CHRISTIAN ETHNOCENTRISM

College professors have begun to lament the fact that, "You can't even get a good argument going in class anymore!" There are many negative ramifications resulting from our society's fascination with "political correctness" and being socially conscious about never daring to offend anyone, and this is certainly one of them! One of the worst things that you could possibly accuse someone of, in the eyes of a millennial student, is being "judgmental." One professor noted, "As soon as somebody takes a stand on any important issue, someone else will throw down the, 'You're being judgmental' card, and that's it! End of discussion! Everyone is intimidated! (Mouw 21)" 

Ultimately, it is impossible to be entirely nonjudgmental, because we all have to make judgments everyday in our lives, besides, "...telling someone else that they are being judgmental is a rather judgmental thing to do! (Mouw 21)" However, there is a growing concern that this restriction of judgmental behavior is getting way out of control, and this is only further complicated by well meaning people, constantly calling for civility in our discourse. Others see an even more sinister motive coming from the left; i.e. the suppression of free speech which does not advance their own agendas, and specifically, Christian free speech which often refutes their relativistic ideologies. 

The exclusive claim of Jesus Christ to be the only way to salvation, has always been a lightning rod of controversy, but it was once just considered rude and socially unacceptable to make such an inconsiderate statements in the past. Now you could be labeled as not only judgmental, but also be justifiably branded as a purveyor of; hate speech; xenophobia; racism; and even white privilege and homophobia, for daring to utter such a claim. Obviously, this is far from the truth, but it has effectively silenced many in the Church from speaking out about their faith, which of course is the intended goal.

There is ironically, a massive push to sanction the tolerance of all truth claims absolutely, accept of course the one which claims to be absolutely True! As one writer observed, "In the world, it is called tolerance, but in hell it is called despair! The sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die. (Sayers)" Sadly, it would appear that tolerance has now replaced truth in our culture, as a more noble and worthy aspiration.

Cultural Relativism plays a major role in this unprecedented shift in human interaction of course, as even Christian Theologians are embracing and defending its precepts and corrupting Church doctrine and practice with them. Witness their shielding of cultural relativism as being, "...often misunderstood, particularly among Christians. The word “relativism” may raise worries about secular scholars attacking Christian truth claims, or any truth claims at all. Understood correctly, however, cultural relativism poses no conflict for Christians. (Howell 31)”

This is a blatantly false statement however, because by definition, “Cultural Relativism says that; ‘All Truth Is Local’ and …that moral or ethical systems, which vary from culture to culture, are all equally valid and no one system is really “better” than any other. (Relativism)" This is based on the idea that there is no ultimate standard of good or evil, so every judgment about right and wrong is a product of society. Therefore, any opinion on morality or ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of each person. Ultimately, this means that no moral or ethical system can be considered the “best,” or “worst,” and no particular moral or ethical position can actually be considered “right” or “wrong.”

Well, how does that square with the biblical teachings of Christianity? You're right, it doesn’t! Yet these scholars persistently claim that we should study other cultures, who’s practices are evidently just as valid and truthful as our own Christian faith (in their opinion), since, “…the study of religion can help us perceive and critique how Christian symbols intersect with other parts of social and cultural life. (Howell 178)” The term, Ethnocentrism, is the sledgehammer used, not-so-subtlety, to rebuke of any dissent to the contrary, citing the unforgivable sin of believing that, "...the way we think, believe and act is the best way—the superior way. (Elmer 131)”

Now obviously, this must be tempered with the love of Christ, and the understanding of God's own heart toward the lost, but for the Christian, it almost seems as though a form of ethnocentrism is hard-wired into what we believe. If we didn’t believe that our faith was superior to other faiths, what would be the reason for proclaiming it? If Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism are just as equally valid as Christianity, what’s the point? Isn’t that the argument that the liberal theologians and cultural relativists are making against the, “arrogant” stance of the fundamentalist Christian who dares to proclaim that, “Jesus is the only way!”

Well, either He is or He isn’t, which is it? If He is the only way, and of course He is, then we have every right to be ethnocentric about that fact. Was Paul? Was John? Was Peter? Of course they were! Was Jesus? Yes, He was, and He boldly declared that, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father except through me! (John 14:6)" You can't get much more ethnocentric than that! 

By Pastor Glen Mustian

Works Cited:

-Elmer, Duane. Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility. InterVarsity Press.

Howell, Brian. Introducing Cultural Anthropology: A Christian Perspective. Baker Publishing Group.

Mouw. Richard, Dr. Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World. Print. 1992.

Relativism. https://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/cultural-relativism.htm
Sayers, Dorothy. Christian Letters to a Post-Christian World. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 1969.