Urbana 96 Webcast
T.V. ThomasDecember 29, p.m.
Speaking the Truth with Authority
by Amy Carden
listen to the audio: 27 min.
AUDIO
"Can we believe in Jesus
Christ and the Christian faith when there are so many
other religious options? How can we be sure that biblical
answers provide the truth when other religions offer
different approaches? Can we continue to proclaim that
‘Jesus is the way, the truth and the
life?’"
These questions, posed by T.V. Thomas at the outset of his presentation, were both timely and of real consequence, a fact underscored by the drama that played itself out during his time on the Urbana stage. Thomas began with a booming, but obviously breaking voice. As he lay the groundwork for answers to his questions, his voice deteriorated, gradually becoming little more than a strained whisper. Glasses of water rushed to him did not help. Finally, Urbana Director Dan Harrison joined Thomas at the podium to offer him some medicine for his throat and to inform us that a similar attack of laryngitis had inflicted the Urbana 93 speaker who had addressed the same topic—clearly, this was an important message for us, and the enemy was at work! Shouts of "PRAY!" rang out in the hall, and Harrison asked for God’s healing touch upon Thomas so that we all might be able to hear the message He had in store. And, when Thomas began again, his voice returned--with authority! And it did not let up for the rest of his talk!
What is the important message that the enemy sought to prevent? Thomas’ task was to debunk the fallacies that arise from our current context of religious and cultural pluralism and to boldly assert the absolute, universal truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to God.
Thomas identified three influential fallacies with respect to religious belief that have specific implications for Christians. The first is the assertion that "none of the religions are absolute," meaning that truth is reflected in all religions to a varying extent. Obviously, if this is true, no single religion can claim to be absolute. The second and related fallacy is that "all religions lead to God." Thomas recited a familiar refrain: "’We’re all climbing the same mountain; we shall all meet at the top.’" He countered that "any attempt of making a harmony of all religions and ideologies is totally impossible—we all know that the stated goals of each religion are different." The last fallacy, that "all religious beliefs are relative," is common in Western society, where belief is seen as a private matter. According to this view, each person should be left to his or her private opinion—no one should seek intentionally to influence the followers of other faiths. Yet, notes Thomas, "this is not what is happening in society—ideologies and world views are passionately presented; books and articles are published on them and people are being persuaded to buy in." It cannot be otherwise.
Our "religiously relativistic environment" gives rise to two "supremely important virtues": sincerity and religious tolerance. Thomas easily discredited the notion that sincerity in belief is all that matters by reminding us of the "crazy fact" that "one can be absolutely sincere and still be totally wrong!" Next, while he affirmed the need for religious tolerance in a pluralistic society, Thomas pointed out that "everyone is not always playing on a level playing field." Sadly, those who make much of religious tolerance "often prove to be intolerant of those of us who take a stand for the uniqueness of Christ." Also, many mistakenly hold to the view that "because all religions are to be equally tolerated," they must all be "equally true." As Thomas noted, "diversity in religious faiths cannot be the criteria to evaluate the validity of any of them."
Turning to the influence of post-modernism in society, Thomas made a crucial, but sometimes overlooked point. Post-modernists often scoff at those who claim to have objective, absolute truth, even accuse them of "trying to gain power and control over others." However, those who make such accusations with conviction and passion "fail to realize that they themselves are making an absolute truth claim! They are guilty of the very thing they denounce others for doing."
In the light of all this, why are we as Christians confident of our message? Thomas responded by sharing "three major biblical convictions." First, he asserted the "universality of human nature." Beyond the superficial differences of culture and language, we are all basically the same. There is good in each of us because we are created in God’s image, and there is bad in us because all have sinned, all are fallen. Second, he rooted Christianity’s uniqueness in God’s "ultimate revelation." Our confidence comes from the fact that God chose to communicate with us through his Son. "Jesus came as the full revelation—the perfect and ultimate embodiment of all that is true about God." In addition, God provided a written revelation: "The Bible is a clear and permanent record of His communication to us." Our certainty does not stem from ourselves, is not the result of our own "deductive mental processes"; "it is solely based on what God has chosen to reveal concerning Jesus Christ."
The final biblical conviction involves the "uniqueness of God’s rescue operation." With thoroughness and great passion, Thomas detailed God’s plan to end the alienation of humankind through the atoning life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. In concluding, he declared:
Because of the resurrection, sin was defeated and God’s rescue operation was successful. Hence, God in Christ offers us a brand new life when we repent of our sin and place our faith in Jesus Christ … No other religion has a Savior who can match the absolute sinless purity and holiness of Jesus Christ. No other religious savior is both fully divine and fully human in every part. No other savior has died as an atoning sacrifice for the sin of humankind. No other religion has a risen savior. No other religion offers a life of fellowship with its founder.
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