I was in a science lab at North Greenville University when I learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center Towers. I’ll never forget the solemnity and horror of the moment. In subsequent days, we would learn a great deal more about what happened and why.
The terrorist attack spurred wars in the Middle East, continual conflicts, and additional terrorist threats. The current conflict with Iran is connected as are the additional conflicts with Israel and her neighbors.
Over the past twenty-five years much debate has occurred surrounding 9/11. From conspiracy theories to terminology (“radical Islam”) to whether or not Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, opinion and debate has continued. Current geopolitical questions arise as well. I’m not equipped to adjudicate answers to these questions. But I do want to make a simple observation.
The dissonance of worship and worldview is the reason for the worldwide conflict centered in the Middle East.
Living in the United Sates of America, we celebrate ideological pluralism. Part of what makes our country so great is that the first amendment guarantees freedom of speech, press, and religion. Our nation welcomes different viewpoints and celebrates diversity of opinion. As a political value, this approach is commendable. Even so, these freedoms come with caveats.
First, the diversity of viewpoints at our founding is significantly less than the plurality of viewpoints in our nation today. Religious diversity during the Enlightenment Era largely centered around differences between denominations (Puritans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics) or between deism and theism. Deists hold that God may have created the universe, but then he stepped aside and was essentially disconnected from running the universe. Theism (especially the Christian version) believes God is not only the Creator but also the active Sustainer of creation and involved in geopolitical events. While there were certainly other viewpoints held by colonists at our founding, they were very much a minority. Yet, our Constitution affords freedom even to those minority views.
Second, diversity of viewpoints does not mean diversity of truth. Diversity of viewpoints can be described as pluralism. Ideological or religious pluralism is understood in two senses. Let’s call them weak and strong pluralism. Weak pluralism is pluralism observed. Weak pluralism notes the variety or diversity of worldviews in the world, and in particular, in the United States. In this sense, the United States is a pluralistic society. Strong pluralism is pluralism demanded. Strong pluralism suggests that truth can be discovered in a variety of worldviews. Or to state it differently, strong pluralism teaches there are multiple ways through different religions and worldviews to get to God, Heaven, Nirvana, or Ultimate Reality. In this sense, ideological pluralism teaches that there are multiple “true” religions.
The problem with ideological pluralism centers on the definition of truth. For strong pluralism to work in a society, truth has to be relativized. A relative view of truth suggests that what’s true for you may not be true for me. This “personal truth” view permeates twenty-first century America.
However, no self-respecting religious belief system accepts a relativized view of truth. Let me illustrate. For Christianity, Jesus Christ is God-incarnate, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus died as a substitute for sinful humanity on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. For Judaism, Jesus was not the Messiah, God-incarnate, nor was he resurrected. For Islam, Jesus was a great prophet, but he was not God-incarnate nor was he resurrected. Hinduism and Buddhism may not have explicit claims about Jesus though many in those faiths revere Jesus as a wise teacher, but he is neither God-incarnate, nor was he resurrected. Now, regarding the historical claim of Jesus’ resurrection–either he was resurrected or he was not. Within orthodox Christianity, this is not a relative claim or a personal truth claim. It is a historical claim with significant theological implications. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, Christianity cannot be true, and it ceases to be meaningful. Christianity revolves around the claim of Jesus’ deity and resurrection, and every doctrinal or applicational claim made in Christianity falls apart if one discounts the resurrection. What is denied about Jesus from other religious systems cannot be true at the same time as what Christianity claims about Jesus.
Before going further, let me offer a clarification. The differences (dissonance) of claims about Jesus do not necessitate that any one of the claims is true. (I am a born-again Christian and believe Jesus is God-incarnate who rose from the dead). What Islam claims about Jesus is fundamentally in discord with what Christianity claims. What Islam claims and what Christianity claims cannot both be true at the same time.
If all these discussions remained in classrooms and street corners, then much of this would remain philosophical. But that’s exactly the tension point within these religious viewpoints. Islam believes that Christians and Jews are infidels. Islam believes there is a coming Mahdi (their version of a Messiah) who will defeat the infidels and set up Islam as the kingdom to rule the world. Historically, Islam has advanced through war. It is not surprising then that Muslims believe their wars will initiate the return of their Mahdi. Orthodox Christianity has its own version of the future. Jesus, the resurrected Messiah, will return as King of kings and set up his kingdom on earth. But his return is not ushered in through violence by his followers. Rather, his return brings hope to his followers who are enduring a world of wickedness, conflict, persecution, and even martyrdom.
The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 was denounced by many Muslims, but it was nevertheless rooted in Islamic ideology. That attack failed to defeat America and did not usher in the Mahdi. The war currently being fought between the USA and Iran is also fraught with religious ideology. Islamic ideology at the root of both the conflict and the refusal to surrender is religious in nature. Believing in the virtue of their cause and the return of their Messiah, Islam’s truth claims conflict with common sense and with reality. (By the way, I’m not making a moral judgment on the justness of the current Iran conflict. I have reservations about it.) I believe one of the factors not considered by our government has been the stubbornness of Iran’s regime–which stems from Islam’s religious and ideological dissonance with differing viewpoints. Furthermore, Islamic ideology is in direct conflict with Christianity.
I was conversing the other day with a gentleman whose interaction with a variety of world religions is part of what has kept him from accepting Christianity. I do understand that tendency and sympathize. On the other hand, I’m convinced that Jesus did rise from the dead. He changed my life and rescued me from sin. He is the returning King who died on a cross for sinners.
It is important to grasp the dissonance in worldview and worship that permeates world religions. 9/11 happened for a variety of reasons. While it might be overly simplistic, the primary reason for 9/11 is a dissonance of worldviews and worship. Islamists don’t worship the God who died for sinners on the cross. They believe and worship at a different god.
May I commend several responses to today’s anniversary:
- Lament, mourn, and remember. Take a pause today to remember where you were when you learned of the attack. Remember the lives lost and the families devastated. Remember what it was like in the days following. Remember the filled churches who prayed. Remember the heroic responders who gave their lives trying to rescue others. But as you remember today, lament and mourn for the condition of sinners all over the world regardless of their ideology.
- Compare exclusive worldview claims. It is good for us to reflect on what we believe and what others believe. It is good for us to interact with various viewpoints and worldviews. It is good for us to listen and understand where others are coming from. Genuine concern for others requires that we are good listeners. In listening and understanding, we should also compare ideological and religious worldview claims. Consider the discord between ideologies and religions. Research and reflect on the differences between ideologies. Look for evidence. Seek the truth.
- Accept and follow Christ. I admit that I’m biased. I’ve examined the evidence, compared ideological claims, and concluded that the Bible is absolutely true. No other worldview has been attacked as vehemently and consistently as Christianity. Yet Christianity thrives not by coercion or warfare, but by a loving witness of the message about Christ.
- Pray for others and share Christ. Most of my readers are fellow Christians. The commemoration of 9/11 reminds us of the brevity of live, the seriousness of evil, and the discord of worldviews. Days that remind us of death remind us that we will all die. The only thing that will matter at our death day is whether or not we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
A sincere thanks for getting to the end of this post. Maybe you’re a reader who still has questions about faith and worldviews. Maybe you’re not a Christian at all. If that’s you, thank you for reading. I would be happy to chat with you about faith, worldview, and following Jesus. If you’d like to have that kind of conversation, fill out the contact form below, and I’ll get back to you.
I will return to the Journey Outcome series next Friday, September 18.