A Difference

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Without belittling the Jewish People, whom I hold in respect, here is a difference that Christians have to be aware of:

The Difference between Jewish and the Christian Religions.

Christians take it Too easy, thinking

• attending Church,
• praying the rosary, or even praying in general,
• going for the so called ‘pilgrimages,’ – a bus journey, and a sort of picnic for most, and
• giving out some money

makes them Good People.

This post is to show that it is not enough. We are supposed to Love our Neighbour AS MUCH as We love ourselves.

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Islam and Christianity to be finished in India?

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BJP leader Rajeshwar Singh says Islam and Christianity will be finished in India by 2021.

 

This is a member of India’s ruling party openly boasting of his government’s intent to ethnically cleanse 200 million Muslims and 28 million Christians.

 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1178758112058073088

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Who a Christian, from the Pope himself

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“You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian,” has said Pope Francis. He makes particular reference to Refugees!

Do peruse:

http://usuncut.com/news/pope-francis-cannot-reject-refugees-call-christian/

…

PS: The above link seems to have been taken down.

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ALL Religions say the Same about ‘THIS.’

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Religions are maligned, very much, saying that they divide People. Actually that is Not so. The proponents of Religions do the Dividing. …And, taking Only Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, they all Say the Same, that…

Goodness is Rewarded and evil is Punished.

…

And this is the Experience of Sages of all Religions, for Centuries and Centuries.

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[ The above is the kind of picture found in many places in India, for instance in Shops, Buses, etc. Source in graphic. ]

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This post is particularly aimed at those, particularly in authority, who give No thought to their responsibilities.

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‘कृत्प्रनाश’

(Krit-Pranash, Above), is a Mahavaakya, one of the Great aphorisms of Hinduism, which even contribute to the Advaita. This one means that the Effects of what We have Done Remain, attached to Our Soul/Spirit/Self, Indestructible.

Similarly the one below,

‘अकृत्यभ्यूपगम’

(Akrityabhyoopagam), which means that We shall Not have to Suffer for what We have Not done.

Very Similar to the Biblical:

“The person who sins is the one who will Die,” (Ezekiel 18:4), and

“It is the one who sins who will die. A son is Not to suffer because of his father’s sins, nor a father because of the sins of his son.” (Ezekiel 18:20).

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Frankly, I am Not saying that All Religions are the Same, nor that they all teach the same things. Just for instance, from what I hear, it is not only recommended but also practised and carried out, that a Thief’s hand(s) be cut off, in Islam. The ‘Triple Talaaq‘ whereby a man can divorce his wife just by saying that word thrice is another instance. Not that I am ‘targeting’ Islam. These are just examples that spring to mind.

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WE ARE LIMITING OURSELVES TO THE TO THE IDEA THAT SIN IS PUNISHED.

Unable to give references in this regard from the Koran, I shall limit myself to showing that Islam has a very prominent Idea of ‘Jahannum‘ (Gehenna in Hebrew, Hell in English).

…

AT THE SAME TIME,

It can Frequently be observed that a Wrong-doer Suffers Quite a Lot in this life itself.

• Their Appetite is Nonexistent. A certain politico with Crores and Crores is reputed to be able to Stomach just Curd Rice.
• Their Health is Shot to  Pieces. Much of their ill earned money goes for medications and treatments.
• They cannot Sleep well.
• They have No Peace.

Oh, We think that they are Enjoying life. And that is the Facade they want to keep presenting. But those who know them, those close to them, those with whom they share(!), etc, know the Truth.

Image from the Internet.

Which is all to show that they Suffer Quite a Lot in this life too. And Yet they do not learn! Sheer Inertia and Habit!

…

There is one More Sad thing.

The house and the household of the evil doer is a Cauldron on Misery. The Amount of Sickness in the members of the Family, the Fights in the family, the Feuds, etc, make them Pitiable.

And I am reminded of this verse of the Bible over this:

“…Like a Moth You Destroy what he loves.” Psalm 39:11, TEV.

God Destroys what the evil doer loves, which is the Greatest Punishment, after all.

And I repeat this: And Yet they do not learn! Sheer Inertia and Habit!

…

That Goodness is Rewarded is Not Ignored. We do have the Concept of ‘स्वर्ग’ (Svarg of the Hindus), ‘जन्नत’ (Jannat of Islam) and Heaven.

It is true that what is considered goodness, badness or evil varies quite a bit much! But let Us Ignore that for this discussion.

…

To recap,

Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, all Say the Same, that…

Goodness is Rewarded and evil is Punished.

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Why Facebook and Twitter Users are Changing their Profile Pictures

The Full title to this post from ‘christianfunnypictures.com’ had read: ‘WHY ARE FACEBOOK AND TWITTER USERS CHANGING THEIR PROFILE PICTURE TO AN ARABIC LETTER?’

As I could not find a Way to share this directly, and copying and pasting it below, from the link at the bottom of this page.

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You may have noticed lately that all over Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, people have been changing their profile picture to an Arabic letter or what some people have described as unusual one eyed smiley face, such as this:

(Arabic letter for Christian)

Apart from noticing it, you may be also be wondering why? While this site aims to bring funny pictures, quotes,cartoons and videos to a sad a broken world, every now and then it is important to highlight how sad and how broken our world actually is. The picture above is not a funny picture at all, nor is there a joke to be made about it or any laughs to be had. It represents blatant, horrific and wicked persecution for a group of Christians in a town called Mosul, Iraq. Please keep reading and let me explain by answering a few quick questions:

• What is the picture?

The picture is simply the letter ‘N’ in the Arabic script, nothing more, nothing less.

• But what does it stand for?

It is currently being used as a shorthand way to write “Nazarene” or represent someone who follows the most famous Nazarene – our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

• How is it being used in Mosul, Iraq?

The Islamic State militants  who are now controlling the city are trying to force Sharia law on everyone, not just the Muslims. Every house belonging to Christians is being marked with a large letter ‘N’ to show that it is a Christian home and then given the occupants three options – to move, to pay a ‘Christian’ tax, or to face death. They then have 24 hours to decide.

• How is it being used on the Internet?

Christians from all over the world have been changing their profile picture to the same letter in order to show support (1 John 3:16-18), as a means of encouragement (Thessalonians 5:11) and also so far quite successfully to bring global media attention to the wicked and evil persecution (1 Corinthians 4:12) faced by Christians in these areas.

• What you can do?

The are three things I can immediately think of: 1. Share this article with others to bring even more attention to the issue that is happening right now. 2. Read more about the situation here (USA today),here (The Guardian) and/or here (Daily Telegraph). 3. Change your profile picture. Can you think of other things to do? Please leave a comment.

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Link:

Why are Facebook and Twitter users changing their profile picture to an Arabic letter?

Is Jesus a Myth?

The article below is of Particular interest for those, particularly Christians, who would like Answers to doubts raised by those who say that Jesus is a myth.

What I give below is a Word for Word Copy and Paste of ‘Mary Jo Sharp‘s’ article. I had to resort to this as I could not find a ‘Reblog’ button there.

For those who would like to go through this article in short, I have put certain Headings of paragraphs, in LARGE letters. They are also numbered #1, 2, 3 and there is a Conclusion.

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The Jesus Myth Theory: Investigating Claims of Copying

Is Jesus a Myth?

That’s a question more people are asking, especially after Zeitgeist, the Movie got popular. In this post, my friend, Mary Jo Sharp, shows you 3 simple steps you can use to figure out if Jesus’ story was actually ripped off from other religions. Mary Jo blogs at http://confidentchristianity.blogspot.com

Guest Post by Mary Jo Sharp

An increasing trend in popular and academic circles is to propose that the story of Jesus is a mythical one, copied from the stories of pagan mystery gods such as Osiris and Mithras.  Not only can the claim be found on numerous internet sites and in several popular-level books, but it is also propagated by celebrities such as political satirist, Bill Maher.[1]

On a September 2008 episode of the widely-viewed talk show, The View, Maher stated that Jesus is like the Egyptian god, Horus.  Do these claims have much merit?  In the brief space to follow, I will focus on a method for investigating the stories of the other gods and the story of Jesus.

Let me teach you a simple method for investigation.

#1. Read the stories for yourself

When faced with the question of whether or not the story of Jesus is a copy of another god’s story, you should actually read the stories.  Get a hold of a copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead or the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and go through the stories for yourself (local college library, some city libraries, online texts).  It’s always a good idea to go to the primary source material so you know the subject being discussed from the source of the discussion.

#2. Take the parallels head-to-head

After reading the stories, investigate the suggested parallel material from those stories.  If someone claims that Mithras died and rose from the dead just like Jesus, see if you can find any resurrection story that mirrors the one of Jesus.  In Mithras’ case, you cannot find a resurrection at all.  Mithras never dies, so he certainly cannot resurrect from the dead.  Osiris is raised to be King of the Dead.  So his raising results in afterlife amongst the dead.

Vague similarities are not going to accomplish much for those who are seeking to be intellectually honest.  Saying that Mithras was “born of a virgin” and Jesus was “born of a virgin” is either too vague or is so strained as to be construed as dishonest reportage.[2]

Mithras sprung forth from a rock (or cave) near a river bank.  He was holding a torch to illumine the underworld from which he came and a dagger to subdue all the creatures of the earth.  Jesus was born as a human baby by a female human virgin.  Osiris was the product of an adulterous affair between two gods.  He fell in love with his sister and had sexual intercourse with her in the womb of his mother goddess.  The only thing similar in these birth stories is the vague similarity of birth itself.

#3. Set everything in context

Some contemporary Christ-myth theorists will use terms like “resurrection” with stories of any god that died and took an afterlife form.  For example, Peter Joseph used “resurrection” to fit his purpose of a side-by-side comparison of several gods in Zeitgeist, the Movie.  Yet, did the people who followed the various gods understand their god to be “resurrected” in the sense of Jesus’ resurrection?

No.  Jesus’ resurrection was an unexpected twist[3] in the Jewish view of the Messiah, as well as in the Jewish view of resurrection.  It was also unexpected according to the pagan understanding of the afterlife; for Jesus was raised to a new, physical body.  The pagans expected a spiritual union with their gods in the afterlife or a freeing of the spirit from bodily imprisonment.  This twist is important, because it has everything to do with the Christian understanding of God’s good creation, his forgiveness, and his gift of salvation.

Jesus’ resurrection stands unparalleled in history when attempting to find stories in which God purposed to pay the penalty for all of mankind’s sin so that man can have a new, changed life.

Jesus died as he expected and predicted, and for the purpose he planned.  Even if a person does not believe in God, he can see this difference between Jesus’ story and the story of the other gods.  Jesus’ resurrection is also the model for the resurrection of all of mankind.  He is “the firstborn of the resurrection.”  The followers of Jesus in the first century up to today have a radically different view of the afterlife and resurrection from their fellow mankind.  This is not something that can easily be overlooked in order to make an accusation of copying from other gods’ stories.  And we have just begun to dig into the differences!

Conclusion

Just like you and I do not want to have our ideas and words ripped out of context and used for someone else’s purposes, we should not take the stories of the ancient gods and of the major world religions out of context to use for our own purposes.  Nor should we be ignoring aspects of the stories that show their vast differences.

The deeper we look into the stories of the gods, the greater the difference we find between them and the story of Jesus.

Want to learn more? Check out these resources

• Ronald Nash, The Gospel and the Greeks (Phillipsburg, PA: P&R Publishing, 2003).
• T.N.D. Mettinger, The Riddle of Resurrection: Dying and Rising Gods in the Ancient Near East(Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 2001)
• Joseph Campbell, The Mythic Image (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1974).
• N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God, (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003).
• Bruce M. Metzger, Historical and Literary Studies: Pagan, Jewish, and Christian [online article]; Internet; available from http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/religions_christianity.html; accessed 22 January 2007; Historical and Literary Studies: Pagan, Jewish, and Christian. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1968.

Primary Sources: Read them for yourself

• Hellenistic Religions: The Age of Syncretism, ed. Frederick C. Grant (Indianapolis: Liberal Arts Press, 1953).
• The Egyptian Book of the Dead, trans. E.A. Wallis Budge (New York: Barnes & Noble, 2005 [1895]).
• Christian Classics Ethereal Library Website: http://www.ccel.org/
• Fordham University’s Medieval Sourcebook – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook2.html
• Fordham University’s Ancient History Sourcebook –http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html

Note: Purchasing resources via the links on this page will help support Mikel’s accessible apologetics ministry.

[1] Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, The Jesus Mysteries: Was the “Original Jesus” a Pagan God?  (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999).  Payam Nabarz, The Mysteries of Mithras: The Pagan Belief That Shaped the Christian World (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 2005).  The Historical Jesus: Five Views, eds. James K. Beilby and Paul Rhodes Eddy (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2009).

[2] I don’t wish to assume motives, but this contravention of fact is so egregious on behalf of the argument’s proponents, such as “Zeitgeist, the Movie,” that it causes me to wonder about the author’s intent.

[3] I say “unexpected” in accordance with tradition, not prophecy.

05 Religion – Our Relationship with God

To take things simply, God is Adored All over the World, and has been Adored, since Ages. Man’s Relationship with God has been, for the Most part, one of Awe. This Worship is considered as Religion by Most people.

But, as I have shown in the Second article in this series, Religion means Relationship.

If Just One person keeps talking, it can be a Lecture, a Monologue, and many things like that. But Only One person talking can Never become Dialogue.

It is Dialogue Only If and When At Least Two parties are involved. Similarly, Relationship with God is More than Worshipping Him, or some Rituals connected with that.

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What about those who do not believe in the Existence of God?

Again as I have shown in the Second article, ‘RELIGION IS EACH PERSON’S SYSTEM OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSE, THE HUMAN KIND, AND GOD.

Whether the Existence of God is proved/accepted or not, The Concept of God remains!

Hence, If I choose to Deny the Existence of God, My System of Relationship with Him becomes one of Denial! I Still have a System!!!

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As for the Relationship between Man and God in Christianity…

We have Christ Jesus saying: “The Father Himself Love You.” (John 16:27). Thus, in Christianity, the Relationship between God and Man is One of Love. God Loves Us, and Is Our Father.

And Man’s Relationship towards God in Christianity is to be one of Love too. Again as Jesus Himself said: “Love the Lord Your God with All Your Heart, with All Your Soul, with All Your Mind, and with All Your Strength.” (Mark 12:30). Thus We are supposed not Just to Worship God, but also to Love God, and Behave with All the Dignity and Responsibility of Being His Children.

In the verse quoted above, Jesus had used practically the same words of the Old Testament, (See Deuteronomy 6:5).

Jesus had quoted this verse in answer to the question as to what is the Greatest commandment. Those who had raised the query had expected Him to stop with that verse. But Jesus had carried on, In the Same Breath, with the following:

“Love Your Neighbour as You Love Yourself.” (Mark 12:31). So, in Christianity, Loving God and Loving People go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other. St. John put it down very clearly: “You cannot Love God, Whom You have Not seen, If You do not Love Your Fellow Human Being, whom You Do see.” (1 John 4:20, paraphrased).

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[He ain’t heavy; he is my Brother. Graphic from Internet]

Thus, in Christianity, Our Relationship with God has to be one of Loving Reverence. This Relationship cannot be Complete without Loving Our Fellow Human Beings.

And that is the Christian Religion.

Terrorism, and Christianity

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I Dream of a World that would be Absolutely Free of Wars. That may be in the Very distant future. In the meantime… Terrorism is a word that is often Misunderstood.

Howmuchever We want Peace, there would always be people like putin and saddam hussein, who would never be satisfied. saddam invaded Kuwait, and putin, as of even this moment, is in the process of invading Ukraine. What else can stop these dogs but armies? Thus the Soldier seems to become a Necessary evil.

But a Soldier fights Only against another Soldier. If Civilians get caught in the Cross-fire, or a foolish 14 year-old pops up during a gun battle, the Soldier is Not to blame, and that is Not Terrorism.

Two aspects have to be there before a violent act could be called Terrorism: The Target and the Purpose.

• The Target has to be a Civilian, or Civilians. Non Military personnel.
• The Purpose has to be to Intimidate and Force the Administration into doing something that the culprits want.

Let us take some examples.

A Soldier going berserk and gunning down many of his colleagues is Not a Terrorist. A Mentally affected, dissatisfied person killing children in a school is Not a Terrorist. These are Crimes, Definitely, but Not Terrorism.

putin sending tanks into Ukraine is Not T. Even if it erupts into a War, it would Not be T. That is a Invasion.

Long years ago, members of  a particular community in India, had got into Buses and Shot and Killed passengers. Just like that. I am Not saying that they represented that particular community. The Issue had been Sharing of River waters. The Central Administration of India had decreed that a certain amount of water had to be let out, to be available for the neighbouring state. This particular  community had thought that they could force the hand of the Administration into changing that order by such killing. They wanted the Whole of the river’s water. The Idea was that the People would Plead with the Administration to give in to their demands. It can be seen that the two aspects of T are present here.

The attacks in Mumbai in 2008, particularly at the Railway station is a perfect example of a Terrorist attack, as We see in the photograph above. Civilians were targeted, and the purpose had been to get the Indian Administration to give in to political issues. Picture from the Internet.

I hold that Holding up of Trains, Uprooting Railway tracks, Setting Fire to Buses; and Bank employees, Doctors, and Trade unionists going on strike, also to be acts of Terrorism, albeit of a Different Intensity.

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Militia, of both Muslim, and so-called Christian groups in the Central African Republic have been Killing Civilians, including Women and Children. This is Grade A Terrorism.

Let me come to the Christian part now.

When I was studying Theology some 30+ years ago, as far as I remember, in the Catholic Church, it is Canon Law (the law of the church), that A priest At the Confessional trying to get a Woman to have sex with him is Automatically Excommunicated* (then and there).

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There should be laws in the church for Terrorists. A person Willingly and Habitually indulging in Terrorism should be Excommunicated Automatically. That person should…

Lose the right to Receive Communion, above all. There should also be the law that a Terrorist, even if he had been Baptised and been a member of a church, cannot call himself a Christian any more.

This should be announced from all the pulpits in No Uncertain terms.

Of course We do not have laws like this at this present time. If I were Pope, I would promulgate this, and other similar interesting laws. All those in favour of making me pope may please register their Vote within the bracket that follows: ( ). Hahahahaha!

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* I googled this. I find that there are differences between what I had been taught or what I remember, and… Canon Law. To see those points, please click here.

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I wrote this post after reading:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Well-kill-them-you-bury-them-The-conflict-between-Christians-and-Muslims-thats-leading-to-dizzying-acts-of-brutality/articleshow/45147946.cms?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=timesofindia

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