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Four Principles
According to Ravi Zacharias, three principles must be part of your life if you are to address the fundamental error inherent in pluralism. However, he implies a fourth principle which I've included in the list:
1. You must be able to distinguish between opinions and convictions
An opinion is merely one preference in a group of legitimate options. A conviction, however, is rooted in the conscience and cannot be changed without changing that which essentially defines the person. An opinion cannot be held with much passion, but you can live or die by your convictions. You may believe that green is the best color, but chances are you'll quickly name another color if threatened with torture or death. Convictions are different. They become the very foundation of your world view. A mother may have an opinion that drunk driving is dangerous. But when her child is killed by a drunk driver, her opinion will change to a deeply rooted conviction that she would uphold to the point of death. The same is true of any well-researched knowledge, including that of Christians who have studied the facts. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church:
"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments... See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."
(Colossians 2:2-8)
Paul also made it a point to stand up for his convictions instead of quietly living them without confrontation. He believed that confrontation was inevitable, though it must be accompanied by an attitude of love and grace. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 he wrote:
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
2. Every conviction must be undergirded with love
To hold and express convictions without love--no matter how good they are--makes us nothing more than an irritant. Christ made it clear that our love for others would create bridges for communication and change.
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus answered that it was simply love for God and ultimately for others:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second [greatest commandment] is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
(Matthew 12:30-31; John 13:34)
3. Pluralism will always be a reality in society
The alternative--totalitarianism--is deplorable and terrifying. The danger for you as a Christian is not that pluralism exists, but that it does not take hold of your mind.
God gave the Israelites a specific command to love others in the multicultural society:
"The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."
(Leviticus 19:34)
Notice how God ends this statement? He gives a declaration that we must never forget His laws. It is indeed possible to live in a pluralistic society and still abide as a culture by one set of standards suitable for all.
4. We must remember that Christ never sought to establish His kingdom in an earthly culture
His is not an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual one. As Ravi puts it, "He set His eyes determinedly on the cross, in full recognition that only there could a heart ever be broken and mended in order to live as a healer in a broken world." Jesus never suggested that society could be changed by creating a tougher legal system. Instead, he sought to change the hearts and minds of people by the renewing of their minds through the Holy Spirit.
Invariably, some people wonder whether this means Christians should have no part in politics. Jesus acted on his convictions, such as when he threw the money changers out of the temple. Although this was not specifically political, it demonstrated that there is nothing wrong with bringing awareness to an issue, and that's what the political process represents. In a democratic society we have a responsibility to speak up about issues that concern us. While we must be involved in doing our part for democracy, we must do so in love, and with a consideration for the individual. Dean Merrill writes in his book "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Church" that we should avoid the angry, abrasive kind of political lobbying used by those who don't follow Christ. Instead, we should model his love and care for others. Most of all, we must recognize that the world will change not through moral enforcement, but through changed hearts and minds. Politics have no power without strong convictions, but convictions have no strength without an attitude of the heart.
The fatal flaw in pluralism is that it doubts everything. Since it cannot accept anything as truth, it has no foundation. Pluralism crumbles under it's own contradiction. Because the belief that truth does not exist becomes a truth to the holder of such a conviction.
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