Light Brings Salt
Volume 2, Issue 24 June 20, 2004
Dedicated to the
Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
Christian worldview
an interview with
Indian-born Ravi Zacharias, who grew up
steeped in Hinduism, is one of the first Christian apologists to come out of
the
Q: How do you
present the uniqueness of Christianity?
A: I am totally
convinced the Christian faith is the most coherent worldview around. Everyone:
pantheist, atheist, skeptic, polytheist has to answer these questions: Where
did I come from? What is life's meaning? How do I define right from wrong and
what happens to me when I die? Those are the fulcrum points of our existence. I
deal with cultural issues whether they be in the
Q: Why do you call
"Jesus Among Other Gods" your most
significant book?
A: There was no
life so impeccably lived as His. There are those who've claimed prophetic
status who have led pretty heavily duplicitous lives. But in Christ, you never
see that. You never find Him in any compromising situation that shows itself
where He was driven by the sensuality of the moment. After 2000 years, no name
has been scrutinized more, none abused or challenged
more in the public media.
I find a lot of Western journalists intellectually cowardly here. They would
never do with Mohammed what they do with Jesus. They don't have the courage to
do that. If the major magazines — Time, Newsweek or U.S. News and World Report
— did with Mohammed on one of their major festivals what they do to Jesus on
Christmas or Easter, they probably wouldn't be in existence any more.
Q: Why are people
so fascinated with Eastern religions?
A: Because they
give you the privilege of morality without having God. Even aspects of the
entire New Age movement are a moralizing philosophy without the positing of a
central deity. Buddhism also gives you that. Bahaism gives
you a pluralistic view, and a lot of aspects of Hinduism give you a moral
framework with no accountability other than the karmic system. There's no
linear movement or point of accountability toward God. I was in a hearing with [former presidential
speechwriter] Peggy Noonan years ago and she asked this question: Do terrorists
fear anything? I said, 'I suspect they would fear a morally strong
Q: What has been
your experience on American campuses?
A: If I speak on
Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam or whatever, I am quite free to do it without any
repercussions. But if you speak on the Christian faith, somebody is going to
question why you are there. You talk to any Christian campus group on any major
campus and they'll tell you about the intimidation there.
It's sad. I lived in
Q: How much freedom
do you have in Muslim countries?
A: [Muslims] will
tell you there is no compulsion in religion. I was with the minister of
religion of a major country that I will leave unnamed. He was a very courteous
man and he was talking about the work they were doing. They had just met in
I asked, 'Why do you feel it needs to be improved?' He said, 'Well, September
11. We are often represented as using compulsion in religion.' I said, 'I don't
want to be discourteous, but if I were in your country and I were a Muslim,
would I be free to disagree with it?' He said, 'Why would you want to do that?'
I said, 'No, I am just asking theologically: Would I be free to disbelieve it?'
He said, 'Well, these things get more complicated when you deal with a
country's laws and all.' I said, 'When you say there is no compulsion in
religion, you are looking at one side of the coin, meaning you will never force
someone to become what you are. But to have no compulsion means you should not
compel somebody to believe something when they want to disbelieve it. That is a
very critical test for compulsion.
There is no law in
the land where I live, compelling me to [be a Christian]. But in your land, if
I chose to disbelieve [Islam], I have to stand before a tribunal of justices
and explain it. How can I withstand such intimidation and be honest and not pay
for it at the same time?
Frankly, he wouldn't give me an answer. I think if Islam is going to rise to
the level many moderates want to see it, they will have to take off the heavy
foot of compulsion in their own lands. Then it can be a legitimate
representation of how many believe.
Q: How can
Christianity meet the needs of a place like
A: I was born and
raised in
The second thing it
does is give the impetus to love and reach out in a way that rescues the
person, not just the function. Look at where the missionary organizations — the
hospitals, orphanages and health care — came from. I spoke three weeks ago at
Q: What does
American culture need rescuing from?
A: What
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