As a Buddhist it always perplexed me why Christians would willingly acquiesce to jewish scholars regarding their faith & the study of their Bible. Prager comes to mind as an example. It is the new testament that I think should be paramount & the keystone of Christianity. Just my opinion. Personally, I am not on either side in the Middle East LIFELONG conflict between the Israelis & the Palestinians. We know the name of Jewish Banker & the Monarchy that caused that mess. I have Christian friends who don’t go to a church, because of dispensationalist doctrine. They solely read, pray & study their Bible. If I was a Christian theologian I would research for myself if interpretation was stretched to benefit a specific group.
As a Christian raised in Roman Catholicism, I have long wondered the exact same thing. How could it not be so?
While I long ago left the Catholic Church, (during the first round of pedophilia exposures in the late 80’s), there are still some things I hold dear about it. Specifically, I am grateful for the sisters at my Catholic School who taught us about abortion as Roe vs Wade was being decided: Religion teacher Sister M who taught us about the immorality of it; History teacher Sister ME who taught us that abortion and Roe vs Wade was a state issue, not a federal one, and therefore should have never even made it to the Supreme Court; Science teacher Sister MR who taught us the facts of sperm meets egg and the embryonic and fetal stages of development and Principal Sister MA who taught us all about the First Amendment peaceful assembly and the right to express grievances by arranging charter busses to DC where we students actively protested with the Pro Life crowd on the Supreme Court steps as it was being decided.
Perhaps more importantly, they also taught us that the Jews killed Jesus. Never did I get the impression that we must support Jews and/or Zionists as God’s Chosen. Rather, the message I gleaned is that we must pray for them to repent and seek Forgiveness and Salvation of their Souls through the Redeeming Blood of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the forgiveness of an all-powerful and Loving God, so that they, too, may have Everlasting Life.
As a Buddhist it always perplexed me why Christians would willingly acquiesce to jewish scholars regarding their faith & the study of their Bible. Prager comes to mind as an example.
Well, for one, Prager is ethnically Jewish. Does that influence what he says? I don’t know, but it’s worth being aware of.
For two, it’s because they were practicing the faith Christianity came out of.
I’ve been deeply interested in resolving the gaps, where I don’t believe any faction, as a group, has the answers right (nor do I believe I know it all, as I most certainly do not). They do have information about contexts that Christians do miss, though. That’s fine. Christians have corrections in understanding that they missed, too.
Jesus said who he was here for. He said what the apostles were trained for. He said what would happen. He said what his purpose was, and what his purpose was not.
Funny thing was how nobody truly humbled themselves and listened.
“It’s this or that.”
“But what if it’s not?”
“No, it’s this or that.”
Hegelian dialectic isn’t new, only the name for it. “These are the sides, neither side is right, now pick a side” is just human nature.
There are a few perspectives that I think can address or comment on what you've written here.
One is that all the major religions were founded by God based on the cultural, geographical and personality aspects of the people of the time. For example, is it a coincidence that there was a definite and powerful surge forward in religion and faith around the globe approx. 400 years before Jesus came?
Not in my view. The significant religions are like brothers to whom a portion of the truth was revealed according to what they could understand at the time. Brothers who are destined to come together in unity around the eldest brother's arrival. Instead of squabbling over what the other brother(s) got wrong, brothers should be working together to put together the common picture being painted in the various aspects of the larger whole picture they have been privileged to receive.
So, what about the Jewish people, the Israelites? They had a specific mission: to be the landing pad for the elder brother, the Messiah. But Israel failed to recognize and unite with Jesus, thus causing the prophecy of the Lord of Suffering to come true. (There were other prophecies, too, about the Messiah being a Lord of Glory, etc. Because of the human factor of choice, dual prophecies were given. From this viewpoint, Jesus was not destined to die on the cross, but that is a theological discussion.)
When the first Israel failed in their mission to have faith and unite with him, Jesus was forced to pay the price by the sacrifice of his body. Thus, the foundation for physical salvation was lost, but through his sacrifice, Jesus reversed the faithlessness of Adam and established the basis for spiritual salvation.
In this sense, Christianity is the Second Israel, whose mission is to prepare the landing pad (i.e. faith conditions) for the Second Coming.
What if Israel had received and embraced Jesus instead of crucifying him? Israel would have been upgraded in their understanding of truth, more than we even presently see in Christianity. (Jesus was explicit about not being able to share much of what he knew with his disciples). Then, there would have been no "Christianity" but rather, a new, super Israel, who then would have spread and connected with the other parts of the globe, augmenting the existing religions to eventually upgrade them.
The denominationalism in Christianity is clear and direct evidence that Christians do not have "the whole truth". Full understanding of 'the truth' was delayed by the crucifixion. The Truth in the scriptures, specifically the New Testament, has one clear purpose: to guide Christians how to live and practice their faith in order to prepare correctly for the arrival of the Lord.
The real issue at stake is not the various people's interpretation of scripture, but God's interpretation of scripture. In my view, this will only become apparent when Christ returns. At that time, he will reveal a much deeper understanding of the truth that resolves the apparent contradictions in the various theologies and also make clear the relationship between Israel, Christianity and the overall purpose of God. Aka the "kingdom of heaven on earth".
Just as Israel, over its 2000 year history, made plenty of mistakes, got lost, had to suffer tribulation to correct their position (division, exile, reformation, etc), Christianity too has gone through a similar course. The difference is, in Israel, it all played out within one single nation. With Christianity, it has played out over the whole world.
Good things come in threes. Just as we have uncovered the truth about the material world in uttermost detail, humanity is destined to grasp the truth about spiritual reality to the same extent. This means, grasping the very purpose of creation, how (if) that was lost, how it is being recovered, how the spirit grows, what its makeup is, how it functions, etc. Why there are different expressions of the truth, and why they are all only partial. etc.
Paul indicated as much. "Now we see dimly, as in a dark mirror, but THEN we shall see clearly". The real question is, as Jesus himself put it, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
The Bible includes both old and new testaments, because they are deeply related, and have the same purpose (prepare for the coming of Christ) albeit in very different contexts (National level, physical foundation : Global level, spiritual foundation).
As a Buddhist it always perplexed me why Christians would willingly acquiesce to jewish scholars regarding their faith & the study of their Bible. Prager comes to mind as an example. It is the new testament that I think should be paramount & the keystone of Christianity. Just my opinion. Personally, I am not on either side in the Middle East LIFELONG conflict between the Israelis & the Palestinians. We know the name of Jewish Banker & the Monarchy that caused that mess. I have Christian friends who don’t go to a church, because of dispensationalist doctrine. They solely read, pray & study their Bible. If I was a Christian theologian I would research for myself if interpretation was stretched to benefit a specific group.
As a Christian raised in Roman Catholicism, I have long wondered the exact same thing. How could it not be so?
While I long ago left the Catholic Church, (during the first round of pedophilia exposures in the late 80’s), there are still some things I hold dear about it. Specifically, I am grateful for the sisters at my Catholic School who taught us about abortion as Roe vs Wade was being decided: Religion teacher Sister M who taught us about the immorality of it; History teacher Sister ME who taught us that abortion and Roe vs Wade was a state issue, not a federal one, and therefore should have never even made it to the Supreme Court; Science teacher Sister MR who taught us the facts of sperm meets egg and the embryonic and fetal stages of development and Principal Sister MA who taught us all about the First Amendment peaceful assembly and the right to express grievances by arranging charter busses to DC where we students actively protested with the Pro Life crowd on the Supreme Court steps as it was being decided.
Perhaps more importantly, they also taught us that the Jews killed Jesus. Never did I get the impression that we must support Jews and/or Zionists as God’s Chosen. Rather, the message I gleaned is that we must pray for them to repent and seek Forgiveness and Salvation of their Souls through the Redeeming Blood of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the forgiveness of an all-powerful and Loving God, so that they, too, may have Everlasting Life.
👍
Well, for one, Prager is ethnically Jewish. Does that influence what he says? I don’t know, but it’s worth being aware of.
For two, it’s because they were practicing the faith Christianity came out of.
I’ve been deeply interested in resolving the gaps, where I don’t believe any faction, as a group, has the answers right (nor do I believe I know it all, as I most certainly do not). They do have information about contexts that Christians do miss, though. That’s fine. Christians have corrections in understanding that they missed, too.
Jesus said who he was here for. He said what the apostles were trained for. He said what would happen. He said what his purpose was, and what his purpose was not.
Funny thing was how nobody truly humbled themselves and listened.
“It’s this or that.”
“But what if it’s not?”
“No, it’s this or that.”
Hegelian dialectic isn’t new, only the name for it. “These are the sides, neither side is right, now pick a side” is just human nature.
👍
There are a few perspectives that I think can address or comment on what you've written here.
One is that all the major religions were founded by God based on the cultural, geographical and personality aspects of the people of the time. For example, is it a coincidence that there was a definite and powerful surge forward in religion and faith around the globe approx. 400 years before Jesus came?
Not in my view. The significant religions are like brothers to whom a portion of the truth was revealed according to what they could understand at the time. Brothers who are destined to come together in unity around the eldest brother's arrival. Instead of squabbling over what the other brother(s) got wrong, brothers should be working together to put together the common picture being painted in the various aspects of the larger whole picture they have been privileged to receive.
So, what about the Jewish people, the Israelites? They had a specific mission: to be the landing pad for the elder brother, the Messiah. But Israel failed to recognize and unite with Jesus, thus causing the prophecy of the Lord of Suffering to come true. (There were other prophecies, too, about the Messiah being a Lord of Glory, etc. Because of the human factor of choice, dual prophecies were given. From this viewpoint, Jesus was not destined to die on the cross, but that is a theological discussion.)
When the first Israel failed in their mission to have faith and unite with him, Jesus was forced to pay the price by the sacrifice of his body. Thus, the foundation for physical salvation was lost, but through his sacrifice, Jesus reversed the faithlessness of Adam and established the basis for spiritual salvation.
In this sense, Christianity is the Second Israel, whose mission is to prepare the landing pad (i.e. faith conditions) for the Second Coming.
What if Israel had received and embraced Jesus instead of crucifying him? Israel would have been upgraded in their understanding of truth, more than we even presently see in Christianity. (Jesus was explicit about not being able to share much of what he knew with his disciples). Then, there would have been no "Christianity" but rather, a new, super Israel, who then would have spread and connected with the other parts of the globe, augmenting the existing religions to eventually upgrade them.
The denominationalism in Christianity is clear and direct evidence that Christians do not have "the whole truth". Full understanding of 'the truth' was delayed by the crucifixion. The Truth in the scriptures, specifically the New Testament, has one clear purpose: to guide Christians how to live and practice their faith in order to prepare correctly for the arrival of the Lord.
The real issue at stake is not the various people's interpretation of scripture, but God's interpretation of scripture. In my view, this will only become apparent when Christ returns. At that time, he will reveal a much deeper understanding of the truth that resolves the apparent contradictions in the various theologies and also make clear the relationship between Israel, Christianity and the overall purpose of God. Aka the "kingdom of heaven on earth".
Just as Israel, over its 2000 year history, made plenty of mistakes, got lost, had to suffer tribulation to correct their position (division, exile, reformation, etc), Christianity too has gone through a similar course. The difference is, in Israel, it all played out within one single nation. With Christianity, it has played out over the whole world.
Good things come in threes. Just as we have uncovered the truth about the material world in uttermost detail, humanity is destined to grasp the truth about spiritual reality to the same extent. This means, grasping the very purpose of creation, how (if) that was lost, how it is being recovered, how the spirit grows, what its makeup is, how it functions, etc. Why there are different expressions of the truth, and why they are all only partial. etc.
Paul indicated as much. "Now we see dimly, as in a dark mirror, but THEN we shall see clearly". The real question is, as Jesus himself put it, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
The Bible includes both old and new testaments, because they are deeply related, and have the same purpose (prepare for the coming of Christ) albeit in very different contexts (National level, physical foundation : Global level, spiritual foundation).
Anyway, thems my thoughts on that. Sort of.
Thanks.