Years ago, one of my Bible teachers taught about a word that she wanted her class to remember. She quizzed us periodically to see if we could recognize the meaning of this word as we delved into Scripture. For example, if we studied about King Solomon mixing pagan beliefs with his faith in the one true God, she would say, “Does anyone remember what this is called?” Finally, after hearing the word many times and noting it in the margin of my Bible, I answered quickly, “Syncretism”!
So, this is a word that I will never forget.
Syncretism is the mixing or combining of religions, cultures, beliefs, ways of thinking or views of the world.
The ancient Hebrew people practiced syncretism over and over again. They would follow Jehovah God in a pure way, worshipping only Him. Then, as they mixed with pagan people, they would begin to adopt the beliefs and practices of the pagan religions. Soon they were mixing the Hebrew religion with the worship of other gods. Asherah poles popped up all over the landscape and God’s people began incorporating pagan practices into their lives. They worshipped the Asherah, Baal, and at one point, they even sacrificed their children to another pagan god, Molech.
There are devastating consequences to syncretism. King Solomon married 700 women, many of whom were pagans. He allowed their pagan customs to pollute the pure worship of God. Eventually his kingdom ended and the nation was split in two. Syncretism can ruin a life and destroy a nation.
When we read about this in the Old Testament, we may think, “I would never do that! I’m 100% Christian. I would never mix Christianity with other types of belief systems!”
If those very thoughts came to your mind, I’d like to gently (or not-so-gently) state that many Christians do practice syncretism possibly without realizing it. There are Christians who believe in Jesus, understand His sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins, and even to go church. But some of their beliefs and ways of living come straight from worldly or godless ways of thinking. They mix their Christian faith and daily lifestyles with sinful beliefs and actions directly from the culture around us. And it may feel so natural that they don’t recognize the syncretism that is taking place in their own lives.
I can honestly say that most of my regrets can be directly traced to incorporating worldly thoughts and actions into my life, all while living my Christian faith.
What are some of the wordly cultural beliefs and actions that Christians syncretize with their faith?
Sex outside of marriage (living together before marriage has become normal practice)
Abortion (the killing of babies was actually a part of ancient pagan worship)
People pleasing, seeking approval and striving for popularity
Over-working, busyness, and stressed lifestyle (striving for money, position, power)
Self-focus, self-exaltation
Becoming desensitized to sin (calling sin “good”)
Living a lifestyle that goes against Biblical teaching
Belief that all belief systems are acceptable
Indulgence in entertainment that glorifies sin
The list could go on and on.
It’s easy to mix. We mix with people, culture, ideas, beliefs, activities every day. But God has given us the recipe for pure Christianity. We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Very simply, that means being led by the Holy Spirit and not watering down the Truth with lies. When you keep adding all sorts of other ingredients to a recipe, soon it will not taste the same. The integrity, the flavor of the recipe is compromised or ruined.
God wants us to live Spirit filled lives according to God’s Truth. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continuously help you and me to be ever aware, diligent, and faithful to living out our pure Christian faith.
Syncretism.
It can ruin a person’s life. It can bring down a nation.
May we never forget this word!
Laurie Driesen 