Why One Way?

A worthwhile, short, straightforward look at the differences between postmodern truth and Biblical truth. John MacArthur examines several topics infected by postmodern thought, how it infects the society and the church, and defends absolute truth in a world increasingly filled with acceptance of anything concocted by the individual. ( )

2 Copies

I bought this book many years ago, back when I was a Christian, and recently found it while unpacking a box of books that I had long-ago stored. I figured that I might as well read it for kicks, since it's short (only 74 pages) and asked an intriguing question: Why one way?

I expected the book to try to answer why Christianity is the only way, but it doesn't. Instead, the author just quotes bible verses and states that since Christianity says it's true, it is, the end. He conveniently forgets that many other religions also state that they are true; what makes Christianity supposedly right and the others wrong? That question is never answered.

Instead, all this book offers is a lot of fear-mongering and stereotypes. There is a vast conspiracy against True Christianity (tm), headed by liberals and secularists. Gee, I'm a liberal and a secular Jew. I must be part of the conspiracy too! I guess I missed that memo.

The author also makes a ton of generalizations and claims without supporting them with any basis in fact. In essence, this book is wanting to return to the "good old days" - you know, the days when homosexuals were closeted and women were in the kitchens where they belong. Except, as my grandmother often tells me, there never were any "good old days." When she was a teenager, people were bemoaning their lives and wishing that they could go back to the "good old days" too.

John MacArthur seems to be one of those types who believes that a True Christian (tm) has to be "hated" by the world. If the world isn't "hating" him, then he isn't doing his job. And so he deliberately tries to offend so he can be "hated" and prove to everyone else that he's such a good Christian. I have no patience of that type of person, and I've run across far too many who speak of loving their neighbor with one fork of the tongue while the other spews hate.

If I had to summarize this book in one sentence, it'd be: "Boo hoo, even though the vast majority of Americans are Christian, we are so persecuted because we can't force every single person to believe exactly as we do."

The only thing that I can really agree on with John MacArthur is that the bible is incompatible with tolerance. ( )

This book is a very easy read. If one is just starting to learn about Christian theology and has had only a typical public or private school upbringing, this book would be a good place to start. ( )