Jump directly to the Content
A Collaborative
Partnership of:
The Lausanne Movement
and
Christianity Today

The Global Conversation


The Conversation Continues: Reader's Comments
Readers respond to Mark L. Y. Chan's "Sowing Subversion in the Field of Relativism"

Displaying 1–10 of 21 comments.

1 | 2 | 3 |  next page   Show All

Neal, USA

March 09, 2011  9:57am

This article addresses the surface of the problem of relativism, but it doesn't address a solution. Vedanta is an entirely different worldview from the Judeo-Christian worldview with somewhat similar terms. How do you dialog with a person who simultaneously believes he should live a humble lifestyle that often looks more pious than yours, but believes that Brahman (or God) is the sustaining entity of existence? There is a real theological discrepancy that needs to be addressed. Does anyone know how to discuss the matter in a loving way?

Report Abuse

Patrick Mitchel, Ireland

March 17, 2010  6:12am

a very helpful description of the challenges and realities of living in a pluralist world. I would have loved a bit more reflection on the specific Asian context and lessons learnt over generations living with pluralism. The 'shock' of post-Christendom in the West is still being processed by churches here as they begin to get used to being on the margins. I suspect many are longing to 'go back' to 'simpler' times when Christianity was as the centre. Others fear the future. It would have been great to hear more on what they can learn from the long experiences of Asian brothers and sisters.

Carminha Speirs, Brazil

March 15, 2010  3:29pm

I agree with CD from USA, the same challenge has been throughout Christian history. The difference is in the resources used now a days to face it. In the Old Testament we see Moyses learning from God how he should convince the hebrews who were living amongst people who worshiped so many different gods and also Pharaoh about this Only God who was all powerfull and wanted His people out of Egypt. He didn't teach Moyses about intelectual arguments nor Paul used other then the Power of God (the Gospel) to convince his audiences. The Holy Spirit is the One to convince the pluralist and any other sinner about the Truth. God only needs men and women commited to Him and to His Kingdom who are ready to lose (when necessary) and take risks for Him, the rest of it is all with Him, as it has been throughout History.

CD, USA

March 07, 2010  9:32pm

Challenges to the claims, "Jesus is the truth", "no other name" is not something new. Throughout history of Christian movement/mission, these challenges were there. The issue is that Christians like to be respectable and accepted in the pluralistic society/world. We want to tone down a bit about these claims concerning Jesus Christ and Gospel/Evangel.

Alex Araujo, USA

March 05, 2010  12:44pm

Excellent help from Chan And McAllister (I have not yet read the others). McAllister in particular addresses Western trends, and I think we need to look at this a little more deeply. How much of the current reality is Western-initiated and superimposed on the rest of the world? Is it possible that we are projecting on non-Western Christians our own struggles over this issue? If they had initiated the dialogue, would they address it the same way? I understand Chan is Asian, but as an evangelical theologian, he seems to be part of that noble circle of internationals who grapple with issues considered priority to that group of people. Nothing wrong with that, but it may miss some realities that are outside that rather small and specialized circle. I am not saying that pluralism and relativism is only a Western concern. I am asking whether the degree of concern and the approach to the issue are not overly Western, responding to a Western awakening to the issue?

Jon and Mindy Hirst, USA

March 03, 2010  9:21pm

Thank you for sharing these thoughts. We are at a key turning point in how we view truth - our truth lens. We have spent much of the last century in a time of great progress but also significant arrogance about truth. In the later part of this century we have seen the move that the author is talking about to world without absolute truth. The key as the author described is a third way - a human context to truth. I call it "the truth we know and the truth we are learning." My wife and I have written a book about this and it has been an amazing journey to see how God is building off a foundation of absolute truth within a community of humble learners. Thanks for bringing this topic front and center!

octavio del callar, Philippines

March 02, 2010  3:57am

I do agree that Aisian pluralism is a defitnetly a good and the best means in seeking the word of the Lord Almighty. All Christian and non-Chrstian religions such as Islam, Hindi and Buddism have truly the same basis, a belief in a Lord who is Almighty. As I understand it, the Holy Bible and the Koran contain the same basic teachings of what is good and what is bad. Personally, I admit it was only lately when I became of age (now 79) that I have been reading the Bible. In my youth, I remember in our religion that private Bible readings and studies were prohibited. I say this for a fact that my preparatory, secondary and college schooling were achived in private Catholic Schools. My eyes have been opened with these readings from this Lausane movement. Keep it up. My eyes have thus been opened with what I read in the

octavio del callar, Philippines

March 02, 2010  3:57am

I do agree that Aisian pluralism is a defitnetly a good and the best means in seeking the word of the Lord Almighty. All Christian and non-Chrstian religions such as Islam, Hindi and Buddism have truly the same basis, a belief in a Lord who is Almighty. As I understand it, the Holy Bible and the Koran contain the same basic teachings of what is good and what is bad. Personally, I admit it was only lately when I became of age (now 79) that I have been reading the Bible. In my youth, I remember in our religion that private Bible readings and studies were prohibited. I say this for a fact that my preparatory, secondary and college schooling were achived in private Catholic Schools. My eyes have been opened with these readings from this Lausane movement. Keep it up. My eyes have thus been opened with what I read in the

octavio del callar, Philippines

March 02, 2010  3:57am

I do agree that Aisian pluralism is a defitnetly a good and the best means in seeking the word of the Lord Almighty. All Christian and non-Chrstian religions such as Islam, Hindi and Buddism have truly the same basis, a belief in a Lord who is Almighty. As I understand it, the Holy Bible and the Koran contain the same basic teachings of what is good and what is bad. Personally, I admit it was only lately when I became of age (now 79) that I have been reading the Bible. In my youth, I remember in our religion that private Bible readings and studies were prohibited. I say this for a fact that my preparatory, secondary and college schooling were achived in private Catholic Schools. My eyes have been opened with these readings from this Lausane movement. Keep it up. My eyes have thus been opened with what I read in the

Brian E. Wakeman, UK

February 27, 2010  11:12am

Thank you for your faith-building paper! River Out of Eden Are we ‘nothing but’ survival machines Robot vehicles blindly programmed To preserve the selfish molecules known as genes? Do we animals exist for their preservation? Richard Dawkins speaks without reservation: “We are nothing more than throw away Survival machines. The world of the gene let me say Is one of savage competition Deceit and ruthless exploitation”. Does this inexorably lead humanity to fall Into the devil’s doctrine, ‘the weakest should go to the wall? A polluted stream with the misdeeds of atheism Rather than the so-called ‘memes’ of theism. It’s only one step into the swirling current of materialism To the murky water of Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalinism. Thank God for Nietzsche’s ‘one great curse…intrinsic depravity’ Christ’s example and teaching, and its universality!

Displaying 1–10 of 21 comments.

1 | 2 | 3 |  next page   Show All

Submit Your Comment *

1000 character limit

* Comments may be edited for tone and clarity.

The Conversation Video
The Lausanne Movement

For More Conversation

Religious and Non-Religious Spirituality in the Western World

A call to move from confrontational styles to a relational form of outreach that missiologists call a critical incarnational approach.

Christian Witness to New Religious Movements

Lausanne Paper from a 1980 Consultation.

Mission Among Young People in "Secular" Europe

By Jonny Baker

New Religions, Subjective Life Spiritualities, and the Challenge to Missions in the Post-Christian West

By John Morehead