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<b><big><big>Falwell
Confidential</big></big></b><br>
by Jonathan Falwell
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<h1>Atheism, Inclusivism and Christianity<font color="#31312e"
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<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size:
medium;">An interesting squabble was stirred up a few days
ago on New
Year’s Eve when singer Cee Lo Green sang the John Lennon
song
“Imagine” on NBC’s holiday broadcast. The humanist
anthem, embraced by non-believers because of its urge for
listeners to cast
off belief in heaven, includes the lyric, “Nothing to kill
or die
for, and no religion too.” <br>
</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size:
medium;">However, Mr. Green took an opposite approach when
he sang the song
on the New Year’s program, adopting the lyrics, “Nothing to
kill or die for, and all religion’s true.” His
reinterpretation of the song was quickly greeted with
criticism by American
Atheist members who say Mr. Green “perverted” the lyrics and
“completely distort[ed] the meaning and significance of the
powerful
song.”</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica,
sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br>
From a biblical perspective, I would
respectfully say to both sides of this argument that you
both are
tragically wrong.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica,
sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br>
In fact, while reading about this
dispute over the Lennon song, I could not help but think of
a great quote
by the late theologian Francis Schaeffer, who said: “Truth
always
carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation;
loving
confrontation, nevertheless. If our reflex action is always
accommodation regardless of the centrality of the truth
involved, there is
something wrong.”</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial,
helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br>
And so, as Christians, we
must say to the atheist and to those worshipping a diversity
of beliefs
that there is only one true and living God. Recall that
when Jesus
conversed with the woman at the well in John chapter 4, she
spoke of the
Messiah. He replied, “I that speak unto thee am he”
(verse 26). That message must be at the forefront of all we
do and
say when we are communicating with non-believers.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: medium;"><br>
Our world has become such a haze of spirituality and total
disbelief.
As I have pointed out before, so many people have no idea
who Jesus
is. As such, they do not even have an understanding of the
One in
whom they do not believe. Many are devout in believing
nothing, while
others are sincere in trying to piece together a patchwork
of beliefs.
All the while, the one true God stands before them with
open
arms.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: medium;"><br>
I am reminded of a passage in “John
MacArthur’s The Ultimate Priority, which says, “As
Christians
we accept one foundational truth – God – and everything else
makes sense. An atheist denies God and has to accept
incredible
explanations for everything else. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: medium;"><br>
It takes more faith to deny God than to believe in Him.”</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size:
medium;"><br>
That leaves Christians with the same responsibility that the
Apostle Paul spoke of in Romans 1:16. That passage reads,
“For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the
Greek.” And like Paul, we must be wise in our faith and use
the
wisdom of Christ who is within us to call people unto Him.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size:
medium;"><br>
Paul wrote these great words in Acts at a time when the
persecution of believers was transpiring and much religious
confusing was
taking place within the culture, similar to today. In our
world,
people continue to believe many things, my friends. They
hope to find
peace and a reason for being, but they are ignoring the very
One who can
fill the empty hole in their souls. They thirst but do not
find the
Living Water of Jesus Christ.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: arial,
helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br>
Let us not be ashamed to
call out to all — no matter what they believe — to a faith
in
Jesus Christ, the Living Savior who calls all men unto
Himself.</span></p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
“Gun control defined: The theory that people who are willing
to ignore laws against rape, torture, kidnapping, theft, and
murder will obey a law which prohibits them from owning a
firearm.”
</pre>
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