Da li hrišćani treba da su tolerantni kada se radi o veri drugih ljudi?

U današnje vreme “tolerancije,” moralni relativizam je nametnut kao uzvišena vrlina. Svaka filozofija, ideja, i verski sitem imaju jednaka merila, kažu relativisti i to je podjednako vredno poštovanja. Oni koji favorizuju jedan verski sistem u odnosu na drugi ili —još gore—tvrde da znaju potpunu istinu se smatraju ograničenim, neprosvećenim ili čak fanaticima. Naravno, različite religije daju uzajamno isključive izjave i relativisti nisu u stanju da logički pomire očigledne razlike. Na primer, Biblija tvrdi da je “ljudima određeno jednom da umru” (Jevrejima 9:27), dok neke istočnjačke religije govore o reinkarnaciji. Tako da, da li umiremo jednom, ili mnogo puta? Oba učenja ne mogu biti istina. Relativisti u osnovi predefinišu istinu da bi stvorili paradoksalni svet u kome više kontradiktornih “istina” mogu da koegzistiraju. Isus je rekao: “Ja sam put, istina i život: niko ne dolazi Ocu – sem kroz mene.” (Jovan 14:6). Jedan hrišćanin prihvata Istinu ne kao koncept, već kao Osobu. Ovakvo poznavanje Istine odvaja hrišćanina od takozvanih “otvorenih umova” današnjice. Hrišćanin javno priznaje da je Isus ustao iz mrtvih (Rimljanima 10:9-10). Ako on zaista veruje u Vaskrsenje, kako on može da bude “otvoren” u pogledu nevernikove procene da Isus nije ustao ponovo? Ako bi hrišćanin porekao jasno učenje Božije reči, to bi značilo da on izdaje Boga. Možete da primetite da smo u našim primerima do sada već izlistali osnove naše vere. Neke od njih (kao što je Hristovo vaskrsenje u telu) su neosporne. O drugim stvarima možemo da raspravljamo, kao što su, ko je napisao Poslanicu Jevrejima, prirodu Pavlovog “trna u telu,” i broj anđela koji mogu da stanu na vrh jedne igle. Treba da izbegavamo da se zapetljavamo u rasprave oko nevažnih stvari (Druga Timoteju 2:23; Titu 3:9). Čak i kada se vode rasprave/dijalozi oko poznatih doktrina, hrišćanin treba da se suzdrzava i da ima poštovanje. Jedno nešto je da se ne slažete sa nekim stavom; no sasvim drugo je da poniziš nekog. Mi treba čvrsto da se držimo Istine i ujedno da pokazujemo saosećanje prema onima koji sumnjaju u Istinu. Kao Isus, treba da smo puni i blagodti i istine (Jovan 1:14). Petar naglašava dobar balans između toga da imamo odgovor i da imamo poniznost: “…svagda spremni na odgovor svakom ko traži razlog nade koja je u vama, samo sa blagošću i strahom” (Prva Petrova 3:15,16).

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Should Christians be tolerant of other people’s religious beliefs?

In our age of “tolerance,” moral relativism is touted as the supreme virtue. Every philosophy, idea, and faith system has equal merit, says the relativist, and is worthy of equal respect. Those who favor one faith system over another or—even worse—claim a knowledge of absolute truth are considered narrow-minded, unenlightened, or even bigoted. Of course, different religions make mutually exclusive claims, and the relativist is unable to logically reconcile outright contradictions. For example, the Bible makes the claim that “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27), while some Eastern religions teach reincarnation. So, do we die once or many times? Both teachings cannot be true. The relativist essentially redefines truth in order to create a paradoxical world where multiple, contradictory “truths” can co-exist. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). A Christian has accepted Truth, not just as a concept, but as a Person. This acknowledgment of Truth distances the Christian from the so-called “open-mindedness” of the day. The Christian has publicly acknowledged that Jesus rose from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). If he truly believes in the resurrection, how can he be “open-minded” concerning an unbeliever’s assertion that Jesus never rose again? For a Christian to deny the clear teaching of God’s Word would indeed be a betrayal of God. Note that we have cited the fundamentals of the faith in our examples so far. Some things (such as the bodily resurrection of Christ) are non-negotiable. Other things may be open to debate, such as who wrote the book of Hebrews or the nature of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” We should avoid becoming bogged down in disputations over secondary matters (2 Timothy 2:23; Titus 3:9). Even when disputing/dialoguing over prominent doctrines, a Christian should exercise restraint and show respect. It is one thing to disagree with a position; it is quite another to disparage a person. We must hold fast to the Truth while showing compassion to those who question it. Like Jesus, we must be full of both grace and truth (John 1:14). Peter strikes a good balance between having the answer and having humility: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).