Digging my book collection last nite... and found something interesting: Hendrik van Loon's Tolerance. I remember myself as a baby Christian in Yr 12 and reading it and got reali horrified after 1 chapter and decided i won't read it because my faith is too weak and i might get all pulled away by its philosophy and think Christianity is reali only for the ignorant.
Now when i opened it again, i read on... knowing God will provide me with the wisdom to understand and keep in the truth. ^^
but it is indeed a very thoughtful and perceptive book..... weaving history and philosophy into very engaging short chapters. The undertoning interweaving them all being: Christianity is history's biggest enemy to tolerance.
But reali.. wat is the enemy? Human sin. When truth become an organised religion.. sin unavoidably set in and convert the seeking of truth into group loyalty.. which is of course a much simpler and easier concept to follow. In Andrew Wheatcroft's Infidels... we hear the ludicrous story that in Spain prior to the conquest of Granada... once a 'Christian prostitute' sued a Muslim client who tried to buy her service. When Christianity is reduced down to the name of a group... then it cease to be associated with the Lord anymore...
History is God's wisdom... we learn about human sin and folly... and the Lord enables us to grow in wisdom and shine His light.
Tolerance, Christianity, and "Christian prostitute"
Posted by
YN
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
4 comments:
'sin unavoidably set in and convert the seeking of truth into group loyalty.. which is of course a much simpler and easier concept to follow'
Yes, I think that's very true... but because the group is still the 'representative' of Christianity, people judge Christianity based on what they see of people belonging to the group...
I get a bit cynical about big groups often, I think, religious and otherwise. Certainly it's important to have fellowship with other believers, but I often wonder whether in big groups the individual pursuit of truth (grounded in reading, reflection etc) can be superseded by the desire to conform...
(yeah, hence cynicism re big churches, Hillsong, etc... whether justified or not, I don't know)
you're full of contradictions yourself Sally, you're cynical about big groups yes but you'd be one of the earliest to jump on the band wagon and be a hippy and drag everyone else kicking and screaming with you
I think that depends on the group, Yi Qiu. Big groups can be fun, sure, but Christianity (note I don't use the word 'religion' here) should be about truth, not fun.
i'm a bit confused here.... on my own blog.... LOL anyway i also have probs saying Christian, and religion... cos it reali reduce the truth down to mere group boasting.
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