Another way to view exclusivity:

Howard,

I will probably be scolded by some here about my weakness
in theology (which I fully admit up front), but here goes.....

I share your misgivings about exclusivism. However,
I am wondering if considering Abraham as being the
person who _happened_ to grasp the right thing at the
right time might soften the issue of "exclusivity". It
would be a matter of Grace in that case, and although
it went to the Jews' heads sometimes (and sometimes
goes to our own heads as well when we're not careful),
it was (and is) always a matter of Grace.

In that sense, it is not so much that we should reject
the claims of other religions or judge people who have
been raised within those traditions. God could have
worked through some small tribe in the location of Burma,
or whatever. But by Grace, God chose to work a message
through the Jews. That leaves the final decision on how
other people are to be judged in the hands of God (where
it should be), and allows one to accept the troublesomely
arrogant claim of exclusivity. The Jews were simply lucky,
or I guess the word is sometimes "blessed".

At any rate, much of scripture is more like a "teaching tool"
rather than a book of laws and rules, and we are to examine
it and see a reflection of ourselves within it. The
circumstances were different, but there is nothing new
under the sun, and that I see it as our responsibility to
glean from scripture and prepare ourselves. We are
all weak, we are all afraid, but the example of others
(good and bad) is what needs to be written on our hearts,
that we will chose the good example, but we should not
see ourselves as better than others for that.

We can appreciate _anyone_ who stumbles on true wisdom,
but that does not make them better than anyone else, just
that chance, circumstance and environment prepared them
do (or say) the right things at the right time. So I am just
wondering if this is a way to work through your dilemma on
the issue of "exclusivity".

in Christ,
Wayne
Received on Fri Oct 15 22:28:49 2004