Hi Kevin Gonzaga

Thank you for your comment at Provoketive Magazine (http://provoketive.com). We’re creating a space of rich conversation about life, faith, justice and culture without judgment. Our desire is to provoke the reader’s imagination through conversation and open up spaces of dialogue, learning, and hope.  We want to invite you to come back soon and continue to participate in the conversation. 

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Jonathan Brink
Provoketive Magazine

You posted the following comment:
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Bronwen,

Thanks for taking the time to post this article it definitely has been through provoking.  

On one hand I agree with a lot of what you say.  I think many world religions actually do espouse love as a high ideal.  I think followers of Jesus should strive to love other people, regardless of what world religions they claim. I have studies many major world religions, read various sacred scriptures of other religions, visited various worship centers and have always found parallels and connections with Jesus teachings or other teachings in the Bible.  I think someone can be a follower of Jesus and stay culturally Muslim or culturally Jewish, etc. (In other words I believe in things like the Insider Movement. http://biblicalmissiology.org/2011/03/20/the-insider-movement-a-brief-overview-and-analysis/) I have also encountered many Christians who worship a very weak God and feel the need to protect God. For example, I have been many times counseled to not question God.  As if God is scared of my questions. I find many practices of the Christian religion to be misguided to outright against the teachings of Jesus and am deeply troubled by this.

All that being said, I share many of the concerns A.J. and Marni have brought up and some other ones.  I'll try to touch on them in no real particular order. 

While some religious people might vehemently defend their God because they are insecure, there are many times in the scriptures where God takes actions to directly prove God is stronger than other gods.  For example, during the Exodus each of the plagues stepped on the domain of an Egyptian god.  Famously at Mt. Carmel Elijah challenged several hundred prophets of a false God and God showed up miraculously. So it appears sometimes God does show up other gods in "power-contests." What do you make of these?

The best summation of your position is in your own words I think. "The perspective I hold is that many ways/paths CAN lead to God. It doesn’t mean they do! It is the practicing, the living, the embodying of everything good in a faith path that leads one to salvation (imho)."  

While I want to respect your opinion and the journey that has taken you to it, I do not think this opinion can be reconciled with the Bible, the message of the Gospel, history or the message of Jesus.

First, the Bible is consistent in its call to monalatry, that is the worship of God alone.  No where does the Bible suggest that worship of other gods/idols might lead to the LORD. In fact many evils and punishments are traced back to the followers of God worshiping other gods alongside the LORD or other gods instead of the LORD.

Second, salvation (whatever that means) is never promised to people who have are practicing a good faith path. Romans 1-4 appear to make it clear that all people are incapable of righteousness apart from the righteousness made available through Jesus.  Jesus himself says, in John 15, that apart from Him we can do nothing. Jesus talks about the road to destruction being wide.

Third, if Jesus teachings were ultimately to set up people on a right spiritual path, why were followers of Jesus persecuted?  Numerous cults and religions that searched for the personal salvation or enlightenment of its members existed within the Roman Empire that were never persecuted.  It is my understanding that early followers of Jesus took the Lordship of Jesus Christ and refused to participate in the cult of the emperor (and other religions/cults) and saw Jesus as their only true Lord and master. This is why the Roman Empire persecuted them.  If Jesus was just a good moral example to follow, or even a God who had no problem if you worshiped in other religions because some of them might lead to Him, why would anyone persecute people like that?

I guess at the end of the day I feel that to hold your opinions you would have to disregard much of what the Bible says and much of what Jesus Himself taught. 

I hope this does not come off as an attack in any way.  I am trying to understand your position better.

You have provided your interpretation of John 10:16 and Matthew 10:34, but I'm curious if you could explain more of your faith journey that brought you to this point, your understanding of the verses A.J. brought up regarding Jesus name being above every other name, and clarify if you claim to be a follower of Jesus and what you think about the Bible. (This to me was unclear from your post.)