Sholeh Patrick’s perspective of Interfaith being a trend toward a new religion is accurate, and any reasonable person might agree with her analysis of its hopeful outcome of less exclusiveness and more tolerance — a move toward peaceful co-existence that might one day reach into every corner of society. In short, people want to live happy lives, and they are no longer willing to let differences, religious or otherwise, stand in the way of that. My world-view, on the other hand, is firmly fixed in the New Covenant that God has offered to mankind, and it turns out to be polar opposite to the perspective aforementioned. I’m not asking anyone to believe it, only to extend the nice idea of tolerance to my perspective on this issue also.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a host of heavenly beings praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men’.” Luke 2:13,14.

With the birth of Christ, peace and goodwill were clearly being offered to all the people of Earth — so where is it? Where has it been for the last 2,000 years? It has been ruling in the hearts of the few individuals scattered around the Earth who were and are willing to accept that offer of peace and goodwill on God’s terms. The vast majority of mankind, including the visible churches who call themselves Christian, have either never truly understood those terms, or understood them and rejected them in favor of their own false gospels of peace and goodwill. Jesus was very clear about what His mission was and wasn’t.

“Think not that I have come to send peace on the earth — I have NOT come to send peace, but a sword! I have come to set a man a variance against his dad, and a daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. Anyone who loves their dad or mom more than Me is not worthy of Me, and anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:34-37.

Why? Why all this disruption within the family unit because of Christ? It is because of DIFFERENCES regarding the heart of Christianity which is the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST which is spoken of as Spiritual LIGHT, or awareness. Do married couples have fellowship with each other? Of course they do, but genuine Christians can have fellowship only with other genuine Christians — and the Word of God will decide who is genuine and who isn’t. If one is not a genuine Christian they are still in Spiritual darkness, and God poses the question to us: “What fellowship can light have with darkness?” What agreement does Christ have with Satan, etc. Jesus ate with sinners, yes, but only for the purpose of sharing the gospel of God’s Kingdom with them.

BILL JOHNSON

Rathdrum