Written by: gfesadmin on October 5, 2012

I walked past a Buddhist temple and watched devout individuals burn incense.  I observed Hindus in a ritualistic ceremony with a priest chanting ‘slokas’ and briefly watched a video on the glory of the Quran as I shopped at Mustafa, a famous Muslim store in Little India, Singapore.   My immediate instinct was to reflect on my beliefs and what differentiates me from people of other faiths which almost led me to think that my beliefs were better and higher.  This experience is not new to any one of us for we live in a pluralistic society.   We are constantly bombarded with variegated beliefs about God and life with different faith claiming to have the answers to life’s ultimate questions.    Navigating through these pluralistic waters can be confounding unless one has thoughtfully reflected upon the tenets of his or her faith differentiating it from other belief systems and practicing it uncompromisingly with due respect for other religious practices.  

Grenz and Olson write, “The goal of theology is to help us be the believing people of God in the world today.  We are not just any people.”  In other words we are God’s special and chosen people.   In a pluralistic setting, such an attitude is considered arrogant, exclusive and divisive.   In this regard, the world at large views Christians as being intolerant for we are known to proselytize wanting everyone to conform to our beliefs.   To counter this negativism, the Church in the current post modern era in striving to be contextual and inclusive has conformed to practicing an ‘accommodative religion’ causing it to lose its unique identity, purpose and voice in a pluralistic world.    

Christian organizations and movements in particular have succumbed to the pressure of conforming blurring their theological boundaries. The YMCA, for instance, was founded on Christian beliefs which defined its mission and purpose for transformational impact and Kingdom building.   Unfortunately, over the years, with decreased emphasis on the ‘C’ the YMCA has diluted its mission and presence to be ‘swim and gym’ club for families in the West and a social service club in other parts of the world.   Thankfully in the recent years, there is a revival within the YMCA that is striving to put the emphasis back on the ‘C’.  In order to do so, the YMCA must revisit its theological roots that will restore its unique identity and redefine its existence in the present context for effective mission delivery.   

One such important effort in the present context is to serve as a platform for interfaith dialogue to build peace and harmony.   Unless the YMCA reflects on its theological roots and intentionally puts its beliefs in to practice it will be an organization trying to pursuing a cause without really knowing why it needs to do it or how it should be done.  Moreover, unable to weather the storms of pluralism, the movement risks sinking in to confusion and senseless conformity.  

The question then is: if exclusivity is viewed as intolerant and being inclusive seems to be the answer in a pluralistic world where does one draw the line so that our beliefs are not compromised?  A Buddhist monk at a YMCA interfaith dialogue illustrated answered this well.    He shared:

“You (YMCA) opened a window and we saw the beauty of your faith inside, you opened the door and allowed us to enter and fellowship with you.  But you don’t take off your roof to trying to accommodate us …we will all suffer as a result.”  

This holds true not just for the YMCA but for every individual Christian riding the waves of pluralism in a postmodern era.  As I get ready to fly out of Changi airport in just a few minutes, I am reminded that doing theology in a pluralistic world is somewhat like air travel.  I need to get to the airport and maneuver my way through the formalities, cooperate with the airlines and other passengers, and get to the gate so I fly to my intended destination, not become distracted by the shopping at the airport and miss my flight.   

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