The Non-Dogmatic Dogma

I was thinking…

“Most Americans have a non-dogmatic approach when it comes to interpreting the tenets of their own religion,” noted a national poll (June 23, 2008).

That’s a great statement on people’s dogmatism but not a commentary on religious claims. If a religion claims to serve the only way to salvation, it doesn’t matter if followers hold to that claim dogmatically or non-dogmatically. It just shows that the believers are inconsistent with their religion.

Blinded by truth, originally uploaded by lorrainemd.

And the matter of believer’s dogmatism does not change, even if a religion does not claim to be the only way to salvation. For even this religious claim can be held dogmatically—“I firmly believe there is no one way to salvation,” or non-dogmatically, “I do not firmly believe there is no one way to salvation.”

If the former is right, then that very conviction contradicts itself: a One-Way belief that there is no one way to salvation. If the latter, this agnostic believer is simply affirming what he was originally against: the firm belief there is one way to salvation.

So you may be kind of stuck in your non-dogmatic dogma, even while you are against bull-dogmatic dogma. It’s better all round, philosophically and relationally, to hold on to truth in humble love.

What do you think?

Warm Regards

RAMESH RICHARD

From Curse to Cure

Spiritual Truths from Contemporary Life to Build You Up

I was thinking…

A storied hero of my youth died at nearly 100 years of age. Dr. Michael Debakey—the father of modern cardiovascular surgery, pioneered medical techniques that possibly earned him “the greatest surgeon ever” title. His legacy comes from 60,000 operations, award winning research, and even establishing an entire hospital system!

A most interesting turn in his life added to his legendary status. At 97, he submitted to heart surgery—his own expertise—to other specialists so they could repair a torn aorta in his heart by using one of his own innovations! His life was preserved. His own heart cure, cured his heart. Soon recovering he returned to active medical work.¹ Wow!

Only one other storyline runs deeper than that. Our spiritually defective hearts brought on God’s curse of human sin with the resulting punishment of death. And yet God submits to his own curse by sending his one and only Son to become a human being. This unique Son of God undergoes the curse of our death and raises himself from the dead, so we can be cured from God’s very own curse. God takes on His own curse, so we can be cured, in instant recovery for ever.

Let me know if you’d like to hear more details of this deeper storyline.



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Ramesh Richard