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MarketFaith Ministries is an equipping ministry which is focused on helping Christians become more effective
in living out their faith in the midst of the increasingly diverse worldview environment of modern society.
Introduction
You’ve heard it many times before, no doubt – “Christianity is narrowminded!” Well, you bet it is! But what is the big deal?
The fact is, anyone who says that to you is speaking from a narrowminded point of view themselves. The truth is, there is
no belief system in existence which is not narrowminded. As Christians we need to understand this so that we know how
to express our faith in a way which can actually be an effective witness.
Today’s article is designed to give you insight about this so that you can have more personal confidence in your faith in
Christ and become more effective in sharing it with others. We really do have a leg to stand on!
Before moving into today’s article, let me share a special offer with you. We have five sets of the Worldview Workbooks
left over from the Worldview Summit that are available for purchase. If you would like this four volume set for your own
spiritual growth, simply e-mail me at MarketFaith Ministries with your request and I will reply with instructions on how you
can pay for them. The cost for the entire set is only $28.00.
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An understanding of worldview is more critical now than it has ever been. If we, as Christians, expect to make an impact
on our modern world, we are going to have to get up to speed. I am available for a limited number of training presenta-
tions and would be delighted to work with you if you would like to bring this kind of training to your church or Christian
organization. You can contact me by snail mail at MarketFaith Ministries, 321 Anton Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32312, by
phone at 850-383-9756, or by e-mail at info@marketfaith.org.
It is our desire to be a powerful resource for you. Please feel free to contact me at any time with your thoughts, opinions
and suggestions. It is always a joy to hear from you.
God bless,
Freddy
With this understanding in place, it seems a bit disingenuous for someone to assert that our Christian view is narrow-
minded from the platform of a different narrowminded point of view. But that is exactly what has happened when some-
one attacks our faith in that manner.
Every belief system answers these questions and the answers define the system’s exclusivity. So, when someone claims
that Christianity is narrowminded, the claim is made based on the doctrine of some other narrow belief system. The per-
son making the charge may believe that their belief is not exclusive but, by default, it has its own line around it.
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ticular way for people to enter the faith. So just how does the exclusiveness of Christianity play out? How does it answer
the three questions above?
Now, certainly, that is specific enough to garner the label “exclusive.” It is only through Christ that a person can enter into
a relationship with God.
Not really. In fact, they are very intolerant of anyone who does not answer the three questions the way they do. They are
intolerant of any person who believes in God. They are intolerant of any person who views mankind as a purposefully cre-
ated individual. And since, for them, salvation involves their own personal self-fulfillment, they are intolerant of anyone
who stands in their way, no matter what arena of life this involves. By the same token, many of them don’t have any
qualms about walking on others or putting others down if it furthers their own personal advancement. The fact is, Secular
Humanists have a very narrowminded approach to belief and anyone who does not agree with them is considered to be
ignorant and wrong.
Is it the Truth?
While we used Secular Humanism as an example, you can use the three questions to get at the narrow-mindedness of
any belief system, no matter how “inclusive” they claim to be. But this is not even the real issue at hand. The real question
is not, “Is it exclusive?”, but “Is it the truth?”
There is some way that reality is actually organized. Either there is a God or there is not. If there is, he is either personal
or impersonal. You can’t have it both ways. So, someone is right and everyone else is wrong. Claims of tolerance and
open-mindedness are totally meaningless if the claims don’t correspond with the way reality is actually structured. Of
course, there is no empirical evidence that one belief system or another does represent truth. Worldview beliefs cannot be
addressed that way. But there are other kinds of very powerful and profound evidence for or against every belief.
The fact is, our Christian faith has more evidence to support it than any other belief system in existence. It is not narrow-
minded to make a belief claim if what you are claiming actually does represent the truth.
For the Christian faith, the focus is not on the fact that Christ is the only way to God. While this is a true statement, the
real issue is much more important. Human beings exist in a condition where we are separated from God. We desperately
need a means of fixing that problem. God provided that fix through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rather
than being upset that there is only one way to God, we ought to be very grateful that God provided a way for us to escape
the death trap of sin.
The exclusivity of Christianity is not oppressive - it is freeing. It is the message that there is a way for us to escape slavery
from sin and eternal separation from God. Every belief system in existence is exclusive and we have to come to grips with
that fact. The important thing to discover is, which exclusive set of beliefs represents the truth? Once we know that, nar-
row-mindedness becomes a blessing, not a curse.
In the next Issue: The Gospel According to Dwight D. Eisenhower: Jehovah’s Witness