We have all seen it—the bumper sticker with the word “CO-EXIST.” Rather than being spelled out in normal type, it uses the symbols of various religious or social persuasions to form the letters. The Muslim crescent is the C, the Jewish star is the X, the Christian cross the T and so on. The theme seems nice—a peaceable sentiment. All religions are just one letter in a long chain, which, if linked together, can form meaning and cohesion for society.
This “bumper sticker theology” is, of course, exactly the message we (Judeo-Christians) are being bombarded with on a constant basis from the other two primary houses of thought that currently dominate the world’s stage (Islamists and Secularists):
– The militant Secularists tell us that the diversity of our ideas is our strength, insisting that they really believe that to be so, though their idea of “tolerance” is appearing these days to be anything but tolerant.
– The radical Islamists infiltrating the Judeo-Christian institutions of Western Civilization are telling us the same thing about diversity and tolerance—not because they truly believe it but because they know it’s what we want to hear.
The irony is that the traditional values under assault in this nation (and beyond) are derived from the one genuinely tolerant worldview there is: our Judeo-Christian foundation.
This reality is unpleasant … Wouldn’t it be easier to slip back into a misinformed haze and believe everything will somehow work itself out? And if not, what am I advocating? Intolerance?
No.
I am pointing out the undeniable truth that if we continue to allow the values of tolerance and multiculturalism to be hijacked and redefined by those who only wish to do away with them altogether, we are very soon going to find ourselves living under the same conditions we came to this country to escape. The well-meaning West has unsuspectingly walked away from the very foundations that gave it strength at its core and now a man-made, unattainable idealism called coexistence is about to lure us away from any vestige of freedom and genuine tolerance that remains on the earth.
It’s time we admit something. The parties coming to the table (Radical Islam, Secularism and Judeo-Christianity) have irreconcilable differences. We must realize that the horrors we are addressing are not circumstantial issues or mere governmental policies. What is fueling them is an ideological issue that runs deep into the soil and roots of people groups around the world. The fact is that we cannot coexist with those who refuse to coexist at all.
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Want to learn more? The Bishop and The Rabbi is a dynamic and informative weekly podcast, hosted by Bishop Robert Stearns and featuring different guest rabbis from the Jewish community. It presents discussions on topics like the content of this article, the Hebrew Scriptures from Jewish and Christian viewpoints, current events in America and the Middle East, and the future of Jewish-Christian cooperation. Tune in now to the latest episodes on the Charisma Podcast Network! {eoa}
Bishop Robert Stearns is the founder and executive director of Eagles’ Wings, a dynamic relational ministry involved in a variety of outreaches and strategic projects around the world. He has ministered in 30 nations around the world and maintains a significant burden for the United States and for Israel.
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