Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: timv@cadfx.ccad.uiowa.edu (Timothy VanFosson) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Sorry folks, it's NOT all relative. Message-ID: Date: 27 Sep 90 08:59:41 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: CAD-Research, University of Iowa Lines: 32 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In an article I posted you added this comment: > [This continues an exchange between David Hatcher and Tim Hoogasian > on the subject of Christ as the only way. The problem is >> there are so many >> from other spiritual traditions who also know and live with in >> the Grace and Glory of God just as much an *any* Christian does. > Both Tim and David seem to believe that there is some need for > rethinking what it means to say that Christ is the only way. --clh] > I don't believe that we need to rethink whether or not Christ is the only way (in the sense that there may be other ways - which is what I believe David to be saying.). It may be a minor thing, but I don't want to be put in the position where others, from merely a cursory glance at my posting and your comment, are lead to believe that I am invalidating the gospel. My point, and I thought I made it clear :-), was that the only consistent biblical interpretation is that, in fact, He is the only way. I do believe, however, and this I think is different from what David is saying, that we need to be free of our culturally imposed "truths", e.g., to be a Christian you must only sing hymns, or ...you cannot dance. As Paul puts it, we must become all things to all men in the hope that in that way we might save some, i.e., to put our societal, cultural, and individual "bents" aside, never forgetting Christ curcified for our sin, so that we present the gospel in its purest and most acceptable (to the hearer) form. In other words, to present our message in such a way that Christ, and not *our* habits or background, becomes the issue on which people either stand or fall. That Christ is the only way is one of the biblical truths that must comprise that message. If you feel so inclined, could you post a note (perhaps, this one :-) to clarify my position.