All roads lead to Rome …?

Baskin Robbins is famous for their multitude of ice cream flavours.  Their website claims a library of over 1,000 flavours! The appeal is partly in the variety. 

This past June I was at Baalbek, Lebanon. It was a striking place, originally the temple to Baal, erected by Phoenicians/Canaanites, 4,000 years ago, modified by Alexander, expanded by the Romans for Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus, converted to a fortress by the Muslims, restorations began by Germans, continued by French and today by Lebanese. Just outside hawkers tried to sell Hezbollah t-shirts to western tourists (good luck). 

Our guide to the ruins in this Islamic stronghold made a comment along the lines that all religions were the same, we all worship the same god etc. We raised our eyebrows at that one! I could have heard that comment in Midland, or Michigan … I’m always amazed at the people who would go to a Baskin Robbins simply because they sell SO MANY flavours dupe themselves into promoting a generic approach to religion. How well would Baskin Robbins do if t hey had 1,000 containers of the same vanilla (and nothing more) all for sale at the same location? And we are supposed to swallow the line that all faiths are the same?

Manasseh , son of Hezekiah, was an Israelite King who was syncretistic – that meaning, he integrated the faiths of his day … he acted out of a belief that they were essentially compatible – the same. You can read about  his life and actions in 2 Kings 21.

How did God evaluate Manasseh’s actions? Manasseh made the top of God’s list. He was, to that time, in God’s evaluation, the worst example of King the nation had. So much for the “we’re all worshipping the same God anyway” theory.

So my friends, think for yourself. Don’t repeat someone else’s error. Evaluate any religion you want to comment on, by reading their own source documents yourself. I encourage you to evaluate Christianity on the basis of the words of Jesus himself, direct from the Gospel.  John chapter 3 is a good place to start!

Cliff