Page 679 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

has become ‘Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to thine” (Jn. 17:9). The Bible does not say that non-
war.’ Mission is understood as an activity against other Christians are brothers and sisters in God. On the
religions. MOST CHRISTIANS UNDERSTAND MISSION contrary, the Bible says of those who are outside of
AS WORKING FOR THE EXTENSION OF Christ that they are “of your father the devil” (Jn. 8:44),
CHRISTIANITY AND THE EXTINCTION OF OTHER “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ep. 2:1), “children of
RELIGIONS. [THIS] IS A TRAGIC DENIAL OF GOD’S disobedience” (Ep. 2:2), “children of wrath” (Ep. 2:3),
LOVE FOR ALL HUMANITY. This makes dialogue
impossible.” “having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ep.
This professor rejects the Bible and the Great 2:12), “far off” (Ep. 2:13).
Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says Chanting Better Than Prayer
Jesus Christ ALONE is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. An article appearing in the March 1988 issue of the
The Bible says no man can come to the Father except World Council’s monthly publication One World,
through Jesus Christ, that no other name is given under encouraged the readers to adopt heathen practices from
heaven whereby we must be saved (Jn. 14:6; Ac. 4:12). Buddhism and Taoism. Someone might argue that the
The goal of the Great Commission is indeed the WCC is not promoting heathen practices through
extension of true Christianity to the exclusion of false publishing such an article, but are only reporting what
religions. We do not seek to destroy false religions the author of the article believed personally. We would
through political or social efforts, but we do proclaim to reply that no one publishes an article in a magazine
them that salvation is only through Jesus Christ. The without comment if they do not want their readers to
professor says this is a denial of the love of God for all give serious consideration to it. Don’t be confused by the
humanity. Just the opposite is true. The love of God is double-speak of apostate groups. On the one hand they
witnessed through the offer of Jesus Christ. To replace publish all sorts of heresies, and on the other hand they
the proclamation of the Gospel with dialogue is to rob often try to escape the consequences of what they have
men of the love of God. printed. The record stands. These are the kind of things
Non-Christians Are “Brothers and Sisters in God” they consider important enough to take up space in
The WCC Ecumenical Press Service for March 1-9, their publications. Consider this strange report from the
1985, contained a “vision of the Young Men’s Christian WCC publication:
Association (YWCA) in contemporary Asia.” The YWCA Coming from an ordinary Chinese humanistic milieu,
is a member of the World Council of Churches. where the air is a mixture of Confucianism, Taoism and
Christopher Duraisingh, professor of theology at United Buddhism, I EXPERIENCED A SENSE OF
UNSETTLEDNESS IN MY EARLY YEARS OF
Theological College in Bangalore, India, is the author of CHRISTIAN LIFE, A FEELING OF SOMETHING
the article: MISSING.
“Forms of distorted and exclusive emphasis on Finally in the late 1960s, I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE
redemption that lead to a spirit of separation of INADEQUACY FOR ME OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
Christians from all else must be questioned. ... Any AND SPIRITUALITY. ... I turned to my own Chinese
emphasis upon the doctrine of redemption to the religious-spiritual traditions to search for a more
exclusion of the doctrine of creation must be wholistic and integrated philosophy of life. Since I
questioned. When we understand the doctrine of found it difficult to make sense out of theology, I
creation RIGHTLY, WE KNOW THAT WE BELONG decided not to be troubled by my inability, but to
TOGETHER ALONG WITH OUR NON-CHRISTIAN follow the direction of Ch’an (Zen) Buddhist path to
BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO GOD. WE CANNOT enlightenment: A SPECIAL TRANSMISSION OUTSIDE
ARTIFICIALLY SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THE THE SCRIPTURES; NO DEPENDENCE ON WORDS
REST OF THE HUMAN COMMUNITY IN THE NAME AND LETTERS; DIRECT POINTING THE HUMAN
OF EXPERIENCE OF REDEMPTION. ... As we seek co- HEART (SOUL); SEEING ONE’S NATURE AND
operation with persons of other faiths in Asia, we will ATTAINING BUDDHAHOOD. ...
be led to understand the nature of the church anew as I was no longer able to do this type of practice [normal
well. WE SHALL REFUSE TO UNDERSTAND THE Christian prayer]. With some necessary adaptation, I
CHURCH AND THE WORLD IN ANTITHETICAL have taken up the practice of Mahayana Ch’an (Zen)
TERMS.” meditation and Thervada vipassana (i.e., insight
The Bible very plainly DOES understand the church awareness) meditation....
and the world in antithetical terms. The Apostle John CHRISTIAN PRAYER for the most part remains in the
wrote “And we know that we are of God, and the whole dualistic realm where the experience of the ultimate
world lieth in wickedness” (1 Jn. 5:19). James said, the One IS RATHER SHALLOW, that is, it remains still on
“friendship of the world is enmity with God” (Ja. 4:4). the level of relationships. THIS IS PRECISELY THE
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I pray not for the world, but PROBLEM OF WORDS, SYMBOLS AND LOGIC.
for them which thou hast given me; for they are

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 679