False Gurus and Organizations in Christianity

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Here's a bit of a spoof ... but sometimes humor is most revealing!

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news1...okburning.html

More seriously, book burning hasn't gone away, there are many who use "religion" to promote their agenda of expansion of a particular point of view to greater numbers in search of greater influence over a larger populace.

Personally, while I try to respect others' POV, I have a problem with anyone else's interpretation or restriction of interpretation of "HOLY" force fed ... to me, the only path is to experience "HOLY" without interpretation; I can only find this in meditation. Understanding and interpretation of the experience gained through practice is aided by study, but study follows practice, IMO, it is not the same.

Namaste,
ZN

Thanks. I was shocked to recently discover that this was actually recorded in the scriptures.

Its revealing that this satirist refrences greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato suggesting that there works wear deemed as worthy of being destroyed. Ignoring the fact that many early Christian thinkers like St. Augustine incorporated greek philosophy into their theology.

[sanjaya]

This is true. One thing I noticed as I read over the bible again and underline everything I find interesting or important is the empahsis on what is perceived to be the Truth. Paul goes to different cultures explaining to them why Jesus is the Son of God and why the Ressurection is the truth whereas other gods dont exist or are demons. But you can go further. There are several examples of the Tribe of Israel "proving" the superiority of their God over the non-existent inferior "Idol-gods."

The research I've done agrees with what you're saying. It's interesting that Christianity acknowledges that other gods have some sort of supernatural existence, but attributes it to demonic activity. Ultimately they make an untestable claim. If a Hindu prays to God and receives blessing or is healed of some illness, or even mere spiritual contentment, it's called the work of the devil. How do you prove whether that's true or false?

In fact part of the Old testment does not deny that other gods exist but that the supreme God is the God of Israel. Later the concept evolves into strict monotheism where there are no other gods except God elohim or Hashem as commonly refered to. There is a great book on this subject called the "Evolution of God" which talks of this.

Yes, that's a good point. If you read the Babylonian creation epic, you'll find that it's similar to the Bible. Basically it's main point is that Marduk is the greatest of all gods. But for the invention of Christianity, the Jewish Bible may have been relegated to the same status as other Near Eastern faiths.

For me thats fine. If gambling lust etc is bad then who cares how you recieve that message as so long as you recieve it. However for fundamentalist Christians other religions are "false Prophets" "Wolfs in Sheep Clothing" but lets entertain these notions.

Of course. Hypothetical scenarios can teach us some interesting truths.

Suppose that all religions are false but Christianity. All other teachers are false but these religions teach the same value as christianity; love the poor, love your neigbor, but they dont affirm or they might deny the Crucifixtion historicity of the bible, John 3:16 etc.

Quite a reasonable assumption. Actually, all non-Christian religions (with the potental exception of Islam) do teach these things. Hinduism doesn't even make a comment on Biblical historicity. So this is more or less the claim that evangelical Christians are making.

Does it still matter? Well of course it does if fate of your soul is held in abeyance because of it? If the fate your eternal soul is determined by an article of religious belief such as monotheism or the Historicty of Jesus then I guess it matters.

But if it mattered so much why would not God come down here or do something more powerful to show with out a shadow of a doubt that Christianity is true and absolute. If I was God and compassion was one of my qualities why would I only allow 1/3 of the world's population attain heaven and the rest suffer eternal hell? If there was only one true path to God as God I would ensure that there is no confusion and eliminate all other religions. But lets face it that does not happen. If as God this was important to me that people follow only one "Straight and narrow path" (read religion) Overnight I would have all the the non true religious institutions be destroyed. Or do something to that magnitutude rather than rely simply on human beings to convince each other of the true religion.

Sorry to sound extreme.

Not at all. Evangelical Christianity is this mercilessly extreme. Christians would probably cite the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, and state that the "testimony" of scripture is more poweful and convincing than any sort of supernatural act. This, I feel, is a cop out. The Bible doesn't contain anything that I would expect to find in a divinely inspired text. Here too Christians have an answer. They will say that we are all tainted by original sin, and are unable to see the truth of the Bible except by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It's really a perfect system. If you believe, it's because you were convinced by God. If you don't believe, it's because God prevents you from seeing the truths of the Bible.

That reminds me of another saying attributed to the Buddha

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

Interstingly enough through an internet search i come to discover that this sayings is attributed incorrectly. It is not in the pali Cannon but as one internet user posted is an incorrect translation a more precise translation would render the reading;

Kalamas in Anguttura Nikaya 3:65 - "...don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them."

sorry for the digression i just thought it was interesting.

Thanks for clarifying the Buddha's saying.