When We "Christianize" Religion

EDITOR NOTE: Another long (and this time unexpected) absence. I apologize for the delay in posts, but we had a death in the family last week (my wife's grandmother) and so my wife and I traveled to Tennessee to help with arrangements and for the funeral.

I recently stumbled across an article (thanks to Pastor Mark Driscoll via his Twitter posts, @PastorMark) from the USA TODAY that describes an emerging church practice of Christians participating in Ramadan fasting with Muslims. During the fast Christians go through the same fasting rituals as their Muslim counterparts - including prayer, then break the fast after the sun goes down together. The only difference in the ritual is that Christians pray to God through Jesus Christ whereas the Muslims pray to Allah as instructed by the Koran.

This got me thinking: is it okay for Christians to adopt the religious practices of other faiths as long as they Christianize them (pray to the right God)?

There are several instances where Christians take regular worship practices of other faiths and Christianize them (these are but a few):

• YOGA (Hinduism - a form of prayer) is probably one of the biggest, especially since most Americans use it as a form of exercise
• Meditation/Centering Oneself (Buddhism and other eastern religions)
• Fasting for Ramadan (Muslim tradition that celebrates the giving of the Koran to the Prophet Mohammed)
• Karma ("someone does something bad to you, don't worry, it'll comeback to them in the end")... Christians instead say, "don't worry God will judge them" (or believe simply that "if you do good, good will happen to you in return - do bad, bad will happen to you in return")
  
• Superstition (that if we do something incorrectly, there will be immediate consequences - break a mirror, walk under a ladder, spill salt, knock on wood, etc.)
• Relativism (or Pluralism depending on the degree of the practice) - blending religious practices from multiple practices/backgrounds

It is one thing for Christians to sincerely approach other religions out of respect, love and humility (something we all ought to do), but it is a completely different venture if we begin to adopt their practices and incorporate them into our own. Three major reasons adoping other practices is dangerous:

1) God has given us all we need, for us to insert new practices or rituals minimizes His Word and role in our lives and completely ignores GRACE! Scripturally, we see such activity in Israel's history as insane or obscene. Over and over again their idolatrous practices (taking religious practices of neighboring countries/religions and blending them into their own) became major stumbling blocks for them. How many times did their doing so lead to their own demise? Every time. Why? Because they got so caught up in the ritual (and false gods associated with them) that they lost sight of God.

2) Christ died to free us from rituals and empty religious practices. Why would we intentionally subject ourselves to ritualistic practices that REQUIRE those rituals as a form of earning favor with their god (or gods)? I believe Pastor Mark Driscoll is absolutely correct (in the article) in saying that observing other religious rituals is completely dishonoring to Jesus Christ.

3) It confuses the world. They see us adopt other religious practices and think that what they are doing to earn favor with God (theirs or ours) must be correct. The Muslim man (Ahmed) confirms this in the article (about Christians participating in Ramadan fasting): "Here is a pastor who wants to understand us, who does not want to convert us, and who is even prepared to walk with us, to fast with us. That is a big gesture."

Anyone who truly knows me knows of my absolute fascination with and respect for truly religious people around the world. I am awed and humbled by their devotion to their faith and practice of faith (though equally brokenhearted by their lostness). As kind, romantic and wonderful a gesture it is for Christians to participate in other religious practices, it is also a dangerous step that is misleading at best and altogether self-centered (dishonoring to God) at worst.

And in closing, while I appreciate Christian's attempts to seek God and grow in their faith, I find that their pursuits that incorporate other religions are typically less about finding God and more about feeling better about themselves or their own spirituality. This, sadly, can have long-lasting and devastating affects to the end goal they had hoped to achieve.

PARENTS: Instead of teaching our children/teens to be hateful toward other religious practices we ought to embrace such knowledge and use what we learn to teach them about the sufficiency of God's love through His Son Jesus Christ. FAMILY ACTIVITY: Research online traditional religious practices, their origins and then compare them with your own practices (those found in Scripture). As a family discuss why we do/embrace certain traditions and reject others.

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The Quest of a Real Man: Albert Pujols Is Fighting All the Right Battles

So much time is spent in the media highlighting celebrities' and athletes' falls from grace. So many articles and news reports cover mischievous deeds and alleged actions that it seems as though no one can be trusted (famous or not). It's heartbreaking.

Enter Albert Pujols: husband, father, follower of Jesus Christ, First Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and arguably one of the best players playing "The Game" (Major League Baseball) today - maybe ever; only time will tell. Unfortunately, steroids has damaged the credibility of the game thanks to several of the game's "greats": Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, Raphael Palmiero, Roger Clemens and, most recently, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, to name a few. Since becoming one of baseball's most feared hitters (he is the only player in Major League history to hit 30 homeruns in each of his first nine seasons), Pujols' name has been included (wrongly, as far as many in sports can tell) in the ring of suspicion for players playing "dirty" (using steroids). Albert Pujols, however, isn't standing by idly as people try to tarnish his image; he's on a quest to clean up baseball, but more importantly demonstrate to anyone willing to listen/watch what a man of integrity looks like.

A recent article in the USA Today (written by Bob Nightengale) does an amazing job of detailing this journey of Pujols. It is a very challenging piece, mainly because of the fire inside of Pujols (which is detailed so well by Nightengale in his article) to prove to the world that not only is he clean, but his integrity and relationship with God is more valuable to him than any dollar amount. Here are some highlights (quotes) from this fantastic article:

• On his name being falsely linked to steroids: "...just because Manny made a mistake, now I have to pay? Just because A-Rod made a mistake, now I have to pay? Oh, guilt by association? That's wrong. For people to be suspicious of me because of the year I'm having and for people to say I just haven't been caught, that makes me angry and disappointed."
• Pujols, who was tested as a part of MLB's new testing program (for steroids and drugs) six times last season alone, says he is willing to be tested daily to silence the skeptics. He even takes his guarantee that he is clean a step further: "Come test me every day if you want... Everything I ever made in this game I would give back to the Cardinals if I got caught."
• On being a Believer, baseball hero and role model: "I want to be the guy people look up to. But I want to be the person who represents God, represents my family and represents the Cardinals the right way. So many people can't wait until I do something negative. I can't understand it. That's sad, because I want to be that poster boy in baseball. Just give me the chance."
• About protecting his marriage and family, his reputation and his relationship with God, Nightengale states that Pujols "doesn't drink or smoke. He doesn't have a tattoo or wear earrings. He doesn't go to bars, nightclubs or any place where his character could be assaulted." In his own words, Pujols says "If we're in a hotel and a woman gets on the elevator by herself, I'll wait or the next one. People have their agenda. You have to be careful who you can trust. It's the same thing with pictures. I'll have my picture taken on the field, but not off the field. Nowadays with photo technology, you can do so many things."
• Regarding Pujols' reputation among his peers, Nightengale quotes several players and managers who speak highly of his integrity (on and off the field), his legacy as a player and someone who is highly favored and respected.

In an age where so many people live for themselves and live in a manner that ensures their own happiness (some to a degree that doesn't consider anyone but themselves), it is refreshing and challenging to see a man fight for his integrity, his wife and marriage, his children, his respect as a professional and his reputation as a true Believer and follower of Jesus Christ. While I've always admired Albert Pujols professionally (who has been a staple of both my fantasy baseball teams since his rookie year), I am now a fan of the man. A man who fights so dearly for all the right things in life, knowing that fight will be his greatest legacy, is worthy of being watched and emulated (much like Paul encouraged those younger in faith to do with him - "follow me, for I am following Christ").

KUDOS ALBERT PUJOLS! Checkout his family foundation site for more on Albert Pujols and his mission.

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Or you can email me at: christianthechristian.c2@gmail.com

Images borrowed from profantasybaseball.com and Getty Images.
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