Exploration

Are you allowed to have your "base" but explore outside of that zone?

This is the question of the week. The only thing is, I am not sure I understand what the question is asking. So with that in mind, I will attempt an answer. If I am missing the question, and you know who you are, simply let me know, and I will address the question correctly.

If this is a question about the validity of other religions, which is where I think it is going, and whether or not is OK to explore or take that which is good out of other religions, let me share some thoughts.

From a human perspective there are indeed other things in other religions that are good. Those things that tell people to care for the poor, to treat others well, to be driven by love and service. Those are indeed good things and can be lifted up. However, you do not need any religion to tell you that these things are good. They are simply written on our hearts.

From a spiritual perspective, any religion that leads us away from Jesus Christ, that point to another source of power or strength or salvation, is a false religion and that is not good. Now does this mean that we have to be ignorant of other religions? No. We need to be loving and respectful. We will have friends and family members that believe other things, and so they need to know that we love them, and that they are important to us no matter what they believe.

However, we don't have to go down the same paths that they are going down, and we can respectfully (and I place a lot of emphasis on respectfully) disagree with them.

Now there is value in knowing what other religions teach and believe, so that as we share in conversations we know how to bear witness to who Jesus is and how he alone gives us access to t Father.

I realize that in today's world of political correctness, this can sound harsh. But I do not intend to do anything but speak (or in this case type) the truth in love. I do not consider myself to be better than anyone else, but the things I share here are in agreement with God's word, and since I accept that as a valid source of truth, I am going to run with it.

Long and short, is that there is value in knowing what other religions teach, and (from a human perspective) there are some good things that are taught, but all that we need from a spiritual perspective is given graciously to us through Jesus Christ.

I hope this helps. I look forward to your responses and thoughts and questions.
God's peace, joy and hope in Jesus.

Pastor CJ