural as God the Holy
Spirit conceived in Mary, without physical relations, Jesus the Messiah. In this manner even the Qur'an
affirms the miraculous birth of Christ (see Surah 19:16-21). Jesus was in this sense "God's unique Son."
During His earthly ministry He carried out the will of the Father. Notably the Qur'an affirms Jesus'
supernatural birth, life of miracles, His compassion, and ascension to heaven. (see Surah 19:16-21,29-31;
3:37-47, 5:110.)
How could Jesus have died on the cross, especially if He's God's Son?
The testimony of history and of the Injil or the four Gospels is that Jesus died on the cross. If it is
understood that God is love, and that humankind is lost in sin, then is it not likely that God would have
provided a sacrifice for sin? Jesus is God's sacrifice for all the sins of the world and is a bridge from a holy
God to fallen and sinful humans.
This truth is revealed in the Injil-John 3:16. Even the Qur'an states in Surah 3:55 that "Allah said: O Isa
[Jesus], I am going to terminate [to put to death] the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to
ascend unto Me."1 What other way could this concept have any meaning apart from Jesus' death for sin
and His subsequent resurrection?
Muslims believe that God took Jesus from the cross and substituted Judas in His place, or at least
someone who looked like Jesus. He was then taken to heaven where He is alive and from where one day
He will return.
Answering Muslims' Questions to Christians about Islam
What do you think about the prophet Muhammad?
Muhammad was apparently a well-meaning man who sought to oppose paganism and evil in his day.
While he succeeded in uniting the Arabian peninsula and upheld several important virtues, we do not
believe he received a fresh revelation from God. Jesus Christ fulfilled not only the final prophetic role from
God, but He is the Savior of the world and God the Son. While Islam believes that some Bible passages
refer to Muhammad (see Deut. 18:18-19; John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7), that is clearly not the meaning of
the texts. Other passages may help in understanding and interpreting the previous texts (see Matthew
21:11; Luke 24:19; John 6:14; 7:40; Acts 1:8-16; 7:37).
What is your opinion of the Qur'an?
It is a greatly valued book for the Muslim. It is not received or believed to be a divine book by the
Christian. The statements of the Qur'an are accepted only where they agree with the Bible.
What is your opinion about the five pillars?
Salvation is from God and comes only through the saving work of Jesus Christ. When we put our faith in
Him, we will be saved (see John 3:16-21,31-36).
Witnessing to Muslims
1. Be courteous and loving.
2. Reflect interest in their beliefs. Allow them time to articulate their views.
3. Be acquainted with their basic beliefs.
4. Be willing to examine passages of the Qur'an concerning their beliefs.
5. Stick to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith but also take time to respond to all sincere
questions.
6. Point out the centrality of the Person and work of Jesus Christ for salvation.
7. Stress that because of Jesus, His cross, and resurrection, one may have the full assurance of salvation,
both now and for eternity (see 1 John 5:13).
8. Share the plan of salvation with the Muslim. Point our that salvation is a gift and not to be earned.
9. Pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Trust Him to provide wisdom and grace.
10. Be willing to become a friend and a personal evangelist to Muslims.
Hinduism
Origin: India, about 2500 B.C. to 1500 B.C.
Founder: No single person
Adherents: Worldwide: 820 million, India: 784 million, Bangladesh: 13.4 million, Nepal: 20 million,
Indonesia: 4.3 million, Sri Lanka: 2.8 million, Pakistan: 2.6 million. In Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Surinam,
and Trinidad and Tobago, over 20 percent of their people practice Hinduism. A considerable number of
Hindus live in the African Continent, Myanmar, and the United Kingdom. United States and Canada:
Estimated 1.2 to 1.5 million
Scriptures: Vedas, Upanishads, The Epics, Puranas, and The Bhagavad Gita explain the essence of
Hinduism.
Hinduism is the world's oldest living organized religion. It is a complex family of sects whose copious
scriptures, written over a period of almost 2,000 years (1500 B.C.-A.D. 250), allow a diverse belief
system. Hinduism has no single creed and recognizes no final truth. At its core, Hinduism has a pagan
background in which the forces of nature and human heroes are personified as gods and goddesses. They
are worshiped with prayers and offerings.
Hindu worship has an almost endless variety with color symbolism, offerings, fasting, and dance as
integral parts. Most Hindus daily worship an image of their chosen deity, with chants (mantras ), flowers,
and incense. Worship, whether in a home or temple, is primarily individualistic rather than congregational.
Hinduism can be divided into Popular Hinduism, characterized by the worship of gods, through offerings,
rituals, and prayers; and Philosophical Hinduism, the complex belief system understood by those who can
study ancient texts, meditate, and practice yoga.
God: God (Brahman) is the one impersonal, ultimate, but unknowable, spiritual reality. Sectarian
Hinduism personalizes Brahman as Brahma (creator, with four heads symbolizing creative energy), Vishnu
(preserver, the god of stability and control), and Shiva (destroyer, god of endings). Most Hindus worship
two of Vishnu's 10 mythical incarnations: Krishna and Rama . On special occasions, Hindus may worship
other gods, as well as family and individual deities. Hindus claim that there are 330 million gods. In
Hinduism, belief in astrology, evil spirits, and curses also prevails.
Christian Response: If God (ultimate reality) is impersonal, then the impersonal must be greater than the
personal. Our life experiences reveal that the personal is of more value than the impersonal. Even Hindus
treat their children as having more value than a rock in a field.
The Bible teaches that God is personal and describes Him as having personal attributes. The Bible
regularly describes God in ways used to describe human personality. God talks, rebukes, feels, becomes
angry, is jealous, laughs, loves, and even has a personal name (Gen. 1:3; 6:6, 12; Ex. 3:15; 16:12;
20:5; Lev. 20:23; Deut. 5:9; 1 Sam. 26:19; Pss. 2:4; 59:9; Hos. 1:8-9; Amos 9:4; Zeph. 3:17). The
Bible also warns Christians to avoid all forms of idolatry (Gen. 35:2; Ex. 23:13; Josh. 23:7; Ezek. 20:7; 1
Cor. 10:20). No idol or pagan deity is a representation of the true God. They are all false deities and must
be rejected.
Creation
Hindus accept various forms of pantheism and reject the Christian doctrine of creation. According to
Hinduism, Brahman alone exists; everything is ultimately an illusion (maya ). God emanated itself to
cause the illusion of creation. There is no beginning or conclusion to creation, only endless repetitions or
cycles of creation and destruction. History has little value since it is based on an illusion.
Christian Response : Christianity affirms the reality of the material world and the genuineness of God's
creation. The Bible declares that all is not God. God is present in His creation but He is not to be confused
with it. The Bible teaches that in the beginning God created that which was not God (Gen. 1:1ff; Heb
11:3). The Bible contradicts pantheism by teaching creation rather than pantheistic emanation. The Bible
issues strong warnings to those who confuse God with His creation (Rom. 1:22-23). God created the world
at a definite time and will consummate His creation (2 Pet. 3:12-13). Christianity is founded upon the
historical event of God's incarnation in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-14).
Man
The eternal soul (atman) of man is a manifestation or "spark" of Brahman mysteriously trapped in the
physical body. Samsara, repeated lives or reincarnations are required before the soul can be liberated
(moksha) from the body. An individual's present life is determined by the law of karma (actions, words,
and thoughts in previous lifetimes). The physical body is ultimately an illusion (maya ) with little inherent
or permanent worth. Bodies generally are cremated, and the eternal soul goes to an intermediate state of
punishment or reward before rebirth in another body. Rebirths are experienced until karma has been
removed to allow the soul's re-absorption into Brahman.
Christian Response : People are created in God's image (Gen. 1:27). The body's physical resurrection
and eternal worth are emphasized in John 2:18-22 and 1 Corinthians 15. The Bible declares, "And as it is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins
of many" (Heb. 9:27-28, KJV). Since we only die once, reincarnation cannot be true. Instead of
reincarnation, the Bible teaches resurrection (John 5:25). At death, Christians enjoy a state of conscious
fellowship with Christ (Matt. 22:32; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23) to await the resurrection and heavenly reward.
A person's eternal destiny is determined by his or her acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord (John 3:36; Rom. 10:9-10).
Sin
Hindus have no concept of rebellion against a Holy God. Ignorance of unity with Brahman, desire, and
violation of dharma , (one's social duty) are humanity's problems.
Christian Response: Sin is not ignorance of unity with Brahman, but is rather a willful act of rebellion
against God and His commandments (Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 1:28-32; 2:1-16; 3:9,19; 11:32; Gal. 3:22; 1
John 1:8-10). The Bible declares, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23, NIV).
Salvation
There is no clear concept of salvation in Hinduism. Moksha (freedom from infinite being and selfhood and
final self-realization of the truth), is the goal of existence. Yoga and meditation (especially raja-yoga)
taught by a guru (religious teacher) is one way to attain moksha. The other valid paths for moksha are:
the way of works (karma marga), the way of knowledge (jnana marga), or the way of love and devotion
(bhakti marga ). Hindus hope to eventually get off the cycle of reincarnation. They believe the illusion of
personal existence will end and they will become one with the impersonal God.
Christian Response: Salvation is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-10). Belief in
reincarnation opposes the teaching of the Bible (Heb. 9:27). The Christian hope of eternal life means that
all true believers in Christ will not only have personal existence but personal fellowship with God. It is
impossible to earn one's salvation by good works (Titus 3:3-7). Religious deeds and exercises cannot save
(Matt. 7:22-23; Rom 9:32; Gal. 2:16; Eph 2:8-9).
Hindus in the United States
• Traditional movements include the Ramakrishna Mission and Vedanta Society (Roma Krishna Mission),
Sri Aurobindo Society, Satya Sai Baba movement, and International Sivananda Yoga Society.
• Hindu-based sects include the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna),
Transcendental Meditation, Vedanta Societies, Self-Realization Fellowship, Theosophy, and Eckankar.
• Sects that have "Americanized" Hindu concepts include Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity,
and several groups within the New Age Movement.
Witnessing to Hindus
• Pray and trust the Holy Spirit to use the gospel message to reach the hearts and minds of your Hindu
friend.
• Share your personal faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Keep your testimony short.
• Stress the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God's revelation of Himself.
• Stress the necessity of following Jesus to the exclusion of all other deities.
• Keep the gospel presentation Christ-centered.
• Share the assurance of salvation that God's grace gives you and about your hope in the resurrection.
Make sure you communicate that your assurance is derived from God's grace and not from your good
works or your ability to be spiritual (1 John 5:13).
• Give a copy of the New Testament. If a Hindu desires to study the Bible, begin with the Gospel of John.
Point out passages that explain salvation.
Buddhism
World Religions
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama, a prince from northern India near modern Nepal who lived about 563-483
B.C. (The name is sometimes written Siddhattha Gotama.)
Scriptures: Various, but the oldest and most authoritative are compiled in the Pali Canon.
Adherents: About 400 million worldwide; approximately 2.5 million in the United States. (Source:
Operation World)
General Description:
Buddhism is the belief system of those who follow the Buddha, the Enlightened One; a title given to its
founder. Saving oneself comes by following a regiment (path or ritual) and by meditation and reciting
mantas. There is no personal relationship with the Buddha or any of the bodhisattvas (saviors who have
foregone nirvana to stay back and help others to achieve it). Worship is expressed as adoration of the
Buddha and one's ancestors. Buddhists struggle to make sense of this life and to live out one's expected
dharma (required conduct) as the painful and slow road to moksha (salvation) when all desire is
eliminated and one achieves final and ultimate enlightenment.
Buddhism around the World
Today, Southeast Asia and portions of East Asia are predominantly Buddhist. The religion has evolved
into three main schools:
1. Theravada or the Doctrine of the Elders (38%) is followed in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Myanmar (Burma),
Thailand, Cambodia (Kampuchea), and Vietnam. Theravada is closest to the original doctrines. It does not
treat the Buddha as deity and regards the faith as a worldview-not a type of worship.
2. Mahayana or the Greater Vehicle (56%) is strong in China, Korea, and Japan. Mahayana has
accommodated many different beliefs and worships the Buddha as a god. In Japan, one variation balances
militant or aggressive Buddhism by seeking tranquility and peace in the struggles of life.
3. Vajrayana or Diamond Vehicle also called Tantric Buddhism or Lamaism (6%) is rooted in Tibet, Nepal,
and Mongolia. Vajrayana has added elements of shamanism and the occult and includes taboo breaking
(intentional immorality) as a means of spiritual enlightenment.
Growth in the United States
Buddhists regard the United States as a prime mission field, and the number of Buddhists in this country
is growing rapidly due to surges in Asian immigration, endorsement by celebrities such as Richard Gere
and Tina Turner, and positive exposure in major movies such as Seven Years in Tibet (1997), Kundun
(1997), The Little Buddha (1994), What's Love Got to Do with It? (1993), and Siddhartha (1972). Along
with other eastern religions, Buddhism is influencing the New Age movement. Certainly Buddhist growth is
benefiting from the rapid growth of New Age thought on American life.
Historic Background
Buddhism was founded as a form of atheism that rejected more ancient beliefs in a permanent, personal,
creator God (Ishvara) who controlled the eternal destiny of human souls. Siddhartha Gautama rejected
these more ancient theistic beliefs because of difficulty he had over reconciling the reality of suffering,
judgment, and evil with the existence of a good and holy God. Gautama taught his philosophy to all social
classes of India for 45 years before dying at the age of 80 years old. Buddhism was soon adopted by
most of the people in India, achieving the zenith of popularity during the reign of Emperor Asoka from 273
B.C. until 232 B.C. During his life time, Asoka sent Buddhist missionaries to preach Buddhism in South
India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Syria, Egypt, and Suvarnabhumi (Thailand). In the 10th century A.D., Islamic
armies swept across India. Since they could not tolerate Buddhism as a rival faith, they persecuted
Buddhists to abandon their religion. Buddhism was soon eliminated from the country where it began.
Core Beliefs
Buddhism is an impersonal religion of self-perfection, the end of which is death (extinction)-not life. The
essential elements of the Buddhist belief system are summarized in the Four Noble Truths, the Noble
Eightfold Path, and several additional key doctrines. The Four Noble Truths affirm that (1) life is full of
suffering (dukkha); (2) suffering is caused by craving (samudaya); (3) suffering will cease only when
craving ceases (nirodha); and (4) this can be achieved by following the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of
right views, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness,
and right contemplation. Other key doctrines include belief that nothing in life is permanent (anicca), that
individual selves do not truly exist (anatta), that all is determined by an impersonal law of moral causation
(karma), that reincarnation is an endless cycle of continuous suffering, and that the goal of life is to break
out of this cycle by finally extinguishing the flame of life and entering a permanent state of pure
nonexistence (nirvana).
Bridges for Evangelizing Buddhists
The gospel can be appealing to Buddhists if witnessing focuses on areas of personal need where the
Buddhist belief system is weak. One of the difficulties of learning about Buddhism is that if you ask a
person about Buddhism, he or she will describe rituals and may not focus on the Buddhist belief system.
Some major areas of Buddhist belief include:
Suffering: Buddhists are deeply concerned with overcoming suffering but must deny that suffering is real.
Christ faced the reality of suffering and overcame it by solving the problem of sin, which is the real source
of suffering. Now, those who trust in Christ can rise above suffering in this life because they have hope of
a future life free of suffering. "We fix our eyes not on what is seen [suffering], but on what is unseen
[eternal life free of suffering]. For what is seen [suffering] is temporary, but what is unseen [future good
life with Christ] is eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18, NIV).
Meaningful Self: Buddhists must work to convince themselves they have no personal significance, even
though they live daily as though they do. Jesus taught that each person has real significance. Each person
is made in God's image with an immortal soul and an eternal destiny. Jesus demonstrated the value of
people by loving us so much that He sacrificed His life in order to offer eternal future good life to anyone
who trusts Him. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for
us" (Rom. 5:8, NIV).
Future Hope: The hope of nirvana is no hope at all-only death and extinction. The hope of those who put
their trust in Christ is eternal good life in a "new heaven and new earth" in which God "will wipe every tear
from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things
[suffering] has passed [will pass] away" (Rev. 21:4, NIV).
Moral Law: Because karma, the Buddhist law of moral cause and effect, is completely rigid and
impersonal, life for a Buddhist is very oppressive. Under karma, there can be no appeal, no mercy, and no
escape except through unceasing effort at self-perfection. Christians understand that the moral force
governing the universe is a personal God who listens to those who pray, who has mercy on those who
repent, and who with love personally controls for good the lives of those who follow Christ. "In all things
God works for the good of those who love him" (Rom. 8:28, NIV).
Merit: Buddhists constantly struggle to earn merit by doing good deeds, hoping to collect enough to break
free from the life of suffering. They also believe saints can transfer surplus merit to the undeserving. Jesus
taught no one can ever collect enough merit on his own to earn everlasting freedom from suffering.
Instead, Jesus Christ, who has unlimited merit (righteousness) by virtue of His sinless life, meritorious
death, and resurrection, now offers His unlimited merit as a free gift to anyone who will become His
disciple. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God-not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9, NIV).
Desire: Buddhists live a contradiction-they seek to overcome suffering by rooting out desire, but at the
same time they cultivate desire for self-control, meritorious life, and nirvana. Christians are consistent-we
seek to reject evil desires and cultivate good desires according to the standard of Christ. "Flee the evil
desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord
out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. 2:22, NIV).
Jesus and the Eightfold Path
Because Buddhists think a good life consists of following the Eightfold Path, the stages of the path can be
used to introduce them to Christ as follows:
Right Views: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and there is salvation in no one else
(Acts 4:12).
Right Aspiration: Fights and quarrels come from selfish desires and wrong motives (Jas. 4:1-3); right
desires and motives honor God (1 Cor. 10:31).
Right Speech: A day of judgment is coming when God will hold men accountable for every careless word
they have spoken (Matt. 12:36).
Right Conduct: The one who loves Jesus must obey Him (John 14:21), and those who live by God's
wisdom will produce good acts/fruit (Jas. 3:17).
Right Livelihood: God will care for those who put Him first (Matt. 6:31,33), and all work must be done
for God's approval (2 Tim. 2:15).
Right Effort: Like runners in a race, followers of Christ must throw off every hindrance in order to give
Him their best efforts (Heb. 12:1-2).
Right Mindfulness: The sinful mind cannot submit to God's law (Rom. 8:7), and disciples of Christ must
orient their minds as He did (Phil. 2:5).
Right Contemplation: The secret of true success, inner peace, self-control, and lasting salvation is
submission to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and setting your heart and mind on things above where He
now sits in glory waiting to bring the present order of sin and suffering to an end (Col. 3:1-4).
When Witnessing to Buddhists
1. Remember that Buddhists have several special interests:
•
•
•
attempting to live according to the principles of the Eightfold Path
escape from the suffering of endless life
finding peace through meditation (common in American Buddhism)
2. Avoid terms such as "new birth," "rebirth," "regeneration," or "born again." Use alternatives such as
"endless freedom from suffering, guilt, and sin," "new power for living a holy life," "promise of eternal
good life without suffering," or "gift of unlimited merit."
3. Emphasize the uniqueness of Christ.
4. Focus on the gospel message and do not get distracted by details of Buddhist doctrine.
5. Understand Buddhist beliefs enough to discern weaknesses that can be used to make the gospel
appealing (see "Bridges for Evangelizing Buddhists" and "Jesus and the Eightfold Path").
6. While using bridge concepts, be careful not to reduce Christian truth to a form of Buddhism. Buddhism
has been good at accommodating other religions. Do not say "Buddhism is good, but Christianity is
easier."
7. Share your own testimony, especially your freedom from guilt, assurance of heaven (no more pain),
and personal relationship with Christ.
8. Prepare with prayer. Do not witness in your own strength.
New Age
Name: The New Age Movement can be described as a Westernized form of Eastern religions' beliefs
combined with occultic practices, self-help, holistic medicines, and forms of astrology. The New Age
Movement is not a single organization. The term "New Age Movement" refers to a large number of
autonomous groups and individuals. There are hundreds of groups and religious leaders in North America
that could be described as New Age.
Nature: The New Age Movement desires a change in society's collective consciousness. The term "new"
does not refer to time but to its differences from traditional Western beliefs. New Age beliefs have been
held by Eastern religions for thousands of years. The New Age Movement does not approach spirituality
from a Christian perspective. Not every New Age group admits that its beliefs and practices are religious.
Many depict their tenets as secular, scientific, or self-help philosophies.
Date of Beginning: The New Thought Movement, Spiritualism, and the Theosophical Society first
introduced New Age beliefs and practices to America in the 1800s. These ideologies gained popularity
during the counterculture of the mid-sixties and early seventies.
Headquarters: The New Age Movement has no central headquarters or leadership. The movement is an
informal alliance of individuals, groups, and businesses.
Adherents: It is impossible to determine the number of people involved in the New Age Movement. There
are hundreds of New Age groups and spokespersons. However, most of these organizations do not have
formal memberships. Many who espouse New Age beliefs do not identify with a specific group. Religious
surveys indicate that 20 percent of Americans accept at least some New Age beliefs but most do not
consider themselves New Agers.
Assumptions: The New Age Movement contains great diversity. However, the following ideas characterize
most New Agers. (1) Pantheism-God (god/goddess) is All and All is God (god/goddess). (2) Monism-All is
One. (3) Reincarnation-After you die you will be reborn as a baby and live another life. (4) You are God,
and must discover your divinity. (5) Good and evil do not exist, therefore, there are no absolutes in
morality. (6) Separate the historical person of Jesus from the Christ Spirit. (7) A New Age of
enlightenment and transformation is coming.
New Age groups and practices rarely identify themselves as New Age. Their beliefs and occult practices
identify them. This Belief Bulletin examines these New Age beliefs and offers a Biblical response.
New Age Beliefs
Pantheism-God is All and All is God
Everything is God and God is everything. Everything that exists is God. As one New Ager has written, "For
God is the All, and the Goddess is everything, and there is nothing else that is."1 This belief is known as
pantheism. Since everything is God you also are God. While New Agers sometimes talk about God in
personal terms, most understand God as ultimately impersonal. God is often referred to as a force or
energy. When (the impersonal) All is God, the personal God of the Bible cannot exist.
Biblical Response: New Age pantheism denies the biblical view of creation: "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth"(Gen. 1:1, NIV). New Agers deny that God created something that was
not God. Instead of creation, most New Agers believe that God emanated itself into what we now know as
the universe. This means that everything in the universe is god.
New Agers treasure the teachings of pantheism because it means that they also are gods/goddesses. This
teaching, however, loses much of its appeal when it is pointed out that the rat rummaging through the
garbage is also God according to pantheism. If pantheism is true then it means that even garbage is God.
It means that a slug is God. It means that a worm in an apple is God. It means that maggots are God.
Another problem with pantheism is that God ultimately must be understood as impersonal and not as a
personal being. If this is true, it means that the impersonal must be greater than (or at least the same
value as) the personal. But even New Agers find it very difficult to live as if this is true. They tend to value
animals as having more value than an impersonal rock. They tend to value their families as having more
value than a plant. When New Agers live as if the personal is of more value than the impersonal, they act
as if the teachings of the Bible, and not pantheism, are true. The God of the Bible is a personal God
distinct from His creation.
The Bible issues strong warnings to those who confuse God with His creation. "Although they claimed to
be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like
mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" (Rom. 1:22-23, NIV).
Both our experiences of reality and the teachings of the Bible contradict the New Age belief that we are
God. We encounter problems. Things do not always go our way. People do not always treat us fairly and
honestly. Sorrow and trouble sometimes come our way.
The Bible teaches that while humanity was created in the image of God, mankind is not and never will be
God (see Gen. 1:26-27). Isaiah 43:10 (NIV) says, "'You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'and my
servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before
me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me.'"
Monism-All is One
Everything that exists is One. All distinctions (including your sense of being distinct from everyone and
everything else) are really illusions. The belief that All is One is closely related to the New Age tenet that
everything is God. According to his book Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch states, "The first
step in finding that we are not apart from God is finding that we are not apart from each other, and until
we know and realize that all of us are One, we cannot know and realize that we and God are One."2
Biblical Response: Both our experience of reality and the teachings of the Bible contradict the belief that
"all is one."
We experience ourselves as different from others. We perceive and treat our children differently from the
offspring of others. Even New Agers find it difficult to live life as if "all is one." They treat their mates
differently than they do someone else's spouse.
The teachings of the Bible agree with our experience of reality. The Bible indicates that the reason we do
not experience life as being one is because all is not one. God has created a universe that contains objects
that are both unique and precious. We experience ourselves as different from others because God has
created us as unique beings distinct from other things and people. "For by him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all
things were created by him and for him" (Col. 1:16, NIV).
Reincarnation-After we die we will be reborn as a baby and live another life
Then we will die and be reborn again starting the process all over. These cycles of birth, life, and death
are necessary in order to lose the illusion of separateness from the All. We progress toward this Oneness
by acquiring positive karma. Karma is the fruit of our life and actions that are carried by the soul to its
next life. Positive karma advances us toward realizing unity with the All. Negative karma prolongs the time
needed to realize this unity. In traditional Hinduism, negative karma can cause us to come back as a lower
life from.
Biblical Response: The Bible denies the possibility of reincarnation. "Just as man is destined to die once,
and after that to face judgment . . ." (Heb. 9:27, NIV). Since people will experience only one physical
death, reincarnation cannot be true.
Reincarnation is a form of works salvation. The Bible rejects salvation through works (of any kind) as
impossible. Romans 11:6 (NIV) says, "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace
would no longer be grace." Likewise Ephesians 2:8-9 stresses that salvation from sin and its external
consequences is a gift that God gives freely. Sin does not result in reincarnation but in death. "For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23, NIV).
The Bible teaches resurrection not reincarnation. Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, a time is coming
and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live" (John
5:25, NIV).
People Are Divine
Many New Agers teach that our sensation of existing as finite creatures is an illusion. Humanity has
forgotten that it is divine. As a result, people need to become enlightened about their true divinity in order
to experientially become one with the All.
Exercises intended to transform consciousness can help one attain enlightenment. Techniques such as
yoga, meditation, past-life regression, soul travel, and channeling spiritual guides may help one achieve
enlightenment.
The New Age gospel calls not for faith in Jesus Christ, but rather for a shift in consciousness. This change
of consciousness will only be achieved when you "stop seeing God as separate from you, and you as
separate from each other."3
Biblical Response: The reason even New Agers experience life as if they were finite creatures is because
they are limited and not divine beings. The real illusion is the New Age teaching they are divine, not the
sense of finiteness that everyone experiences.
Humanity's problem is sin, not ignorance of divinity. While human beings have been created in the image
of God, they are not divine (see Gen. 1:26-27). The Bible teaches that "all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23, NIV). The only solution to the human predicament is faith in Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior.
Many of the consciousness-altering techniques used by New Agers are occultic and forbidden by the Bible.
God condemns the use of divination, sorcery, witchcraft, magical spells, mediums, and spiritualists (see
Deut. 18:9-12).
Morality Is Relative
Since all is One there is no difference between good and evil, right or wrong. For the New Ager there is no
such thing as evil.4 Some New Agers even deny that Hitler's actions were evil. "The real issue is whether
Hitler's actions were 'wrong. 'Yet I have said over and over again that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' in the
universe. A thing is not intrinsically right or wrong. A thing simply is."5 Some New Agers would even assert
that evil comes from God. As writer Benjamin Creme states, "Of course, yes, the forces of evil are part of
God. They are not separate from God. Everything is God. There is nothing else in fact but God. The forces
of evil on this planet receive their energy from the cosmic astral plane."6
Biblical Response: The sense that there is a distinction between right and wrong is universal. New Agers
try to explain evil by denying its reality. But in order to deny the existence of evil they must also deny the
validity of goodness. They not only deny the Bible, which condemns certain actions as wrong, but also
their own consciences.
The belief that there is no difference between right and wrong is illogical because it contradicts itself. Its
adherents claim it is right to believe there is no right or wrong. But if there is no right or wrong, then how
can it be right to believe that there is no right or wrong? Both the Bible and our life experiences support
the Christian teaching that there is a distinction between good and evil, right and wrong. Also, the Bible
clearly indicates that God is not the source of evil (see Jas. 1:13).
Separate the Man Jesus from the Christ Spirit
New Agers claim Jesus is not the only Christ. Jesus was one of several great teachers who obtained the
Christ Spirit (self-actualization of one's deity). As Walsch puts it, "Many have achieved such
consciousness. Many have been Christed (sic), not just Jesus of Nazareth."7
Some New Agers also claim that the church has corrupted the teachings of Jesus. They believe that Jesus
traveled to India and studied Hinduism before beginning His public ministry. He was rejected and crucified
because of His Hindu teachings.
Biblical Response: When New Agers use the term Christ to refer to a divine consciousness or spirit they
give it a meaning not found in the Bible. Christ is a Greek term that means "anointed one." The New
Testament uses the term to designate Jesus as the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. Jesus warned
His followers to be on guard against false teachers who would proclaim false Christs (see Matt. 24:24-25).
The New Age view of the Christ Consciousness is one of these false Christs. The Jesus of the Bible is
unique. He is God's one and only Son (see John 3:16).
A New Age of Enlightenment and Transformation Is Coming
New Agers believe the universe is evolving. Our world is about to undergo a transformation to a higher
level. This change will be brought about by a shift in human consciousness toward New Age paradigms.
Biblical Response: A new world is coming, not a leap to a higher level, but the second coming of Jesus
Christ. "God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to
His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised;
and Christ will judge all men in righteousness"8 (see 1 Thess. 4:14-18). The unrighteous will be consigned
to hell and the righteous will dwell forever in heaven with the Lord (Phil. 3:20-21; 2 Pet. 3:7).
Sharing Jesus with New Agers
1. Share about the personal relationship you have with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Tell about the
difference that God makes in your life.
2. Ask the New Ager what he or she believes about God and Jesus Christ. Listen to their answers. There is
a lot of diversity in the New Age Movement. Not all New Agers believe the same things. Start your witness
from where they are.
3. Lovingly share with New Agers some of the implications of their belief system. For example, many New
Agers do not realize that one implication of pantheism is that God is impersonal. Also, one of the
implications of their belief in karma and reincarnation is that there are no innocent sufferers.
4. Since the New Age belief system denies our experience of reality, it is hard for New Agers to live as if
what they believe is true. Gently point out the inconsistencies between what they claim to believe and
how they actually live. For example, many New Agers take offense with the gospel message that faith in
Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. They claim that there is no right or wrong way to God and that
we are wrong to claim that there is. Ask: "If there is no right or wrong way to God, then how can you
claim that our gospel is wrong?" Lovingly point out that their position is illogical because it contradicts
itself.
5. Be loving and kind toward those in the New Age Movement. Remember that God loves them and wants
them to place their faith in Jesus Christ.
6. Trust in the Holy Spirit to convict New Agers of their need for Jesus.
7. Do not get frustrated if you do not see immediate results. Most New Agers have to hear the gospel
more than once before they trust in Jesus.
8. Encourage them to read the Bible, particularly the Gospels, and to make a study of the life of Christ.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (see Rom. 10:17).
The Bahá'í Faith
World Religions
Official Name:
Bahá'í International Community
Founders:
Mirza Siyyid Ali Muhammad, the "Báb" (1819-1850)
Mirza Husayn-Ali, "Bahá'u'lláh" (1817-1892)
Current Leaders:
The "Hands of the Cause of God" and nine members of the Universal House of Justice elected every five
years at an international convention of delegates from more than 160 Bahá'í national communities.
World Headquarters:
Seat of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel (www.bahai.org)
U.S. Headquarters:
Bahá'í House of Worship, 100 Linden Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091 (www.us.bahai.org)
Canadian Headquarters:
Bahá'í Community of Canada, 7200 Leslie Street, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 6L8 (www.ca.bahai.org)
Adherents:
Worldwide: 6.5 million in 235 countries; 17,000 local spiritual assemblies
(Source: www.bahai.org [cited 29 March 2001])
U.S.A.: 300,000 in 1200 local spiritual assemblies
(Source: www.us.bahai.org [cited 21 March 2001])
Canada: 25,000 in 337 local spiritual assemblies
(Source: external affairs@cdnbnc.org cited 21 March 2001])
Introduction
According to the official Bahá'í Faith Web site:
The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Its founder, Bahá'u'lláh (18171892), is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back
beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.
The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come
for its unification in one global society. God, Bahá'u'lláh said, has set in motion historical forces that are
breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a
universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their
oneness and to assist the processes of unification ("The Bahá'í Faith," www.bahai.org/article-1-2-0-1.html
[cited 21 March 2001]).
Brief History of the Bahá'í Faith
In the early nineteenth century, just as today, the nation of Persia, now called Iran, was steeped in the
culture and law of the Islamic Shi'ites. However, into that environment was born a man, Mirza Ali
Muhammad, who in 1844, at the age of 25 years old, declared that God had chosen him to be "the Báb"
(the "Gate" or the "Door") to create a new religious tradition. It would be a religion that would eventually
be led by a yet to be revealed great "Manifestation" of God. That declaration was considered heretical by
Muslims, drew great persecution upon the Báb and his followers, and led to his execution in 1850.
One of the Báb's followers was a Persian named Mirza Husayn-Ali. Though two years older than the Báb,
Mirza Husayn-Ali was a dedicated disciple of his teaching and was imprisoned in Persia after the Báb's
death. In 1853, Mirza Husayn-Ali fled to Baghdad, Iraq, where he continued to preach the Báb's message.
In 1863, Mirza Husayn-Ali declared that he was the Great Manifestation of God that the Báb had promised
was coming. He then adopted the title of "Bahá'u'lláh" ("the glory of God"). In the years following this bold
declaration he was again imprisoned by Muslim rulers and eventually exiled to Palestine in 1868. There he
produced the writings that would later be the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith.
When Bahá'u'lláh died in 1892, his eldest son, Àbdu'l-Bahá, was designated the leader of the new faith.
His authority, however, was only as interpreter of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings and not as another manifestation
of God.
Àbdu'l-Bahá, like his father, spent time in prison, but in 1908 began a world tour proclaiming the Bahá'í
message and advocating world peace. He visited the United States in 1912 where he was warmly received
by some Americans. In 1920 he was knighted by the British crown for his humanitarian work during the
First World War.
Àbdu'l-Bahá died in 1921 and was succeeded by his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as "the Guardian of the
Bahá'í Faith." Shoghi Effendi died in 1957 after establishing the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel.
It stands as the permanent governing body for the Bahá'í International Community.
Beliefs
Authority: The "Holy," the "Hands," and the "House"
Bahá'ís are respectful of the scriptures of other religious traditions such as the Bible for Jews and
Christians and the Koran for Muslims. Nevertheless, they regard the "holy" writings of Bahá'u'lláh as the
supreme revelations of God. Most important are The Most Holy Book and The Book of Certitude. The
writings of the Báb, Àbdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi are also considered authoritative.
Since Shoghi Effendi's death in 1957, leadership for Bahá'ís worldwide resides with the few surviving
members of "The Hands of the Cause of God," a group of leaders selected by Shoghi Effendi personally to
guide the movement, and the nine elected members of the Universal House of Justice in (UHJ) Haifa,
Israel. The Hands' and UHJ's official writings and edicts are regarded by Bahá'ís as authoritative and
binding.
Christian Response:
The Bible is God's unique Word and the only true source of divinely inspired Scripture. No human source
or other writing is equal to, or can supersede, its authority. It is the basis alone for Christian doctrine and
practice.
Jesus Christ Himself affirmed the authority of the Bible in the lives of all people (see Matt. 5:17-19; 2 Tim.
3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21).
God: One Divine Being
Bahá'ís are monotheistic in their belief in one divine supernatural Being who created all that exists. That
Being, who they call God, exhibits the characteristics of omnipotence, perfection, and omniscience. Bahá'ís
maintain that various religions may pray or worship different gods, using different names, but that in
essence they all worship the same unique Being.
Bahá'ís, however, believe that God's essence is unknowable by finite human beings. Thus, we can
understand the attributes or qualities of God, but never experience direct knowledge of His divine essence.
What we can know of God is revealed progressively throughout history by His Manifestations (prophets).
Christian Response:
The Bible teaches that there is indeed only one God (Deut. 6:4) and that He is the Creator of all that
exists. However, the Bible warns that all other gods are false and those who worship them are guilty of
idolatry (Ex. 20:3-4; Isa. 44:6-8).
The New Testament teaches that God exists eternally in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt.
28:19; 1 Cor. 8:6; 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 1 Pet. 1:2). The Bible also teaches that people can know God
through a personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-2), and not just have information
about Him.
Jesus: One of the "Manifestations" of God
Bahá'ís regard Jesus Christ as a great messenger/ prophet or "Manifestation" of God. However, they do
not regard Him as particularly unique. In their view, Jesus Christ was just one of at least nine such
Manifestations, or prophets, who have appeared in various times and places throughout the world. Each
Manifestation contributed new light to the progression of revelation from God given by each Manifestation
to his generation. The nine Manifestations included Moses, Krishna, Abraham, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus,
Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá'u'lláh. Some Bahá'í sources have also included Confucius, Hud, and Salih.
In any case, Bahá'u'lláh is considered the primary prophet for the modern era. His teachings are expected
to eventually unify the world's peoples, governments, and religions under God's universal principles of
peace and justice. The next Manifestation is not expected for about 900 years.
The divine Manifestations are not understood by Bahá'ís as "incarnations" of God in the Christian sense, as
He is too far removed from His finite creation. Nonetheless, they are all regarded as sinless and
possessing of such self-validating truth so as to be true "mirrors" of the divine nature.
Christian Response:
Jesus Christ is the "one and Only Begotten Son of God" (John 3:16). He is the unique incarnation
(embodiment) of God who perfectly reveals God's nature and character to mankind (Heb. 1:1-2). He was,
is, and always shall be the Second Person of the eternal Holy Trinity. He was born of a virgin, lived a
sinless life, was crucified as an atonement for sin, and rose physically from the dead. He now reigns with
the Father in heaven and someday will return to close the age and judge all people. There is no other one
in all of history like Him (John 1:1-14; 5:17-18; 8:56-59; 10:30-33; 14:6; Col. 1:15-20; 2:9).
Granted, many of the other Bahá'í "Manifestations" taught high moral standards and encouraged peace
and social justice. None, however, demonstrated the level of divine authority as did Jesus who
demonstrated His power by His resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-11).
Salvation and Life after Death
Bahá'í Faith teaches that humanity is possessed with a duality of spiritual and material natures. The
material nature, if allowed to dominate one's personality, leads to selfish desires and evil results. If the
spiritual nature dominates, it leads to a life of virtue, compassion, self-sacrifice, and nearness with God
and his principles.
If one follows those principles and lives a life of spiritual good deeds, he or she will enter the kingdom of
paradise, or heaven, both in this life and after death. If one turns away from a life of spiritual deeds and
does evil, he or she is already in hell, which will continue after death.
Christian Response:
The Bible teaches that salvation is a free gift to those who acknowledge their sinfulness (Rom. 3:23;
6:23), repent of their sin (Acts 26:20), and receive Jesus Christ, by faith, as their personal Lord and
Savior (John 1:12; Rom. 10:9-13). Only His death on the cross provides atonement for mankind's sin and
His resurrection guarantees eternal life in heaven (Rom. 4:23-25; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; 1 Pet. 3:18).
Those who reject that free gift will be lost forever in hell (Matt. 18:8-9; 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48).
Basic Moral Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh
The Bahá'í Faith maintains that the basic moral teachings of its primary prophet, Bahá'u'lláh, can be
summarized in eight basic principles. Each of them, Bahá'ís believe, embody the essence of all religions
and then are valid for all people in all time.
1. The abandonment of all forms of prejudice
Bahá'ís argue that humanity is essentially one race. All differences among people based on race, ethnicity,
nationality, and/or religion are regarded as contrary to God's desire for one world unity. As a result, crosscultural, interracial, and international marriages are encouraged in order to facilitate the total integration
of humanity.
Since we have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to
walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost
being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made
manifest (Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, p. 20, www.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-14.html [cited 19
March 2001]).
Christian Response:
Christians affirm the unity of humanity as all descendants of mutual parents, Adam and Eve (Gen. 1-2).
Cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity is a part of God's plan as He has created all people in His image and
placed them in the times and places He desires (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1; Acts 17:24-28). Only in Christ,
however, can mankind find a unity of purpose that transcends superficial human divisions (Gal. 3:28-29
;Eph. 2:11-15).
2. Assurance to women of full equality of opportunity with men
The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the most
important, though less acknowledged prerequisites of peace. The denial of such equality perpetrates an
injustice against one half of the world's population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and habits that
are carried from the family to the workplace, to political life, and ultimately to international relations
(Source: The Promise of World Peace, Universal House of Justice, 1985, www.bahai.org/article-1-7-06.html [cited 29 March 2001]).
Christian Response:
Jesus Christ elevated the status of women more than any religion in history.
Thus Christians strongly affirm the equality and rights of women before God as persons made in His image
(Gen. 1:26-27). The Bible, however, celebrates the complementary roles within the family and church for
men and women as they work together to build the kingdom of God (Eph. 5:21-33; Col. 3:18-21; Titus
2:3-5; 1 Pet. 3:1-7).
3. Recognition of the unity and relativity of religious truth
Bahá'ís maintain that all of the world's great religions teach the same basic principles Each of the founders
of the world's religions, the "Manifestations" of God, have contributed their light to their time and place.
The principle of unity of religion, nonetheless, means that all the great religious founders have come from
the same God, and all of the systems they established as part of a single plan directed by Him.
These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source
and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying
requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, 2nd rev. ed., 1976, pp. 287-288, www.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-4.html [cited 29 March 2001]).
Christian Response:
The Bahá'í assertion that all religions are the same ignores the doctrinal and philosophical contradictions
that characterize them. Most important, Bahá'í ignores the unique claims of Jesus Christ to be the one and
only begotten Son of God and the unique incarnation of God (John 1:14,18; 3:16-18; Heb. 1:1-14; 1 John
4:9).
Bahá'ís also ignore the important differences in how salvation is realized in Christianity as opposed to
most other faiths. In most religions salvation is earned by adherence to various laws of behavior and
human achievement. Christianity asserts that salvation is entirely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as
a result of His life, sacrificial atoning death, and resurrection (John 14:6; Eph. 2:8-9).
4. The elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth
Bahá'ís regard the economic disparity between the wealthy and the poor as a grave moral injustice. This is
true, as they see it, between individuals and nations. Thus, Bahá'ís actively seek to correct this imbalance
through economic and legal methods. Bahá'u'lláh warned the wealthy:
The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease (Source:
Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, p. 41,www.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-15.html [cited 29 March 2001]).
And
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction
and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth (Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, p.
39, www.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-15.html [cited 29 March 2001]).
Christian Response:
The Bible does not teach that accumulating wealth, in and of itself, is necessarily evil or sinful.
Nonetheless, Scripture warns that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: (1 Tim. 6:10, NIV) and
that Christians are to be faithful stewards (managers) of the material resources God entrusts to us (Gen.
1:27-28; Matt. 25:14-30).
This principle of stewardship has applications for the totality of a person's economic and spiritual life:
• It applies to the ways a Christian earns his living. Christians should work honestly in occupations that
are ethical and build the kingdom of God (Eph. 6:7-8; Col. 3:17,23-24).
• It applies to the ways Christians spend their income. God's people should think carefully about the
purposes and value of the items they purchase.
• It applies to how and why the Christian saves his resources. The believer should save and invest his
money wisely (Matt. 6:19-21).
• The Christian steward also should, with reasonable foresight, consider how his or her estate will be
distributed upon death. Well-planned wills and trusts can provide adequately for future generations and
benefit the spreading of the gospel for years to come.
• The Christian, of course, is expected to give generously to his or her local church and support Christian
ministries in proportion to his or her resources (Matt. 15:3- 6; 23:23-24; Mark 12:41-44; 2 Cor. 9:6-8).
5. The realization of universal education
The cause of universal education, which has already enlisted in its service an army of dedicated people
from every faith and nation, deserves the utmost support that the governments of the world can lend it.
For ignorance is indisputably the principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples and the perpetuation
of prejudice. . . . In keeping with the requirements of the times, consideration should also be given to
teaching the concept of world citizenship as part of the standard education of every child (Source: The
Promise of World Peace, Universal House of Justice, Oct. 1985, www.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-16.html
[cited 29 March 2001]).
Christian Response:
Christians affirm the benefits of literacy and education and support the goal of universal education.
However, the Bible does not teach that a lack of education is the basic problem of mankind. The Bible
states that sin is the basic root of mankind's problems, including war and injustice. Sin is defined as
rebellion or indifference to the will of God for each person (Rom. 3:23) which results in death (Rom.
6:23).
The only solution for sin is the salvation granted by God by grace through faith in the atoning work of
Jesus Christ which results in good works (Eph. 2:8-10). Education that ignores this basic sin problem will
not necessarily value righteousness, justice, or peace, but often results in oppressive indoctrination as
illustrated historically by the highly educated societies in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
6. The responsibility of each person independently to search for truth
Bahá'í Faith encourages each individual to think critically and to search for ultimate truth for themselves.
Uncritical attachments to traditional ways of thinking and ideologies that dogmatically reject others may
lead to intolerance and conflict. Bahá'ís believe that there is only one reality, thus all those who diligently
and sincerely seek truth, will be united ultimately.
Being one, truth cannot be divided, and the differences that appear to exist among the many nations only
result from their attachment to prejudice. If only men would search out truth, they would find themselves
united (Source: Àbdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 129, www.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-17.html [cited 29 March
2001]).
And
The fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in
the path towards unity, and unity is necessary if we would reach truth, for truth is one (Source: Àbdu'lBahá, Paris Talks, p. 136, www.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-17.html [cited 29 March 2001]).
Christian Response:
The Bahá'í statement that truth is one, but that it is wrong to question or criticize others' beliefs, is selfcontradictory. The truth claims of various religious traditions are in many cases totally incompatible.
Bahá'ís simply ignore the discrepancies, in order to synthesize them into a unitary system. This doctrinal
compromise, however, actually elevates Bahá'ísm to the level of the superior faith and denigrates the
unique beliefs of all other faiths.
In any case, Jesus Christ, and the biblical writers, made exclusive truth claims about Him that Christians
cannot com promise (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). The Bible warns in the Old and New Testaments against
blending counterfeit faith with authentic faith. It also warns God's people to reject false gods, false
prophets, and false worship (Gen. 4:3-4; Num. 33:52-56; Deut. 12:2-3; 18:9-22; 1 Kings 18:16-40; Jer.
14:14-16; Matt. 7:15-21; 24:4-5,23-26; Mark 13:5-23; Luke 17:23-27; Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Cor. 11:4-15;
Gal. 1:6-7; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 3:9; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-5; 2 John 7-11).
7. The establishment of a global commonwealth of nations
Bahá'ís are convinced that a major priority for mankind is the establishment of a just and lasting world
peace. Bahá'u'lláh declared that the world "is but one country and mankind its citizens" (www.bahai.org/
article-1-3-2-19.html [cited 29 March 2001]). In order to realize this vision of one united world, Bahá'ís
advocate new international social structures that transcend the authority of autonomous nations in order
to ensure and maintain world peace and security. Bahá'ís would desire that these systems guarantee
individual freedom and be based on democratic principles.
Christian Response:
Christians agree that people should work to establish societies and peace among humanity. However, they
would maintain that the true remedy for war is not a world government, but the transforming message of
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Total peace will come only with the coming of the Lord at the end of the age
(Isa. 2:4; Matt. 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Rom. 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Heb. 12:14; Jas. 4:1-2).
8. Recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific
knowledge
When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions, and unintelligent dogmas, shows its conformity with
science, then will there be a great unifying, cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars,
disagreements, discords and struggles-and then will mankind be united in the power of the Love of God
(Àbdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 146, www.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-18.html[cited 29 March 2001]).
Christian Response:
Christians agree that there is no conflict between biblical faith and objective scientific inquiry. However,
they reject the dogmatic materialistic and naturalistic worldview that characterizes most of the modern
scientific community. Science is a valid source of truth, but Christians likewise regard divine revelation as
providing information that science cannot explain by its methods of inquiry (Rom. 1:20-23).
Witnessing to Bahá'ís
1. Have a clear understanding of your faith and the Bible. Study the reasons why we believe the Bible and
Christianity are true.
2. Try to establish a sincere personal relationship with Bahá'ís. Make it clear to them that you respect their
right to believe as they will, but that you reserve the right to disagree.
3. Focus your discussion on the Person and work of Jesus Christ and explain why He is unique among the
world's religious leaders.
4. Share with your Bahá'í friend that mankind's basic problem is sin, not illiteracy or social injustice.
5. Explain to the Bahá'í the basics of the Christian gospel. Stress the need for confession of sin,
repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior.
6. Provide written materials for the Bahá'í to read that explain and defend Christianity, such as Lee
Strobel's The Case for Christ or C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity.
7. Pray and trust the Holy Spirit to lead you in witnessing to your Bahá'í friend.
Occult Overview
Introduction
The American Heritage Dictionary defines occult as "relating to, or dealing with supernatural influences,
agencies, or phenomena." The occult encompasses several philosophies and religious exercises that
include physical and metaphysical energy accessible only to those with secret wisdom or power. It
involves such practices as divination, magick, Satanism, spiritism, UFO cults, and witchcraft.
Most superstitions had their origin in occultic beliefs and practices. People who accept the occultic
worldview regard superstitions such as stepping on cracks, breaking mirrors, and walking under ladders as
signs of bad luck.
Occult Divination
The American Heritage Dictionary defines divination as "the art or act of foretelling future events or
revealing occult knowledge by means of augury or an alleged supernatural agency." Divination is the most
widespread occultic practice.
Many different ways of divining the future are used by occult practitioners. Diviners use such techniques
and paraphernalia as astrology, crystal gazing, Ouija™ board, palm reading, runes, tarot cards, and tea
leaves.
Astrology is the practice of interpreting the influence of the stars and planets upon people on earth. Using
a horoscope, astrologers claim to predict the future. The horoscope is derived from the location of the sun
and planets when the individual was born. Astrology has been popular for thousands of years. Astrology in
the West was strongly influenced by Babylon.
Crystal gazing involves the use of a crystal ball to predict the future. This practice is sometimes referred
to as scrying. In addition to the use of crystal balls, a mirror or pool of water may also be used.
William Fuld patented the Ouija Board in 1892. It is the most popular game rooted in divination in America
today. It includes a four-sided board with the words yes, no, and good-bye printed on it. In addition, the
digits 0 through 9 plus the letters of the alphabet are also included. The players ask questions while their
hands rest on the mobile pointer. The pointer's movement on the board produces the answer.
Palm reading, or palmistry, is the practice of divining a person's future by examining the lines of their
hands. Advocates for palmistry often claim that it provides understanding into a person's character,
personality, abilities, and personal relationships. The assertion is frequently made that the palm is the
blueprint of one's life. Palmistry is closely linked with astrology by most of its practitioners.
The use of runes is a technique of divination that was popular in Germany. It entails the printing of the
rune alphabet on blocks. The blocks are thrown and the letters are interpreted. Tarot is a form of
foretelling that involves the use of a special deck of cards. There are 78 cards in the deck, each with a
symbol that has a meaning when interpreted by the card reader. Tea leaves are also sometimes read as a
method of divining the future.
Many proponents of the occult argue that divination works even though it cannot be proven scientifically.
Jean Dixon is often pointed to as proof of divination. She is credited with predicting President John
Kennedy's assassination. Her accuracy, however, is less than astonishing when one examines all of her
predications. In 1965, for example, she predicted that "Russia will be the first nation to put a man on the
moon, probably in about three years time." (Jean Dixon, A Gift of Prophecy, p. 186.)
Biblical Response: The Bible warns believers against practicing divination. Leviticus 19:26 (NIV) warns,
"Do not practice divination or sorcery." Deuteronomy 18:10- 11 forbids any Israelite from engaging in
divination. Second Kings 17:17 indicates that divination is one of the things that provokes the Lord to
anger. No Christian should engage in any form of divination.
Spiritualism
The American Heritage Dictionary defines "spiritualism" as "the belief that the dead communicate with the
living, as through a medium." It is rooted in the belief that the spirits of the dead can communicate with
the living through persons sensitive to the spirit world. Spiritualists believe that the spirits of the dead are
able to offer aid and knowledge to the living.
Swedish philosopher and occultist Emmanuel Swedenborg claimed to communicate with the spirits of the
dead. The New Jerusalem Church, founded by Swedenborg, brought his teachings to America in the late
1700s. John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) spread his doctrine across early America.
Two young sisters, Margaret (age 15) and Katie (age 12) Fox, began the contemporary spiritualist
movement. The young girls complained of hearing strange knocking sounds in their house. They professed
to have developed a code that allowed them to communicate with the spirit they claimed was making the
strange noises. News of this event birthed modern spiritualism in 1848. Forty years later Margaret Fox
admitted to reporters that the whole occurrence had been a fraud. Margaret demonstrated how she and
her sister were able to produce loud knocking and cracking sounds by popping their knee and toe joints.
Biblical Response: The Bible warns believers against practicing spiritualism. Leviticus 19:31 warns that
those who turn to mediums or spiritists will be defiled by them. Leviticus 20:6 says that God will turn
against those who use mediums and spiritists. Leviticus 20:27 records that the punishment for any
Israelite who practiced spiritualism was death by stoning. Spiritualism is one of the sins that 2 Kings 21:6
indicates is evil in the eyes of the Lord and that provokes God to anger.
Occult Magick and Witchcraft
The American Heritage Dictionary defines "Magic" as "1. The art that purports to control or forecast
natural events, effects, or forces by invoking the supernatural. 2.a. The practice of using charms, spells,
or rituals to attempt to produce supernatural effects or control events in nature. b. The charms, spells,
and rituals so used. 3. The exercise of sleight of hand or conjuring for entertainment." Occult magick
refers to the first two meanings and not to the third. Practitioners of occult magick add a "k" to the word
"magic" to differentiate it from sleight of hand techniques or conjuring for amusement that makes no
claim of supernatural powers. Occult magick is an attempt by the practitioner to manipulate the
supernatural in order to receive power or control.
Closely connected with occult magick is the practice of witchcraft. Witches often refer to themselves as the
"old Religion" or "The Craft." They claim that their religion dates back to prehistoric times. They often
refer to themselves as "Wiccans." The term comes from the Anglo-Saxon term for "wise ones." Witchcraft
is a nature religion that in many ways is similar to the fertility religions that the prophets in the Old
Testament confronted. Witches deny that they believe in or worship the devil.
Many researchers credit Gerald B. Gardner (1884- 1964) as the founder of contemporary witchcraft.
Gardner was a student of the occult and used his occult research to originate modern witchcraft. In 1954,
Gardner's book Witchcraft Today was published. His teachings promptly spread throughout Britain and
North America. Gardner stressed nakedness in worship, but there is a lot of diversity in Wiccan rituals.
Many witches have started referring to themselves as neo-pagans. They call their group a nest, grove, or
circle, rather than a coven.
Witches normally meet twice a month during the full and new moon. They celebrate four major and four
minor sabbats. The four minor sabbats are the spring equinox (March 21), the fall equinox (September
21), Yule (December 21), and summer solstice (June 21). The four major sabbats are Samhain (Oct. 31),
Imbolc or Candlemas (Feb. 2), Beltane (May 1), and Lammas (Aug. 1). These dates are approximate and
vary year to year. It is thought that their origins relate to hunting, agriculture, and animal fertility.
Biblical Response: All forms of magic and witchcraft were prohibited in the Mosaic Law. "When you enter
the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations
there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices
divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or
spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because
of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you" (Deut. 18:9- 12,
NIV).
Ezekiel 13:20 indicates that God is against magic charms. In Acts 19:19, Luke tells how those who trusted
in Jesus took their books on sorcery and burned them publicly. Revelation 9:21 lists magical arts as one of
the sins that people need to turn away from, while Revelation 21:8 says that those who practice magical
arts will be thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Satanism
The biblical name "Satan" literally means "the adversary." In the New Testament, it is used
interchangeably with diabolos, or the devil. Satanism is the darkest side of the occult. It involves a
submission to Satan's will.
While there are many different types of Satanists, they can be divided into two main categories: selfstyled Satanists and religious Satanists. Some Satanists do not believe in a literal Satan but use Satan as
a symbol of their opposition to the Christian God. Others believe that Satan exists and worship him as a
god.
Self-styled Satanists are often young people, who are introduced to Satanism through listening to heavy
metal music, or by watching movies that glamorize it. Heavy metal music is more influential in introducing
young people to Satanism than books or movies. Songs that exalt abuse of women, anger, violence,
aberrant sexual behavior, dying, and Satanism typify heavy metal music. Many young people will dabble
in Satanism by reading books on it but never get involved in Satanic rituals. Others will get so involved
that they will go on to create their own self-styled form of Satanism. The groups that these self-styled
Satanists form are very diverse and tend to borrow from many sources. They make up their beliefs and
practices as they go. Much of the documented violence associated with satanic groups comes from selfstyled Satanists.
Religious Satanists are members of formal satanic groups. Many of these religious Satanists do not believe
in either God or Satan. Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan, claimed that he did not believe
in the existence of a literal Satan. He asserted that Satan is a symbol of humanity's ego, lust, and greed.
LaVey rejected the existence of sin, heaven, hell, life after death, and anything super- natural.
Biblical Response: The Bible warns Christians that they are involved in spiritual warfare against the
forces of Satan. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms" (Eph. 6:12, NIV).
The Bible also informs us that Jesus Christ by His death and resurrection has already overcome Satan. The
reason Jesus came to earth was to destroy the devil's work (see 1 John 3:8). Jesus attained a conclusive
victory over Satan on the cross of Calvary (see Col. 2:15). The Christian has the power to resist Satan's
temptations (see 1 Cor. 10:13; James 4:7). Satan will spend eternity in the lake of burning sulfur where
he will "be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10, NIV).
Witnessing to People Involved in the Occult
1. Determine the degree of the person's involvement in the occult. Many people are dabblers without any
commitment to the occult world.
2. Talk with the person to discover the needs and problems they are facing. Many get involved in the
occult because they believe it can help them solve life's difficulties. Share with them that faith in Jesus
Christ is the only answer to the spiritual difficulties they face.
3. Stress the authority and victory of Christ over the occult world and His power over Satan (see Mark
9:14-29; Luke 4:33-36). Christ offers victory over Satan and the occult powers to all who will believe in
Him and trust Him as their Lord and Savior (see Rom. 8:35-39; Eph. 6:11-17).
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you share the good news of deliverance through faith in Jesus
Christ.
Wicca (Witchcraft)
By Bill Gordon
Name: The name Wicca is the old English word for wizard. While in old English the term was a masculine
noun, modern witches use the word to refer to both male and female followers of witchcraft. While some
Wiccans proudly refer to themselves as witches, others do not use the term because of the negative
connotations associated with the term.
Nature: Wicca is an attempt to revive the pre-Christian nature and fertility religions of western Europe. It
is a neo-pagan religion that believes in supernatural magick, worships a male and female deity, and
practices rituals that revolve around the cycles of nature.
Date of Beginning: While Wiccans often claim a historical connection with the ancient religions of the
pre-Christian pagans, the movement actually started in the mid-twentieth century.
Headquarters: Since Wicca is both antidogmatic and antiauthoritarian it has no central leadership or
organization. There is also not uniformity of doctrine. There is a wide variety of beliefs and practices found
within Wicca, although there are some basic assumptions that are accepted by most Wiccan groups. There
are many different Wiccan groups or denominations. Some are large with several thousand members,
while others may consist of only a few people.
Adherents: It is unknown how many are involved in Wicca. Most Wiccan groups do not report their
membership numbers. However, evidence indicates that Wicca is one of the fastest growing occultic
movements in North America. A conservative estimate for the number of Wiccans would be about
250,000. However, some Wiccan groups claim that there are as many as 5,000,000 people practicing their
religion in North America. While both males and females of all ages practice Wicca, many Wiccans are
teenage girls.
Assumptions: Many of the beliefs of Wicca are also found in the New Age Movement. Wicca accepts an
occultic understanding of reality. Wiccans worship a mother goddess and a male horned deity (her
consort). Three major beliefs of Wicca are animism, pantheism, and polytheism.
Wiccan Beliefs
Animism is the belief that everything, even inanimate objects, have a soul or spirit. Wiccans believe that
not only do plants have a soul or spirit, but also the wind, the rain, and even rocks.
Other Wiccans simply believe that inanimate objects possess a life force. Hawkins explains this type of
animism that is held by many Wiccans as follows:
As used by many witches, animism means that the Life Force: rocks and trees, deserts and streams,
mountains and valley, ponds and oceans, gardens and forests, fish and fowl; everything from amoebas to
animals to humans. All is infused with and participates in the vital Life Force or energy, and therefore the
entire earth is a living organism. (Witchcraft, p. 33.)
In addition to holding to some form of animism, many Wiccans also adhere to pantheism. Pantheism is the
belief that everything is divine. The term is derived from two Greek words: pan which means "all" and
theos which means "god, God, deity." Pantheism understands deity as one with nature. Since everything
is deity, they believe that humans are also divine.
Some Wiccans adhere to panentheism rather than pantheism. Panentheism is the idea that deity is in
everything. The two concepts are similar to one another. The difference is that pantheism teaches that
everything is deity, while panentheism maintains that deity is within everything.
Hawkins explains Wiccan panentheism as follows:
Panentheists postulate that God-or the Divinity-is in the world similar to the way a soul or mind is in a
body. As the soul is in the body yet still transcends it, so the Divinity is in (or is manifested in) the world
yet transcends it. Thus, all that exists is imbued with divinity, yet the Divinity transcends creation.
Humans and the earth are viewed as a manifestation of the Goddess. (Witchcraft, pp. 34-35)
Polytheism is the belief that there is more than one god. Wiccans give polytheism a very post modern
interpretation with relativistic implications.
As defined by many witches, however, polytheism is not merely the belief in diverse deities-a pantheon of
gods and goddesses-but also the belief that there are an infinite (or at least incomprehensible) number of
levels of meaning and reality (i.e., the open metaphysic referred to earlier). This belief allows not only for
a multitude of gods, goddesses, and religions, but also for views of reality that would appear to be
mutually exclusive, All are true as far as they go. This polytheistic premise is expressed in beliefs such as,
"there is no one way or right religion for all," and "there is no one truth." (Witchcraft, p. 35.)
Biblical Response
The beliefs of Wicca and other neo-pagan groups are contrary to the Christian Scriptures. The biblical
doctrine of creation emphasizes the transcendence of God and His separateness from what He has
created. As the first verse in the Bible states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"
(Gen.1:1, NASB). The implication of this passage is that in the beginning God created that which was not
God.
Not only does the Bible proclaim the separateness of God from His creation, but it also teaches the
distinctiveness of God's creations from one another. Each of God's creations were unique and different
from His other creations. They were made "after their kind."
"Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and
beasts of the earth after their kind'; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and
the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it
was good" (Gen. 1:24-25, NASB).
Not only does God transcend the universe that He created, but there is only one God. There is no plurality
of deities as taught by Wicca. The Bible teaches this truth is many places.
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deut. 6:4, NASB)!
"'You are my witnesses,'" declares the Lord, "'and my servant whom I have chosen, So that you may
know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no God was formed, And there will be none
after Me.'" (Isa. 43:10, NASB).
"This is what the Lord says-Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the
last; apart from me there is no God" (Isa. 44:6, NIV).
"For this is what the Lord says-he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the
earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited-he says: 'I am the
Lord, and there is no other'" (Isa. 45:18, NIV).
Wiccan Practices
Wiccans claim to be able to perform occultic magick. Wiccans and other neo-pagans often add the letter k
to the word magic in order to differentiate their spell casting from sight of hand magic. Wiccan keep their
spells in what they refer to as a book of shadows. This book is also often called a Grimoire. It is a
collection of Wiccan rituals and magickal spells and is used as a reference book.
While some occultic groups do sacrifice animals, this is very rare among groups calling themselves
Wiccans. Some Wiccans do, however, practice a form of channeling where they allow themselves to be
possessed by another entity. This entity may be thought of as the Goddess, the force that permeates the
universe, or something else. Not all Wiccans practice channeling.
Sex is understood by many Wiccans as a source of magickal power. While some use sex magick in their
group rituals, most Wiccans avoid this kind of ritual sex. Many more Wiccans use nudity in group rituals
than practice sexual magick with their coven. This practice is sometimes referred to as skyclad. Wiccans
who worship in the nude sometimes claim that this allows the magickal energy to function without
hindrance. However, the majority of Wiccans prefer to use robes rather than worship skyclad.
In addition to casting spells, many Wiccans also practice various forms of divination. Some of the more
popular forms of divination they employ are astrology, numerology, palmistry, runes, and tarot cards.
Biblical Response
The Bible warns against all forms of occultic activity. The Scripture indicates that those who engage in
such activities are detestable to God.
"When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of
the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who
practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a
medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and
because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must
be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice
sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so" (Deut. 18:9-14,
NIV).
Those who do not turn form the sin of witchcraft and place their faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior will
one day experience the wrath and judgment of God.
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit
the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21, NIV).
Sharing the Good News of Salvation with Wiccans
Christians should be bold in sharing the good news of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus with Wiccans.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Tim.
1:7, NIV). But we are to balance our boldness with a spirit of love and self-discipline.The general
principles for witnessing to Wiccans are found in 1 Peter 3:15."But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you
have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Pet. 3:15, NIV).
Balance boldness in sharing the gospel with gentleness. You can be bold without being overly aggressive.
Also, treat Wiccans with respect. Nothing will end a witnessing opportunity faster than being disrespectful
to a Wiccan. Finally, when you share the gospel with your Wiccan friends trust the Holy Spirit to convict
them of their need for salvation that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.
Mormons
By Phil Roberts
Official Name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)
Founder: Joseph Smith Jr., on April 6, 1830
Current Leader: Gordon B. Hinckley (b. 1910)
Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah
Membership (2005): Worldwide: 12.6 million in 27,087 wards and branches in 162 countries;
Births/Child converts 93,150; Converts baptiized 243,108; Temples: 122; Church units: (Stakes 2701,
Districts 643, Missions 338); United States: 5.6 million in all 50 states and D.C.; Stakes: 1,328; Wards:
9,999; Branches: 1,732; Missions 101, Temples: 57; Canada: 160,743 (.5% of Popp); Stakes: 46; Wards
305; Branches 163; Missions: 8; Temples: 6.
Missionaries (2005): 52,160
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith Jr. (1805-1844). Smith
claimed to have had a visitation from God in 1820 in which God directed him to establish the true church.
Consequently, he organized the Mormon Church on April 6, 1830, with six original members. Beginning
with a few hundred followers, the church moved to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois before Smith's death at the
hands of a mob at the Carthage, Ill., jail. Smith had been arrested for encouraging the destruction of the
Expositor, a Nauvoo, Ill., newspaper. After Smith's death, Brigham Young was affirmed as president of the
church by a majority of the church's leaders and led his followers to Utah where they established Salt Lake
City in 1847. Joseph Smith's widow, Emma, resided in Illinois. Those who affirmed her son, Joseph Smith
III, as the true successor of his father and as prophet of the church in the 1850s helped found the
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now headquartered in Independence, Mo.
Major Beliefs
One True Church
The Mormon church claims to be the only true church. In God's supposed revelation to Joseph Smith,
Jesus Christ told him to join no other church for "they were all wrong . . . their creeds were an
abomination . . . those professors [members] were all corrupt" (The Pearl of Great Price, Joseph SmithHistory 1:19). Mormons teach that after the New Testament, all churches became heretical and no true
saints existed until the "Church of the Latter-day Saints" was organized, hence their name. Non-Mormons
are thus called "Gentiles." The new revelations given to Smith, the institution of the prophet and apostles
in the church, the restoration of the divine priesthoods, and the temple ceremonies make the church
authentic. True and full salvation or exaltation is found only in the LDS Church.
Biblical Response: The true church of Jesus Christ has had an ongoing presence and witness in the
world since Pentecost. Jesus Christ promised that His church, truly baptized and regenerate believers,
would not fail (see Matt. 16:17-18). The marks of a true church include faithfulness to the teaching of the
first apostles (see Acts 2:42)-not the creation of new doctrines.
Authority of the Prophet
The president or prophet of the Church is thought to be the sole spokesman and revelator of God. Joseph
Smith was the initial prophet, but each successive president holds that position. Through him, God's will
can be made known to the Church. All revelations are made scripture and no Mormon can attain godhood
without accepting Joseph Smith as a true prophet. The Mormon scriptures state that Latter-day Saints
"shalt give heed unto all his [the prophet's] words and commandments . . . For his word ye shall receive
as if from mine [God's] own mouth" (Doctrine and Covenants, 21:4-5).
Biblical Response: Old and New Testament prophets were God's spokesmen. Their words were always
consistent with the Bible and pointed to God's Son, Jesus Christ. A test of genuineness for prophets was
that any prediction they proclaimed would come true (see Deut. 18:20-22). For example, Joseph Smith
predicted that the temple of the church would be built in Independence, Mo., within his lifetime (Doctrine
and Covenants, 84:2- 5). No temple has yet been built there. New Testament prophets spoke, along with
teachers, pastors, and evangelists, in evangelizing and edifying the church (see Eph. 4:11-13).
Mormon Scripture
Mormons accept four books as scripture and the word of God. The King James Version of the Bible is one
of them, but only "as far as it is translated correctly"- seemingly allowing for possible questions about its
authority. Joseph Smith made over 600 "corrections" to its text. Other "standard works" are the Book of
Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.
The Bible is missing "plain and precious parts" according to the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 13:26) which
the other three volumes complete. The Book of Mormon has "the fullness of the gospel" and tells the story
of a supposed migration of Israelites in 600 B.C. to the American continent. These Israelites subsequently
lapsed into apostasy although their story was preserved on golden plates written in Reformed Egyptian.
Joseph Smith, it is said, translated the plates by the "gift and power of God" (Doctrine and Covenants
135:3). Reformed Egyptian does not exist as a language. The golden plates were returned to the angel
Moroni after they were transcribed and Moroni returned them to heaven. The Book of Mormon does not
contain explicit Mormon doctrine. Doctrines and Covenants contains the revelations of the Mormon
prophets-138 in number along with two "declarations." Here, most of Mormon doctrine can be found
including the priesthood, baptism for the dead, godhood, and polygamy. The Pearl of Great Price contains
Smith's religious history, the Articles of Faith, the Book of Abraham, and the Book of Moses.
Biblical Response: The Bible explicitly warns against adding to or detracting from its teaching (see Rev.
22:18-19; Deut. 4:2). The New Testament contains the inspired and totally accurate witness of
contemporary disciples and followers of Jesus. It alone claims to be fully inspired of God and usable for
the establishment of doctrine (see 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21).
Establishment of Temples
The first Mormon temple was constructed in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836. Subsequently, a temple was
constructed in Nauvoo, Ill., in 1846. Presently, there are at least 106 operating temples throughout the
world including the one finished in Salt Lake City in 1893. The purpose and function of temples is for the
practice of eternal ordinances including primarily baptism for the dead, endowments, and celestial
marriages. Baptism in the Mormon church, for both the living and the dead, is essential for the fullness of
salvation. The dead often are baptized by proxy which affords them after death the opportunity to become
Mormons. Celestial marriage for "time and eternity" is also a temple ordinance. It is necessary for
godhood and seals the marriage forever. Temples form an essential part of Mormon salvation. Only
Mormons in possession of a "temple recommend" by their bishop may enter a temple.
Biblical Response: The temple of the Old Testament was a place of symbolic sacrifice prefiguring the
sacrifice of Christ. Worship in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was a practice of early Jewish believers (see
Acts 2:46). Otherwise, there is no mention of any such practice in the New Testament. Never was the
Jewish temple used for baptism for the dead, marriage, or other secret ceremonies. It was the place in the
Old Testament where the glory of God occasionally dwelt. Today, individual believers are God's dwelling
place and not a physical building (see 1 Cor. 3:16).
God Is an Exalted Man
Elohim, the god of this universe, was previously a man in a prior existence. As a result of having kept the
requirements of Mormonism, he was exalted to godhood and inherited his own universe. God is confined
to a "body of flesh and bones" (Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22) and yet is thought to be omniscient and
omnipotent. He obviously cannot be omnipresent. There are an infinite number of gods with their own
worlds-these too were previously men. The Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, and "Heavenly Father" comprise
three separate and distinct gods. Heavenly Father sires spiritual children in heaven destined for human life
on earth. All humans, as well as Jesus Christ and Lucifer, are god's heavenly children. (See Doctrine and
Covenants, 130:22; God, Jesus, and the Spirit thus had beginnings.)
Response: God is spirit and is not confined to a physical body (see John 4:24). Jesus Christ was
incarnated through a miraculous and nonphysical conception through the Virgin Mary. He was fully God
from the beginning (John 1:1). Together with the Person of the Holy Spirit, they form the triune (three in
one) eternal God.
Jesus Is God's "Son"
Jesus was Heavenly Father's firstborn spirit child in heaven. He was begotten by God through Mary as in a
"literal, full and complete sense" in the same "sense in which he is the son of Mary" (Bruce McConkie, A
New Witness for the Articles of Faith, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1993], p. 67). These two
elements of Jesus being literally God's son form his uniqueness in Mormon theology. In the Garden of
Gethsemane, as well as on the cross, Jesus atoned for Adam's sin and guaranteed all humankind
resurrection and immortality. Jesus visited the Israelites or Indians of North America after his resurrection
and established the true church among them. We are the spiritual, but literal, younger brothers and
sisters of Christ. Some Mormon documents claim that Jesus was married at Cana in Galilee (see John 2)
and had children himself.
Biblical Response: Jesus is viewed as God, the Word or Son, eternally existent with the Father and
worthy of identity as God (see John 1:1-14). He was born of the Virgin Mary who had conceived him
supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for the sins of the world, and
was raised from the dead. He will come again and reign as Lord of Lords.
Humans Are Gods in Embryo
Every human being has the potential of becoming a god by keeping the requirements of Mormonism. A
wellknown statement within Mormonism is, "As man is god once was, as god is man may become." From a
prior spirit existence in heaven, humans may be born on earth in order to exercise freedom to choose
good or evil and to have a body for the resurrection. Basically, humans are good, but they will be
punished for their sin. But by keeping Mormon teaching and obeying the Church and the Prophet, after the
resurrection, worthy Mormon males may pass the celestial guards, bring their wives with them, and
achieve a status similar to Elohim-the god of this world. The consequences of their sin are erased by their
allegiance to the tenets of Mormonism. In resurrection, faithful Mormons receive exaltation to godhood
and will exercise dominion over their world.
Biblical Response: Human beings are God's special creation. There is no evidence from Scripture of
preexistence, rather God acknowledges that it was in the womb of our mothers that He formed us (see
Isa. 44:2). A sinful nature is part of humanity's experience. Liberation from the power and presence of sin
is experienced as a result of faith in Christ. At that point, God's image is begun to be remade in every
Christian. While being transformed to Christlikeness, the Bible does not teach literal godhood as the
inheritance of the saints (see Rom. 8:29; Rev. 1:5-6).
Mormon Plan of Salvation
The Mormon plan of salvation is built on the idea that all people have eternal life, but only the most
faithful Mormons have godhood or enter the celestial kingdom. In order to obtain this ultimate step,
Mormons must exercise faith in the God of Mormonism, its Christ, and the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints; exercise repentance; and be baptized in the LDS Church. Additionally, Mormons must
keep the "Word of Wisdom" by abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine; tithe to the church; attend
weekly sacrament meetings; support the Mormon prophet; do temple works; and be active in their
support of the church.
Biblical Response: Salvation, according to the Bible, is due to God's grace and love. He provided Jesus
as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. It is through faith in the crucified and risen Jesus that we may be
saved. Works are excluded (John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 10:9-13; Eph. 2:8-9).
Witnessing to Mormons
1. Have a basic and clear understanding of the Christian faith and the gospel.
2. Be aware of the unique Mormon doctrines as presented in this belief bulletin.
3. Remember, Mormons use Christian vocabulary (gospel, atonement, god), but radically redefine their
meanings. Define clearly what you mean when you use biblical words.
4. Present a clear testimony of your faith in Christ alone for salvation.
5. Show your Mormon friend that the Bible teaches salvation alone through the cross of Christ (John 3:16;
Rom. 10:4,10-13; Eph. 2:8-9).
6. Warn the Mormon about trusting in feelings (i.e., the burning in the bosom) for a validation of
Mormonism's truth claim. Without historical, objective verification, feelings are useless.
7. When Mormons use a Bible verse, read carefully the verses before and afterward to make clear the
exact meaning and purpose of the passage. Don't let them take Bible verses out of context. Read carefully
the full reference in the Bible before deciding what any one verse means.
8. Keep the central doctrines of the faith as the focus of your discussion.
9. Share the plan of salvation with your Mormon friend. Emphasize that salvation is a gift to be received,
not a merit to be earned.
10. Do the basics: pray, trust the Holy Spirit, and be loving, patient, and steadfast.
Jehovah's Witnesses
By Tal Davis
Official Names: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., International Bible Students
Association, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
Founder: Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916)
Present Leader: Don Adams (b. 1925)
World and USA Headquarters: "Bethel", 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201-2483
Canadian Headquarters: Box 4100, Halton Hills, Ontario L7G 4T4
Active Participants: ("Publishers"), 2005 Worldwide: 6,613,829 million in 235 countries; New members
baptized: 247,631, Increase over 2004: 1.3%; Attendance at the annual Memorial of Christ's death:
6,383,333; Total volunteer hours spent in public Bible educational work 1.3 billion; Average weekly home
Bible courses taught: 6,061,546; Congregations (Kingdon Halls): 98,269; U.S.A.: Active members:
1,051,991; Baptisms: 28,628; Congregations: 12,384; Canada: Active membership: 109,604; Baptisms:
2028; Congrgations: 1,318.
Key Publications: PERIODICALS: The Watchtower (22 million in 126 languages), Awake! (19 million in
81 languages) BOOKS: Reasoning from the Scriptures (Reasoning)-1985, Insight on the Scriptures-2
Volumes (Insight)-1988, Mankind's Search for God-1990, Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life
(Knowledge)-1995, Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses-(published annually) BIBLE TRANSLATIONS: The
Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures-1964, The New World Translation of the Holy
Scriptures (NWT)-1984
This Belief Bulletin presents basic Jehovah's Witnesses' history and doctrines and provides a biblical
analysis and response.
History
In 1870, Charles Taze Russell began an independent Bible study, focusing on the second coming of Christ
and biblical chronology. He published his views in several books and began lecturing in 1878. In 1879,
Russell founded the monthly publication Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence which were
used by study groups he established.
Zion's Watch Tower and Tract Society was incorporated in 1884 with Russell as president. From 1886 until
his death in 1916, Russell wrote a series of books called Studies in the Scriptures. Their contents formed
the basis of Jehovah's Witnesses' unchristian theology.
Russell was succeeded as president in 1917 by his legal assistant, Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Rutherford
continued Russell's authoritarian leadership style. He was imprisoned briefly in 1918 for preaching against
military service. He was a charismatic speaker who often railed against Christian churches and biblical
scholars. He died in 1942.
Other Jehovah's Witnesses presidents included Nathan H. Knorr (1942-1977), Fredrick W. Franz (19771992), and Milton G. Henschel (1992-2000). The organization expanded worldwide under these men's
leadership, from about 113,000 in 1942 to more than 6 million in 2000. The current president is Don
Adams.
Jehovah's Witnesses Sources of Authority
The Bible
The Bible is considered the divinely inspired and infallible Word of God. It "contains 66 books in two
sections, often called the Old Testament and the New Testament. Thirty-nine Bible books were written
mainly in Hebrew and 27 in Greek. . . . A proper study of the Scriptures must include the entire Bible"
(Knowledge, p. 13). "Though the Bible is not a science textbook, it is scientifically accurate. . . . The Bible
contains many prophecies that have been fulfilled in detail" (Knowledge, p. 17). The New World
Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT), is the English Bible Version published by the Watchtower Bible
and Tract Society (WBTS). The New World Bible Translation Committee members remain anonymous. It is
regarded as the best translation because "the translators held so closely to what is in the original Bible
languages" (Reasoning, p. 279).
Biblical Response: The Bible is indeed composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. It is
the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God (see 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). The NWT reflects
WBTS theology, especially its bias against the deity of Jesus Christ and the historic doctrine of the Trinity.
For example, John 1:1 reads "and the Word was a god" in the NWT. Nearly all other standard English Bible
translations say, "and the Word was God."
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
The WBTS's Governing Body is called "the faithful and discreet slave," a term derived from the NWT
rendering of Matthew 24:45 (The Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1993, p. 16). It is therefore regarded as Jehovah
God's only channel of accurate biblical interpretation in the world today. A requirement for salvation "is
that we be associated with God's channel, his organization" [the WBTS] (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1993,
p. 12). Thus, there is no salvation apart from the WBTS.
Biblical Response: All people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are saved by
grace through faith and are born again (see John 3:3-16; Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9). No single person,
church, or religious organization can claim exclusive possession of the source of salvation or authority to
interpret the Bible. All born-again Christians are capable of understanding and interpreting the Scriptures
through the illumination of the Holy Spirit (see 2 Tim. 3:16; John 14:26; 15:26; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
Doctrinal Beliefs
Jehovah Is God
The true God is not a nameless God. His name is Jehovah (Deut. 6:4; Ps. 83:18). His principal attributes
are love, wisdom, justice, and power. God is a "spiritbeing," invisible and eternal, but has a spiritual body
and is not omnipresent (Insight, vol. 1, p. 969-970). The historic Christian doctrine of the Trinity is
denied. "The dogma of the Trinity is not found in the Bible, nor is it in harmony with what the Bible
teaches. It grossly misrepresents the true God" (Reasoning, p. 424).
Biblical Response: The Bible teaches there is only one God. He was called by several names in the
Scripture. Christians acknowledge that the term "Trinity" is not found in the Bible. Nonetheless, the
doctrine is clearly taught in Scripture. The Bible teaches that the One God exists in the three persons of
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (see Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 8:6; 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 1:21- 22; 13:14; 1 Pet.
1:2).
Jesus Christ-Jehovah's First Created Being
Jesus had three periods of existence. In his pre-human existence he was called "God's 'only-begotten Son'
because Jehovah created him directly. As the 'first-born of all creation', Jesus was used by God to create
all other things (Col. 1:15; Rev. 3:14) . . . After Jehovah brought him into existence, the Word [Jesus]
spent ages with God in heaven before becoming a man on earth" (Knowledge, p. 39). "John 1:1 says that
'the Word' (Jesus in his prehuman existence) was with God 'in the beginning'. So the word was with
Jehovah when 'the heavens and earth' were created" (Knowledge, p. 39). He also had the personal name
Michael (the archangel) (Insight, vol. 2, p. 394).
"The Second Stage of Jesus' life course was here on earth. He willingly submitted as God transferred his
life from heaven to the womb of a faithful Jewish virgin named Mary" (Knowledge, p. 40). He became the
Messiah at his baptism, who was executed on a torture stake, and rose again spiritually "Though the Bible
reports on Jesus' death, he is now alive! He is a mighty reigning King! And very soon now, he will manifest
his rulership over our troubled earth" (Knowledge, p. 41).
Biblical Response: The Bible teaches that Jesus was not created but was deity from all eternity and
coequal with the Father. He came to earth in bodily form to reveal God's nature and character to mankind.
He now reigns with the Father in heaven and will return some day to close the age and judge all people.
The Jehovah's Witnesses NWT translation of John 1:1, John 8:58, and Revelation 3:14 are biased against
Jesus' deity. There is no biblical basis for identifying Jesus with Michael the archangel (see John 1:1-14;
5:17-18; 8:56-59; 10:30-33; Col. 1:15-20; 2:9). See also A Closer Look at the New World Translation of
the Holy Scriptures.
The Holy Spirit - God's Active Force
The personality and deity of the Holy Spirit is denied. Holy Spirit is not capitalized in the NWT. "With this
viewpoint, it is logical to conclude that the holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a
powerful force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will" (Reasoning, p. 381).
Biblical Response: The personality of the Holy Spirit is evidenced in numerous New Testament
Scriptures (see Luke 12:12; John 15:26; Acts 5:3-10; 13:2-4; 1 Cor. 12:11; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 3:7). His
deity is demonstrated by His divine attributes as revealed in Scripture. The Holy Spirit convicts the lost of
sin and He indwells believers at conversion and empowers them to live the Christian life. (See Matt.
12:31-32; 28:19; Mark 3:29; John 14-16; Rom. 8:4,26-27; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 2:18-19; 5:14-33.)
Mankind's Sin Brought Death
God created man in His own image, but Adam and Eve willfully and deliberately disobeyed God. "'In the
day that our first parents ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, they were sentenced by
God and died from his standpoint. Then they were expelled from Paradise and began their descent into
physical death" (Knowledge, p. 58). The spirit, or lifeforce, that God gives us at our birth departs at death.
There is no conscious existence at death. "Where do the dead go? To Sheol, the common grave of
mankind. Our dead loved ones are not conscious of anything. They are not suffering, and they cannot
affect us in any way" (Knowledge, p. 83).
Biblical Response: Adam and Eve's sin indeed brought evil and death into the world. Thus, we are dead
spiritually and separated from God. However, at death, believers in Christ maintain a conscious
relationship with Him while awaiting the resurrection. (See Matt. 22:32; Luke 16:22- 23; 23:43; John
11:26; 1 Cor. 5:8; 12:2-4; Phil. 1:23-24; 1 Thess. 4:14-5:10; 2 Pet. 2:9.)
Jesus Paid a Ransom Sacrifice
Due to Adam's sin, it was necessary that an atonement be made to restore what he had lost. "Only a man
with perfect human life could offer up the equivalent of what Adam lost. After Adam, the only perfect man
born on earth was Jesus Christ" (Knowledge, p. 65). "The Roman governor Pontius Pilate sentenced him to
death on a torture stake. He was nailed to a wooden pole and hung there upright . . . Thus, it was on
Nisan 14, 33 C.E. [A.D.], that Jesus gave his life as a 'ransom in exchange for many'" (Knowledge, p. 66).
"He slept in death for parts of three days, and then Jehovah God resurrected him to life as a mighty spirit
being" (Knowledge, p. 68).
Biblical Response: Jesus was not just a perfect man, but also God incarnate (see Col. 2:9). Thus, His
death on a Roman cross was the self-sacrificial atonement of God Himself for mankind's sin (see 1 Cor.
1:17-24; 2:2; 15:3- 4). He rose again from the dead physically, not just spiritually (see Luke 24:14-39;
John 2:19-21; 20:26-29; 1 Cor. 15:1-8).
Salvation - Faith and Obedience
"Therefore, let us show our gratitude for the love displayed by God and Christ by exercising faith in Jesus'
ransom sacrifice" (Knowledge, p. 69). Requirements for salvation, in addition to faith, include baptism by
immersion, active association with the WBTS, righteous conduct, and absolute loyalty to Jehovah. There is
no assurance of salvation, only hope for a resurrection. Those who fail to live up to the above
requirements or who are disfellowshipped by the WBTS have no hope of salvation.
Biblical Response: Salvation is "by grace through faith" in Jesus Christ alone. No amount of works or
membership in any organization guarantees salvation. It is totally through faith in Christ (see Rom. 4:4-5;
Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Good works are the natural response to salvation already received, not its cause
(see Eph. 2:10). Salvation is eternally assured for those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior (see
John 1:12; 5:24; 1 John 5:13).
Two Classes of Saved People
Only 144,000 faithful elect Jehovah's Witnesses, known as the "Anointed Class" will go to heaven at death
to rule with Jesus. Only those born since 33 C.E. (A.D.) can be part of that number (based on Rev. 14:13). Most Jehovah's Witnesses hope to be among the "other sheep" or "great crowd" who will not go to
heaven, but, after Armageddon and the millennium, will live forever in Paradise on earth (based on John
10:16; Rev. 7:9).
Biblical Response: The WBTS' doctrine of a duality of saved people is not supported by a careful study
of the Scriptures. The Bible makes no distinction of two classes of saved people (see Matt. 5:12; Phil.
3:20). In Revelation 7 and 14, both the 144,000 and the "great crowd" or "multitude" are "before the
throne" in heaven. All born-again Christians will live forever in heaven (see John 3:16; 14:3).
Armageddon Is Coming Soon!
"This name [Armageddon or Har-Magedon] is directly associated with 'the war of the great day of God the
Almighty.' The term applies specifically to the condition, or situation, to which 'the kings of the entire
inhabited earth' are gathered in opposition to Jehovah and his Kingdom by Jesus Christ" (Insight, vol. 1,
p. 1037.)
Armageddon will mark the destruction by God of this present evil system, including apostate
"Christendom," and the binding of Satan. Afterward, Jehovah's surviving people will rebuild the world in a
perfect environment under his rule for 1,000 years in the millennium. After the millennium, Satan will be
released for a short time to test those resurrected, or born during the millennium. (See Knowledge, pp.
182-190.)
Biblical Response: The Bible teaches that Jesus will return physically to judge mankind and usher in the
kingdom of God. Christians may respectfully disagree over the details of biblical interpretation about the
events of the last days and the millennium. Setting dates, however, is strictly forbidden and Jesus warned
of false signs of His return. Nonetheless, believers are to be ready at any time for His coming (see Matt.
16:24-27; 24:14-51; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-16; John 5:28-29; 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 5:1- 11).
Final Judgment and Paradise on Earth
After the millennium, Satan and his allies will be destroyed. Faithful Jehovah's Witnesses will inherit
everlasting life on perfect Paradise earth. Those who have disobeyed Jehovah and his law will be
annihilated out of existence with Satan and his demons. This is the "second death." Hell is the grave and
not a place of eternal punishment. The doctrine of eternal hell is regarded as unscriptural, unreasonable,
contrary to God's love, and unjust.
Biblica Response: All people will face the final judgment of God. The doctrine of eternal hell is based on
a number of biblical texts and the teachings of Jesus Himself. He taught that righteous saved people will
have eternal life in heaven but the wicked lost will suffer eternal punishment in hell (see Matt. 18:8-9;
25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; 2 Thess. 1:9).
Witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses
1. Have a clear understanding of your faith and the Bible.
2. Aquire a basic knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs and practices.
3. Make a definite plan for the witnessing encounter and take the initiative.
4. Initially, talk about personal concerns to establish a friendly, courteous, and sincere relationship with
the Jehovah's Witness. Gradually move on to a discussion of theological issues.
5. Be prepared to cite and explain specific biblical passages supporting Christian doctrines.
6. Define your terms clearly and ask the Jehovah's Witness to do so also.
7. Focus the discussion on the primary issue of the person and work of Christ. Stress the need for a
personal relationship with Him.
8. Share your personal testimony of God's grace and your faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
9. Present the basic plan of salvation and encourage the Jehovah's Witness to make a decision.
10. Pray and trust the Holy Spirit to lead you.
Scientology
By Tal Davis
Official Name: Church of Scientology International
Founder: L. Ron Hubbard, in 1954
Current Leaders: David Miscavige, (b. 1960); Heber C. Jentzsch (b.1935)
Headquarters: Los Angeles, Calif.; Clearwater, Fla. (Flag Land Base)
Organizations Associated with Scientology:
Applied Scholastics, Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE)
Citizens Commission on Human Rights,
Concerned Businessmen's Association of America,
The Hubbard Dianetics Foundation International,
Narconon/Criminon,
National Commission on Law Enforcement and Social Justice,
Religious Technology Center,
Sterling Management Systems,
The Way to Happiness Foundation,
World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE),
Publishing Organizations:
New Era Publications,
International;
Bridge Publications, Inc.
Key Publications:
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950) and other books by L. Ron Hubbard;
What is Scientology? (1978) compiled by staff of the Church of Scientology International;
Freedom magazine.
This Belief Bulletin highlights basic concepts of Scientology and gives Biblical responses.
History:
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was born in Nebraska in 1911. He spent most of his childhood on his
grandfather's Montana ranch while his parents served overseas in the U.S. Navy. Hubbard later stated
that visits with parents to Asia in the 1920s introduced him to eastern philosophies and religions.
As a young man, Hubbard developed a career as a science fiction writer and claimed to have explored the
world. He also claimed that he received near fatal wounds in World War II. While recovering, he
formulated his novel psychological theories that were revealed in his 1950 book Dianetics: The Modern
Science of Mental Health.
In 1954, Hubbard incorporated the Church of Scientology to promote his ideas using a religious facade.
His books and church spread worldwide, but Hubbard became a recluse. He spent most of his last years
aboard his yacht being waited on hand-and-foot. He died inauspiciously in 1986.
Commonly Used Scientology Terms
Analytical mind: The conscious, rational, and problem solving part of one's mind. Auditing: Scientology's
personal counseling using dianetic techniques and utilizing an E- meter for reading engrams.
Auditing: Scientology's personal counseling using dianetic techniques and utilizing an E-meter for reading
engrams.
Auditor: Counselor who conducts auditing session.
Clear: State of person who has completed auditing. Person is supposedly liberated from all engrams and
their ill effects on the mind and body.
Dianetics: Method developed by L. Ron Hubbard for removing engrams and their negative effects from the
mind.
E-Meter (Electropsychometer): Instrument invented by L. Ron Hubbard for utilization in auditing process.
Engram: Unconscious mental image recorded in the reactive mind that has negative effects on a person's
life.
MEST: Acronym coined from the initial letters of matter, energy, space, and time which compose the
physical universe and hold the thetan captive.
Preclear: A person undergoing Dianetics auditing progressing toward Clear.
Reactive mind: The part of the mind not under a person's rational, conscious control or awareness.
Thetan: The immortal human soul or spiritual being. It is the true, timeless identity of the individual.
Beliefs and Practices
L. Ron Hubbard was a modern genius who discovered the answers to life's questions and unraveled the
secrets of our past, present, and future existences. His writings and speeches are considered absolutely
authoritative, especially his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.
Biblical Response: Researchers not associated with the Church of Scientology have documented
inaccuracies in Hubbard's account of his life. They allege he fabricated and exaggerated many of his
personal claims. His theories directly conflict with basic Christian teachings. Only the Bible is the infallible
basis for faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
Immortality
People are immortal, divine beings. They are composed of three dimensions: soul (thetan), mind (an
accumulation of all past experiences in this and past lives), and body (the mortal, temporary physical
component).
Biblical Response: People are souls created in the spiritual image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-30;
2:7). They are twofold in nature, body, and spirit. The body is mortal and the spirit immortal. There is no
existence before earthly life.
God
The Church of Scientology International has no clear definition of the nature or person of God. References
to a Supreme Being are rare in Scientology literature, calling it the "eight dynamic" or "infinity." The
Supreme Being is defined in vague, pantheistic terms as embracing the "allness of all."
Biblical Response: God is the eternal, infinite, personal Creator of the universe (Gen. 1; Deut. 6:4). He
is Spirit (Num. 23:19; John 4:24) and has existed from all eternity in a triune form: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 12:4-6).
Humankind
Engrams are stored in one's "reactive mind" and learned from one's past lives, prenatal experience, and
early childhood. These prevent individuals from realizing their innate divinity and experiencing a happy
and fulfilled life using their analytical minds.
Biblical Response: Humankind's problem is sin, an attitude of rebellion or indifference toward God and
His will, resulting in separation from God, both in this life and forever (Mark 7:20-23; Rom. 3:23; 6:23; 1
John 3:4; 5:17).
Scientology's Solution - Auditing
Engrams are removed from the mind only by an expensive process of dianetic counseling. This process,
called "auditing," involves the utilization of an "E-meter" that supposedly indicates when a person has
discovered an engram and helps the client expunge it from his or her unconscious reactive mind in order
to achieve "Clear." A person who has attained Clear may need further auditing to remove engrams held
over from previous lives. Auditing sessions may cost as much as $1,000 per hour.
Biblical Response: Jesus Christ is God's solution to the sin problem. He was God Himself, in human form
on earth (John 3:16; 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 1 Pet. 3:18). He lived a sinless life, died as an atoning sacrifice
for sin, and rose from the dead. People thus receive salvation as a gift, both as a present reality and
future hope, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:1; Rom. 10:9-10; Gal. 2:15-16; Eph. 2:8-9).
The Ultimate Goal - Liberation from MEST
A person will experience many thetan reincarnations in many lives over thousands of years. (Thus,
auditing often must include clearing the client of engrams from past lives.) Eventually, the thetan can
liberate itself completely from MEST and attain total spiritual awareness and become one with infinity.
Biblical Response: Born-again Christians will live forever with God and Jesus in heaven (John 14:3-6;
Rom. 6:23; 8:35-39; Rev. 20-22). Jesus taught that the righteous will have eternal life, but the unsaved
will suffer eternal punishment in hell (Matt. 25:46). Reincarnation is nowhere taught in the Bible. People
live one earthly life and then face God's judgment (Heb. 9:27).
Witnessing to Scientologists
1. Have a clear understanding of your faith and the Bible.
2. Ask appropriate questions to determine the person's level of involvement in Scientology and/or
Dianetics. Many people involved do not understand its philosophical, spiritual, and scientific problems, nor
its incompatibility with historic Christianity. In some cases, you may need to provide documentation to
show the Scientologist that L. Ron Hubbard was not what Scientologists believe him to be and expose the
controversial history of the Scientology movement. (See Brent Corydon, L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or
Madman [Barracade Books, 1994] and Russell Miller, Bare-Faced Messiah: A Biography of L. Ron Hubbard
[H. Holt & Co., 1988].)
3. Seek to establish a personal, friendly relationship with the Scientologist.
4. Establish the sole authority of the Bible. You may need to give the Scientologist a marked Bible to
highlight basic Christian doctrines.
5. Clearly define all terms of Scientology and historic Christianity.
6. Show the Scientologist how Christian doctrines are incompatible with Scientology. Focus especially on
contrasting ideas about God, sin, salvation, and life after death.
7. Share your personal testimony of faith in Jesus Christ and the benefits you derive from knowing Him as
Savior and Lord.
8. Share the plan of salvation and sensitively seek to lead the person to faith in Jesus.
Christian Science
By Tal Davis
Official Name: The Church of Christ, Scientist (CCS)
Key Figure in History: Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910)
Headquarters: The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass. (www.tfccs.com[cited 21 March
2001])
Churches (1999): 2,000 in over 60 countries
Practitioners: Approximately 3,000 worldwide (see page 3 for definition)
Ministries Associated With Christian Science:
Radio and Television: WQTV, Boston, Mass., and Monitor Radio Publications: The Christian Science
Monitor, The Christian Science Journal, The Christian Science Sentinel, The Herald of Christian Science,
Christian Science Quarterly. This belief bulletin highlights Christian Science doctrines and provides biblical
responses.
Introduction
The Church of Christ, Scientist (CCS), also known by its original name, The Christian Science Church, was
founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879 in Boston, Mass.
According to the CCS, Mary Ann Morse Baker, as a young person, was frail and suffered many illnesses. In
1844, her first husband, George Glover, died of yellow fever leaving her poor and with an infant son whom
she gave up to foster care. In 1853, she married Daniel Patterson. She divorced him in 1873. While living
in New Hampshire in 1866, she claimed to have discovered the secret of "Divine Science" after being
healed miraculously from a crippling fall. She began teaching her healing techniques and spiritual
philosophy to interested students. In 1875, she moved to Lynn, Mass., founded the Christian Science
Association, and published her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (S&H).
In 1877, she married Asa Albert Eddy (d. 1882) and together they formally established the CCS. In 1890,
Mrs. Eddy established "The Mother Church," The First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Boston, Mass. Mrs.
Eddy died in 1910 and authority now rests in the CCS Board of Directors (see above).
Authority: The Bible and Mrs. Eddy
Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy maintained that "as adherents of Truth, we take the inspired
Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life" (S&H, p. 497). Nonetheless, Christian Science
interprets the Bible in light of Mrs. Eddy's writings, particularly her book Science and Health with Key to
the Scriptures, in which she interprets it according to her metaphysical presuppositions. Also, Mrs. Eddy
seemed to question the textual reliability of the Bible blaming "the manifest mistakes in the ancient
versions . . . these facts show how a mortal and material sense stole into the divine record, with its own
hue darkening to some extent the inspired pages" (S&H, p. 139).
Biblical Response: The Bible is the only source of divinely inspired Scripture. No single person or church
can claim an infallible interpretation. Mrs. Eddy's metaphysical approach fails to adhere to sound principles
of biblical interpretation (see 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19- 21). She ascribes arbitrary spiritual meanings
to common biblical terms. For example "Jerusalem" is defined as "Mortal belief and knowledge obtained
from the five corporeal senses" (S&H, p. 589). "Holy Ghost" is defined as "Divine Science; the
development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love" (S&H, p. 588).
God is Mind, Truth, Love, Etc.
"God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love" (S&H, p. 465).
These are synonymous terms that "refer to one absolute God. They are also intended to express the
nature, essence, and wholeness of Deity. The attributes of God are justice, mercy, wisdom, goodness, and
so on" (S&H, p. 465).
The Trinity is redefined as life, truth, and love. "The theory of three persons in one God (that is, a
personal Trinity or Tri-unity) suggests polytheism, rather than the one ever-present I AM" (S&H, p. 256).
Biblical Response: There is only one true God (see Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10; 44:6-8) who exists eternally
in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (see Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14). The CCS
use of impersonal synonyms for God diminishes His personal nature as revealed in the Bible. The Bible
says "God is love" (1 John 4:8), not "love is God."
Jesus: Discoverer of the Christ-Ideal
There is an essential difference between Jesus the man and the "Christ Principle" which came upon Him as
He comprehended it. "We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the evidence of divine, efficacious Love,
unfolding man's unity with God through Christ Jesus the Way-shower" (S&H, p. 497).
Biblical Response: There is no distinction that can be made between Jesus the man and Christ, His
divine office (Messiah). He did not receive his Messiahship, but rather claimed that title from eternity past
(see Isa. 9:6; Matt. 1:16-18; 2:4; Luke 2:11). Jesus died on the cross as the atonement for humanity's
sin and rose again physically to claim God's victory over death (see Luke 24:36-43; John 2:18-22; 1 Cor.
15:1-8).
"Spirit" Is Real; "Matter" Is Not
Since God's essential essence is spirit or mind, and only that which reflects His nature is real, then matter
does not really exist. "Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter
is the unreal and temporal" (S&H, p. 468).
Biblical Response: Indeed, God is Spirit (see John 4:24). He is Creator of all that exists, including the
material universe (see Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16; Heb. 11:3). God declared the entirety of the created order
"very good" (Gen. 1:31). Jesus was God incarnated in a material body (see John 1:14; Col. 2:9) and was
resurrected physically (see Luke 24:36-39; John 20:26; 1 Cor. 15:1-8).
People Are Divine Spirits
Since matter does not exist and humanity reflects God's nature, then humanity is not really made of
matter. "Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual"
(S&H, p. 468).
Biblical Response: Humanity has both a spiritual and physical dimension (see Gen. 1:26-27). God
created humanity as living souls (see Gen. 2:7). Our future resurrection will be both spiritual and physical
(see 1 Cor. 15).
The Problem: Humanity's Illusions
Since only those ideas that reflect God's nature actually are real, then sin, death, disease, and pain are
not real, but only illusions. "The only reality of sin, sickness, or death is the awful fact that unrealities
seem real to human, erring belief . . . They are not true, because they are not of God" (S&H, p. 472).
"The cause of all so-called disease is mental, a mortal fear, a mistaken belief or conviction of the necessity
and power of ill-health" (S&H, p. 377).
Biblical Response: Sin is a reality and all people (except Christ) are sinners by nature (see Rom. 3:23).
It is a result of humanity's willful disobedience to God and His will. Sin alienates people from God and
produces suffering, disease, and death (see Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12-23).
Spiritual Healing
Since matter, sin, disease, and death are illusions and unreal, then people are not subject to them.
"Through immortal Mind, or Truth, we can destroy all ills which proceed from mortal mind" (S&H, p. 374).
Thus when people fully realize this principle, disease should disappear. "When one's false belief is
corrected, Truth sends a report of health over the body" (S&H p. 194).
Biblical Response: Sickness is real. Christians believe God can cure through prayer if it is His will.
Inevitably, however, the physical body deteriorates and dies. Medical science is an appropriate adjunct to
prayer in curing and maintaining physical health (see 1 Cor. 12:9,30; James 5:14-16). Luke (writer of the
Gospel of Luke and Acts) is identified as a physician (see Col. 4:14).
Death: The Ultimate Illusion
Since God and man are immortal spirit or mind, death is also only an illusion. It is a transition from the
illusion of the material to ultimate reality of immortal spirit. "So, when our friends pass from our sight and
we lament, that lamentation is needless and causeless" (S&H, p. 386).
Biblical Response: Death is a reality and a result of mankind's sin (see Gen. 2:17; Ezek. 18:20; Rom.
6:21-23; 8:6). It is both physical and spiritual. The spirit of the believer, however, at death, goes to be
with the Lord (see 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23-24) and awaits a reunion with the body at the Lord's return (see
1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Those who are unsaved will face judgment (see Heb. 9:27) and eternal
separation from God in hell ("the second death"). (See Rev. 20:1-15).
Salvation
Since sin and death are false beliefs (illusions), salvation involves overcoming the false idea that they
exist with a realization of our divine spirit and mind. "We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus and his
resurrection served to uplift faith to understand eternal Life, even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the
nothingness of matter" (S&H, p. 497).
Biblical Response: Salvation is not realized through some special knowledge. It is received only by
acknowledging, confessing, and repenting of one's sin (see Acts 3:19; 26:20; 1 John 1:9), and putting
one's faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (see John 1:12; Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9).
Christian Science Terms
• Bible Lesson (Lesson Sermon): One of 26 weekly lessons studied and taught in local churches.
• Branch Church: Local self-governing CCS congregation.
• First Reader: Person who leads Sunday and Wednesday services in local CCS (second reader assists).
• Lecture: Free talk sponsored by local CCS given by authorized member of Christian Science Board of
Lectureship.
• Practitioner: Person in full-time professional work of Christian Science healing.
• Reading Room: Local bookstore/library open to the public to access Christian Science literature.
Witnessing to Christian Scientists
1. Have a clear understanding of your faith and the Bible.
2. Have a basic knowledge of the beliefs and presuppositions of Christian Science.
3. Seek to establish a sincere personal relationship with the Christian Scientist.
4. Establish the unique authority of the Bible. Tell the Christian Scientist that you do not consider any
belief that is not biblically based as valid.
5. Define clearly all terms of biblical Christianity and Christian Science. Christian Science uses many
biblical and Christian terms that have different meanings.
6. When appropriate, respectfully discuss significant differences in doctrine. Focus on historic biblical
perspectives about God, Jesus Christ, and salvation. Also, establish the reality of sin, disease, and death.
Emphasize why Christ's death was necessary.
7. Share your personal testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. Explain how you realized you are a sinner, but
have trusted in Jesus' death and resurrection to atone for your sin.
8. When you have clarified all important issues, share the plan of salvation and seek to lead the person to
faith in Christ.
Unitarian Universalists
By Tal Davis
Official name: Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
Headquarters:
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(USA): 25 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. 02108
(617) 742-2100
Web site: www.uua.org
(Canada) Canadian Unitarian Council, 705-55 Eglinton Avenue, East, Toronto, Ontario M4P 1G8
(416) 489-4121
Web site: www.cuc.ca
Membership (1998):
# Worldwide
# North America
# Congregations
# Fellowshipped Ministers
312,467
213,342
1,041
1,900
Demographics
49% Male
51% Female
Ministries and Organizations of UUA:
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Religious Education Action Clearing House (REACH)
Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU, teens)
Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
Publishers and Publications:
•
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•
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Beacon Press
Skinner House Books
UU World: The Journal of the Unitarian Universalist Association
Synapse (YRUU)
UU and me! (children)
Brief History of Unitarian Universalism
The concept of God as a single unitary being—as an alternative to traditional Christian Trinitarianism—can
be traced in ancient times to the teachings of Arius (A.D. 256-336), a pastor in Alexandria, Egypt, who
taught that the Son was a created being and not equal to the Father. Arius, and his movement called
Arianism, argued that the Bible does not teach a Trinitarian concept of God and that Jesus made no claims
to deity. His Unitarian view was rejected as heretical by the Council of Nicea in 325. The Unitarian view
remained dormant in church history until after the Protestant Reformation when Michael Servetus (15111553) in Spain, and Faustus Socinus (1539-1604) in Poland, questioned anew the historic Trinitarian
doctrine. Later, a Hungarian named Frances David (1510-1579) led a movement that was the first to be
labeled Unitarian. In England, Unitarianism raised its head in the teachings of John Biddle (1615- 1662),
who attempted to disprove the Trinity from the Bible.
In the United States, the first church to adopt Unitarian doctrine officially was King's Chapel in Boston,
Mass. In 1786, the congregation left its Episcopal roots to embrace the Unitarian view. Soon afterward,
Harvard University followed suit.
The American Unitarian Association (AUA) was formally established in 1825. It was led by William Ellery
Channing (1780-1842), pastor of Federal Street Congregational Church in Boston. Channing, as did most
Unitarian ministers of the time, despite their rejection of Trinitarianism, still relied on the Bible for their
theological formulations.
Unitarians claim that a number of prominent eighteenth and nineteenth century Americans embraced
Unitarian, or deist, beliefs. They include five presidents of the United States: John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore, and William Howard Taft. Other famous Americans claimed
by Unitarians include Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Susan B. Anthony.
In the twentieth century Unitarianism abandoned any claim to biblical authority. In fact, in the years from
1918 to 1937, the movement internally debated the very existence of God. Eventually, it fell under the
domination of naturalism and humanism. This culminated in 1933 with the publishing of the starkly
naturalistic Humanist Manifesto. One-half of its signees were Unitarian ministers. Some prominent
Americans in the late twentieth century who were claimed by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
included statesman Adlai Stevenson, writer Robert Fulghum, actor Paul Newman, poet Carl Sandburg, and
writer and producer Rod Serling.
In 1961, the Unitarian churches merged with a small movement called the Universalist Church of America
to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). In the decades since, the UUA has developed into a
society of local congregations that focus primarily on liberal social, political, environmental, and genderrelated issues. One surprising trend is the increasing growth of neo-paganism and witchcraft in some UUA
congregations. The influence of secular humanism, while still strong, has diminished somewhat with the
rise of postmodernism.
The UUA Today
In 1997, a survey was taken of more than 8,000 active members of the UUA in North America. The results
revealed a number of surprising facts about people involved in the modern UUA.
When asked about their theological perspective, 46% described themselves as humanist (atheist or
agnostic). 55% regarded themselves as earth or nature-centered (pantheists), Buddhists, Hindu,
undefined theists, mystics (New Agers) or other (pagan). About 1.5% identified themselves as Jewish.
Only 9.5% described themselves as Christian by any definition.
The median age of UUA respondents to the poll was 55.7 years, and only 27.5% still have children at
home. 67.6% of the respondents were women, meaning less than one-third of UUA members are men.
Only 27% of the UUA respondents answering the survey described themselves as heterosexual men.
10.5% identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender.
As expected, more than 78% of UUA followers favored greater racial and cultural diversity in their
congregations. Nevertheless, the most surprising finding of the survey was that 98% of all UUA people
described themselves as European Americans (white), meaning only 2% represent ethnic or racial
minorities.
Beliefs of the UUA
Complete religious freedom for each individual
Unitarian Universalists affirm and defend the right of all people to accept or reject any or all religions
beliefs. No specific doctrinal perspective is required for membership. We uphold the free search for truth.
We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours
is a noncreedal religion. Ours is a free faith. (Marta Flanagan, We Are Unitarian Universalists,
http://www.uua.org/bookstore/weare.html)
Biblical Response
Christians also affirm the right of free, moral individuals to decide their religious beliefs for themselves. No
person should ever be coerced to profess a religion's tenets that they do not actually believe.
Nonetheless, Christians also affirm the rights of local and national religious organizations to prescribe
doctrinal and behavior standards for membership. Nearly all historic Christian organizations require
adherence to essential biblical teachings on the nature of God, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and
the way of salvation. Evangelical churches generally require testimony of an experience of acceptance of
Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior and Lord (see Rom. 10:9-10).
Reason is our guide to truth
In the last century, most Unitarian Universalists maintained that human reason, intuition, and scientific
research were the only reliable sources for discovering all truth. Generally, they rejected supernatural
sources of knowledge-especially divine sources of revelation such as the Bible or other religious texts.
Nonetheless, in recent decades, many neo-pagan Unitarian Universalists have accepted supernatural
beliefs that defy naturalistic presuppositions. According to Marta Flanagan,
The living tradition that we share draws from many sources:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves
us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and
structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as
ourselves;
Humanist teachings that counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science,
and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions that celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct
us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. (Marta Flanagan, We Are Unitarian
Universalists, http://www.uua.org/bookstore/weare.html)
Biblical Response
Christians affirm that human reason, intuition, and scientific research have some limited value for
discovering truth about the natural world or spiritual reality. However, they maintain that neither human
reason, nor intuition, nor science are capable of discerning all truth-especially that regarding spiritual
reality. That must come from special divinely inspired revelation (see Rom. 1:18-20).
Christians, therefore, believe that God has revealed truth about His own nature, the creation, and
redemption only in the Bible and in the Person of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 1:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:1921).
No particular belief about God is taught
What the Unitarian Universalist fellowship offers me is the encouragement to be utterly my most
responsible self in matters of theological belief. When I use the word God or God/ess, it is with the full
understanding that I speak from personal conviction and experience, and not from any desire to impose
my "revelation" on others. (Jack Mendelsohn, Being Liberal in An Illiberal Age)
Unitarian Universalists do not have any stated doctrinal belief concerning the existence or nature of a god.
It is entirely the prerogative of each individual to determine what, if any, concept of deity they wish to
accept. Historically, Unitarians rejected the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity as polytheistic.
Currently, however, some Unitarian Universalists profess belief in gods and goddesses of various numbers
and kinds.
Biblical Response
The Bible teaches that there is only one infinite and eternal God. He is the creator of all that exists in the
universe. The Bible teaches that this One God exists eternally as three separate persons: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit (see Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 8:6, 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 1:21-22, 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2).
Christians maintain that this concept of God is absolutely true and that any other concept is false. Belief in
and worship of any other god or gods is considered idolatry and is unacceptable in Christian churches and
fellowships (see Ex. 20:1-6; Deut. 5:6-8, 6:4).
Jesus Christ was a great religious teacher (but not necessarily unique)
But whatever we [Unitarian Universalists] call ourselves, (Christian, Jew, theist, agnostic, humanist,
atheist), most of us would agree that the important thing about Jesus is not his supposed miraculous birth
or the claim that he was resurrected from death, but rather how he lived . . . The Apostles Creed and
other such statements of dogmatic theology entirely miss this point. (John A. Buehrens and Forrest
Church, A Chosen Faith-An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism)
Unitarian Universalists who believe that Jesus actually lived-and many do not-regard Him to be merely a
moral teacher or religious reformer. They generally reject any notion that He was a divinely inspired
leader, and especially reject the claim that He was the unique incarnation of God.
Biblical Response
The Bible affirms that Jesus not only was a genuine, historical figure who led a moral or religious
movement, but was also the unique incarnation of God. Thus, He was fully deity and claimed equality with
God (see John 1:1,14, 5:17-18, 23, 8:56-59, 10:30-33; Col. 1:15-20, 2:9).
Jesus lived a sinless life and performed numerous miraculous acts that are reported in the Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Ultimately, He prophesied His own death and physical resurrection (see
John 2:18-22), and appeared physically to more than 500 of His disciples (see Luke 24: 36-43; 1 Cor.
15:1-8).
Mankind is basically good
Unitarian Universalists reject the biblical doctrine of original sin. They teach that basically all people are
good and have no need for spiritual redemption from the effects of sin.
"Doctrinally, Universalism's principle theological contribution lies in striking hell from the theological sense.
Complementing this, Unitarianism (in addition to affirming God's oneness) removed original sin. Together
they conspire brilliantly on behalf of goodness." (John A. Buehrens and Forrest Church, A Chosen Faith-An
Introduction to Unitarian Universalism)
Biblical Response
The Bible teaches that mankind—descended from Adam and Eve—is, by nature, sinful. Thus, people are
incapable of enjoying a relationship with a holy God and are in need of full redemption. No acts of
righteousness or good works can restore a sinful person to a right relation with God. Neither can a person
overcome the effects that sin has both in this life and for eternity (see Rom. 3:23, 7:14-25; 1 John 1:810).
Salvation is finding one's own self-fulfillment and truth
Unitarian Universalists, as indicated, do not subscribe to any formal doctrinal perspective. Also, as
indicated, they have not stated a position on the nature (or existence) of God. In addition, they have no
concept of original sin, and, in fact, reject the notion of mankind's sinfulness and affirm the basic
goodness of humanity.
As a result, Unitarian Universalists see no essential need for the traditional concepts of Christian
redemption and salvation. Since men are not sinners, they do not need forgiveness from sin.
For them, salvation—for lack of a better word—is simply an individual's achievement of self-actualization.
In this view, whatever way one finds meaning or purpose for her life is valid.
"For us, salvation is not an otherworldly journey, flown on wings of dogma. It is ethical striving and moral
growth: respect for the personalities and experiences of others; faith in human dignity and potentiality;
aversion to sanctimony and bigotry; reverence for the gift of life; confidence in a true harmony of mind
and spirit, of nature and human nature; faith in the ability to give and receive love; and a quest for broad,
encompassing religious expression-spiritual yet practical, personal and communal." (Jack Mendelsohn,
Being Liberal in An Illiberal Age)
Biblical Response
Christians believe that since sin exists and mankind by nature is sinful-that all people need personal
salvation from its effects.
It is through the sacrificial atonement of Christ by His death on the cross and the bodily resurrection that
redemption was made available to all people (see 1 Cor. 15:1-8). They believe salvation is accessed "by
grace through faith" in Jesus Christ alone (see Rom. 4:4-5; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).
Life after death is an open question - heaven and hell are states of mind
Most modern Unitarian Universalists do not concern themselves to a great extent over issues of life-afterdeath. Those who do believe in some concept of existence after this life describe it in vague terms. Many
Unitarian Universalists simply state that heaven and hell are only states of mind in this life—that may or
may not extend beyond death.
Some neo-pagans in the UUA probably have adopted eastern or New Age concepts of reincarnation or
spiritualism.
Nearly all Unitarian Universalists reject any concept of an eternal hell for punishment of sin. One UUA
writer praised the Universalists historic rejection of the traditional Christian view.
"The creedal assumptions formulated at Nicaea must be in error. Even though the Nicaean Council had
pointed out that God's justice required the punishment of sin, it was self-evident that a good and perfect
God created humans to grow eternally in the goodness of their creator." (Jack Mendelsohn, Being Liberal
in An Illiberal Age)
Biblical Response
The Bible clearly affirms that all people live on after death (see 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23-24; Rev. 6:9-10,
14:13). It indicates that those who received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord will abide in
heaven for eternity (see John 3:16, 14:3).
The doctrine of eternal hell was taught by Jesus and affirmed in the Bible. He taught that the righteous
will have eternal life, but the wicked will suffer eternal punishment (see Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; 2
Thes. 1:9; Rev. 20-22).
Witnessing to UUAs
1. Be sure of your own faith and the Bible. Christians need to understand the basic tenets of Christian
faith and why the Bible is reliable.
2. Inquire about the Unitarian Universalist's personal beliefs. Since the UUA has no standard doctrinal
beliefs, members vary widely in their personal convictions. Ask her questions like, "What is God like according to your understanding?" or "Who is Jesus Christ in your opinion?"
3. Focus on the essential issues of the Christian faith: God, the Bible, Jesus Christ, and salvation. Do not
get sidetracked discussing denominational differences or other non-essential issues.
4. Do not argue. Ask questions about her beliefs and listen to her answers. Give reasonable answers to
her questions or objections about your faith in Christ.
5. Share your personal testimony of faith in Christ. The Unitarian Universalist may have many intellectual
objections, but she cannot argue with your experience.
6. Share the plan of salvation. Remember, many in the UUA have a distorted view of Christianity, and she
may never have even heard the simple plan of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
7. Invite your Unitarian Universalist friend to read Christian literature that you will provide for her. Some
excellent authors and books that will challenge her intellectually to consider Christianity are listed below.
Atheism
By Bill Gordon
Question:
"Hasn't the existence of God been disproved?"
Christian Response: The person who asks this question usually believes that the existence of God has
been disproved by philosophy, psychology, or science.
Philosophical Objections to the Existence of God The Problem: The major philosophical objection to
the existence of the God of the Bible involves the problem of evil. Christianity teaches that God is both allpowerful (see Ps. 115:3; Jer. 32:17; Matt. 19:26) and all-good (see Lev. 11:44-45; Pss. 11:4-6; 18:1;
145:7; Isa. 57:15; Hab. 1:13; Jas. 1:13). Christianity also maintains that God created everything (see
Gen. 1:1; Ex. 20:11; Neh 9:6; Pss. 33:6; 102:25; Acts 4:24; 14:15; 17:24). Yet, evil exists in the world.
Therefore, many atheists argue that either God is not all good and is the author of evil, or God is not allpowerful and cannot do anything about evil. Either way, the atheist contends that the all-good and allpowerful God of the Bible cannot exist.
Christian Response: Christians answer the philosophical arguments against the existence of God by
reaffirming the Christian doctrine of creation. Unlike pantheistic religions, Christianity teaches that God
has created that which is not God. The doctrine of creation teaches that the universe is not a part of God,
nor is it an illusion in the mind of God. Christianity teaches that God has invested His creation with true
existence. Not only did God create something separate from Himself, but also made part of His creation in
His image (see Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9). According to the Bible, humanity has been
made in the image of God. One of the implications of being made in God's image is the ability to make
decisions. People are not programmed robots or animals controlled by their instincts-but possess free will.
When theologians refer to human beings possessing free will they do not mean that people have unlimited
options, but simply that they have the ability to choose between available options.
When God created humanity with free will He gave the ability to truly love or reject Him. God gave the
ability to freely obey or disobey Him. God does not force anyone to love or follow Him (see John 3:16-18;
2 Cor. 5:19-21; Rev. 3:20; 22:17). Christianity teaches that it is the misuse of free will that allowed evil
to come into the world (see Gen. 3:1-24).
When Christians explain that evil was created by a misuse of free will, atheists sometimes object by
asking the following questions.
Philosophical objection: "Why did God create free creatures capable of doing evil?"
Christian Response: Christians admit that God theoretically could have created a world without morally
free creatures-capable of choosing between good or evil. However, they maintain that such a world would
have been inferior to the one in which we now live. It is important to remember that a system where
morally free creatures do not exist is a non-moral system by definition. Christians believe that a world
where ethics exist is better than one where justice and virtue are impossible. The ability to make
principled decisions is one of the greatest gifts of God. The fact the gift can and has been misused does
not lessen its value.
Philosophical objection: "Why didn't God create free creatures that would not sin?"
Christian Response: Those who raise this objection never provide a satisfactory answer as to how God
could manipulate a free choice and at the same time keep the choice free. The Christian doctrine of God
teaches that God is all-powerful. However, there are some things that even an all-powerful God cannot
do. For example, the Bible teaches that God cannot sin (see Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Heb. 6:18; Jas.
1:13). Christian theologians also argue that God cannot do anything that is nonsensical or selfcontradictory. When the skeptic asks why God didn't create a free creation that would not choose evil, he
might as well ask why God didn't create square circles. Both questions are self-contradictory and
nonsensical. A square is not a circle and a fixed will is not free.
Psychological Objections to the Existence of God Psychological objection: "Hasn't psychology
proved that belief in God is nothing but wish fulfillment?" A popular argument among many atheists is that
people believe in the existence of God for psychological reasons. They argue that people who believe in
God at not strong enough to face reality without the psychological crutch of believing in the existence of
God. Therefore, belief in God is nothing but psychological wish fulfillment.
Christian Response: When challenged by the psychological arguments against the existence of God,
Christian thinkers point out that what we wish to be true has no impact upon reality. The fact that many
people want the God of the Bible to exist has no implications for God's actual existence. It also does not
stand to reason that just because we wish something to be true that it must, therefore, be false. It is not
logical to argue that God cannot be real simply because Christians wish to Him to exist. Sometimes what
we wish for really exists. It needs to be pointed out to the unbeliever that the psychological argument
against the existence of God is a two-edged sword that cuts in both directions. If the psychological
arguments were valid, Christians could just as easily argue that atheism is a psychological crutch for those
unable to face the reality that the God of the Bible exists. The idea that they will one day have to give an
account for their life before an all-knowing and all-powerful God is psychologically distressing for the
atheist. Therefore, the atheist represses the existence of God for psychological reasons because he or she
wishes that God did not exist.
As has already been discussed, what we wish has no impact on reality. The psychological argument
against atheism is just as logically invalid as the psychological argument against theism. However, the
discussion above points out that the psychological argument is just as much of a problem for atheism as it
is for Christianity.
Scientific Objections to the Existence of God Scientific Objection: "Hasn't science proved that there
is no God?"
Atheists who raise this objection often believe that both science and evolution have proved that God does
not exist.
Christian Response: It is true that the theory of evolution teaches that totally natural processes can
explain the universe. However, there are good reasons for rejecting atheistic evolution and for believing in
the Biblical doctrine of creation.
For example, astronomical observations indicate that the universe has not always existed but came into
being apparently out of nothing. These observations match the teachings of the Bible that also indicate
that God created the universe out of nothing (see Ps. 33:6; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 4:11). In addition, the fossil
record which many evolutionists site as the strongest evidence for their theory is, in fact, one of its
greatest weaknesses. While many extinct species can be seen in the fossil record, even evolutionists admit
that there is little evidence of intermediately life forms. The fossil record has not supported the theory of
evolution by providing evidence of gradual changes from one species to another. On the contrary, new
species appear suddenly and fully formed in the fossil record. Far from disproving the existence of God,
scientific discoveries have made belief in the existence of God more plausible.
The more science learns about the complexity and sophistication of creation the harder it is to believe that
it all happened by chance. For example, science has discovered that one strand of DNA can carry the
same amount of information as a volume of an encyclopedia. No one coming upon an encyclopedia
volume in a forest would assume that random forces and elements had produced it by chance. Such a
conclusion would be rejected as totally implausible. Yet, the atheists offer the same kind of implausible
conclusion when they are confronted with the amount of information contained in one DNA molecule.
Belief in the existence of God requires faith, but recent scientific discoveries have revealed that theism
does not require as much faith as atheism.
Conclusions
The existence of God has not been disproved. Philosophy, psychology, and science have been unable to
prove that there is no God. While it takes faith to believe in God, this faith is reasonable and logical.
The Moral Argument for God's Existence
By Paul Copan
Philosopher John Rist is right; there is "widely admitted to be a crisis in contemporary Western debate
about ethical foundations."1 It seems that, ultimately, the crisis is the result of approaching ethics without
reference to God. When morality is severed from its theological roots, secular ethics cannot sustain itself
- it withers and dies.
I can only sketch out a brief defense of the connection between God and objective moral values (which I
have done more extensively elsewhere).2 I will argue that if objective moral values exist, then God exists;
objective moral values do exist; therefore, God exists. To resolve our ethics crisis, we must recognize the
character of a good God (in whose image valuable humans have been made) as the necessary foundation
of ethics, human rights, and human dignity.
1. Objective Moral Values Exist: They Are Properly Basic: Moral values exist whether or not a
person or culture believes them ("objective"). Normally-functioning human beings take these for granted
as basic to their well-being and flourishing.
a. Humans do not have to find out what is moral by reading the Bible such knowledge is available to all
people. Romans 2:14-15 says that those without God's special revelation (Scripture, Jesus Christ) can
know right from wrong. They have God's general revelation of his basic moral law in their conscience,
"Gentiles, who do not have the Law [of Moses] do instinctively the things of the Law". (Rom 2:14, NASB).
No wonder they have been made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-7). They're constituted to function
properly when they live according to God's design. So people (including atheists) whose hearts have
not been hardened or self-deceived will have the same sorts of moral instincts as Christians-that torturing
babies for fun (along with rape or adultery) is wrong, and kindness is good.
When a person says, "Maybe murder or rape isn't really wrong," he does not need an argument. He is
self-deceived. If he really believes this, he needs spiritual or psychological help because he is just not
functioning properly. Even relativists who claim that someone's values may be true for him but not for
others are likely those who say, "I have rights" or "You ought to be tolerant." But rights and tolerance do
not make any sense if relativism is correct. Rather, they entail that objective moral values exist.
b. Just as we generally trust our sense perceptions as reliable (unless there is good reason to doubt
them), we should treat general moral intuitions (aversion to torturing babies for fun, rape, murder) as
innocent until proven guilty. Why do we trust our five senses? Most of us find they are regularly reliable.
Even if we misperceive things once in a while, we are wise to pay attention to our senses rather than
consistently doubt them. Similarly, we have basic moral instincts-for example, a revulsion at taking
innocent human life or of raping (the "Yuck factor") or an inward affirmation regarding self-sacrifice for
the well-being of my child (the "Yes factor"). The burden of proof falls on those denying or questioning
basic moral principles. We are wise to pay attention to these basic moral instincts - even if these
intuitions need occasional fine-tuning.
Morally-sensitive humans can get the basics right regarding morality. In the appendix of C.S. Lewis' book
The Abolition of Man,3 he lists various virtues that have been accepted across the ages and civilizations
(Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, Native American, Indian, Hebrew, etc.). Stealing and murder are
condemned in these law codes while honoring parents and keeping marriage vows are applauded.
Some might argue: Aren't there moral conflicts as well? Some cultures permit polygamy, for instance.
Yes, but marriage customs and vows that bind marriages together also prohibit adultery. While
applications and expressions of moral principles may differ from culture to culture, there are basic moral
principles that cut across cultural lines. What happens when we encounter (at least on the face of it)
conflicting moral principles? We start with morally clear cases and work to the unclear. In light of
apparent moral conflict, it would be a faulty jump to conclude that morality is relative. As lexicographer
Samuel Johnson put it, "The fact that there is such a thing as twilight does not mean that we cannot
distinguish between day and night."
c. Moral principles are discovered, not invented. Moral reforms (abolishing slavery, advocating a woman's
right to vote, promoting civil rights for blacks) make no sense unless objective moral values exists. Even
if creating the atmosphere for reform may take time (even centuries), this does not imply that morality
just evolves during human history and is just a human invention. Rather, it more readily suggests that
moral principles can be discovered and are worth pursuing, even at great cost.
Atheist philosopher Kai Nielsen acknowledges this point: "It is more reasonable to believe such elemental
things [wife-beating, child abuse] to be evil than to believe any skeptical theory that tells us we cannot
know or reasonably believe any of these things to be evil…I firmly believe that this is bedrock and right
and that anyone who does not believe it cannot have probed deeply enough into the grounds of his moral
beliefs."4
2. God and Objective Morality Are Closely Connected: It is not unusual to hear, "Atheists can be
good without God." Atheist Michael Martin argues that theists give the same reasons as atheists for
condemning rape: it violates the victim's rights, damages society. What Martin really means is that
atheists can be good without believing in God, but they would not be good (have intrinsic worth, moral
responsibility, etc.) without God. (Indeed, nothing would exist without him.) That is, because humans are
made in God's image, they can know what is good even if they do not believe in God. Atheists and theists
can affirm the same values, but theists can ground belief in human rights and dignity because we are all
made in the image of a supremely valuable being.
Just think about it: Intrinsically-valuable, thinking persons do not come from impersonal, non-conscious,
unguided, valueless processes over time. A personal, self-aware, purposeful, good God provides the
natural and necessary context for the existence of valuable, rights-bearing, morally-responsible human
persons. That is, personhood and morality are necessarily connected; moral values are rooted in
personhood. Without God (a personal Being), no persons - and thus no moral values - would exist at all:
no personhood, no moral values. Only if God exists can moral properties be realized.
3. Non-theistic Ethical Theories Will Be Incomplete and Inadequate: Some secularists would
suggest that we can have ethical systems that make no reference to God (e.g., Aristotle, Kant). However,
while they may make some very positive contributions to ethical discussion (regarding moral
virtue/character or universal moral obligations), their systems are still incomplete. They still do not tell us
why human beings have intrinsic value, rights, and moral obligations.
What about naturalistic evolutionary ethics, in which we develop an awareness of right or wrong and
moral obligation to help us survive/reproduce? Ethical awareness has only biological worth.5 Such an
approach leaves us with the following problems: First, can we even trust our minds if we are nothing
more than the products of naturalistic evolution, trying to fight, feed, flee, and reproduce? Charles Darwin
had a "horrid doubt" that since the human mind has developed from lower animals, why would anyone
trust it? Why trust the convictions of a monkey's mind?6 The naturalistic evolutionary process is
interested in fitness/survival-not in true belief; so not only is objective morality undermined so is rational
thought. Our beliefs-including moral ones-may help us survive, but there is no reason to think they are
true. Belief in objective morality or human dignity may help us survive, but it may be completely false.
The problem with skepticism (including moral skepticism) is that I am assuming a trustworthy reasoning
process to arrive at the conclusion that I cannot trust my reasoning! If we trust our rational and moral
faculties, we will assume a theistic outlook: Being made in the image of a truthful, rational, good Being
makes sense of why we trust our senses/moral intuitions.
In addition, we are left with this problem: if human beings are simply the product of naturalistic evolution,
then we have no foundation for moral obligation and human dignity. This could easily undermine moral
motivation. The sexual predator and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer acknowledged the seriousness of the
matter: "If it all happens naturalistically, what's the need for a God? Can't I set my own rules? Who owns
me? I own myself."7
To reinforce further the point about the God-morality connection, a number of atheists and skeptics have
noted it. The late atheist philosopher J. L. Mackie said that moral properties are "queer" given naturalism
"if there are objective values, they make the existence of a god more probable than it would have been
without them. Thus we have a defensible argument from morality to the existence of a god."8Agnostic
Paul Draper observes, "A moral world is very probable on theism."9
As the Declaration of Independence asserts, humans are "endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights." This good Creator is the true foundation of ethics and the ultimate hope of rescuing it
from its present crisis.
What Is Postmodernism?
By Paul Copan: In one of his dialogues, Plato cited the thinker Protagoras as saying that any given thing
"is to me such as it appears to me, and is to you such as it appears to you."1 This sounds rather
contemporary. We hear slogans declaring "that's true for you but not for me" or "that's just your
perspective." These statements reflect the postmodern mood that continues to affect and shape Western
culture. How did postmodernism descend upon our civilization? What is postmodernism? What are its
defining characteristics? We will look very briefly at these questions.
1. How did postmodernism emerge? Obviously, the term postmodernism presupposes an era that
preceded it - modernism. But we must also understand what modernism was reacting to - namely,
premodernism.
Premodernism: Before the 1600s, people in the West generally believed that God (or the
transcendent/supernatural realm) furnished the basis for moral absolutes, rationality, human dignity, and
truth. This is expressed by the noted Christian theologian Anselm (b. AD 1033), who said, "I believe that I
may understand" (credo ut intelligam) he spoke of a "faith seeking understanding" (fides quaerens
intellectum). That is, the starting point for knowledge and wisdom was God, who provided the lens
through which one could properly interpret reality and human experience. By having faith in God, the
world could be rightly understood.
Modernism: Then came philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650). As a Roman Catholic, he was troubled
by the philosophical skepticism and (due to the Protestant Reformation) the theological uncertainty of his
day. So he embarked on a "skeptical voyage" in the pursuit of absolutely certain knowledge. As part of his
project, he determined to doubt everything: Maybe an evil genius was tinkering with his mind - or maybe
everything is an illusion. But he concluded that at least he knew he was doubting, which is a form of
thinking. He concluded: I think; therefore I am (or, in Latin, cogito, ergo sum). So without realizing it,
Descartes' project removed God from center stage, replacing it with the human knower as the starting
point. The effect would be momentous. The rationalism of the European Enlightenment (c. 1650-1800)
reflected this shift. This period was both optimistic about human potential and reason, but was also
skeptical about church authority/state churches and Christian doctrine ("dogma").
This was just one of many modernist projects that assumed that human dignity, truth, and reason could
be preserved without God. Besides rationalism (with its emphasis on reason), there were Romanticism
(with the emphasis on feeling), Marxism, Nazism, and other utopian schemes that sought to displace God
as the starting point for understanding and living. The Jewish-Christian worldview that had deeply
influenced the West was now being challenged.
Postmodernism: Then, in the wake of two World Wars, a postmodern climate started to permeate the
West. Confidence in human progress and autonomy was shattered on the rocks of Auschwitz and the
Soviet gulags. The systems or "grand stories" ("metanarratives") of Nazism, Marxism, scientism, or
rationalism ended up oppressing "the other" - that is, those marginalized by these systems such as Jews,
capitalists, etc. These systems proved to be total failures. So with postmodernism, not only was God
excluded as a foundation for making sense of reality and human experience; we cannot speak of any
universal truth, reason, or morality. We just have fragmented perspectives.
If the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille in Paris (1789) stands as a picture of the shift to
modernism, the fall of the Berlin Wall exactly 200 years later (1989) symbolizes the failure of modernism
and rise of postmodernism.
Premodernism (up to 1650)
Modernism (1650-1950s)
God/the supernatural realm
furnishes the basis for morality,
human dignity, truth, and
reason.
Morality, human dignity, truth,
and reason rest on
foundations other than God
(reason, science, race, etc.).
French Revolution (1789)
Fall of the Berlin Wall
(1989)
Postmodernism (1960s - present)
All metanarratives (systems or grand
stories) are suspect-whether religious or
not. No universal foundation for truth,
morality, human dignity exists.
2. What is postmodernism? French postmodernist Jean-François Lyotard famously claimed modernism's
end symbolized by Auschwitz, asking, "Where, after the metanarratives, can legitimacy reside?" What is
postmodernism then? "Simplifying to the extreme, I define postmodern as incredulity toward
metanarratives."2 That is, postmodernism is deeply skeptical about (or suspicious of) big explanatory
systems or stories. It is also critical of any view that claims to be neutral, unbiased, or rational. Christian
philosopher Merold Westphal observes that modernism was characterized by the quest for (a) absolute
certainty (think of Descartes) and (b) totalism - that all-embracing system ("metanarrative").3
Modernists attempted to create "grand stories"-without reference to God-to ground human dignity,
freedom, morality, and progress.
While modernism sought totalizing systems and absolute certainty, postmodernism now calls them into
question in a two-fold manner. To counter totalism, postmodernism asserts that our interests and desires
often use "reason" to promote their fulfillment; "truth" is simply whatever promotes my (or my group's)
will or interests. There is a "political agenda" in whatever we claim to be true. Knowledge is not neutral.
(This observation utilizes the "hermeneutics of suspicion.") In response to the unbiased certainty,
postmodernism emphasizes that our ideas and judgments are embedded within a historical-cultural
context; so we can never fully remove ourselves from it by pure reflection. (This has been called the
"hermeneutic of finitude.")4
3. What are some characteristics of postmodernism? We can only take a glance at some of the chief
characteristics of postmodern thought.
Anti-dualistic: Postmoderns assert that Western philosophy created dualisms (true/false, right/wrong) and
thus excluded certain perspectives from consideration. On the other hand, postmodernism values and
promotes pluralism and diversity (rather than black vs. white, West vs. East, male vs. female). It claims
to seek the interests of "the other" - those marginalized and oppressed by modernist ideologies and the
political/social structures that support them.
Questioning texts: Postmoderns also maintain that texts-historical, literary, or otherwise-have no inherent
authority or objectivity in revealing the author's intent, nor can they tell us "what really happened."
Rather, these texts reflect the peculiarities of the writer's particular bias, culture, and era. Australian
historian Keith Windschuttle has noted that for the past 2400 years, critics assumed that truth was still
within the historian's grasp, but "the newly dominant theorists within the humanities and social sciences
assert that it is impossible to tell the truth about the past or to use history to produce knowledge in any
objective sense at all."5
The linguistic turn: Postmodernism argues that language shapes our thinking and that there can be no
thought without language. So language literally creates truth. As Richard Rorty argues, "Where there are
no sentences there is no truth."6 So truth is created rather than discovered. Thus, as Friedrich Nietzsche
argued, "There are no eternal facts, just as there are no absolute truths."7
Truth as perspectival: Furthermore, truth is a matter of perspective or context rather than being
something universal. We do not have access to reality - to the way things are - but only to what appears
to us. Since we cannot remove ourselves from our context to have a "God's-eye view" of things, we must
acknowledge that our thinking is shaped by forces beyond our control. We are like Truman Burbank in The
Truman Show. He is the unknowing star of a production in a sheltered environment ("Seahaven"), where
5,000 cameras monitor his every move; everyone but Truman is acting. Likewise, we simply find
ourselves thrown into a context with no way of getting outside it.
Of course, we can be grateful for the postmodern critique of modernism in many ways. Much within
postmodernism raises important questions regarding genuine human limitations or bias and the
problematic position that one should only believe what is absolutely certain. But much within
postmodernism raises many troubling questions and deep contradictions: How can someone deny
universal truth without affirming it in some way ("It's universally true that there is no truth")? Would it not
be a universal fact that there are not any universal facts? Is it not the claim that "it's all a matter of
perspective" asserting more than someone's perspective? Do not those who question whether we can
know an author's intentions write to express their own particular intentions? And is it not the rejection of
metanarratives/grand stories a kind of metanarrative itself?
What Is Wrong (and Right) With Postmodernism?
By Paul Copan: In my other essay, "What Is Postmodernism?", I briefly discussed the context for
postmodernism's emergence, what it is, and what are its chief characteristics. Here I look at lessons to be
learned from postmoderns, problems with much of postmodern thought, and how to communicate our
faith more effectively with postmoderns.
1. Lessons To Learn from & connections to make with Postmoderns
a. Christians should be suspicious of certain modernist claims of scientific or philosophical certainty. We
are limited, we "see in a mirror dimly" and "know in part" (1 Cor. 13:12, NASB). Much of what we know is
probable, highly probable, or plausible-not 100 percent certain-but this does not mean we do not truly
know things. We just need to be a bit more modest in our knowledge claims.
b. Christians should recognize that we all have biases and are limited by our place in history and by our
culture. Modernist thinking stresses that knowledge and reason are unbiased and neutral. Postmodernism
should prompt Christians toward greater humility. We Christians should acknowledge our biases and
perspectives (which are not wrong in themselves) and our propensity for self-deception. Where we know
we are wrong, we must align our lives with the way things really are. Now, if anyone denies there can be
a God's-eye view at all, he would be an atheist/non-theist of some stripe. But if God exists, then there is a
God's-eye view of things-and it just may be that God has revealed some of this view of things to human
beings so that they can really know.
c. Postmodernism rightly sees the danger of optimistic utopianianism; postmoderns remind us of our
great capacity to fail (Christians would include "sin" here) as well as to oppress "the other." We humans
are prone to self-deception and rationalization. Our deep sinfulness prevents achieving earthbound
utopias. We must be routinely self-critical and wary of values opposing God's kingdom, which can easily
creep into our minds. However, our key interpretive grid (hermeneutic) should not be one of suspicion,
but of trust and charity, which enhances relationships with God and others.
d. We should appreciate cultural/ethnic diversity (rather than treating people as "other") and show much
grace towards non-Christians since we ourselves have been saved by God's grace. Colonialism,
oppression, and slavery do not inevitably follow from Christian belief. The Bible expresses sensitivity to
the weak, the suffering, and the oppressed such as orphans, widows, and the alien. God Himself suffers
with us (see Matt. 25:31-46; Acts 9:4). Christians must show that their "grand story" is both plausible and
not inherently oppressive; rather, we are created by God to flourish when we are rightly related to him
and others. Because we are recipients of God's grace, we have no right to think of ourselves as superior to
non-Christians. Moreover, Christianity has its share of diversity or multiplicity in expressing faith (e.g.,
note the diversity between the Amish and Egypt's Coptic Christian Church).
2. Problems with Postmodernism
Despite areas of common affirmation, Christians must also be critical of certain postmodern assumptions.
a. The majority of postmodern philosophers simply presume atheism rather than defend it. These
intellectual heirs of Friedrich Nietzsche and Jean-Paul Sartre are predominantly negative in their
theological orientation, and they seem content to remain there. Many of these thinkers also make the
illegitimate leap from questioning whether we can even speak of God to denying his existence altogether.1
Given the impressive resurgence of theism and arguments for God's existence over the last forty years,
such a presumption is all the more startling.
b. Postmodernists should be exposed for their tendency simply to substitute one system or metanarrative
for another. Postmodernism rejects or is suspicious of any grand story by which we may make sense of
our experience and reality. Postmodernism allows for plenty of mini-narratives of individuals or cultures or
philosophical perspectives, but that is all. However, this rejection of metanarratives becomes self-refuting:
we have a totalizing grand story that attempts to make sense of or interpret all of reality and human
experience in the form of lesser narratives: it's a grand story that denies grand stories!2
So we should ask those who say that there is no grand story, "Isn't this itself a grand story, not just my
individual story?" We ask those who deny we can have access to reality, "How do you know we can't have
access to reality unless you yourself have access to it so that you can tell the rest of us?" What of those
who say, "It's all perspective" - isn't that just their perspective? If it is, then it is trivial (it is just one of
many perspectives); if it is not, then it is self-refuting (it is a sweeping, universal statement that applies
to all persons and cultures). The same is true with those who claim that there are no facts (only
interpretations), that we shape our own reality, that there is no objective intention of the author, that
language prevents us from having access to reality, etc. These views are impaled on one of two horns of
the following dilemma:
The postmodern says nothing: "It's all
perspective" (which here simply means "what I
believe is what I believe").
The postmodern contradicts himself: "It's all
perspective" (which here means, "It's the case that
nothing's the case").
Proper response: "There's no reason anyone else
should believe it."
Proper response: "That's a claim to objectivity-that
there's no objectivity."
Princeton philosopher Diogenes Allen notes how postmodernism often exhibits a dogmatic certainty about
uncertainty, "the only way it can hold its view of human life and of the universe is to forget that the
limitations that imprison others to a time and place apply to it as well."3
c. We can have objective knowledge, even if we are not absolutely certain. And even though we are
limited, we can still know things that are true for all people. Many people think (following René Descartes)
that knowledge requires 100 percent certainty. This implies that if we do not know with absolute certainty,
then we are stuck in the mire of skepticism. However, there are things that we can know with confidence
even if it is not 100 percent certain. Is the universe expanding? Yes. Do I know this? Yes. Am I 100
percent sure? No - but why think I have to be? There can be degrees of knowledge that include the
probable or plausible, the highly likely - not simply certain. And besides, how can a person know with 100
percent certainty that knowledge requires 100 percent certainty? It just is not obvious.
As Christians, we can maintain that our faith does a better job of answering the key questions of life than
its alternatives. It is the best explanation and is more plausible than its rivals. Yes, we must listen well to
those who take a different view and admit that we do not have all the answers; our understanding needs
correcting as we go through life. However, this need not prevent us from pointing out that the Christian
faith really does do the best job of addressing where the universe, first life, consciousness, objective
moral values, and human rights came from-as well as the key questions about purpose and meaning.
Are we limited and biased? Yes, of course. We should readily acknowledge this. Does this mean we can
not have legitimate knowledge? Not at all. We are limited knowers. Those who claim we can not have
knowledge presumably know that we can not know!
In the end, we can not deny truth or knowledge or objectivity without affirming them by our denials. For
example, to say there is no universal truth is to make a claim that is universally true. Each of us will
affirm some kind of metanarrative or grand story to explain how things operate. The real question is:
which one does the best job of explaining these things?
3. Communicating our Faith with Postmoderns
a. Communicate authentically and relationally, genuinely living out the truth. Though not perfect,
Christians should be real about their struggles. They can also show how their worldview-with Christ's
power and a supportive community - can help them grapple with these issues. Os Guinness says the
fragmentation in our increasingly postmodern world brings "more moments of truth into people's lives
than ever before," affording "enormous opportunities to present the gospel."4
b. Communicate answers wisely, lovingly, and winsomely, keeping in mind underlying personal issues that
often present barriers. It is important to give good answers "with gentleness and respect" (1 Pet. 3:15,
NIV)-but also wisdom. Behind much of postmodern thought is a flight from God, whose existence has
huge implications for how we live. Even atheist philosopher John Searle acknowledges that there is a
"much deeper reason for the persistent appeal of all forms of anti-realism" such as relativism and
perspectivism: "it satisfies a basic urge to power. It just seems too disgusting, somehow, that we should
have to be at the mercy of the 'real world.'"5 We should ask postmoderns if they would like there to be a
God or would want Jesus to be God's revelation to us.
c. Live an active, practical faith: Postmoderns want to see an active faith-not the mere possession of
theoretical knowledge. We must get back to emphasizing James' theological thrust (a faith that works) to
counterbalance an overemphasis on (and misunderstanding of) Paul's doctrine of salvation apart from
works. Paul himself brings faith and works together in Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Thess. 1:3; and Titus. 2:11-14:
genuine saving faith (through God's grace) produces good works.