A Religious Smorgasbord- Picking and Choosing

It was in 1968 that my best friend and his wife invited me to eat with them at a restaurant in New York by the name of the Stockholm.  When we came into the restaurant, he explained to me that it
was a smorgasbord.  I had never heard that term before.  When I asked him to explain to me what that word meant, he indicated that it was a type of restaurant with different compartments, each of which contained different types of food from which the customer could choose for one price.  As you can very well image, since I had never been to a Scandinavian restaurant before then, I delighted myself in "compartment hopping," and enjoying the varieties of delicacies that were there. Some years later, I took my wife there to dine for our first wedding anniversary.


In the field of religion,  just like in other fields of human knowledge, we come up against a variety of beliefs and ideas.  Some of these beliefs are based on the sacred writings of the particular faith group, others are based on oral traditions which have been handed down, and others yet, on either unexamined presuppositions or simply blind emotions which in turn stem from market-place rumors and hearsay.


Within the Christian faith, there are a variety of beliefs.  One church says one thing, and another church says something which is completely contrary to that of the first church.  They each claim to base themselves on "what the Bibles says," or on some tradition handed down by the founders of that particular community.


In each community, we find that there are people who subscribe totally to the beliefs of that church. We also find some who subscribe in part to the teachings of that group, and reject other parts of that group's belief system.


I would invite you to examine the "smorgasbord" approach that some of us take to what we believe and what we reject.  The fact is that we "pick and choose," what we subscribe to and what we don't subscribe to.


In your opinion, what is the criteria for choosing and rejecting some teachings of your church?
Are we as individuals really free to "pick and choose?"  If we are, then are we saying that there are no "absolutes," in Christian doctrine?  Is it safer for us to have a church saying "This is the faith that was once delivered to the saints, end of story, no questions asked, no razzle dazzle?"  Finally, tell us if in your opinion, the "smorgasbord" approach to theology is a sound one?  Your thoughts are much appreciated. I'd love to hear from you.


Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona