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How should Christians respond when invited to take part in inter-faith religious services?


Proponents of inter-faith religious services believe that the deities of the different religions all point to the same ultimate reality. However, the orthodox doctrines of many religions, including Christianity, reject this.


For Christians, worship is an act of praise and adoration directed to the God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Christian worship is directed to this God and no other. Christians also maintain that God has revealed Himself specifically, first through His dealings with Israel, and then finally and supremely in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word (Heb 1:1 - 2). Given these basic premises of orthodox Christian faith, inter-faith or multi-faith worship for the Christian poses serious theological problems because the object of that worship is, at best, ambiguous. Christians should, therefore, not participate in inter-faith worship.


What Christians can do, however, is encourage the organisers of such events to conduct them as civic events with opportunities given for those present to pray silently according to each person's faith and tradition. At such moments, Christians may also pray silently in their heart knowing that God hears their unuttered prayers (cf. Matthew 6:6).

 

National Council of Churches of Singapore

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body.”

- 1 Corinthians 12:12-13