The Christian’s Attitude Toward People of Other Faiths
1. Attitude Toward Nonbelievers in the Old and New Testaments
The Lord Jesus Christ, as He imparted His words to His disciples, who in turn passed them on to others, instilled in them a pure teaching—a teaching of the salvation of the soul and of a righteous life lived in love and peace with others. Even today, every Orthodox Christian who walks the path of salvation must remember the Gospel and shape his life according to it, following the example of Christ. One such example is His attitude toward people of other faiths.
In the Old Testament, which preceded the coming of God the Son, Jesus Christ, it was commanded not to intermarry with nonbelievers and to live a life apart from them. For example, the Samaritans, who were considered by the Jews to be pagans, were treated with disdain, as we read in the Gospel:
4 And He must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink.
8 (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
—John 4:4–9
This passage plainly reveals, in the words of a simple woman, the attitude between these peoples: “How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” And yet the Lord does not reject her, but speaks with her.
The Lord teaches the law of love, which instructs us in the perfect attitude toward people of other beliefs. The Law of Moses was marked by a notable strictness toward others:
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the heathen so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
—Matthew 5:43–48
In calling us to perfection, the Lord calls us to a pure faith, to love, and to a good attitude toward all people—not only toward our brothers in faith, but toward everyone—as well as to the doing of good deeds for all. The Gentiles did not believe in the True God, had no Law, and acted according to the will of their hearts (“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another” —Romans 2:14–15). The Lord calls us to surpass them in our deeds and to love even our enemies. The Lord declares love for one’s neighbor to be a commandment, presenting this teaching as lofty and absolutely necessary for our salvation, as we know from His answer to the Pharisees:
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
—Matthew 22:36–40
When speaking to the faithful, the Lord teaches them to be sincerely kind not only to their fellow believers, but to all others as well. But whom does the Lord call our neighbor?
27 [The man] answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
—Luke 10:25–37
2. Whom the Christian Should Truly Avoid
In the New Testament, given to us by the God-man Jesus Christ, there is also a strict aspect that rightly distinguishes what does not belong to the law of love for one’s neighbor. That is, we are not to have fellowship with sinners who teach others to sin.
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
—1 Corinthians 5:9–13
The apostolic epistles clarify the Gospel truth for the Christian more clearly than anything else. In this epistle, the Apostle Paul warns the believer against the contagion of sin found in corrupt company, and rightly urges us not to associate with the depraved. To support these words, we may recall verses from the 17th Psalm of David:
26–27 With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou wilt show Thyself upright;
With the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; and with the froward Thou wilt show Thyself froward.
Euthymius Zigabenus, commenting on these verses, writes:
“The merciful is he who is godly before God; the upright is he who is pure in soul before men; the chosen one is he who is perfect in virtue; the froward is the deceitful man.
These words may be applied universally and contain a highly instructive meaning: they signify that you will become like the person with whom you live and associate, being changed according to the character of the one close to you.”
—Euthymius Zigabenus
Many people who lack knowledge about the harm of sins—who do not understand how sin corrupts and destroys the soul—are unfamiliar with these truths, and out of despair or ignorance they fall into sins such as theft, smoking, robbery, and other vices. But we must not forget that one should notice sin primarily in oneself, rather than looking for the speck in another’s eye while having many spiritual problems of one’s own. A prejudiced attitude toward a sinner is impermissible. We must understand that disbelief in God, as well as an incorrect confession of Him, is also a sin—as determined by the Church. That is, any teaching that is dogmatically or theologically at odds with the Church of Christ—especially one that has separated from it—is not salvific for the soul. A Christian must not revile other beliefs, but neither should he praise them, for from the standpoint of Orthodox Christianity, they are not saving.
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
—Ephesians 4:5–6
The Apostle emphasizes that there cannot be several mutually contradictory doctrines that are all true. Nor can there be any unity among them, since they present different ideas about God.
Need we say that in our own time, Christian morality—long embedded in legislation and moral norms—is being scorned? Among the people, there are indeed spiritual diseases that must be healed through fasting, prayer, and faith. Let us return to the point that for many, sins are no longer regarded as evil. As Isaac the Syrian said with piercing accuracy: “The sinner licks the blade of a knife, drinks his own blood, and because of the sweetness of his own blood, feels not the harm.”
So then, ought we “leave the world entirely” and have nothing to do with such people? The answer is given by St. John Chrysostom:
“And do not say such heartless words: ‘What concern is it of mine? I have nothing to do with him.’
We have nothing in common only with the devil; with all other people, we have very much in common. They share the same nature as us, dwell on the same earth, are nourished by the same food, have the same Lord, have received the same laws, and are called to the same goodness as we are.
Let us therefore not say that we have nothing in common with them, for such words are from Satan, a demonic inhumanity. Let us not speak so, but show the concern fitting for brothers.
And I tell you with full confidence and guarantee to all of you: if you would all choose to take upon yourselves the care of saving the inhabitants of this city, then soon the entire city would be reformed.
Let us share among ourselves the care for the salvation of our brothers. A single man, enflamed with zeal, is enough to correct an entire people. And when not one, or two, or three, but such a multitude is able to take upon itself the care of the negligent, then it is not due to powerlessness, but solely to our negligence, that many perish and fall into despair.
Is it not absurd that when we see a fight in the street, we run to separate those fighting—or what am I saying? Even if a donkey has fallen, we all hurry to lend a hand and lift it up; yet we do not care for perishing brothers?
He who reviles the holy faith is like the fallen donkey; go then, lift him up—with your word, with your deed, with gentleness, with strength; let your treatment be varied. And if we arrange our lives in this way, seeking salvation not only for ourselves but for our neighbor as well, we shall soon become dear and beloved even to those whom we seek to correct.”
—St. John Chrysostom
Indeed, we ought to have nothing in common with the devil and his works: anger, murder, gluttony, fornication, foul speech, lying, slander, theft, pride, vanity, and other sins that destroy the soul and personality of man.
But what of those who hold to other religious beliefs? In no case should one force his own convictions upon others—much less criticize or offend their religious sentiments. Nowhere in the passages above do we find a call to insult others, and this is made especially clear in Christ’s dialogue with the Samaritan woman at the well. Of course, sadly, there are people who seek arguments, who provoke interethnic and interreligious hostility, and who engage in other indecent behaviors. Such conduct is entirely alien to Christianity, which teaches never to harm another. A Christian must remember this when he is among people of other faiths.
3. How the Christian Should Conduct Himself in Contemporary Life Among People of Other Beliefs
When we go to the store, are we overly concerned about the religious confession of the cashier? Should we be? Certainly not. When we are in a hospital, should we be troubled by the faith of the staff, or the beliefs of our neighbors in the ward? By no means. Of course, one must possess firm personal faith, but one should give an answer only when asked. Should one impose his religious views on others? Again, no. A believer is spiritually self-sufficient; he has no need to prove anything to others, to convince them of his correctness, and especially not to force others to believe what he believes.
Religious feeling is a sacred thing—it lies within a person alongside his other deepest sentiments. Even atheists possess a kind of religious feeling. But that is not our topic here. Returning to the words of St. John Chrysostom about what all people share in common, it is worth remembering that the Christian interacts with outsiders for ordinary worldly needs: the use of services, the purchase of goods, and so on. That is, daily life need not involve religious questions or touch upon matters of faith. What is essential is to know how to preserve faith in one’s heart, in one’s family, in one’s community. For it is precisely kind treatment of others that glorifies God:
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
—Matthew 5:14–16
What then should truly be avoided? The various sectarian teachings that distort religious experience and misinterpret commonly understood concepts. As for the rest—that is, the representatives of so-called “traditional religions”—it is possible to have dialogue on the positive aspects of their teaching: the cultivation of morality in society, acts of charity, mutual aid and support, without touching on doctrinal or theological differences. This is the best form of interaction.
For example, Orthodox Old Believers fought in wars, shoulder to shoulder with people of other faiths. Together they built up industry, and today they assist in the resettlement of compatriots, promote a healthy way of life—for this is commanded by God through His Church. At the same time, the Church of Christ does not blend itself with other faiths.
A particular danger is posed by stereotypes, such as when a person, under the temptation of the devil, commits evil deeds while invoking the name of his faith, using religious doctrine as a cover. As the philosopher A. V. Antonov rightly said, “All religions are environmentally clean.” That is, they exclude the possibility of crimes against others in their teachings. Therefore, one should not judge the entire flock by the fault of a single sheep. From the Christian point of view, evil deeds are committed by a person regardless of his religious affiliation—under the influence of the devil, who sows discord.
It is unseemly to associate a crime with a person’s religion, labeling them by their faith. This is the work of rabble-rousers, liars, and slanderers who imitate the chief slanderer—Satan. A vivid example is the erroneous claim that the Old Believers financed the October Revolution. Because of the mistake of a few, the event is often portrayed as though all Old Believers supported the revolution—instilling hatred or contempt in those who hear or read such things. The slanderer is obsessed with a single goal: to destroy someone’s good name and defame it. In every case, this is done without evidence and with the intent to turn the majority against others. This is described masterfully in Nikolai Leskov’s story “The Mountain”, where Christians suffer persecution due to the false accusations of a few individuals.
What is required of us in interacting with those of other faiths is this: we must not participate in their prayer practices in any form. For example, we must not pray together, consume food associated with heterodox services, or even “remotely” take part in such rites—such as by submitting prayer requests to non-Orthodox churches, lighting candles there, or asking someone to do so on our behalf—for this is harmful to the soul of a Christian. Reverence for another faith is a blasphemy against one’s own. No one has the right to compel us to attend any religious gatherings or to adopt another religious viewpoint—this is unlawful. But likewise, we must not of our own will force our opinions and beliefs upon others.
This is what happened in 17th-century Russia, when people were forcibly made to change their faith and adopt another—one different from that in which their holy ancestors had prayed. What occurred then may rightly be called an inquisition. Those to whom Princess Sophia’s decree “there is no other remedy for a heretic but death” was directed had to flee their homes. Yet even this tragic episode offers a lesson—a bitter but instructive example of the necessity of peaceful coexistence.
At every service, the Church prays for the strengthening of the nation, for peace throughout the world, and for progress in good deeds. She calls every one of her children to righteous living, that they may bear spiritual fruits:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
—Galatians 5:22–26
Conclusion
Let us consider a reverse example—when people, unsure of how to behave around someone of a different faith, begin to persecute him. Would we find it pleasant if we ourselves were subjected to such treatment?
Therefore, when in the company of those of another confession, we must conduct ourselves as Christ did, who showed disdain toward no one—as in His dialogue with the Samaritan woman. It will only benefit the Christian if he treats others kindly, regardless of their beliefs. This is the true Christian way of acting; this is the worthy form of preaching—so that those who see us may “glorify our Father which is in heaven.”
By Daniil Andryukov