The one Universal God is above religious politics
Very Interesting facts that was sent to me by a friend!
Christianity….One Christ, One Bible Religion…
But the Latin Catholic will not enter Syrian Catholic Church.
These two will not enter Marthoma Church .
These three will not enter Pentecost Church .
These four will not enter Salvation Army Church .
These five will no enter Seventh Day Adventist Church .
These six will not enter Orthodox Church.
These seven will not enter Jacobite church.
Like this there are 146 castesin Kerala alone for Christianity,
each will never share their churches for fellow Christians!
How shameful..!
One Christ, One Bible, One Jehova???
Now Muslims..!One Allah, One Quran, One Nebi....! Great unity?
Among Muslims, Shia and Sunni kill each other in all the Muslim countries.
The religious riot in most Muslim countries is always between these two sects.
The Shia will not go to Sunni Mosque.
These two will not go to Ahamadiya Mosque.
These three will not go to Sufi Mosque.
These four will not go to Mujahiddin mosque.
Like this it appears there are
13 castes in Muslims.
Killing / bombing/conquering/ massacring/. .. each other !
The American attack on Iraq was fully supported by all the Muslim countries surrounding Iraq !
One Allah, One Quran, One Nebi....????
Hindus
They have 1,280 Religious Books, 10,000 Commentaries, more than one lakh sub-commentaries for these foundation books, innumerable presentations of one God, variety of Aacharyas, thousands of Rishies, hundreds of languages.
Still they all go to All other TEMPLES and they are peaceful and tolerant and seek unity with others by inviting them to worship with them whatever God they wish to pray for!
Hindus never quarreled amongst one another for the last five thousand years in the name of religion.
VERY PROUD TO BE A HINDU?
Comments
Yes our Hindu brethren not only do not fight among themselves but have deep respect for other religions as well. Hindus revere Christ and Mohammad like they revere their own God and saints.
Anyone can walk into any Hindu temple and offer prayers. The priest does not ask whether you are 'baptised' Hindu before accepting your offerings. He gives you all the blessings he has. Nobody who seeks God's help in a Hindu temple is turned away.
We Christians especially Catholics have a lot to learn from their tolerance and respect for other religions. We have very strict rules regarding in sharing Christ with others.
We are selfish and arrogant as we consider all other religions as inferior to ours. We want to always convert others to our religion by the so-called policy of evangelism, a misguided belief that Jesus is the ONLY way. To me Jesus is a way but not the ONLY way to God. Otherwise why did God allow other religions?
"You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" - John 20:29
Remember Gandhi said "I like your Christ but I don't like your Christians”. There is a great truth hidden in those words of the Mahatma, who is also a way to God.
We must rise above religion to reach the one true universal God who is beyond all man-made religious politics.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 02, 2010
Easter 2010 - Finding the risen Christ among us
He rose from the dead, lives in our midst, never to die again.
Easter commemorates one of the greatest mysteries of our faith - the resurrection of Jesus which the Church says is the very foundation of Christianity. His resurrection might have taken place more than 2000 years ago but how does that affect us today in this highly materialistic world driven by greed, pride and lust? As we celebrate Easter it may be good for us to reflect on what Christ's resurrection really means to us in a world where the very existence of God is being questioned by many.
A lawyer friend, a staunch catholic for many years, wanted proof for the resurrection of Christ. He went all over looking for scientific evidence to proof the resurrection did indeed took place. He subsequently left the Church as he could not be convinced of the truth of the resurrection. In fact the number of Catholics who “lose their faith” for these reasons is on the rise. What they have believed all these years out of faith does not seem logical to their minds anymore. Today man has so advanced in science and technology that he insists on evidence before he accepts anything as the truth, especially those that are supernatural in nature.
Gone are the days when he is willing to accept anything based just on faith and tradition? God’s gift to man – his inquisitive and intellectual mind had brought great advancements to the human race but many a time it also worked to his detriment when he misuses it for his selfish needs.
Jesus rising majestically
The Resurrection, as we were taught, is Jesus Christ’s return to life on the third day after his death. To my mind there are two aspects to this resurrection, physical and spiritual. The problem is that from an early age we have been taught to believe that resurrection is just the bodily rising of Jesus after death. The image of Jesus majestically rising bodily into the heavens had been vividly imprinted in our minds since we were children. We have been carried away by the over-emphasis on these physical aspects of the Resurrection. Our ideas of resurrection should instead mature when we grow older in wisdom with Christ.
There are many documented signs that suggest Jesus did rise from the dead but there is no conclusive scientific evidence to prove the physical resurrection of Jesus. In fact there are many who are bent on proving that the resurrection of Jesus is a myth with no scientific evidence whatsoever. They are hoping that new discoveries based on modern DNA studies as described in “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” may give weight to discredit the truth of the resurrection.
Our believe in the resurrection is based on the teachings of the early Church which was inherited from the Apostles who were convinced beyond doubt from the testimonies from eye witnesses then. Controversies continue as to the reliability of these testimonies. However to me that is the least important and it would be improper for us to base our faith solely on the resurrection and other such supernatural events which cannot stand the test of time. We know for sure that Jesus was true and his death was also true .Above all his teachings were absolutely true and never flawed even with the passage of time.
While we cannot scientifically prove the physical resurrection but we can definitely beyond doubt testify the spiritual resurrection of Jesus. Yes, he died but yet we know for sure he is alive and present in our midst. We witness his presence daily in our lives; the air we breathe, the water we drink and the people we meet. He is there in all the challenges, trials and tribulations we encounter.
Very often we either do not recognize or we are too arrogant and ignore his presence in our midst. We expect Him to come in majesty to work miracles to help us overcome our difficulties and we become disappointed and disillusioned when he doesn’t. As a result we lose our faith in him. Little do we realize that he comes simply in impoverished people, the beggar, the sinner, the sick and dying, the hungry, the naked, the depressed and the oppressed and most recently in the priests and victims of the clergy sex abuse. We fail to realise that we are his “miracle workers” to alleviate the pain and agony of such people in our midst.
It is the experience of unselfish love for one another that resembles the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ. It is something that is beyond reason, beyond replication, beyond scientific fact? It is in this love that the risen Christ dwells and if we cultivate this love for one another in our hearts then His resurrection is true which needs no human proof.
Yes, truly Jesus has risen from the dead, lives in our midst, and never to die again. All we need to do is to be humble enough to seek him in our hearts and in the hearts of those around us and we will surely find the risen Christ.
Easter commemorates one of the greatest mysteries of our faith - the resurrection of Jesus which the Church says is the very foundation of Christianity. His resurrection might have taken place more than 2000 years ago but how does that affect us today in this highly materialistic world driven by greed, pride and lust? As we celebrate Easter it may be good for us to reflect on what Christ's resurrection really means to us in a world where the very existence of God is being questioned by many.
A lawyer friend, a staunch catholic for many years, wanted proof for the resurrection of Christ. He went all over looking for scientific evidence to proof the resurrection did indeed took place. He subsequently left the Church as he could not be convinced of the truth of the resurrection. In fact the number of Catholics who “lose their faith” for these reasons is on the rise. What they have believed all these years out of faith does not seem logical to their minds anymore. Today man has so advanced in science and technology that he insists on evidence before he accepts anything as the truth, especially those that are supernatural in nature.
Gone are the days when he is willing to accept anything based just on faith and tradition? God’s gift to man – his inquisitive and intellectual mind had brought great advancements to the human race but many a time it also worked to his detriment when he misuses it for his selfish needs.
Jesus rising majestically
The Resurrection, as we were taught, is Jesus Christ’s return to life on the third day after his death. To my mind there are two aspects to this resurrection, physical and spiritual. The problem is that from an early age we have been taught to believe that resurrection is just the bodily rising of Jesus after death. The image of Jesus majestically rising bodily into the heavens had been vividly imprinted in our minds since we were children. We have been carried away by the over-emphasis on these physical aspects of the Resurrection. Our ideas of resurrection should instead mature when we grow older in wisdom with Christ.
There are many documented signs that suggest Jesus did rise from the dead but there is no conclusive scientific evidence to prove the physical resurrection of Jesus. In fact there are many who are bent on proving that the resurrection of Jesus is a myth with no scientific evidence whatsoever. They are hoping that new discoveries based on modern DNA studies as described in “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” may give weight to discredit the truth of the resurrection.
Our believe in the resurrection is based on the teachings of the early Church which was inherited from the Apostles who were convinced beyond doubt from the testimonies from eye witnesses then. Controversies continue as to the reliability of these testimonies. However to me that is the least important and it would be improper for us to base our faith solely on the resurrection and other such supernatural events which cannot stand the test of time. We know for sure that Jesus was true and his death was also true .Above all his teachings were absolutely true and never flawed even with the passage of time.
While we cannot scientifically prove the physical resurrection but we can definitely beyond doubt testify the spiritual resurrection of Jesus. Yes, he died but yet we know for sure he is alive and present in our midst. We witness his presence daily in our lives; the air we breathe, the water we drink and the people we meet. He is there in all the challenges, trials and tribulations we encounter.
Very often we either do not recognize or we are too arrogant and ignore his presence in our midst. We expect Him to come in majesty to work miracles to help us overcome our difficulties and we become disappointed and disillusioned when he doesn’t. As a result we lose our faith in him. Little do we realize that he comes simply in impoverished people, the beggar, the sinner, the sick and dying, the hungry, the naked, the depressed and the oppressed and most recently in the priests and victims of the clergy sex abuse. We fail to realise that we are his “miracle workers” to alleviate the pain and agony of such people in our midst.
It is the experience of unselfish love for one another that resembles the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ. It is something that is beyond reason, beyond replication, beyond scientific fact? It is in this love that the risen Christ dwells and if we cultivate this love for one another in our hearts then His resurrection is true which needs no human proof.
Yes, truly Jesus has risen from the dead, lives in our midst, and never to die again. All we need to do is to be humble enough to seek him in our hearts and in the hearts of those around us and we will surely find the risen Christ.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
The Passion of Christ - not just a lesson in history
A lesson in life to stand up for truth
Tomorrow we will be observing Good Friday, the day Christ died on the Cross. It is a day we will reflect on the sufferings and death of Christ, which is generally called the Passion of Christ. The Passion is the theological term used for the suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours prior to and including his trial and execution by crucifixion.
To many the Passion of Christ is just a lesson in history where we sympathize with Christ for the sufferings he went through before he died. We find it hard to believe how the people can be so cruel to inflict the most severe form of pain on a man who we know was innocent. For Christians the Passion should be more than a lesson in history but a lesson in life to stand up for truth and justice.
The Passion is based primarily on biblical accounts of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. From these accounts we know Jesus was falsely accused, convicted and sentenced, not by fine or imprisonment, but to death by crucifixion, the severest form of sentence a man can possibly get.
As if that was not enough, before he was crucified he was humiliated, severely persecuted, whipped, scourged, crowned with thorns, dragged up a hill carrying a heavy cross, stripped off his clothes and then nailed to the cross, watched by many, like a hardcore criminal.
What crime did Jesus commit that deserved to be punished in that most inhumane way? It was for proclaiming the TRUTH. Yes, Jesus was tortured, humiliated and killed not for lying, corruption, rape or murder but for telling the truth, the truth which caused so much fear among those in positions of power and comfort. He was a threat to their social security and had to be eliminated at all costs.
Throughout the journey of his passion, what was astonishing was the way Jesus humbly accepted his punishment which he knew was unfair and unjust. However he accepted all that willingly without fighting back or defending himself. He did not show even the slightest anger or retaliation for being victimized, falsely accused and sentenced by the kangaroo court that tried him.
He did not get angry with the Jews who accused him, Pilate who sentenced him and the Roman soldiers who executed him. Instead he had the great magnanimity to forgive all of them who took turns to insult torture and kill him. It was the highest level of humility that no ordinary man can have. This was in keeping with what was written “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn't open his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn't open his mouth”.( Isaiah 53:7).
Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to offer the other cheek when struck on one. He had demonstrated that he really meant what he said by accepting his Passion so willingly.
We call ourselves Christians, the followers of Christ, but how Christ-like are we in accepting humiliation and pain for speaking the truth? How Christ-like are we when we are accused of offences we did not commit? Will we be humble enough not to strike back and forgive those who accuse us?
What lesson does the Passion of Christ provide us in our own lives? We too in own small ways are often falsely accused, humiliated and punished for standing up for truth, by the authorities in the government, our places of work, families and even in the church. When we are denied our rights we fight back fiercely, sometimes with vengeance. We organize protests, demonstrations, hurl verbal abuses and resort to legal recourse. We may even resort to violence and wars to redeem our lost rights.
Many of us behave like the Jews who made false accusations against Jesus and wanted to get rid of him. We too make false accusations against those who are against us in order to get them out of our way. We resort to all forms of high handed tactics to succeed. We fail to realize that our efforts cause so much pain and suffering to the person involved and his family.
There may be others among us, especially those in positions of power, who behave like Pilate, refusing to stand up to public pressure for fear of losing our power. Due to our greed for power, we succumb to the wrongful demands of the public and wash our hands of the problems of those in need.
Like the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus, there are many among us, who carry out the execution of others without empathy or compassion. Even if we know it is wrong, we carry them out anyway for fear of the authorities or some material rewards.
As we make the final Way of the Cross and read the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, let us reflect on its relevance in our own lives, of Jesus’ actions during his agonizing times. Let his Passion not be just a lesson in history to commemorate Christ’s suffering at the hands of his own people. His Passion is not something to sympathize or be sorrowful about but a real lesson for us as we encounter the many challenges in our lives. Christ’s humility and forgiveness even towards his adversaries is infinite which is what not just Christianity but humanity is all about.
Tomorrow we will be observing Good Friday, the day Christ died on the Cross. It is a day we will reflect on the sufferings and death of Christ, which is generally called the Passion of Christ. The Passion is the theological term used for the suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours prior to and including his trial and execution by crucifixion.
To many the Passion of Christ is just a lesson in history where we sympathize with Christ for the sufferings he went through before he died. We find it hard to believe how the people can be so cruel to inflict the most severe form of pain on a man who we know was innocent. For Christians the Passion should be more than a lesson in history but a lesson in life to stand up for truth and justice.
The Passion is based primarily on biblical accounts of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. From these accounts we know Jesus was falsely accused, convicted and sentenced, not by fine or imprisonment, but to death by crucifixion, the severest form of sentence a man can possibly get.
As if that was not enough, before he was crucified he was humiliated, severely persecuted, whipped, scourged, crowned with thorns, dragged up a hill carrying a heavy cross, stripped off his clothes and then nailed to the cross, watched by many, like a hardcore criminal.
What crime did Jesus commit that deserved to be punished in that most inhumane way? It was for proclaiming the TRUTH. Yes, Jesus was tortured, humiliated and killed not for lying, corruption, rape or murder but for telling the truth, the truth which caused so much fear among those in positions of power and comfort. He was a threat to their social security and had to be eliminated at all costs.
Throughout the journey of his passion, what was astonishing was the way Jesus humbly accepted his punishment which he knew was unfair and unjust. However he accepted all that willingly without fighting back or defending himself. He did not show even the slightest anger or retaliation for being victimized, falsely accused and sentenced by the kangaroo court that tried him.
He did not get angry with the Jews who accused him, Pilate who sentenced him and the Roman soldiers who executed him. Instead he had the great magnanimity to forgive all of them who took turns to insult torture and kill him. It was the highest level of humility that no ordinary man can have. This was in keeping with what was written “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn't open his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn't open his mouth”.( Isaiah 53:7).
Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to offer the other cheek when struck on one. He had demonstrated that he really meant what he said by accepting his Passion so willingly.
We call ourselves Christians, the followers of Christ, but how Christ-like are we in accepting humiliation and pain for speaking the truth? How Christ-like are we when we are accused of offences we did not commit? Will we be humble enough not to strike back and forgive those who accuse us?
What lesson does the Passion of Christ provide us in our own lives? We too in own small ways are often falsely accused, humiliated and punished for standing up for truth, by the authorities in the government, our places of work, families and even in the church. When we are denied our rights we fight back fiercely, sometimes with vengeance. We organize protests, demonstrations, hurl verbal abuses and resort to legal recourse. We may even resort to violence and wars to redeem our lost rights.
Many of us behave like the Jews who made false accusations against Jesus and wanted to get rid of him. We too make false accusations against those who are against us in order to get them out of our way. We resort to all forms of high handed tactics to succeed. We fail to realize that our efforts cause so much pain and suffering to the person involved and his family.
There may be others among us, especially those in positions of power, who behave like Pilate, refusing to stand up to public pressure for fear of losing our power. Due to our greed for power, we succumb to the wrongful demands of the public and wash our hands of the problems of those in need.
Like the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus, there are many among us, who carry out the execution of others without empathy or compassion. Even if we know it is wrong, we carry them out anyway for fear of the authorities or some material rewards.
As we make the final Way of the Cross and read the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, let us reflect on its relevance in our own lives, of Jesus’ actions during his agonizing times. Let his Passion not be just a lesson in history to commemorate Christ’s suffering at the hands of his own people. His Passion is not something to sympathize or be sorrowful about but a real lesson for us as we encounter the many challenges in our lives. Christ’s humility and forgiveness even towards his adversaries is infinite which is what not just Christianity but humanity is all about.
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