Should Christians cooperate with other faiths or even no faith at all, even for good causes? It is a tough question, because we want to see ills ended. We want to see abortion end, we want to see starving kids fed, we want to see young girls in third world nations learn to read.
The reason I am thinking about this are two recent events. The first is the appearance of a famous evangelical pastor who addressed an Islamic group. I won't give his name but I will say he is famous for his book that rhymes with "Porpoise Livin' Wife"
"Some problems are so big you have to team tackle them," evangelical megachurch pastor XXXXX addressed the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.
XXXXX said Muslims and Christians should be partners in working to end what he calls "the five global giants" of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.
What about the giant of sin? There is only one cure for that and it is not going to be found in cooperation with Islam or Hinduism or Mormonism. It is only going to be found in Jesus Christ. What it boils down to is this. Every ill in this world can be traced back to sin. The only hope for this world is Jesus Christ. Everything else is slapping a band-aid on the problem.
The other event is an event in Portland called the Season of Service. Run in part by the ministry of Luis Palau, the event has caused something of a ruckus. The event included the participation of the mayor of Portland, an open homosexual who caused a stir earlier this year by first publicly lying and then finally admitting to a homosexual relationship at age 45 with a 18 year old teen. This odd pairing of a world famous evangelistic ministry and an open homosexual politician was the subject of a USA Today article, Evangelism 2.o. From the article:
Out of that realization was born the Season of Service. This year, some 500 area churches — mostly evangelical, but also some Catholic and mainline Protestant — are fanning out across the Portland area to feed and clothe the homeless, provide free medical and dental services, fix up local public schools, and support their low-income students with supplies, mentoring and other resources. All this with "no strings attached," Palau emphasizes, meaning the service comes without the proselytizing that is often associated with Christian missionary outreach.
Service without sermons, aid without the Gospel. FYI, I don't think you can preach the Gospel without using words or any of that other nonsense.
So, here we have two events done for a good causes, but they do so in cooperation with Muslims and a homosexual. Are these event giving tacit approval of Islam, giving it legitimacy, or looking the other way at open sin? Do the potential ends justify the means?
What say you?
Is there a limit? Should we set aside Biblical truth to alleviate suffering? Am I overreacting?
The reason I am thinking about this are two recent events. The first is the appearance of a famous evangelical pastor who addressed an Islamic group. I won't give his name but I will say he is famous for his book that rhymes with "Porpoise Livin' Wife"
"Some problems are so big you have to team tackle them," evangelical megachurch pastor XXXXX addressed the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.
XXXXX said Muslims and Christians should be partners in working to end what he calls "the five global giants" of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.
What about the giant of sin? There is only one cure for that and it is not going to be found in cooperation with Islam or Hinduism or Mormonism. It is only going to be found in Jesus Christ. What it boils down to is this. Every ill in this world can be traced back to sin. The only hope for this world is Jesus Christ. Everything else is slapping a band-aid on the problem.
The other event is an event in Portland called the Season of Service. Run in part by the ministry of Luis Palau, the event has caused something of a ruckus. The event included the participation of the mayor of Portland, an open homosexual who caused a stir earlier this year by first publicly lying and then finally admitting to a homosexual relationship at age 45 with a 18 year old teen. This odd pairing of a world famous evangelistic ministry and an open homosexual politician was the subject of a USA Today article, Evangelism 2.o. From the article:
Out of that realization was born the Season of Service. This year, some 500 area churches — mostly evangelical, but also some Catholic and mainline Protestant — are fanning out across the Portland area to feed and clothe the homeless, provide free medical and dental services, fix up local public schools, and support their low-income students with supplies, mentoring and other resources. All this with "no strings attached," Palau emphasizes, meaning the service comes without the proselytizing that is often associated with Christian missionary outreach.
Service without sermons, aid without the Gospel. FYI, I don't think you can preach the Gospel without using words or any of that other nonsense.
So, here we have two events done for a good causes, but they do so in cooperation with Muslims and a homosexual. Are these event giving tacit approval of Islam, giving it legitimacy, or looking the other way at open sin? Do the potential ends justify the means?
What say you?
Is there a limit? Should we set aside Biblical truth to alleviate suffering? Am I overreacting?
3 comments:
I think we speak the truth ( sin is sin and Jesus is the way of salvation) and let the chips fall where they may)
Otherwise we are lukewarm and He might as well spit us out of His mouth.
Part of me thinks, "What is the point of meeting physical needs, yet allowing people to die in their sin?" But then another part of me believes that we are commanded to meet physical needs. So...I do believe you can do a "good deed" without handing someone a Chick tract, but I believe even stronger that light can have no FELLOWSHIP with darkness. And if we are teaming up with enemies of God, that is certainly fellowship, is it not?
What is pragmatic is not always what is biblical.
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