The Christian Difference

Among the many religions of humanity, why do we think that Christianity is the best? The Second Vatican Council took up this question in it’s “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostrae Aetate). It is the shortest “Declaration” of Vatican II, consisting of only five paragraphs, so it is not meant to be a comprehensive treatment of the subject. The Council fathers set forth their modest intention in the second sentence. Regarding the Church’s “task of promoting unity and love among people, indeed among nations, she considers above all in this declaration what people have in common and what draws them to fellowship.” 

Nostrae Aetate speaks briefly about Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Isalm, and even more briefly about “other religions found everywhere [which] try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing ‘ways,’ comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites.” Then in the second paragraph, they declare our profound Catholic understanding on inter-faith relations:

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all people. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ ‘the way, the truth and the life’ (John 14:6), in whom people may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself (cf. 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19).” 

The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ is “that Truth which enlightens all people,” but non-Christian religions may contain “aspects” which “reflect a ray of that Truth.” In other words, the Church contains the fullness of the Truth revealed in Jesus Christ, while other religions may contain “a ray of that Truth.”

I mention all of this because of the gospel reading for this weekend. These are some of the most challenging words ever spoken buy a religious leader:

“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you… Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the most high, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your father is merciful” (Luke 6: 27-31, 35-36).

Who in their right mind would attempt to gather a religious following with such a call to self-effacement? The One who knows and is the Truth, who knows and is the Way for people to reach their fullest potential in the likeness of God. 

Judaism revealed that “The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy… For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him… As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103: 8, 11, 13). 

And Jesus, the Truth incarnate, called people to “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6: 36). That’s the Christian difference. We are children of God through his mercy, called to act like God through his mercy, to promote unity and love among all people, as we journey to his eternal kingdom of love. No other religion reveals such fullness of light.