Nuxoll doesn't understand religious freedom
Senator Sheryl Nuxoll would have drawn less heat declaring Hinduism a different faith rather than a false faith. In a world of absolutes she might be able to make her case, but in a world where relativism dominates, truth and falsity are in the eye of the beholder when it comes to faith. She was right in choosing not to attend the prayer session, but she was right for the wrong reason.
NEWS FLASH Senator, America has never been a Christian nation either in name or practice. In fact, America is now, and always has been, a nation of hypocrites when it comes to Christianity. It's true that Muslims hate us because of our freedoms, but it's not because of our freedom to believe in Jesus Christ and live godly lives, it's because of our freedom to sin as much as we want to as long as it's within the law. And of course we are constantly amending the laws in order to give ourselves ever greater freedoms to sin more and more.
Like the vast majority of Americans, including pastors and their pew potatoes, Senator Nuxoll just doesn't get Christianity. No one can ever become a Christian just because they want to be one. While Jesus did say that no man can come to the Father except through Him, He also said that no man can come to Him except the Father DRAW that man. The word "draw" here comes from the Greek "helkuo" and it means to drag or pull, as if through persuasion. Many, of course, persuade themselves to become what they believe to be Christians, and others are persuaded by a person, or persons, other than God, who are claiming to be acting in God's Name.
So how does one sort through all of this to know with certainty that it is indeed God drawing them to Christ? First, one has to become truly sick and tired of being sick and tired of sin in their life. Secondly, one has to have a deep and sincere conviction that Christ came to save people FROM sin and not IN sin. And finally, based on that conviction, one has to determine within their self that this way of freedom from sin is knowable, and they will not rest until they know it. They will know they know it when they put all personal sin in their rear-view mirror once and for all time, based upon their faith in what Christ did for them at Calvary (Hint: it's in addition to the atonement).
The Senator's offense was based on feelings not knowledge, and she does owe an apology but not because religious leaders are calling for it. I should like to hear from each of them the reasons they have for why Hinduism is not a false religion. If they believe that each of theirs is the true religion, or that all religions lead to the same place, then they would have to reconcile the irreconcilable. If they don't believe their individual religion is the true religion, then perhaps they should not adhere to it nor persuade others to.
Arthur William "Bill" Johnson is a Rathdrum resident