3000 gods but only yours exists

[openmind77]

If the “big crunch” theory is correct, then that means at some point in future, there will be one last living thing (be it a plant, an animal, or a human) before the universe crunches in on itself back to a singularity.

This last living thing will have only one chance to attain nirvana. Its going to be so stressed out at this point seeing the universe collapse in on itself that its unlikely to remain cool enough to attain nirvana.

And if it can’t achieve nirvana …then Buddha was wrong (and that last plant should ask Buddha for its money back ).

In Hinduism, we believe that the Universe goes in endless cycles. That means after the big crunch there is quiescent state for some time and then another big bang and a new Universe is born. The souls that have not achieved nirvana in the previous physical Universe, get another chance in the new Universe.

The Buddhist belief regarding this is probably similar.

 

[Harry123]

Buddism seems like such a harsh religion.

You keep being reborn over and over again and being made to suffer over and over again until you eventually become nothing (if you’re lucky). Its like someone holding a gun to your head and telling you to be happy or you’ll die. And when you are shot and are born again, having someone holding a gun to you’re head and telling you to be happy or you’ll die. And then when you are shot and are born again …well i think you get the idea.

Its like being trapped in an endless prison.

Rape, incest and murder are all ok because you probably wont achieve nirvana anyway so why bother trying.

 

[Harry123]

In Hinduism, we believe that the Universe goes in endless cycles. That means after the big crunch there is quiescent state for some time and then another big bang and a new Universe is born. The souls that have not achieved nirvana in the previous physical Universe, get another chance in the new Universe.

The Buddhist belief regarding this is probably similar.

Buddism (and Hindu from what you’re telling me) seems like such a harsh religion.

You keep being reborn over and over again and being made to suffer over and over again until you eventually become nothing (if you’re lucky). Its like someone holding a gun to your head and telling you to be happy or you’ll die. And when you are shot and are born again, having someone holding a gun to you’re head and telling you to be happy or you’ll die. And then when you are shot and are born again …well i think you get the idea.

Its like being trapped in an endless prison.

Rape, incest and murder are all ok because you probably wont achieve nirvana anyway so why bother trying.

 

[openmind77]

Buddism (and Hindu from what you’re telling me) seems like such a harsh religion.

You keep being reborn over and over again and being made to suffer over and over again until you eventually become nothing (if you’re lucky). Its like someone holding a gun to your head and telling you to be happy or you’ll die. And when you are shot and are born again, having someone holding a gun to you’re head and telling you to be happy or you’ll die. And then when you are shot and are born again …well i think you get the idea.

Its like being trapped in an endless prison.

Rape, incest and murder are all ok because you probably wont achieve nirvana anyway so why bother trying.

You really think that being reborn again and again until you correct your ways and eventually achieving liberation is harsher than being condemned to hell for eternity for committing minor offences (like using contraceptives and not repenting)?

Who said rape/incest/murder are ok? Those actions have pretty terrible karmic results and will cause grave suffering in this life or next.

 

[Harry123]

achieving liberation

Why put me in jail in the first place, i didn’t do anything.

 

[openmind77]

Why put me in jail in the first place, i didn’t do anything.

Life on earth (or jail as you put it) is place of learning and spiritual growth. You are not sent here as a punishment. Any suffering you experience here is a result of your own past actions (or as in the case of Jesus a voluntary choice). The idea is that the many lifetimes you spend on Earth will make you into a self-realized, enlightened soul.

 

[Harry123]

Life on earth (or jail as you put it) is place of learning and spiritual growth. You are not sent here as a punishment. Any suffering you experience here is a result of your own past actions (or as in the case of Jesus a voluntary choice). The idea is that the many lifetimes you spend on Earth will make you into a self-realized, enlightened soul.

If the satan of Christianity was ever to invent a religion to draw people away from Christ, Buddism would be one of them. At its core (from my perspective anyway), Buddism has a dangerous philosophy. It basically allows a person to be as bad in life as they like, because they can always make up for it in the next life.

Its like a drunk at a party deciding that he’ll have one more drink before going home, as what harm will one more do. And when he has drunk that, what harm will another one be. I can always sleep off the hangover tomorrow (in the “next” life).

If satan was to invent such a religion, a buddist would die, arrive before God at judgment and then realize there is no “next life” for which to make up for the bad deeds in the life he has just lived. Buddism in a way, can trick a person into a false sense of security.

Its like sitting an exam, and one of your frenemies telling you that you have 6 hours to do all the questions. But then the examiner says “pens down” after only 45 minutes.

Chrisitanity, Judiasm and Islam don’t make sense from a Buddism point of view. These religions are things that just seemed to pop into existence out of nowhere almost by accident from a Buddhist point of view. However, from a christian perspective, all the other religions of the world make sense as they are satans way of trying to trick you and snare you away from the one true God. That’s why a christian can see 3000 gods, but knows his is the only true one. The other ones are means to trick you.

And we can be sure Christianity is the real one, because Jesus is the only one who claimed to be God, said He was going to die and rise from the dead …and did just that. The proof is that we have historical eye-witness accounts that He did indeed rise from the dead. And the eye-witnesses were even willing to die horrible deaths rather than renounce what they had seen. That’s what puts Christianity above the other 2999 gods. No other religion comes even close to providing the kind of proof Christianity does.

 

[openmind77]

If the satan of Christianity was ever to invent a religion to draw people away from Christ, Buddism would be one of them.

Although we believe in the existence of evil and the existence of evil beings, neither Hindus or Buddhists believe in Satan.

At its core (from my perspective anyway), Buddism has a dangerous philosophy. It basically allows a person to be as bad in life as they like, because they can always make up for it in the next life…

I don’t think Buddhism allows people to be bad in life any more than Christianity does.

In fact, in Hinduism and Buddhism every evil act has to be repaid as a karmic debt in exact proportion in the future - in this life or next without exception.

However in Christianity, you can be as bad as you want your whole life, but if you repent just before you die for all your sins, you are forgiven for everything and you will be sent to heaven for eternity (after spending some time in purgatory).

 

[rose_kelly]

I don’t think it matters what others believe. If those in other religions are doing good, God may not have revealed to them the Christian faith, but he has granted them the presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

[rossum]

If the “big crunch” theory is correct, then that means at some point in future, there will be one last living thing (be it a plant, an animal, or a human) before the universe crunches in on itself back to a singularity.

This last living thing will have only one chance to attain nirvana. Its going to be so stressed out at this point seeing the universe collapse in on itself that its unlikely to remain cool enough to attain nirvana.

Not all living beings are material: gods, angels, devils, kinnaras pretas etc. During periods when the material universe does not exist then living beings are reborn in one of the non-material realms. They can be reborn in a material realm after the universe re-expands from crunch into bang.

I am surprised that a Catholic such as yourself did not consider the possibility of non-material living beings.

rossum

 

[Bill_Martin]

I’d ask him why he’s making the illogical assertion that people arriving at the wrong conclusion previously automatically prevents other people from arriving at the correct conclusion.

It’s an irrational position held by people who are more interested in soap boxing than in actually considering given evidence.

In short, I wouldn’t waste your time responding, they won’t listen.

This is the biggest problem I see. Just because a classroom full of children gets 7 * 4 wrong doesn’t mean there is no answer, or that the child who answers 28 is also wrong.

 

[rossum]

Buddism (and Hindu from what you’re telling me) seems like such a harsh religion.

You keep being reborn over and over again and being made to suffer over and over again until you eventually become nothing (if you’re lucky).

The one who makes you suffer is yourself. The world you are living in now was created by your own actions in your past lives and earlier in your current life. If you throw a rock straight up in the air, whose fault is if if that rock comes down and hits you on the head? You have built your world around you by your own actions.

Its like being trapped in an endless prison.

Not endless. All living beings attain nirvana eventually. Even Mara (the current Lord of the Hells) will attain nirvana eventually.

Rape, incest and murder are all ok because you probably wont achieve nirvana anyway so why bother trying.

OK, so you enjoy throwing rocks straight up in the air. There is no forgiveness of sin in Buddhism: karma doesn’t do forgiveness. The rocks will all hit you on the head. It is up to you to stop throwing them.

rossum

 

[womanatwell]

I don’t think it matters what others believe. If those in other religions are doing good, God may not have revealed to them the Christian faith, but he has granted them the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is beyond our full understanding, but the Bible definitely associates the Spirit with Jesus Christ and God the Father. After all, we believe they are three persons of one essence. Two examples from the Bible are here (New American Bible, Revised Edition at the USCCB website with links):

John 7:37-39:
37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’”
39 He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive.
usccb.org/bible/john/7 .

Ephesians 2:17-22:
17 He [Jesus Christ] came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,
18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God,
20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
21 Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
22 in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
usccb.org/bible/ephesians/2 .

Other aspects and actions of the Holy Spirit, such as our being renewed by Him, can be found here:
whatchristianswanttoknow.com/who-or-what-is-the-holy-spirit-a-bible-study/ .

Also, if you are interested, here is a link to Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church. Number 16 refers to those of other faiths and it reminds us:

But often men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator. Or some there are who, living and dying in this world without God, are exposed to final despair. Wherefore to promote the glory of God and procure the salvation of all of these, and mindful of the command of the Lord, “Preach the Gospel to every creature”, the Church fosters the missions with care and attention.
vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html .

 

[rose_kelly]

The Holy Spirit is beyond our full understanding, but the Bible definitely associates the Spirit with Jesus Christ and God the Father. After all, we believe they are three persons of one essence. Two examples from the Bible are here (New American Bible, Revised Edition at the USCCB website with links):

Other aspects and actions of the Holy Spirit, such as our being renewed by Him, can be found here:
whatchristianswanttoknow.com/who-or-what-is-the-holy-spirit-a-bible-study/ .

Also, if you are interested, here is a link to Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church. Number 16 refers to those of other faiths and it reminds us:

Thank you, I will view those articles later, as there is much to read and examine.

This is a short Holy See document - Dialogue and Proclamation. vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_19051991_dialogue-and-proclamatio_en.html

In my work I have met and befriended many people of different religions. We don’t discuss or question each others beliefs in any great detail, but I have seen in the goodness of many of them, the Holy Spirit in action.

 

[womanatwell]

Thank you, I will view those articles later, as there is much to read and examine.

This is a short Holy See document - Dialogue and Proclamation. vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_19051991_dialogue-and-proclamatio_en.html

In my work I have met and befriended many people of different religions. We don’t discuss or question each others beliefs in any great detail, but I have seen in the goodness of many of them, the Holy Spirit in action.

I will read your reference. I just want to add, concerning the confusion of whether a person must believe in Christ to get to heaven (at least our idea of heaven), in 1999 Joseph Card. Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a Declaration called Dominus Iesus. In Section 5 he states:

1. As a remedy for this relativistic mentality, which is becoming ever more common, it is necessary above all to reassert the definitive and complete character of the revelation of Jesus Christ. In fact, it must be firmly believed that, in the mystery of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6), the full revelation of divine truth is given: “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him” (Mt 11:27); “No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has revealed him” (Jn 1:18); “For in Christ the whole fullness of divinity dwells in bodily form” (Col 2:9-10).vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html

I feel it is our obligation as Christians to proceed under the understanding that belief in Christ is necessary for our entrance into heaven. How He will judge others of different faiths is His business. Our job is to witness to Christ, although of course we want to be as sensitive as we can to the feelings of others. We witness by including the effects of His presence, along with the Father and Holy Spirit, in our lives.

 

[rose_kelly]

I feel it is our obligation as Christians to proceed under the understanding that belief in Christ is necessary for our entrance into heaven. How He will judge others of different faiths is His business. Our job is to witness to Christ, although of course we want to be as sensitive as we can to the feelings of others. We witness by including the effects of His presence, along with the Father and Holy Spirit, in our lives.

I do not feel that people will be denied a place in heaven just for the reason of not believing in Christ.
Most of those I referred to are Muslims and Hindus, who know about Jesus already, but if they enquire about my faith, I’m happy to tell them, without giving the impression I’m preaching with the attempt to convert them.

In order to witness to Jesus to we must first acquire holiness, then perhaps we will be provided with that powerful gift from the Holy Spirit that St Paul wrote about.

 

[Peter_Plato]

No. Reified capitalised “Truth” cannot be accessed, any more than the water we ‘see’ in a mirage can be accessed.

Reality can be accessed imperfectly through our senses. Equating reality with truth is another reification. A real rock is just a rock. It is not truth or Truth. The statement, “This object is a rock” is true. You cannot separate the truth from the statement.

Your position is thoroughly refuted here…

edwardfeser.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-absolute-truth-about-relativism.html#more

 

[Bradski]

Truth is contingent. It is relative to the situation. Any truth statement is, perhaps by definition, a conditional statement.

This is true IF…this is true WHEN…

The statement: ‘Killing someone is wrong’ is meaningless unless you qualify it.

It’s a slippery little devil…

 

[Gorgias]

Although we believe in the existence of evil and the existence of evil beings, neither Hindus or Buddhists believe in Satan.

That’s the point of his argument, I think: if Christianity is (objectively) true, then a Hindu or Buddhist who is counting on reincarnation might be in for a horrible surprise…

I don’t think Buddhism allows people to be bad in life any more than Christianity does.

In fact, in Hinduism and Buddhism every evil act has to be repaid as a karmic debt in exact proportion in the future - in this life or next without exception.

However in Christianity, you can be as bad as you want your whole life, but if you repent just before you die for all your sins, you are forgiven for everything and you will be sent to heaven for eternity (after spending some time in purgatory).

If you’re making that claim for Catholicism, then you misunderstand what is taught. If a person commits sins with the intent of ‘gaming the system’ and ‘repenting’ at the last moment, then he’s not only committing the sins themselves, but one extra one: the sin of presumption. That one would not be forgiven (per se), and the plan would fall apart.

 

[rossum]

Your position is thoroughly refuted here…

edwardfeser.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-absolute-truth-about-relativism.html#more

Feser need to read more Nagarjuna.

rossum