The Parallax View

The apparent change of an object’s direction caused by a change in the viewer’s position. This is, by definition, a parallax view. For example, if you were on a boat traveling along at 30mph and tossed a ball up in the air and caught it...it would appear to you that it went straight up and straight down. A person on shore, however, watching you toss the ball would see it arc as you traveled across the water.

It is always interesting to me that Christianity can be viewed by so many people in the world with just as many different perspectives as to what it’s all about. The fundamental truths never change, never waiver... yet as a religion, or a dogma, or simply a lifestyle... Christianity has thousands of similar– yet disparate– belief systems.

It’s no wonder there has been a wave of ‘rethinking’ when it comes to the Christian church and its direction. The emphasis has now become– as well it should be– focused on the relationship with God rather than the ceremony and liturgy.

Personal prayers are now beginning to supersede rote recitations. Generic petitions from the pulpit have given way to individual and specific intercessions. Intimate individual healings take place where there once was only general acknowledgement. These are the changes that core Christian believers are gravitating towards and I, for one, believe it to be a wonderful thing.

As you well know, you can listen to televangelists, pastors and religious authorities all across the country and hear not only inconsistencies among them... but outright contradictions. Yet each of them– in their heart of hearts– believes they are speaking the truth. This, then, is why discernment on the listener’s part is paramount. It is clear we must all be very careful as to what we profess to be unequivocal truth.

As Christians we understand that there is only one God, one truth, one absolute distinction between right and wrong in the eyes of the Lord; yet there is clearly a parallax view when it comes to the Christian faith and how we exercise that faith. As we develop our beliefs we may find ourselves changing perspectives on certain aspects of the Church which, in turn, may change how we see our faith. This should not, however, mitigate our efforts to see every aspect of our lives through the eyes of Jesus. God’s perspective is unwavering, unchanging, and undeniably correct.

How we choose to implement what we know to be true is the crux of what makes up our belief system. Clearly there are varied and numerous ways to exercise our beliefs and this, then, is where all the diversification of Christian denominations and sects were born.

Is there one true belief system for Christians? Absolutely: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Everything else is simply religion.

Greg Morton
Copyright © August, 2015

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