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TechnoratiNow, there remains the possibility that some of those polled may not have understood the implications of their answers. As John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum, said, “The capacity of ignorance to influence survey outcomes should never be underestimated.” But I don’t think that they are ignorant about this most basic tenet of their faith. I think that they are choosing to ignore it . . . for goodness sake.
At this point Blow's analysis gets even more interesting. He rejects the claim that American Christians (including the evangelicals cited in this report) are confused or ignorant concerning what the Bible teaches about "this most basic tenet of their faith." No, Blow insists, these American Christians are not confused or ignorant about this Christian teaching: "I think that they are choosing to ignore it ... for goodness sake."
Look closely at this argument. Blow argues that many American Christians are rejecting the claim that Jesus is the only way of salvation for sake of "goodness." In other words, "good" people don't believe that other people are going to hell.
Here we see the ultimate confusion of theology and etiquette. The implication of Charles Blow's argument is clear. He believes that Americans are trimming theology to fit current expectations of social respectability. Socially respectable people - people who are recognized for "goodness" - consciously reject the clear biblical teaching that Jesus is the only Savior because it just isn't socially respectable to believe that your neighbors and fellow citizens who do not believe in Christ as Savior are going to miss heaven and go to hell.
Charles Blow celebrates this transformation of theology into etiquette. Doctrine is cheerfully replaced with public relations. The words of Jesus are rejected in favor of a more "inclusive" message.
Those who are concerned about the integrity of the Gospel will respond to these developments with a very different attitude. We are witnessing the virtual transformation of biblical Christianity into a new faith - a false gospel. This new faith wins the approval of Charles Blow and The New York Times, but it is precisely the kind of false gospel that the church is warned in the New Testament to detect and reject with clarity and courage.
Mr. Blow's column is truly helpful in crystallizing this issue. Those who believe that the gospel of Christ is just a variant of "the American way" will find that the Bible presents a very different Gospel. Those who reject biblical authority will feel free to replace biblical Christianity with a new religion, but they should demonstrate enough honesty to admit that this is indeed what they are doing. Those who are convinced that social respectability determines doctrine will soon find themselves to be socially respectable pagans.
Of course, the great question missing from Charles Blow's column is this: What if Jesus really is the only way of salvation? If so, and Jesus clearly said that it is so, then public relations and etiquette are quickly revealed to be rather frivolous concerns - indeed, these concerns are revealed to be both deadly and delusional.
If we really believe that Jesus is the only Savior and that the Bible truthfully reveals the only Gospel that saves, then we had better make our confidence clear. The inevitable result of this confidence should be a resurgence in concern for the evangelization of those who do not yet know Christ . . . for goodness sake.
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R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. For more articles and resources by Dr. Mohler, and for information on The Albert Mohler Program, a daily national radio program broadcast on the Salem Radio Network, go to www.albertmohler.com. For information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to www.sbts.edu. Send feedback to mail@albertmohler.com. Original Source: www.albertmohler.com.
mtgburrell »
Agree: 
Disagree: 
