Guest guest Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 JESUS CHRIST AND CHURCH This is exactly what i have understood about concept of God. All those who have declared themselves as personified god or son of god or messenger of god have falsified themselves. Jesus of Nazareth spent his first thirty years in relative obscurity, working as an unheralded carpenter in a small village of Palestine. Church “invented” Jesus’ deity by rewriting the gospel accounts. The original accounts of Jesus were embellished by oral tradition and were not written down until after the apostles were dead. Thus they are largely unreliable and fail to give us an accurate picture of the real Jesus. In books, magazines, and TV documentaries, the Jesus Seminar suggests the Gospels were written as late as A.D. 130 to 150 by unknown authors. If those later dates are correct, there would be a gap of approximately 100 years from Christ’s death (scholars put Jesus’ death between A.D. 30 and 33). And since all the eyewitnesses would have been dead, the Gospels could only have been written by unknown, fraudulent authors. Jesus proclaimed that he was the promised Messiah who would take our iniquity upon himself. The prophet Isaiah had written about the Messiah 700 years earlier, giving us several clues regarding his identity. But the clue most difficult to grasp is that the Messiah would be both man and God! “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And his name shall be called…Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6) It's difficult to understand how Jesus' death paid for our sins Jesus' death: Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6) But many argue that Jesus' claim that he is the only way to God is too narrow, saying that there are many ways to God. Those who believe all religions are the same deny we have a sin problem. They refuse to take Christ's words seriously. They say God's love will accept all of us, regardless what we have done. ‘But the greatest difference between Jesus Christ and all other religious leaders is that, according to Christians, he claimed to be God . If this claim of his is false, the message of the gospel loses all credibility. That message is that God loved us so much that He became a man to die for our sins, offering us eternal life with Himself. Thus, if Jesus is not God, then we have been lied to. Some religions teach that Jesus was a created being. And books, like The Da Vinci Code, have become best-sellers by saying neither Jesus nor his apostles taught that he is God Jesus had picked very ordinary men to be his followers. He spent three years with them, teaching them about himself. But as they saw him dying on the cross, Jesus appeared defeated and powerless. Any thoughts they might have had that Jesus was God undoubtedly vanished at the cross. If they regarded Jesus as God, did they consider him as the Creator of the universe, or something less? Those who deny Jesus’ deity say that the apostles taught that Jesus is God’s supreme creation, and that the Father alone is the eternal God. So, to clarify their beliefs about Jesus, we will examine their words, asking three questions: 1. Did the apostles and early Christians worship and pray to Jesus as Lord? 2. Did the apostles teach that Jesus is the Creator written of in Genesis? 3. Did the apostles worship Jesus as Preeminent in the universe? As the early church grew, Gnostics and other cults began teaching that Jesus was a created being, inferior to the Father. This came to a head in the fourth century when Arius, a popular preacher from Libya, persuaded many leaders that Jesus wasn’t fully God. One God The Bible reveals God as the Creator of the universe. He is infinite, eternal, all powerful, all-knowing, personal, righteous, loving, just, and holy. He created us in His image, and for His pleasure. According to the Bible, God made us to have an eternal relationship with Himself. When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush 1500 years before Christ, He reaffirmed that He is the only God. God told Moses His name is Yahweh, (I AM). (Most of us are more familiar with the English translation, Jehovah or LORD.6) .Since that time, the foundational Scripture (Shema) for Judaism has been: God’s SACRED Name When Jesus began his ministry, his miracles and radical teaching immediately drew huge crowds, creating a frenzy of excitement. As his popularity swelled with the masses, the Jewish leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, & Scribes) began to see Jesus as a threat. Suddenly they began looking for ways to trap him. One day Jesus was debating some Pharisees at the Temple, when suddenly he told them he is “the light of the world.” It is almost bizarre to picture this scene, where a traveling carpenter from the lowlands of Galilee tells these PhD’s in religion that he is “the light of the world?” Believing that Yahweh is the light of the world, they replied indignantly: “You are making false claims about yourself” (John 8:13 NLT). Then Jesus told them that, 2,000 years earlier, Abraham had foreseen him. Their response was incredulous: “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham? ” (John 8:57 NLT) Then Jesus shocked them even more: “The truth is, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58 NLT) Out of the blue, this maverick carpenter with no degree in religion claimed to eternal existence. Furthermore, he had used the I AM title (ego eimi)8, the sacred Name of God for Himself! These religious experts lived and breathed the Old Testament Scriptures declaring Yahweh alone as God. They knew the Scripture spoken through Isaiah: “I alone am God. There is no other God; there never has been and never will be. I am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.” Isaiah 43:10, 11 NLT) Since the penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning, the Jewish leaders angrily picked up stones to kill Jesus. They thought Jesus was calling himself, “God.” At that point Jesus could have said, “Wait! You misunderstood me---I am not Yahweh.” But Jesus didn’t alter his statement, even at the risk of being killed. “He says…’I am begotten of the One God, before Abraham was, I am,’ and remember what the words ‘I am’ were in Hebrew. They were the name of God, which must not be spoken by any human being, the name which it was death to utter.”9 Some may argue that this was an isolated instance. But Jesus also used “I AM” for himself on several other occasions. Let’s look at some of these, trying to imagine our reactions upon hearing Jesus’ radical claims: • “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) • “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6) • “I am the only way to the Father” (John 14:6) • “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) • “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11) • “I am the door” (John 10:9) • “I am the living bread” (John 6:51) • “I am the true vine” (John 15:1) • “I am the Alpha and Omega” Rev.1:7,8) Jesus’ reference to himself as the “Son of Man,” proves he didn’t claim divinity. So what is the context of the title, “Son of Man,” and what does it mean?” The name,” Son of Man” referred to Jesus’ role as Savior-King, fulfilling the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53.10 Isaiah 53 is the most comprehensive prophetic passage of the coming Messiah, and clearly depicts him as the suffering Savior. Isaiah had also referred to the Messiah as “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6). Jesus was referring to himself as the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy about the “son of man.” Daniel prophesies that the “son of man” will be given authority over mankind and receive worship: “I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him.” (Daniel 7:13, 14) So who is this “son of man,” and why is he being worshipped, when God alone is to be worshipped. Jesus told his disciples that when he returns to earth,” Then everyone will see the Son of man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). Is Jesus saying here that he is the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy? Son of God Jesus also claimed to be the, “Son of God.” This title does not mean Jesus is God’s biological Son. Neither does the term “Son” imply inferiority anymore than a human son is inferior in essence to his father. A son shares his father’s DNA, and although he is different, they are both men. Scholars say that the term “Son of God” in the original languages refers to likeness, or “of the same order.” Jesus meant by it that he has divine essence, or in 21st century terms, the “DNA of God”. Jesus meant when he called himself the ‘Son of God’ is the son of a man is a man. (Both ‘son’ and ‘man,’ in the traditional language, mean males and females equally.) The son of an ape is an ape. The son of a dog is a dog. The son of a shark is a shark. And so the Son of God is God. ‘Son of God’ is a divine title.”11 In John 17, Jesus speaks about the glory he and his Father shared before the world began. But by calling himself the “Son of God” Jesus claimed equality with God.: When, therefore, the Bible proclaims Jesus as the Son of God, the statement is meant as an assertion of his distinct personal deity.”12 Thus, the names Jesus used for himself point to the fact that he was claiming equality with God. Forgiving Sin In the Jewish religion, forgiveness of sin was reserved for God alone. Forgiveness is always personal; someone else cannot do the forgiving for the person offended, especially if the Person offended is God. But on several occasions Jesus acted as if he was God by forgiving sinners. The simmering religious leaders finally erupted at Jesus when he forgave the sins of a man with palsy right in front of them. “The scribes who heard him said blasphemy! Who but God can forgive sins” (Mark 2:7)! ‘Then comes the real shock. Among these Jews there sud¬denly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God….But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God, in their language, meant the Being outside the world, who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips. Claiming Oneness with God Finally his opponents surrounded him at the Temple, asking: “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “The proof is what I do in the name of my Father.” He compared his followers with sheep saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” He then revealed to them that “the Father is greater than all,” and that his deeds were “at the Father’s direction.” Jesus’ humility must have been disarming. But then Jesus dropped a bombshell, telling them, (John 10:25-30) “The Father and I are one.” If Jesus had meant that he was merely in agreement with God, there would have been no strong reaction. But, the Jews again picked up stones to kill him. Jesus then asked them, “At my Father’s direction I have done many things to help the people. For which one of these good deeds are you killing me?” They replied, “Not for any good work; but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, have made yourself God” (John 10:33). As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his upcoming death on the cross and departure, Thomas wanted to know where he was going and the way there. Jesus answered Thomas: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him and have seen him.” (John 14:5-9) They were confused. Philip then speaks up, asking Jesus to “show us the Father.” Jesus’ answers Philip with these shocking words: “Philip, don’t you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” In effect Jesus was saying, “Philip if you want to see the Father, look at me!” In John 17 Jesus reveals that this oneness with his Father had existed in eternity past, “before the world began.” According to Jesus, there has never been a time when he did not share God’s very glory and essence. God’s Authority The Jews always regarded God as the ultimate authority. Authority was a well understood term in Roman-occupied Israel. At that time, Cae¬sar’s edict could instantly launch legions into war, condemn or exoner¬ate criminals, and establish laws and rules of government. In fact, Caesar’s authority was such that he himself claimed divinity. Prior to leaving earth, Jesus explained the scope of his authority: “Jesus said, ‘I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth’” (Matthew 28:18, NLT). In these remarkable words, Jesus is claiming to be the supreme author¬ity, not just on earth, but in heaven also. John Piper observes, “This is why Jesus’ friends and enemies were staggered again and again by what he said and did. He would be walking down the road, seemingly like any other man, then turn and say something like, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ Or, ‘If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.’ Or, very calmly, after being accused of blasphemy, he would say, ‘The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ To the dead he might simply say, ‘Come forth,’ or, ‘Rise up.’ And they would obey. To the storms on the sea he would say, ‘Be still.’ And to a loaf of bread he would say, ‘Become a thousand meals.’ And it was done immediately.”14 Some might argue that since the authority came from his Father, it has nothing to do with Jesus being God. But God never gives His authority to a created being in order that they are to be worshipped. To do so would be to violate His Command. Accepting Worship Nothing is more fundamental to the Hebrew Scriptures than the fact that God alone is to be worshipped. In fact, the first of the Ten Commandments is, “Do not worship any other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:3 NLT). Thus, the most terrible sin a Jew could commit was to either worship another creature as God, or to receive worship. So if Jesus is not God, it would be blasphemy to receive worship. “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.” Jesus accepted worship on nine recorded occasions. In context of Jewish belief, Jesus’ acceptance of worship speaks volumes about his claim to divinity. But it wasn’t until after Jesus ascended to heaven that his disciples fully understood. Before Jesus left earth, he told his apostles to “baptize new disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), putting both the Holy Spirit and himself on the same level as the Father.15 Alpha and Omega ’I am the Alpha and the Omega---the beginning and the end,’ says the Lord God. ‘I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One.’” So who is this Person who is called “the Alpha and Omega,” “the Lord God,” “the Almighty One”? We are told that he was “pierced.” That makes it clear that the Alpha and Omega is Jesus. He is the one who was pierced on the cross. He said, ‘Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever’” (Rev. 1:17)! The One talking to John identifies himself as, " the First and the Last, " a clear reference to his eternality and only God is eternal. But in the same sentence he tells John that he is " the living one who died. " “And he said . . . ’I am the Alpha and the Omega---the Beginning and the End.’” (Revelation 20:11; 21:6) It is the Lord Jesus Christ who rules from the great white throne. Jesus had already told his disciples that he would be the final judge of men. He promised that those who put their trust in him would be saved from the judgment of sin, but those who reject him will be judged. Conclusion So did Jesus claim to be God, or was he simply misunderstood. Let’s take another look at Jesus’ claims and ask: would Jesus have made such radical claims if he was not God? • Jesus used God’s Name for himself • Jesus called himself “Son of Man” • Jesus called himself “Son of God” • Jesus claimed to forgive sin • Jesus claimed oneness with God • Jesus claimed all authority • Jesus accepted worship • Jesus called himself the “The Alpha and Omega” “What is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, You must make your choice: Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.... Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, argues that belief in God has been made irrelevant by new scientific discoveries. The DNA material o shows that intelligence must have been involved in getting these extraordinarily diverse elements together. The enormous complexity by which the results were achieved look to me like the work of intelligence The discovery of the incredible intelligence behind proved that life in our universe is not an accident. It's like saying that God grades on the curve, and everybody who gets a D- or better will get in. But this presents a dilemma. As we have seen, sin is the absolute opposite of God's holy character. Thus we have offended the one who created us, and loved us enough to sacrifice His very Son for us. In a sense our rebellion is like spitting in His face. Neither good deeds, religion, meditation, or Karma can pay the debt our sins have incurred. Jesus alone is the one who can pay that debt. s: " Moses could mediate on the law; Muhammad could brandish a sword; Buddha could give personal counsel; Confucius could offer wise sayings; but none of these men was qualified to offer an atonement for the sins of the world. . Christ alone is worthy of unlimited devotion and service. Will any one believe it to day? The biblical term to describe God's free forgiveness through Christ's sacrificial death is grace. Whereas mercy saves us from what we deserve, the grace of God gives us what we don't deserve. Let's review for a minute the claim how Christ has done for us what we could not do for ourselves: • God loves us and created us for a relationship with Himself 11 • We have been given the freedom to accept or reject that relationship 12 • Our sin and rebellion against God and His laws have created a wall of separation between us and Him 13 • Though we are deserving of eternal judgment, God has paid our debt in full by Jesus' death in our place, making eternal life with Him possible.14 " Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff. I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity. " Can it be believed?5 Our reward or punishment is decided by our Karma only , , no god or any one else has any power to alter it in any way. Three recent scientific discoveries have convinced many scientists that an intelligence is at the root of both planning and creation of our universe: 1. The beginning of the universe and its laws 2. The remarkable fine-tuning of nature’s laws making life possible 3. The intricate complexity of DNA The fact that many scientists are now openly speaking of God doesn’t mean that all materialists and are becoming even more aggressive against faith in God. Yet, when one looks objectively at the evidence regarding the origin of the universe and the intricate complexity of DNA, If the Bible is right, and God does exist, how can we know what He is like? Has He communicated to us personally? Christianity has been founded upon a lie that Jesus Christ actually physically rose from the dead after his crucifixion.. It can never happen , a dead man never becomes alive, never ever it can happen. Is there a Purpose to Life? The evidence for a Creator leads us to the question of what His purpose is for us. Why did He create us? The investigation of DNA has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce life , intelligence has been involved. ISLAM AND MOSQUE and NOISE POLLTION Islam prescribes five stages of spiritual practice, namely Iman, Shariat, Tarikkat, Marefath, and Hakkikkat. It has been mentioned that Islam prescribes entering Allah’s brothel called jannah (paradise) as the ultimate goal of human beings, for which no spiritual practice is required. Surrendering to Allah’s Koran and Prophet is sufficient for entering the Islamic paradise. Islam provides six Kalemas or sentences of oath. By believing in the first Kalema—Kalema Taib—that reads “La ilaha illalla mahammadur rasullulah” (or Allah is the only God to be worshipped and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah), a Muslim earns sufficient merit for entering the jannah. Therefore, Islam has no headache for spiritualism. In this context, one should recall Islam was founded by a illiterate and pastoral people of the deserts of Arabia , who did not know anything beyond hunger and sex. Undoubtedly for this reason, Islamic paradise is a place filled with ample food and profuse sensuality. So, only a fool will go for searching spiritualism in Islam. It should be mentioned here that, according to Islam, jihad or waging war against the non-believers is the best form of worship. So long the Prophet lived in Mecca , jihad or fighting was commanded to Muslims by Allah. But after his migration (hijrat) to Medina , when Muslims had become powerful and secure, Allah gave them permission to fight and made fighting obligatory for every able Muslim (Quran 2.190, 22:39 ). So Allah said, “Hence when you meet them who disbelieve, smite them on their necks till when you have killed or wounded many of them” (47.4). Allah also made spoils or loot, acquired in jihad wars, lawful for the Muslims.. It becomes evident that the believers in Allah’s Koran and Prophet should aspire for acquiring spoils in this world by launching jihad against the kafirs. Or in other words, their aim in this world is to kill the kafirs, to loot their property, to rape their women, to set their houses on fire and so on and so forth. Their business in this world is murder, theft, robbery, loot and arson etc., which will earn them hereafter an entry to Allah’s sensual Paradise , the ultimate goal of the Muslim life. Allah never says in the Koran that, " O believers, you lead an honest, moral, ethical and a decent life, be educated by receiving education and raise your moral character. " On the contrary, Allah gives them clean chit to commit crimes, foul deeds and to break any law through His promise that He would pardon every crime and every misdeed of the believers for the merit of their accepting Islam. So, only a stupid can say that Islam is a religion of love and compassion and the Koran carries the message universal brotherhood. Daily FIVE Times Muslim Prayer calls from the series of mosques and numerous preaching and sermons with 6 or more microphones at fullest volumes emanating more than 400 db and in series from various mosques one after another.. " Allahu Akbar " - recited TWO times. Meaning, " Allah is Most Great " (face back to front and saying it two times). During Muslim Calls It is uttered " Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah " - recited TWO times. Meaning, " I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah. " (twice) . " Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasoolullah " - recited TWO times. Meaning, " I bear witness that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah. " (recited twice) " As-salatu khairum minannaum " - recited Two times meaning, " Prayer is better than sleep " but as a matter of fact ‘sleep deprivation’ causes serious neurological problems . " Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah " - recited TWO times meaning " I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah. " (twice) . A majority of both Muslims and non-Muslims, that the azan for Subuh (Salatul-Fajr) (dawn) are too loud and wakes them up abruptly causing sleep deprivation , disturbance in meditation , disturbance in meditation , disturbance in Puja in the adjacent Mandir and to patients in adjacent Nursing Home. Same is the disturbance during other prayer calls. It should be totally silence zone. People have no choice but to have this message rammed down their throats. It is feared that that it will lead to anger and resentment. The area does not have a huge population of Muslims and this is grossly unfair on everyone else. A mother feels that her kids would lose sleep and their peace of mind . VEDANTIC AND HINDU PHILOSOPHY A single consciousness, a universal wisdom pervades the universe. The discoveries of science, those that search the quantum nature of subatomic matter , have moved us to the brink of a startling realization ; the transformation of quark, matter to energy and energy to matter bonded seamlessly by Gluon , has moved us to the brink of a startling realization; all existence is the expression of this wisdom. In the laboratories we experience it as information that first physically articulated as energy and then condensed in the form of matter , the transformation of quark (matter) to energy and energy to matter bonded seamless by the Gluon – at times 95% of quark gets transformed to energy, as per Einstein’s Theory of Relativity : E = mc2, and we find only 5% as quark and vice versa .Every particle, every being , from atom to human , appears to represent a level of information, of wisdom. The Bengali word ‘manush’ for ‘man’ means the combination of ‘man’ and ‘hu(n)sh’, ‘man’ means ‘dignity’ and ‘hu(n)sh’ means ‘consciousness’. Man means dignity and consciousness. The ultimate Reality is pure unchanging Consciousness called Shiva and its power, appearing as the flux of mind and matter in creation is known as Shakti – the Cosmic Power or Principal Primordial Energy . Shiva is pure being., devoid of all relativity. Shakti is the active Personal Being and includes all individual souls , living and nonliving. Shiva, when he is united with Shakti, Purush with Prakiti , is able to create; otherwise he is unable to move. Shiva is prakasa, light and Shakti is vimarsa , reflection , is the power latent in the Absolute , the Pure Consciousness. Shakti is the Absolute personified , Consciousness that becomes a subject and also passes over into its opposite , the non – self or the object . Shiva is cit, Consciousness , Shakti is Citi-Sakti, the formative energy of consciousness. In the perfect experience of ananda , Bliss , Shiva and Shakti are indistinguishable; the two coalesce into one Being. Shiva is indeterminate Brahman in a state of quiescence; Shakti is Determinate Brahman – endowed with iccha, will, jnana, knowledge, and kriya, action – that projects the whole objective universe. Shiva and Shakti are one, since power is inherent in existence , matter and energy being one and the same. But though they are identical, there is an apparent difference them from the phenomenal standpoint. Shiva as Brahman in its transcendental aspect does not change ,but as Shakti, it does. This Shakti or Primordial Energy goes forth in a series of emanations . We visualize the “Dance of Shiva and Shakti ”, Purush and Prakiti ,everywhere in the conjugal Blissful Dance of Eternal Love and Romance, kissing and hugging and merging into one state to another., from’ quark’ to ‘energy’ (light) and ‘energy’ to ‘quark’ with gluon as Eternal Love and Romance. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, So Aham Brahmam, Aham Brahmasmi, Om Tat Sat. Sat Chit and Anand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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