Discuss critically the view that Christians should seek to convert people who belong to other faith communities. (40)

Discuss critically the view that Christians should seek to convert people who belong to other faith communities. (40)

The question that the statement presents is the extent to which Christians should keep their faith personal and private or the extent to which they should try to convert people of other religions into Christianity. Modern Britain is filled with people of different backgrounds and religions, this has led people to become more tolerant of each other. With this tolerance comes an unofficial social law that people do not try to force their religion or point of view onto others. By trying to convert people, Christianity is going against this unspoken contract which helps to maintain social cohesion and peace. This leads to an issue of whether Christians have a duty to their faith or to each other in a multifaith society like the UK. The Bible and the preaching’s of Jesus emphasise on the idea that Christians must preach the word of God and try to convert as many people as possible. In this essay I will support the view that Christians should indeed try to convert people belonging to other faiths, this is because it is there God given duty. I will be looking at the concept of salvation in different perspectives such as pluralism, exclusivism and inclusivism. I will also be using scholars such as Rahner, St Paul, and Panikkar to weight this argument coming from the perspective that evangelism is essential to leading a good and wholesome Christian life.

Most Christians believe that it is there God given duty to share Jesus’s truth, love and mercy with the rest of the world. Evangelism is a key aspect of Christian tradition. This is vividly expressed by the catholic church at the end of mass where the people are told to “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” by the priest. This suggest that evangelism is a duty for all Christians. This is further show in the New Testament which stresses the importance and urgency of the Christian mission of helping others to see God’s gift. Jesus himself told his disciples to spread the good news and the word of the lord.  In Matthews 28:19 he tells them, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit.” This indicates that it is our duty as Christians to convert others. We must help them to see God’s goodness and spread the works and miracles of Jesus Christ. Had it not been for evangelism and conversion Christianity would not be a world denomination. Hence, we must convert others if we as a faith are to survive the challenges of globalisation and the rise of other religions such as Islam. It is our mission to help our brothers and sisters to find God’s goodness so that they too can be saved. However, people with the pluralist view would argue that there is no point in trying to convert others since there are multiple paths to salvation. This means that we should tolerate other faiths rather than trying to convert them since they can be saved without converting to Christianity. This suggests that the idea of conversion is only necessary in the exclusivist point of view, since there is no need to convert others except for salvation.

As previously suggested, the idea of conversion is an exclusivist idea, if Christians believe that the only way to salvation is through Christianity, it is their duty to try and convert others in the hopes of giving them a chance at salvation. Orthodox and extreme Christians believe that Christianity is the only root to salvation, therefore by converting others you are giving them the possibility of eternal life. This idea of particular salvation is suggested by Jesus when he states, ““I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. This suggests that Christianity is the only route to salvation and that other faiths cannot provide eternal life. Therefore, Christians must try to convert as many people as possible so that they can be saved. This explains why Jehovah’s Witnesses try to convert others through their magazines and advertisements. However, this idea of exclusive salvation has lost its power in multi faith societies such as the UK. These ideas are now seen as ridiculous within the Christian community especially since they disregarded Jesus’s message of love and harmony.  

The inclusivist view suggests that salvation is possible within different religions if the person has never been exposed to Christianity. This is because like Rahner suggests, they could be considered as “anonymous Christians” living Christian lives without knowing they were doing so. This means that there is no need to convert these people since they can achieve salvation without being Christians. Jesus stated “in my father’s house there are many rooms” indicating that you can be saved even if you are from a different faith given that you follow Christian principles such as the golden rule even if you are not a proclaimed Christian. This is because, if you are unaware of Christianity, it is not your fault for not believing in it. Salvation must be possible for these people who through no fault of their own do not know Jesus, this is because an omnibenevolent God would not punish his children for something they have no control over. However, that being said, Rahner argues that a person must convert to Christianity as soon as they hear about it, this is because it is the only “absolute” religion. However, some have argued that this point of view is very demeaning to other religions and is ignorant. It is intolerant to argue that Your faith is the only right one.

In “Redemptoris Missio” a papal encyclical issued by Pope John Paul II, Pope John Paul argues that there is only one saviour Jesus Christ and that Christ is the only way in which God is revealed to the world. He argues that Christians should be empowered to bring other people to the Christian faith through the holy spirit. Pope John Paul wrote this encyclical as a guidance to help Catholic Christians continue to be missionaries for their faith whilst still respecting other people in their diverse society. This is because he recognised that missionary work can be seen in as arrogant and intolerant in a multi faith world. In Corinthians St Paul states, “woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.” Here he is indicating the importance of spreading the message of Christ to those who do not believe. St Paul treats evangelism as a duty for all Christians. However, some would argue, that people should not force their religion on others. The human rights declaration states that people have the freedom of religion, forcing people to join Christianity goes against the idea that people have the freedom of choice to believe in whatever they want. Hence, Christians should not force their religion on people of other faiths. On the other hand, Paul Eddy argues that Christians have become too fearful to offend, no longer proclaiming that Jesus was the only way to salvation. He argues that a public statement should be made declaring that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ and within Christianity. The problem with this belief is that it can create social conflict. Hence why, interfaith dialogue and respect is required in a multifaith community. People cannot and should not claim that their religion is superior.

In conclusion, Christians should seek to convert people of other religions. This is because it is their duty and a part of a Christian lifestyle. People need to see and hear about the power of God. It is a Christian duty to spread the message. Pope John Paul II explains that even in a multifaith society, it is essential for Christians to convert others. One of the greatest Christian theologians is St Paul. His conversion on the road to Damascus led to him discovering the mercy and love of Christ. Therefore, it is our duty to help others see the light also. However, other philosophers like Panikkar might argue that there is no need to convert others since all religions lead to ultimate salvation. In an article he stated, “I left Europe as a Christian, I discovered I was a Hindu and returned a Buddhist without ever having ceased to be a Christian.” This shows that there is no need to convert others since Christianity is not the only religion which leads to salvation. On the other hand, other philosophers such as Kraemer argue that Christianity is the only way to salvation. He argued that it does not make sense to say that a religion has some truth. This is because religion has to be understood as a whole, meaning that it is all true on not. Other thinkers such are Barth argue that Jesus is the “living word of God” meaning that he must be the only route to salvation. Therefore, Christians must convert people of other religions in order to save them and in order to help them to understand the truth.