Sunday service

Yesterday, I went to a church with Heather (friend from TBT) called Redeemer. It's held in Hunter College on E68th and it was rammed full with people, at least 1,000, at 10.30 in the morning. Nice service, a little more traditional than I'm used to, but I have nothing against that. The church is running a series on some questions that come up a lot, and this week's topic was "How can there just be one true religion?"

Tim Keller is a really good speaker and his main focus was on secularism's three common arguments or angles to put to religious types.

1. "Let's just say that all religions are an equally valid path to God"
2. "Religion is fine, but you shouldn't try to convert people to your own set of beliefs about life and the world."
3. "Religion should be kept to one side when discussing things like public policy."

1. This is a judgement about the nature of God, not about the nature of religions. Religions contradict each other, so if this statement is true - that all religions are equally valid then either a) There is no God and all religions are equally wrong, or b) There is a God but one that does not hold us accountable on the way we choose to live our lives. The reasoning for this is that for two contradictory religions to be equal, they both have to be wrong about the way God judges. So if this is a statement about the nature of God, then it is itself, a religious viewpoint and one that assumes itself higher than those it is saying are all equal.

2. Taking a step back, saying this to someone who believes the opposite is an attempt to convert one's own way of thinking about life and the world. Telling someone that they should keep their beliefs to themselves is the ultimate hypocrisy as its doing the very thing that is saying you shouldn't do.

3. Theses are written on this one and I must admit I got a bit lost at this point (after less than 4 hrs sleep can you blame me?)

Just some things to think about.