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Questions and Answers on SpiritualityTHIS DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE RE-PUBLISHED I am an Englishman currently living and working in Tokyo, Japan. I was baptized as a Christian and received some instruction in Christianity during my early schooldays. Since then I haven't practiced any religion apart from lone prayer. I recently began to ask myself questions about the spiritual side of existence, hence the existence of this page. During February and March 1999 I posted some questions on spirituality in religious newsgroups and also ran a spirituality questionnaire on my "Other Worlds" website. The following contains some selected responses to the questions together with some of my own comments. This paper is necessarily incomplete and will be added to as I gain further insight and experience, and as my all too limited time permits. I would like to thank all those who took the time and trouble to respond to my questions and welcome any further correspondence on these and other questions of spirituality, although I would apologize in advance that there may be some delay in my response due to the constraints mentioned above. The Questions 1. What is the nature of God? Comment |
Christian | Buddhist |
other 2. Do all forms of life (humans, animals, plants, single-celled organisms,
life on other planets) possess a distinct, nonphysical spirit?
Comment | Christian |
Buddhist | other 3. Does spirit exist before birth?, and if so what is the nature of its existence?
Comment | Christian
| Buddhist |
other 4. What are the main objectives of this lifetime?
Comment | Christian |
Buddhist | other 5. What happens to the spirit after bodily death? Does it undergo any kind
of 'judgment'? Comment |
Christian | Buddhist |
other 6. How are 'good' and 'evil' defined? Comment
| Christian | Buddhist
| other 7. Is 'evil' a force coming from within or without?
Christian | Buddhist |
other 8. How should we deal with the problems of evil in practical day-to-day terms,
e.g. what should I do if I find someone breaking into my house? What should
happen to those guilty of `irreversible` crimes such as murder? No matter how
repentant they may be, their damage can never be undone; can they be forgiven
in this lifetime? Comment |
Christian | Buddhist |
other 9. What do you understand by karma? Comment |
Christian | Buddhist | other 10. Do you believe in reincarnation i.e. a single spirit living many lives?
Comment | Christian |
Buddhist | other 11. Glenn Hoddle, the England football manager, was sacked for remarks implying
that disabled people were responsible for their own suffering. Is there a reason
why some people are born with disabilities? Does it imply they have special
lessons to learn in this lifetime, or are such handicaps merely random?
Comment | Christian | Buddhist
| other 12. How should the victims and perpetrators of mass atrocities such as the
holocaust and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki be considered from a spiritual
point of view? Comment | Christian
| Buddhist | other Questions for Christians Comment 13. Can Christianity coexist with other religions / beliefs - e.g. Buddhism?
What does Christianity say will happen to those equally sincere followers of
other religions come judgment day? Comment |
Reply 14. Is there a difference between Christianity and the "Church"? Does a true
Christian need to be a member of a church? Comment |
Reply 15. As an Englishman I have grown up in the shadow of the problems in Northern
Ireland where two sects of Christianity appear to hold hatred for one another.
Can these people really be Christians? Comment |
Reply 16. What do true Christians believe about the fragmented nature of their religion?
If I wanted to attend church I would be bewildered by the choice of which one
to attend. Comment | Reply Questions for Buddhists
17. Can Buddhism coexist with other religions / beliefs - e.g. Christianity?
Comment | Reply 18. What does Buddhism say will happen to those equally sincere followers of other religions come "judgment"? Comment | Reply 9. What do you understand by karma? Every action, and indeed thought, is like a pebble thrown into the sea; it sends out ripples which forever change what would otherwise have been. Scientifically this is the law of cause and effect. It's reasonable to suppose that good actions bring rewards and bad ones, suffering; the biblical equivalent of what you sow, you reap. E.g. a good man will find many friends in times of trouble, a bad one will make many enemies ready to do him harm. Karma is not used as a basis for "punishment" in future lives. He is a teacher, not a judge. We live for experience. We are not punished, but we may need to learn or repeat certain lessons. Those that suffer through no fault of their own shall be compensated, maybe in the form of accelerated growth. We do not always understand the reasons behind our experience, but we may rest assured that such reason exists. How we act and think today produces conditions that will affect us in the future. I don't know whether you mean the totality of one's acts, or the loose definition of "fate." Let me discuss each briefly. If one dies without Christ, one is punished eternally. The number of times one had a chance to be good when they didn't will weigh on those souls. Indeed, when we love those who persecute us, it is as if we heap "burning coals on their foreheads." If a soul is saved, they stand before the Judgment seat of Christ," where they will be judged on each of their acts and at each moment of their lives, how well they served Christ, the goal of life. They will receive rewards based on these works. There will doubtless be people in Heaven with few rewards. They will still be in that place where there is no pain, no suffering, and God will wipe away every tear. A place where the eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, nor the mind imagined the wonders there. If you mean the loose definition of "fate," God does have a will. However, we choose things within that will. He has a plan that will be accomplished. As such, we not "fated" to be saved or damned. It is God's will that none perish, but that all come to righteousness. However, if one truly hates God and doesn't want to be with Him (like the devil did), God will sadly let that person go for a while. He will keep giving them chances to be saved, though. "Fated" to do lesser things? There are some things that are so important in God's plan He will not let them be thwarted. It's so hard to say what, though, because to do so, I would have to be God. And, as I said, His ways are so much higher, and perfect. Karma is basically a pagan concept from an eastern Hindu religion that has gotten popular through the New Age Movement. However, the Bible does talk about something similar. While there is no such thing as Karma, a man-made concept, there is what the Bible calls the law of "sowing and reaping." Galatians 6:7 says, "Behold, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." We reap what we sow. I guess that is similar to the concept of Karma. God has instituted natural laws, and has also instituted spiritual laws. You can't break a natural law without ramifications. If a person jumps off a 500 foot tower and break the law of gravity, there will be some problems. Likewise, when a person goes against God's spiritual laws, there are also ramifications. While I have spoken of the negative, there is also the positive of sowing and reaping. The Bible says concerning Christians, "knowing that anything good that a man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." So it works like Karma, I guess. The difference is that karma is this mindless energy that just works. Whereas, the Bible teaches that God is in complete control of every aspect of this universe, and He sees to it that His laws are enforced. (Karma has no role) in the sense of being reincarnated as evil one time and then good the next. However, their is karma in your life time. Everything you do has an effect on everyone around you and even people that you do not even know. the results of your actions and thoughts will go out and come back to you. You have heard what goes around comes around. Karma is a sum of one's deeds - deeds of his mind, speech and body - either good or bad or neutral. No our deeds are lost. They make some "stamp" and influence on our future (in this life, or in next, or in 1000 lives after this life). Karma returns with a different speed for different souls. It depends on certain factors karma= cause and effect karma is an accumulation of one's deeds of mind, speech and body Other from a Taoist Karma is spiritual energy, just as body heat is a physical
chemical energy. We exchange karma with all other living things. When we radiate
with negative feelings and thoughts, negative karma energy is released, and
vice versa. We seek to keep our karma positive. 10. Do you believe in reincarnation i.e. a single spirit living many lives? It depends what is reincarnated. It's unlikely we're born again with all the knowledge, memories, emotion etc. of our previous life since I believe all these things are absorbed back into spirit as a whole on death, although we may retain some individuality, and hence, some record of our earthly adventures. Having said that the orthodox Christian view of only one chance seems rather harsh for a religion based on love and forgiveness; and indeed there appear to be several references to reincarnation in the Bible; e.g. the disciples asked Jesus "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:2-3) How could a man sin before he was born, unless the sin was committed in another life? I accept the possibility that some part of what constitutes our spirit may be born again somewhere in the physical universe to continue the learning process of incarnation. Reinacarnation is simply the process of building experience and learning lessons. For some individuated spirits one incarnation is sufficient. Others may need, or choose, successive incarnations. Reincarnation raises the question of whether communication can take place with a reincarnated spirit. The anser is (maybe surprisingly) yes, because the spiritual part of a living entity remains in spirit, and may thus communicate with the living (in ways that will be recognized). No, we are destined once to die, then the judgment. This life is the only chance we get to accept Christ as Savior. We will live forever in Heaven or Hell. However, our bodies are not perfect. They will perish, as will all things of this world, eventually. In Heaven, the saved will receive resurrection bodies which are perfect, like Adam and Eve were before they sinned. That's not really "reincarnation" in the way most people think of it, though. It's not coming back as another person. It's still us. Your soul, for eternity, will be you. Christianity is different. It's not about man reaching out to God. It's about how God reached down for man - for you. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. You have the choice of what happens. What will you do with Jesus, God's gift to you? If you want to trust in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection as your ticket to Heaven, as the free gift God gave you, you only need to pray and tell Jesus you're a sinner who needs His saving grace. Just as you are, without one plea, that that Christ's blood, was shed for thee. If there is one concept that the Bible definitely refutes, it is reincarnation. It goes against so many Bible principles its pathetic. First of all, the Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 - "And as it is appointed unto men ONCE to die, but after this, the judgment." Man is given one shot, that's all. There is no transmutation from one being to another or anything of the sort. Example after example is given in the Bible of men dying, going either to heaven or to hell, and staying there until the resurrection. While we are not reincarnated, we will be resurrected. The speaks of two resurrections: the resurrection of the just, and the resurrection of the unjust. The Bible speaks in 1 Thessalonians 4 that Jesus will come for His people, and they will be resurrected first. There will be a span of some 1000 years before the second resurrection. In Revelation Chapter 20 we read of the second resurrection, where those without Christ stand before God's Great White Throne. Revelation 20:6 says "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the SECOND DEATH hath no power..." Only those who have trusted Christ as Savior will be part of that first resurrection. (Reincarnation has no role) what so ever in Christianity. Nor does it play
a role in Hinduism. This is a man made conjecture that is not in league with
the actual text of Hinduism. Buddhist See answer to next question Other from a Taoist yes 11. Glenn Hoddle, the England football manager, was sacked for remarks implying that disabled people were responsible for their own suffering. Is there a reason why some people are born with disabilities? Does it imply they have special lessons to learn in this lifetime, or are such handicaps merely random? Hoddle's comments were insensitive and hurtful to a large number of people, many of whom are football fans, and hence helped to pay his wages. As a Christian (though not a member of any particular "sect") I believe this life is a learning process. It is a distinct possibility that one soul may live more than one life in order to prepare it for the next stage of existence, however Glenn Hoddle's views on the issue were oversimplified (probably the result of an overambitious football journalist seeking to make a name for himself). Christian I can see why he was sacked. There is only one passage I can think of that deals directly with handicaps, and it's in John 9: "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." This is generally interpreted that he was born blind so that Jesus' power could be revealed when he was healed. At the same time, I think there might be something else to it. Ultimately, what happens to me here on earth physically is incidental. My true life is spiritual, and after I die nothing else will really matter. When handicaps are seen as making someone less than normal, I think it is a problem. It is putting too much emphasis on physical abilities and not enough on the real quality of life. That's the sort of mentality that begins to practice eugenics because the child's "quality of life" (or, worse, the mother's quality of life) would be diminished. Children diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome fall into this category. Who is to say that someone with Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy, or someone who is blind and deaf, cannot gain anything from existence or give something back in return? I think we have become too focused on happiness as being equivalent to comfort, which misses the point. To show the power and glory of God. Perhaps to direct that person (or another) to a closer relationship with God. Although I would characterize it as generally random (or sometimes as a traceable physical consequence, such as when a mother uses drugs while pregnant), I know that God will use that circumstance to show His love and His power. Certainly many handicapped individuals are models of positive attitudes under adversity, or of God's amazing healing power, etc... As a legally blind (20/800 vision) person, I can speak from experience that many times, God gives us things to overcome so His power can be glorified. I recently write a "thank you" note to a government (Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired) worker who had told me 12 years ago that I - now a successful practicing attorney - could never succeed in college because of my sight and other minor problems. I explained God's workings, and probably told her things she never would have heard about forgiveness, and love, and the power of God to overcome anything. I didn't get the money to help with college, but the Lord used my vision here and elsewhere to show His mercy. Thus, it might not be a lesson for the handicapped person to learn, but lessons for those without such challenges to learn. As a Christian, I'm very aware of how my actions affect others, and I realize I'm here to impact the world for the better. There are times when I make people feel thankful, more willing to help, more thoughtful and considerate, conscious of what people can accomplish because of God's love, or something else. I don't always see the results of this, but I have an impact those without my handicaps cannot have. While I feel this is the overwhelming reason why people have certain handicaps, there are other reasons, such as teaching them to trust in God completely, or so they can, in turn, comfort others who are afflicted. This is more likely to be the reason why a person will suffer some disabling illness or injury later in life, rather than having it from birth like my sight is. Sometimes it's so people can avoid certain things. I never could have afforded a lot of things if I'd had car payments and car insurance to worry about, for instance. I've often been thankful I can't drive. That's taught me to trust more in God's provision through other people, too. And, as the Bible promises, God maketh all things work together for good to them that love God. People (are born) disabled for two reasons: Well.. nothing is completely random. One of the basic tenets of Buddhism is
that from an unaware viewpoint, all of life is anxiety about suffering. We either
want things to be different than they are or not to change from what they are
right now. So, you COULD say that someone who feels bad because of their disability
is causing their own suffering by grasping on to the idea that they "should"
be different. This does not mean that things aren't difficult. Or that "pain"
doesn't hurt. It means that when you struggle against the pain you are adding
the pain of the struggle to the pain itself. (this may be a little weird to
understand...) E.G.. you can accept a loss as an opportunity IF you have the
proper perspective. Other from a Taoist Physical abnormalities have no pertinence regarding the
spirit and spiritual things. The body is only a vessel for our spirit and we
do not possess either. What handicaps someone faces has nothing to do with their
essence. It should be a mute point, as well as with any other body related prejudice. 12. How should the victims and perpetrators of mass atrocities such as the holocaust and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki be considered from a spiritual point of view? I was surprised that some of the Christians who replied sought to make a distinction between the atrocities I quoted. War is, of course, a difficult subject to consider from a spiritual standpoint but if our beliefs are to have any substance then we MUST confront such questions. I grouped these events together because ALL involved the INDISCRIMINATE slaughter of INNOCENT people. Indiscriminate slaughter on this scale must carry some karmic consequence. However, I am not a historian and this is not the appropriate forum in which to apportion such blame. Those of us fortunate to live under democracy should seek to ensure that our nations never become aggressors. Those who don't enjoy the privilege of selecting their government should take whatever action lies within their power toward the same end. Where one nation aggressively seeks to force its will upon others some kind of international body along the lines of the UN should take whatever necessary action to thwart its aggression. Where an individual nation is the subject of an attack by an aggressor it should, within the auspices of the UN, take whatever action is necessary to defend itself by seeking to destroy its attacker's machinery of aggression with the leadership of the aggressor being held accountable under international law. Those of us fortunate to live under democracy should seek to ensure that our nations never become aggressors. Those who don't enjoy the privilege of selecting their government should take whatever action lies within their power toward the same end. Where one nation aggressively seeks to force its will upon others some kind of international body along the lines of the UN should take whatever necessary action to thwart its aggression. Where an individual nation is the subject of an attack by an aggressor it should, within the auspices of the UN, take whatever action is necessary to defend itself by seeking to destroy its attacker's machinery of aggression with the leadership of the aggressor being held accountable under international law. I am reminded first of the story of missionaries in Ecuador who were killed by natives there in the 1950s. The love they showed even as they were being killed would up gripping the hearts of these natives, and a good number of them accepted Christ as their Savior because of this and because the wives of one of the men led her own expedition. It was a shock for them to realize they could be forgiven for this murder, but they were. In this respect, we need to look at such a thing not as millions of murders put together, but on each individual basis. God, after all, loves us each as individuals. However, they had to want to be forgiven. Someone who participates in this kind of thing is still an individual (like Paul), and still in need of salvation. At the same time, such wickedness it sometimes punished by God if it is to extreme - I have heard people say the division of Germany and of Berlin for 45 years was punishment for the Holocaust; God allowed it to happen because of the evils done. As for the victims, each person was the victim of a heinous crime, just like the victims of a Charles Manson. Put together, it equaled the worst example of Satan's work in history. Each is looked at on an individual level, though. Was the heart right with God? Was the person of an age to understand - remember, Jesus promises of little children "their angels always see my Father's face." Before a certain age they automatically go to Heaven, covered by the blood of Jesus. The same goes for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Dresden could be thrown in there, too. What happened was very bad; as (was it Sherman?) Some general said "war is Hell." God looks at it not on a mass level, but He looks at each individual suffering. He is able to, for He is all knowing. These are two separate issues. (Well, four, if you count victims and perpetrators separately.) As far as the Holocaust, any Christian I know of feels it was a horrible event that never should have occurred. Both those who worked in the camps and those who gave silent assent to the process were equally guilty. There is tremendous sympathy for the victims. (Hopefully this sort of concern will bleed over into similar circumstances, such as in the Balkans today.) As for the bombing of Japan, while I feel it was a tragedy and deeply disturbing, it was done with the idea of, in the long run, saving more lives than if the United States had attempted an invasion of Japan along the lines of the storming of Omaha Beach. As I understand it, millions of Japanese lives were actually saved, even though the actual event was tragic. War is a horrible thing, and ultimately it cannot be condoned as the best way to handle anything, but it was war. I am afraid I don't know much about American presence in Japan after the war to see if they worked with those struggling from radiation sickness, etc. I also don't know if they had any actual civilian-free targets. If they did, what was actually done was appalling. I'm going to deal with your examples separately, because there is a fundamental point which may (or may not) distinguish them. First, the Holocaust -- Pure evil. I believe that perhaps some of the participants were acting out of fear and confusion rather than pure malice, but fear and confusion are not good motives. Nonetheless, these atrocities are sins, in the sense that they clearly violate first and second commandments (Love God and love your neighbor). The victims are simply that, victims. No special significance is attached to their suffering except in how they reacted to it. The A-bomb launches at the end of WWII are certainly not the same class of atrocity as the holocaust. The primary differentiating characteristic is the fact that the bombs, like so many other bombs, were part of a war. That the victims were citizens of an aggressor nation muddies the water even more. That the bombs by any accounting reduced the loss of life , and probably even Japanese life, muddies it further. Christians are told to be at peace with all men, insofar as they are able to control it. That makes war a special case, which needs to be handled with extra consideration Generally speaking, perpetrators took sufferings of the victims onto themselves.
Perpetrators accumulated karma of Hell and victims washed off part of their
karma of Hell. But victims may not reborn in high world because condition of
victim's minds in the moment of death could be not a condition which would allow
them to go to any high world. Other from a Taoist Like the lion and prey.
Again, the underlying evils should be dealt with., Almost all (major world religions)
are dualist concepts. Duality fertilizes the growth of our abandonment of nature,
and should be exposed for the horror that it is. Only when we can return to
being one with all things again can we see life for the beauty that it is. The great difficulty with Christianity is that much of the Bible is written in metaphorical language, indeed Lord Jesus spoke in parables. As such, the scripture is open to the interpretation of individual scholars (and lesser men). Religion, including Christianity, has been misused as a means of control; Marx's opium of the people. Whilst I don't doubt for one moment the sincerity of my Christian respondents, I believe there are many "Christians" in the world who use their faith as a religion of convenience. 13. Can Christianity coexist with other religions / beliefs - e.g. Buddhism? What does Christianity say will happen to those equally sincere followers of other religions come judgment day? The Christian answer is that Christianity cannot accept the principles of other faiths, this is based on Jesus' statement "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man come to the Father but by me." So Jesus said we need to accept Him, but did he also mean that we should reject all other philosophies, even if they don't contradict his teachings? I think not. In contrast, Buddhists believe their faith has much in common with Christianity and can happily coexist with it, giving full recognition to Jesus. It can coexist because Christianity is a religion of tolerance. What this means is that Christians do not have the right to force anyone to believe anything. If someone else chooses to be Buddhist, or Muslim, or even atheist, it is their business. Part of the definition of tolerance, however, includes the idea that, if I am tolerant of some behavior, I believe that behavior to be wrong. Otherwise I would not be tolerant, but accepting. Jesus was very clear that he was the way, the truth, and the life. You are probably already familiar with that statement. There is no way to God but through the forgiveness of sins and eternal life offered through Jesus alone. If by coexistence, you mean members living at peace one with another, then yes. If you mean are the viewpoints reconcilable, can you be a Buddhist AND a Christian, then the answer is a definite NO! Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one come to the father except through me." In lieu of your judgment day question, you might ask, "What will happen to one who chooses some other model than Newtonian mechanics, when he is needing to cross a canyon and is convinced he can fly?" Ignoring spiritual truth, regardless of sincerity, carries consequences just as real and as dire as ignoring physical truth. We will all be judged, in the light of Jesus' sacrifice and God's truth, but against a firm and unequivocal standard. Those who fail to measure up will be rejected. Christianity is fundamentally different. Buddhism is man reaching up to God, Christianity is God reaching down to man. If a person puts their faith in their own abilities, they cannot be trusting in Christ's love and sacrifice to save them. Can some minor Buddhist tenets exist in a Christian's mind? It depends on how minor. The Bible is God's word, it was written by people inspired by God. If something in Buddhism does not contradict the Bible, I suppose the two could coexist However, I don't know what that might be. As an example, meditation to a Buddhist means emptying your mind, while to a Christian it means filling your mind only with God, and pondering Him and His Word. Jesus says "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man come to the Father but by me." He was God. It's not like in some religions where they have a great teacher. What He's saying is, you can't save yourself. You must put your faith in God to save you, or you will be damned. And that salvation come via Jesus' sacrifice, His death, burial, and resurrection. By way of analogy, if you are in a plane at 40,000 feet and you know the engine's about to explode, you need a parachute, or you're going to die. You can sincerely believe that because you're over water, you can just dive right in, but at that altitude, you'd fall so fast hitting the water would be like hitting concrete. In the same way, a person can sincerely believe that some other god or some
other way will get them to Heaven. However, that is like going without a parachute.
Our bodies will die, sooner or later. And, Jesus is our parachute. If we don't
have Him, we will go splat. 14. Is there a difference between Christianity and the "Church"? Does a true Christian need to be a member of a church? For my part being a Christian doesn't just mean an hour's worship once a week, it means living as a Christian by trying to be a good citizen and serving my fellow human beings to the best of my ability all the time; in the broad definition given below this is equivalent to being part of the Church. We can pray alone, and indeed, I believe Jesus was critical of those who practiced their religion merely to be seen as pious. That isn't to say I see all churches and priests as flawed but the choice of how to worship should be one for the individual. Technically there should be no distinction. "Church" is the English for the Greek "ekklesia" (part of the only Greek I know), which meant loosely "the called-out ones." All those who put their faith in Christ are called out or made separate. The church universal includes everyone who would wear the name Christian. I have heard of many people saying that various churches (not in the broad sense, but in the denominational sense) are too corrupt, hypocritical, etc. and that true Christianity can only be practiced apart from them. I think this misses the point of Christianity being a communal religion. While people come to Jesus on an individual basis, they then become part of a larger community, which is called to serve God and encourage each other to continue in the faith. Without that relationship with other Christians, life becomes much harder. Is there hypocrisy and corruption in the church? Often, yes, and it is sad. But since the church is made up of people, it is flawed. I am not perfect. I will mess up. Others will mess up. These problems need to be revealed and worked on communally, in love. If another Christian sins, as a sister in Christ it is my responsibility to help as I can. I can't do that if I've abandoned them all and gone to pray in the woods. (Which, in and of itself, is not bad, as long as I also worship with other Christians.) In its most proper definition, "The Church" refers to those who are saved, and thus it is impossible to be a true Christian is, by definition, a member of The Church. In the sense of local congregations, the matter gets a bit stickier. Certainly our salvation is through Jesus Christ, not through some body of people, but we are commanded to do all manner of things to and for "one another" and to not forsake assembling together. Thus, a Christian must be part of a congregation of Christians, or at least worship with other Christians consistently (although the concept of membership as we generally look at it is artificial and certainly not mandated Biblically, as Christianity has nothing to do with being part of a group and everything to do with being one with God). No, a true Christian doesn't have to be a church member. It helps because
attending church is one way to grow as a Christian. A true Christian will probably
feel some desire to read or listen to the Gospel being preached, if he or she
doesn't attend church. God will keep working in that person's heart to want
to join. However, to paraphrase one of baseball's funny men, "if you don't wanna
grow, nobody's gonna stop you." 15. As an Englishman I have grown up in the shadow of the problems in Northern Ireland where two sects of Christianity appear to hold hatred for one another. Can these people really be Christians? I think the Ireland problem is more political, although it wears a religious face. While I can't judge the sincerity the faith of either side, I know that there are also others in Northern Ireland who have recommitted themselves to the gospel and have worked to bridge the gap between Catholic and Protestant. Anyone who perpetrates violence on other for selfish gain (or any purpose --except perhaps the defense of innocents) is not acting as a Christian. Although, unable to see their hearts, I cannot absolutely speak to the state of each one's soul, I can say without reservation that their claims to Christianity are, on the whole, false. Political enmity can exist between two groups only if they abandon philadelphia (brotherly love) toward one another. While it is possible for an immature Christian to still harbor some ill feelings toward others, they will fade as he grows to understand God and His love. So the groups cannot as a whole be Christian. No, probably not. There might be a few who have simply turned away from God,
and who God is trying to bring back as wayward sons and daughters. However,
even these people have a sense, in the back of their minds, deep in their hearts,
that hatred is wrong. They are simply being duped. Jesus says they will know
we are Christians by our love, though. So, the vast majority of them are probably
not Christians. They are those who simply say they have faith, but are lying,
just as I would be if I said I was Napoleon. They are fighting over the things
of the world, in this case power and control over government. This is opposite
what Christ teaches. He says "render unto Caesar [government] that which be
Caesar's, and render unto God that which be God's." It is proper to disobey
a government in anything it says which goes against God (Christians could have
protected Jews and still been obeying God during the Holocaust, and thankfully
some did). However, it is improper to fight to get it changed just because your
group isn't in power. And, even a wicked government has some laws that are just.
(Laws against murder, stealing, rape, and so on must always be followed, for
instance.) 16. What do true Christians believe about the fragmented nature of their religion? If I wanted to attend church I would be bewildered by the choice of which one to attend. What do any Christians believe about it? I think that there is a growing ecumenicalism in the church (I'm speaking universally again) that realizes that many of our differences are a matter of personal taste. I, for one, would not feel comfortable in a charismatic church, because that is just not my thing. The important thing about any church is that it claims Jesus as both only Savior and only Lord, which means obedience to the gospel. I personally see this as including baptism (if Jesus commanded it, then who am I to say I don't need it?), but it is practiced in various ways and for various reasons. If you wanted to attend church, I would recommend looking around, seeing which one took Jesus and the Bible seriously, and from there narrowing down according to personal style. This sounds horrible, but part of going to church is worshipping God, and if you prefer to do that in a certain way, then find a church that is similar. It doesn't have to be an exact match and may never be, but the closer the better. The fragmentation is wrong, and is generally the result of men insisting on doing something God has forbidden or not wanting to do something God has commanded. So they draw up their own rules, and disassociate with others who are trying to serve God. I believe denominationalism is wrong, and we ought to strive to eliminate it. The problem is that true Christians may be introduced to God by any of a number of denominations, and may simply be placed in that unfortunate situation "by default". God can save people who attend any denomination, but they must truly seek to serve Him rather than their group, to confront error as they recognize it, and to do what may not be popular but right. Incidentally, I believe there are groups who are not part of a denomination, but are simply striving to serve God as He has commanded. That's the ideal place to end up. Speaking for myself, I can say that fragmentation occurred because people differed about insignificant issues. Paul warns of this early, in several letters, and even includes in his letter to the Church at Phillippi an instruction to two women to "be of one mind in the Lord." Despite the small differences, after 2,000 years the basic tenets are the same. But, you're right, Christ wants His church to be united. It *must* be under correct doctrine, though. The choice of attending church must come via what feels right to you after
prayer, and also by what is taught. Is the truth of the Bible really being taught?
If false doctrine is being taught, it will hurt one's growth as a Christian.
It would be like always eating junk instead of nutritious food. Questions for Buddhists 17. Can Buddhism coexist with other religions / beliefs - e.g. Christianity? I do not know, what does believers of other Buddhist groups tell about Christianity, in our case our Guru considers J.C. as a highly spiritual person, a Saviour who was betrayed by his disciples. Moreover, he tells that Christian God is the same to Great Holy Heaven (A world higher than any Realm in the Material World, but lower than, for instance, Maha Nirvana) in Buddhism Our Guru tells that "Buddhism and Christianity teach the same thing. If you can understand that Buddhism and Christianity are related to each other in such a way that Buddhism encompasses Christianity, it should be clear that religion—no, the truth—is one system". yes... absolutely.. I know a lot of Christian monks who are Buddhist or Jewish-Buddhists...
Buddhism is non-theistic. You don't "pray" to Buddha. The historical Buddha.
was a person who realized that the way most people walk around from day to day
can be likened to "sleepwalking". Awareness is the key. 18. What does Buddhism say will happen to those equally sincere followers of other religions come "judgment"? My understanding is that you ask what will happen with the soul after death if this soul was equally adhered to Buddhism and to Christianity in its earthly life. I think that if you established a good connection with Christian God (if you really managed to do this, there can be many traps there), made efforts to do good deeds for others, lessened you ego, stopped doing bad things, your next life seem to be better than this. If you started studying Buddhism Sutras, fix your memory on it to substitute data in your consciousness, purify images and notions which you daily have in your mind, lessen your attachments, develop compassion to living beings and make it a main part of your heart, your chances to reincarnate in higher than this world in next life will significantly grow. But remember: in Buddhism it is VERY important is to find a good Guru who will lead you on your way of spiritual development. As to me, I found Guru, who in my opinion, despite the image created by mass-media, is really great. there is no "judgment day" in Buddhism Good people are good people. It doesn't
matter what we call ourselves in the interim. If you do/say/think things that
cause harm then you will have to deal with the effects of that. There may or
may not be a god, there is no way we will no for sure until after we exit this
world. So believe what you want to about the afterlife and make sure you life
a positive life right now. All of the labels we create for things that are unknowable
are by nature flawed in describing it. Links These links provide further stimulating discussion on issues of spirituality. (NB The inclusion of a site does not necessarily mean the author/editor endorses the content of that site.) Christian
new age spirituality is compiled by abracad |