Dusting off a Preus Article

Since I have stirred up some interest by my comments about the interfaith neighborhood prayer meetings here in Racine, I thought I would share this article by Rev. Daniel Preus. It's a couple years old so I had to dig up and dust if off a little. But it's still worth a read. It expresses well the concerns of Confessional Lutheranism with the dangers of syncretism and unionism.

Here are some excerpts from it:

As Christians, we gladly submit to both these truths: 1. We are to proclaim the Gospel unashamedly to everyone who will listen and 2. We cannot worship together with those whose worship is directed to any god other than the Triune God who alone is Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier and who alone is God in the true sense of the word. There was a day when it was much easier to hold these two truths in the proper balance. To those who know the Scriptures well it should not be difficult today either. But the postmodern world in which we live has severely complicated life for us Christians.

and

With increasing frequency Christians are being invited to participate in interfaith prayer services or memorial services or so-called civic events. These services or civic events are true postmodern events, implying by their inclusion of clergy of varying religions that no religion takes precedence over or supersedes another, at least in the eyes of those planning these events.

Christians who resist the postmodern claims of equality for all religions will be marginalized, labeled intolerant, unloving, bigoted, insensitive, outdated, primitive and prejudiced. And who wants to be called, intolerant, unloving, bigoted, insensitive, outdated, primitive and prejudiced?

We who are Christians are of course, willing to suffer such abuse for the sake of the Gospel. We will therefore refrain from participating in events in which we have no choice but to compromise the faith.