[The following material is from O Timothy magazine, Volume 6, Issue 8, 1989. David W. Cloud, Editor. All rights are reserved. O Timothy is a monthly magazine. Annual subscription is US$20 FOR THE UNITED STATES. Send to Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org. FOR CANADA the subscription is $20 Canadian. Send to Bethel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 9075, London, Ontario N6E 1V0. The Way of Life Internet web site is http://www.wayoflife.org/.]

Though most fundamental Christians have little or no dealings with the World Council of Churches, we must be reminded that this is no small, unimportant group. The WCC is sponsored by more than 300 different denominations and groups and represents roughly 500,000 professing Christians. The WCC is very influential, not only among the denominations which support it, but through its vast network of political and social connections. And the WCC is utterly apostate. Consider some quotes from a dialogue consultation held December 1-5, 1987, in Kyoto, Japan. The theme was "Spirituality in Interfaith Dialogue," and the amazing testimonies by professing Christians involved in ecumenical dialogue show a total ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and true Bible Christianity.

To find supposed spirituality in heathen religions is folly. There is no spiritual life whatsoever in heathen religions. No Life, no Salvation, no Gospel, no Security, only spiritual darkness and death.

Consider the testimony of Isaiah 8:20--"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." This means if a religion teaches things contrary to the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, there is no light in that religion. No light whatsoever. No spirituality, no salvation, no gospel, nothing except spiritual darkness and death.

Consider the testimony of John 14:6--"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This means there is no savior, no way of salvation, no truth, no possibility of life or spirituality apart from Jesus Christ. None whatsoever. Man cannot come to God the Father through Hinduism, or Buddhism, or Taoism, or Jainism. No. Jesus Christ said, "No man cometh unto the Father but by me."

Consider the testimony of Acts 4:12--"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." This means there is no life or salvation or spirituality through religious names such as Shiva, or Ram, or Buddha, or Mohammed, or Moon. None whatsoever. That's what the Bible says.

We see, then, the utter folly of the following statements by Christian leaders who attended the WCC "Spirituality in Interfaith Dialogue"-- 

"Listening to the Silence: Through Zen and Taize" - by Michael Como--I realized that just as the monks at Hosshinji [a monastery of Zen Buddhism where Como was staying] insisted that each of us was Shakyamuni Buddha in our own bodies, so too could I find Mary in the woman beside me...(p. 6) 

Upon arriving here [Hiraizumi] I first stayed with the family of a Buddhist priest for six months. Every morning we chanted sutras before the Buddha Dainichi, every evening I prayed before my Franciscan cross and an icon of Mary. (p 6)

I now live in my own house, I continue to pray daily before my Japanese- style altar. Upon it, along with the images of Jesus and Mary, is an icon of Shakyamuni Buddha...(p. 7)

"Discovering the Incarnation" - by Diana Eck--My own capacity to "see" the incarnation has been extended greatly by the faith of Hindus. ...(p. 10) 

In Shiva's city I began to see that it is precisely in this place, in the full presence of suffering and death, that Hindus affirm the full and eternal presence of Shiva and the faith of safe-crossing to the far shore. ...(p. 11)

"Enlightenment through Zen" by Thomas G. Hand, SJ--For almost twenty years now I have been engaged in interfaith dialogue, especially in the field of practical spirituality. I am an American Jesuit priest, and I have lived in Japan for 29 years. For six years I formally practised Zen under Yasutani Hakuum Roshi and Yamada Koun Roshi, Kamakura. am still doing Zazen. For the past three-and-a-half years I have been on the staff of Mercy Center, Burlingame, Calif., USA, especially engaged in the programme of our Institute of Contemporary Spirituality. ...(pp. 49-50) 

Beginning with the external and bodily, the main place of most of our meditations here at Mercy Center is the Rose Room (so called because the unfolding rose is the symbol of enlightenment in the West just as the lotus is in the East). On the walls are Japanese shikishi (fine paper squares) with Zen sayings in Sino-Japanese ideographs, two Taoist paintings and a picture of the Miroku Bosatsu (Maitreya Bodhisattva) from Koryuji, Kyoto.

These are well received by people and set a good tone to the room. However, the main shrine or centrepiece has, of course, the cross as central. It is hoped that before too long this cross will give way to a statue of Christ seated in meditation, a statue which will include clear influence from Buddhist statuary in its simplicity and feeling...

Another area in which other faith influence is apparent is in our chanting. We chant briefly at the beginning of meditation periods, in order to bring our energies together and to create that special silence that arises after chanting. We use the sacred syllable Om in itself and also join it to the Hebrew names of Mary and Jesus (Om Miriam, Om Jeshua). At first glance this may seem like a hybrid, but actually it turns out to be an excellent chant. (pp. 50,51) (WCC material)

The hour is very late, dear friends. I trust each of you have put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His shed blood for your salvation and eternal hope. And I trust you are walking in fellowship with Him and serving Him because we could hear the shout "Come up hither" at any moment.

Are you ready?