Christianity is a Straightjacket! – ...Not!

Chapter three, The Reason for God One of the most pressing objections to Christianity concerns both the validity and application of absolute truth. Many people today assume that any “belief in absolute truth is the enemy of freedom.” Keller hears this objection voiced in three ways. First some object that absolute truth endangers civic freedom by barring some from a community. Others say it appears culturally narrow by failing to recognize that various cultures have different perspectives on reality. And still others claim that it enslaves (infantilizes) members by determining what they must believe/practice in every particular. Keller pushes back. Everyone acts as though they believe in truth even if they claim they don’t. Truth is unavoidable. When some claim truth is merely an exercise in power and control, they are making a truth claim themselves. (The real question is which one is right!) “If you say all truth claims are power plays, then so is your statement. If you say that all truth claims about religion and God are just psychological projections to deal with your guilt and insecurity, then so is your statement.” Community can’t be completely inclusive Every group limits itself in some ways. Consider an example from the book. Suppose that there are two people, one is on the board of the local Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Support Community. The other on the board of the Alliance Against Same-Sex Marriages. Imagine the first having a religious experience and saying, “I now believe homosexuality is a sin.” About the same time the second learns that his son is gay. He begins to say, “he should have a right to marry his partner.” What happens? At some point, each community will have to exclude the person from the board—“you are now different than our stated goals and beliefs.” It would be expected. Yet of the groups, one has the reputation of being inclusive, the other has the reputation of being narrow and exclusive. But both act the same. Every group (or community) is based on common beliefs that act as boundaries, including some and excluding others. Neither community is being ‘narrow’—they are just being communities. So how do you judge communities? Not by their inclusiveness, but by how they treat those outside their community. Do they treat others with love and respect? To serve them and meet their needs? Christians should be criticized who are condemning and ungracious to unbelievers but not for maintaining standards for membership in accord with their beliefs. Christians should hold beliefs in charity and humility. Conversation should be in respect. Christianity isn’t culturally rigid It may be the perception that Christianity tries to mold cultures to become alike, but it just isn’t the case. Think about the rise and spread of Christianity. It began in Jewish Jerusalem. Then it became centered in the Mediterranean, then Northern Europe, then North America. Today the most vigorous churches are in the southern and eastern hemispheres. And in every place, Christianity has been practiced with different cultural expression. African scholar, Lamin Sanneh says that Christianity has helped Africans to become renewed Africans, not re-made Europeans. (There is another argument that says that modern secularism is less respective of differing cultures than Christianity.) Christianity adapts to surrounding culture without compromising main tenets. Beliefs should be held in charity and humility. Conversation should be in respect. Freedom isn’t Simple We’re back to the basic issue—does freedom exist without constraints? Keller says, imagine playing the piano well. It takes hours and years of practice. Time you don’t spend doing other things, time you aren’t ‘free’. Yet the result is musical ‘freedom’ that is a joy to both player and audience. Or imagine a boy falling in love with a girl. He thinks about what he can do to make her happy. He gives up other things so he can spend time with the girl. True intimacy is one of the most beautiful forms of freedom, yet it means giving other things up. To some it might appear that ‘she is leading him around by the nose.’ Not to him. For him it is wonderful. Man and woman both give to learn to serve the other. How is it with God and man? The normal thought is that man has to do the changing to fit Him. He’s God, I’m not. But Christianity is not ‘normal’. It is based on Jesus who changed to serve us. He set aside glory to become like us (the incarnation) and he gave up his life to save us (the atonement). For the Christian, once you realize how Jesus changed for you and gave himself for you, you aren’t afraid of giving up your freedom and therefore finding your freedom in Him. Then we will learn how to love others as well.