Who's Gonna Save Me?

This is ostensibly a blog about sins and virtues.  Or at least, it started out that way.

My husband and I attended a party this past weekend, where the word of God was lavishly exalted by those present.  Some of those present are serving as missionaries in Thailand.  Questions were invited from the audience, and my husband tried to discuss Buddhism as the religion in Thailand, wondering how the Thai people reacted to hearing about Jesus.  I contributed my own two cents, by adding that Buddhism is not incompatible with Christian tenets, in that Buddha was a man who never claimed to be God, and that the principles of Buddhism dovetailed very closely to the teachings of the Judeo-Christian beliefs.  The host then interjected that the big difference between Buddhism and Christianity is that Christians believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and he will save us, and Christians can feel secure that they will go to Heaven after they died, having been so saved.  I decided to not stir the pot any further.

This morning on my walk with the host's wife, we again touched on that topic, with her trying to explain her husband's viewpoint.  I understood, of course, and reiterated my understanding of Buddhism as a practice that fostered harmony among people.  I also advanced my own belief, that I did not feel I needed to be "saved," that God created a perfect human being in me, as in all human beings.  Moreover, I don't believe I am basically a sinner that needs to be saved.  While my friend likes me and I her, and accepted my viewpoint, I'm afraid I may have evoked a firestorm from all those who believe otherwise.

Jews Who Believe in Jesus

This is not such a foreign concept - that Jews should believe in Jesus.  He was a Jew, after all.  But in this context, "believe in Jesus" means they believe that he was/is the Messiah, sent by God to save humankind; that he was/is the son of God, the "Savior." This is a bit more problematic.  There are countless books professing to provide "proof" that Jesus of Nazareth is the Savior.  In fact, I have been sent such a book recently, quoting numerous entries in the Old Testament prophesying the coming of the Messiah, and describing him in exquisite detail.  The problem is that the Bible (Old and New Testaments) was "written" long after the fact, by people who did not witness the events of the day.  For example, the book "They Thought For Themselves" by Sid Roth quotes the Old Testament as proof that Jesus is The One.  This assumes (a) ... [incomplete - stay tuned].

Gluttony - the Second Deadly Sin

This, the eve of Thanksgiving, marks an opportune moment to reflect once more on the Deadly Sins, specifically the second, Gluttony.

The Deadly Sins as we know them today actually began as a set of eight temptations described by the fourth century monk, Evagrius Ponticus.  He suggested that those temptations served to alienate one from God; to block one's soul from the spirit of God; indeed, to kill the soul of its spirituality.  It was not until the sixth century that Pope Gregory the Great reduced the list to seven temptations, and declared those temptations to be what we now know as the Seven Deadly Sins.  The Seven Deadly Sins include Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride.  Interestingly, that list of sins does not appear anywhere in the Bible, but has been an integral part of the Catholic (and Christian) thought ever since.

To understand why the sins are important, consider the time in which they were promulgated.  In the days surrounding the creation of this list, life was very different from what we know today.  Eking out a living was harsh, taxes were high, and food was generally scarce.  Paradoxically, the population had been aware of the Roman excesses in their orgies of food and sex.  The Catholic Church held enormous power over the population, and adhering to its rules was paramount.  Any infringement from its teachings was met with severe punishment, sometimes to the death.  Any behavior that potentially alienated a person from the worship of God was forbidden.  Any threat to one's spirituality was condemned.

Spirituality meant one's closeness and devotion to God.  Such devotion took various forms in the days after Christ.  Suffice it to say that prayer was integral, as well as performing good deeds and giving alms to the poor.  Engaging in any of the sins could  potentially detract from a full and abject prostration of oneself to God.  Those temptations would be antithetical to worship, devotion and sacrifice.  And the sin of Gluttony was high on that list.

The Romans' orgies were looked at as debauchery of the body.  Indeed, gluttony was considered deadly to the body as well as the soul.  Over-stuffing oneself with food created a fog of the mind, thereby alienating one from ascetic prayer.  With too much food, one would rather sleep rather than pray.  

Such consequences to overeating are not confined to Roman times, but are alive and well in today's lifestyle. This time of year, the mere thought of controlling our appetites seems antithetical to sanity.  And yet, consider that gluttony in our day and age is not confined to the holiday season, but is, in fact, a year-round contest among restaurants.  Despite the irony of enormous quantities of available food, we persist in eating as if there is scarcity.  And we are paying a very high price for our gluttony.  Our health care system has certainly seen its share of gluttony-related diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and a host of other "deadly" maladies.  Surely, one can recognize the association with the so-called temptations and sins of yore.  Those who pray regularly may well realize that gluttony is one factor that can alienate one from communion with the Almighty.

The Seven Deadly Sins are not an antiquated set of irrelevant tenets from the past.  They are alive and well, and are worthy of respect, if not adherence.

Who Wrote the Bible?

Who wrote the Bible?  When was it written?  Why was it written?

These are topics which one almost never hears discussed on the pulpit, and yet are topics which are of utmost - if potentially controversial - importance to the reading and understanding of the Bible.  A search of the Internet reveals as many answers as one can formulate questions, some of which are quite self-serving.  For example, someone offers the opinion that the Bible was written so "that we might believe in the name of God," and goes on to quote 1 John 5:13.  John was one of Jesus' disciples.  The Bible, in fact, spans a much longer period than simply Jesus's life and teachings, and therein lies the rub.  Some scholars have traced some biblical entries as far back as 3500 years ago.  And "entries" is loosely termed as writings.  Most folks were illiterate in those days, and what we now hold as Holy Writ is a collection of writings from various sources that were accumulated over many centuries, from word of mouth, from songs, as well as from some fertile imaginations.

Moreover, the Bible was not compiled in English.  The King James Version is arguably a modern version, and even more user-friendly versions crop up all the time.  The thing to remember here is that, just as in the children's game of chain, stories that have been passed down through the generations manage to change in character and flavor; and stories that were written in a foreign language do not translate directly into another language, in this case, English.  Still, it might be argued that the Bible is the Word of God, written without error in any respect.  Many Christians consider the text of the Bible to be divinely inspired, and therefore taken on faith.

If that is the case, then no intellectual analysis can be conducted.  Indeed, no "explanations" can be offered from the pulpit or anywhere else, for that matter.  There can be no interpretation of the stories, just a blind acceptance of the holy writings.  It is, in fact, the position of fundamentalist religions that the Bible as a repository for the Word of God, cannot be understood, should not be understood, and is not open to any interpretation, save an acceptance on faith of what is written.  The fact that what is written is written in modern English should not pose a problem; nor should the illogic of some of the stories (that Methuselah lived 900 years, for example).

Therefore I say to you, if after examination and due diligence, the Bible in all its mysteries still holds sway, and you feel secure in God's protection with your faith unshaken, then lift up your voice on high, and shout Hallelujah, for yours is truly a chosen life.

The 5000-Year War

Sixty-three years ago, after 5000 years of bloodshed, something remarkable happened.  The United Nations voted into independent statehood a tiny piece of land no larger than New Jersey.  That land was Israel.

The land that is now Israel has been a source of contention since the beginning of recorded time.  Nations from the Philistines to Alexander the Great, from Rome to the British Empire, even to Hitler have vied to own it.  In a Q&A session recently, someone suggested a reason for such acrimony: religion.  But "religion" was not a source of contention long ago.  In biblical times, there was monotheism - the worship of one deity - and paganism, or the worship of many deities, as the Egyptians had done. 

More later...

 

Ideals To Live By

The values that define one's character.

How do sins and virtues apply to contemporary times?

The list of sins and virtues were cannonized by Pope Gregory 1st in the Sixth Century.  Concepts such as gluttony, sloth and pride seem very remote from today's mores.  Let's explore how they are still relevant.