For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

The final three podcasts in Christ Through the Ages explore how Christ has been refracted through human thinking. We begin with the polytheists (think Hindu); next time we will discuss monotheists (think Muslims); in the last lesson we will consider the atheists.

There are many differing refractions / reflections of Christ in man-made religions.

• Baha’i: Many paths to God
• Buddhist: enlightenment—but to what?
• New Age movement: we are all gods / christs (we just don't realize it).
• Once again, beware differing Christs (2 Cor 11:2-4)!
• Knowing something about how others believe is helpful.
  • Enhances our appreciation of what we have in Christ.
  • Enables us better to connect with members of other faiths.
  • Increases our conviction about the fundamentals of the faith.

Hinduism

• Welcome to the pantheon! If all faiths are valid, then in a sense none of them is true.
• Yet the Hindu gods and goddesses are not necessarily virtuous.
• Moreover, Hinduism teaches the ultimate dissolution of relationships and individuality.
• By the way, Jesus never visited India.
• Idolatry: we become like what we worship
  • Worship the goddess of wealth (Lakshmi), become materialistic.
  • Devote yourself to a violent and vengeful deity (like the blood-drinking Kali), and what behaviors may be rationalized?
  • The most "loving" Hindu deity, Krishna, cavorts with the cowherds. Hardly a model to emulate!
• The gods and goddesses are not, fundamentally, moral.
  • They are created in man’s image.
  • So it is with all the pantheons: Greek, Roman, Nordic, Egyptian, Babylonian, etc.
• Therefore we can't just add Christ to a pantheon. He claims unique and exclusive worship (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

Buddhism

• Parallels emphasized (temptation, self-control, compassion), but these are minor.
• The differences are major:
  • Buddha did not die for our sins.
  • Buddhism is originally agnostic, or even atheistic.
  • Our condition of sinfulness is ultimately unreal, since human souls do not even exist.
• Don't be deceived. Christ is not found in the polytheistic religions (even if a few of this teachings appear there).

Scriptural thought: Ephesians 4:3-7

• There is only one God -- monotheism, not polytheism, is the correct stance. This is a central doctrine of biblical religion (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 -- see also Matthew 22:34-40).
• There is only one faith -- as attractive as liberal "tolerance" may be, it is incoherent: not all faiths can be valid, since they contradict one another.
• There is only one Lord -- and we have enough room in our hearts to serve only one (Matthew 6:24).

For more podcasts on world religions, click here.

Next: Christ Refracted in the World: The Monotheists