A Bad Move

www.ridgecrestumc.com

At Project Transformation this summer, our kids learned some interesting things. There was a couple that came in to teach ballroom dancing. It is strange to see little boys that don't yet like little girls dancing with them. Another afternoon was spent with a man teaching the older kids how to play chess. For the rest of the summer, we had kids lined up to play chess during their spare time.

Kids playing chess surprised me. That requires a great deal of brain power because you have to try and figure out what your opponent is going to do in the long term. Also, you must be able to anticipate the outcomes of your move. If you do X, then what are the Y and Z's that your opponent will do.

In the same way, we as adults must consider the implications of all we do and say. None of us exist in a vacuum. Everything has implications and consequences. A few days ago, I was reading something that reminded me of that fact and it related to our beliefs about God. This was something I hadn't considered recently and had never really put it together in this way. Here is the revelation I had:

We live in a world that says there are many paths to God. Whether you think of them as spokes on a bike wheel or paths up a mountain, there are lots of ways to get from point A (where we are) to point B (God). Faith in the saving power of the resurrected Jesus Christ is just one of those ways. For liberal Christians, this is a part of their toleration mantra. Other faiths are equally valid so we need to learn about them so we can understand them and learn from them.

So, what this means is that the trip to God can be on paths A, B, C, D, E, etc. Now, let us say that path C is the path of Christ. Under this multiple path format, no one path is exclusive. Therefore, the path of Christ is just one of many ways you can get to heaven. From the human perspective, that doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Most religions require a lot of their followers--some things (like prayer) are similar to the practices of Christianity. So, from the human perspective, the idea sounds good. [Can't we all just get along?]

But from God's perspective, there is a major problem. If, as traditional, orthodox Christianity believes, Jesus was God only begotten Son, then what happens with Jesus is a unique event. And the main "thing" that happens is the Crucifixion and resurrection. God allowed his Son to die on a cross so that we might be saved from eternal damnation. For a Father to allow His Son to die such a horrible death and not do something to stop it is child abuse (in human terms). If that death was necessary for the salvation of the world, then it is justified. It is a unique act that only Jesus could participate in and it is the unique way that we (humanity) are saved.

But if path C (Christ) is only one of a number of paths to salvation, then the cross was unnecessary. We didn't need Jesus and his death. We could follow paths A, B, D, E, etc. and still get to God. God needlessly allowed such a tragedy to occur. I don't know about you, but the God I worship is a loving God that wouldn't do such a thing.

For Christians to accept the multiple path concept is a bad move. It makes a joke of the cross and turns God into a child abuser.

Check mate!