I'm not sure how different religious communities within a town or city coming together to clean up a park or join together to speak up against a particular injustice or the like results in compromising anything.
An interfaith activity that works to accomplishing a common civil, public good seems like a good idea and can help foster better relationships between different religious communities.
Now if it's an interfaith prayer event, then I can understand it being a problem.
Interfaith activities work best when they are aimed at encouraging conversation, dialogue, and understanding; when it is about acknowledging our differences in a peaceful, loving manner. I think things like interfaith prayer events fail in that regard because it's almost certainly going to have to involve pretending like those differences don't exist and it being incredibly awkward.
It would certainly make a Jewish or Muslim individual very uncomfortable to be part of a captive audience in which I pray a Christian prayer. So I don't think that kind of interfaith activity is particularly helpful.
But there is certainly nothing wrong with fostering conversation, dialogue, and helping us understand one another so we can coexist peacefully within society and work together for the common, public good.
-CryptoLutheran
I have never said Christians shouldn't talk with or even be friends with those who believe differently. I myself have many friends who are not Christians. Nor have I said that Christians should not be helping others.
That being said, we must be very careful that the unity we have with other religions, even in a humanitarian sense, does not send the message that all religions lead to God and salvation. False unity is false unity, regardless of what we are uniting for. I believe it is potentially a very "slippery slope" and what starts with good intentions, could lead to more and more compromise.
Jesus has called us out of the world, and we are to be separate from worldly things and other religions. Does this mean don't help others? Of course not. But I believe it does mean that we stand firm in the truth, that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, the only One that saves.
I would caution everyone to take a close look at this ever growing "Coexist" movement. In my opinion, it is leading to grave and gradually increasing compromise. Compromise in the name of humanitarianism is still compromise. The one world religion won't happen overnight, it's subtle and gradual and it will look good and right to many, including some Christians. The Coexist movement is about far more than sharing the planet with those who believe differently than we do (such has always been the reality) it is an agenda to compromise and agree that all religions are equally valid and true.
We must never forget that we are in a spiritual battle, not against people, but against the powers and principalities of darkness that seek to deceive. And I truly do not think Satan cares if we are humanitarians, as long as he can get that to be our goal and our focus, at the expense of caring about the eternal destination of people's souls.
I pray every Christian remains vigilant in these days. Not everything that looks good and right is, and not all unity is true unity. In the end, what will it matter if we were great humanitarians, and joined together with other religions to help people, if they all end up in hell because we did not care for their souls?
Any unity, even in the name of social justice and humanitarianism, is false unity if the centrality of Jesus Christ as Saviour is put aside or denied. These are confusing times; I pray we are all awake and prepared, seeking discernment and guidance in the word of God, and the Spirit, who will guide us into all truth.
