Friday, February 18, 2011

Syncretism - Too Great of a Challenge?

When sharing the Gospel in other cultures, there are many obstacles that one must be aware of ahead of time. One major issue today in sharing the Gospel in other cultures is syncretism, which is the merging of two opposing beliefs or values into one religion. For example, a Hindu man might accept Jesus Christ as one of his “gods,” but that opposes the Christian principle that Jesus Christ is the one true God. How do we get around syncretism? One way we can avoid syncretism is to constantly back up our sharing of the Gospel with scriptural evidence and truth. If we speak in truth, it will become apparent that there is no other way but through God. For example, in this case with the Hindu man, we could use Isaiah 43:10b – ...Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. If this Hindu man is going to believe in Jesus/God, he has no choice but to accept that there are no other gods. John 14:6 could also be used that says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are many other ways that Christianity is syncretized into other cultures, but by using God's word as our sword, syncretism can be fought and prevented.

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