Grande,
The Dalai Lama now has bit of competition from Myanmar with Aung San Suu Kyi.
I’m not sure, however, that mot people are aware of the selection process of how he was made leader. It’s not as famous as our Conclave. I for one didn’t even know until I had a university class.
Catholic not Orthodox however I do love the Orthodox thought process.
Ah, interesting. Well, I think it is good to have some knowledge so you can meet others where they are, so to speak, but bowing in front of other altars or gods should not be required.
It is frustrating to me, too, that many in the West don’t care much about the decimation of Christians in the Middle East. It’s not cool" to say anything about Muslim persecution of Christians. On the other hand, it is politically correct to support the DL.
I meant to respond to this before. Sorry for backtracking. I don’t think all religions point to the same thing. What Kouyate said was the tenets are similar, in other words, the teachings about ethics, but that is completely different thing.
This is a good link and worthy of a good read and to be meditated upon.I also like your previous observation on how the Dalai Lama sought out and cultivated the Westerm Media to his cause.I believe that he like Blessed John Paul 11, have shown wonderful charismatic type personalities.I think that Blessed Mother Teresa also is this mold in certain ways(for her poor).I would attribute to these three, the following–they were/are zealous(for Christ regarding the latter two),available,helpful,humble,transparent,benevolent,persevering in the good,even optimistic! I would just like to quote just the last few lines of your provided link of Dr.Kreeft;he is a person I admire, as his writings are always spot -on.
Completely agree.
I side with GraceSofia on that as well.
But the problem that many fairly have is that the fascination with the east truly can threaten people’s
I agree with that too. People are poorly catechised. I do think much of the blame is on the media and the American culture which both target Catholicism.
I would imagine that God seeks all people regardless of stripe, which includes religion. Meanwhile, all who are wise seek God, regardless of the same.
Here’s a response to that article, which is really quite misinformed and poorly researched.
Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins among others have pointed out that far from being a paradise, the people were virtually slaves of a monastic elite in Tibet. This is something which academics of all stripes and disciplines have pointed out.
Please supply this information from academics of all stripes and disciplines. No one lives in a paradise, and no one said Tibet was supposed to be some kind of a paradise. There are poor and rich in ALL countries and societies.
I think part of our problem is that our people aren’t nearly zealous about being Christian out loud. It’s something that I think hurts us. We’ve been taught since we’re kids that we must be nice, and that means that you don’t talk about religion in public, and most certainly don’t declare that your religion is true. Other religions don’t do this. A jew will wear his Kippah no matter who is offended. A muslim will wear his headcap and beard and not be ashamed. Christians generally don’t do this. At least not to the same degree. We might have a little tiny cross or something, but usually it’s under a shirt where no one will see it. Even praying – muslims in France are not ashamed of praying on the streets, but we don’t do much the same. Muslims and Buddhists are generally willing to defend their religions – no muslim would appologize for offending by quoting the quran, no buddhist will feel ashamed for quoting Buddhist Sutras. How often do you hear the Bible quoted – and cited – outside of church or circles of people who already believe? The only verse that people will quote outside of a church is “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. So why would people look at a church as having an answer when we don’t ever act like it matters to US?The West have had the TRUTH and taken it for granted for so long that it’s been diluted with global materialism they no longer recognise it! The ‘battle’ between The Church and The Reformers, levelling accusation upon accusation against Her, needed time WASTED to defend sound doctrine and Scriptures from contamination and corruption. With the secular attacks on Her stand on abortion (1960s) global conflicts, sovereigns and state powers threateneing / abusing their citizens and neighbours, ‘philosophical’ scientific claims, rise of Islamic violence, Her attention to worldly events for centuries and the filth infiltrating within her among laymen and clergy have taken their pound of flesh and ‘weakened’ Her!
Except for the Mass which ‘unifies’ Catholics, people search for what is true from a multitude of choices that they think it doesn’t exist anymore…which sounds exactly like what the Orients have been practicing for centuries! So, celebs and the rich, because they can afford it, flood East and the throngs follow what the media feeds them!
What the media does not show the West, is that the celebs and rich of the East are converting to the faith the West have, which includes the ‘freedom’ of democracy, incidently a tenet of Catholicism from antiquity that every human person has a right to life and freedom…and written into the founding documents of Western countries.
Eastern have things that are ‘new’ to visualise and experience and are attractive for those reasons, but the novelty must wear off as every novelty does. Remember, to the East, these are nice but the vestments on your side are attractive too! It is just more colours, brighter and more flavour than you’re used to. (Like food as well)
That said, the statutes will be different than you’re used to, the colours, experience etc…are indeed BEAUTIFUL in this part of the world and likely not seen often in the west. A simple crucifix with the Asian or Pacific Rim flavour is different to what the west may be used to, but it is still a crucifix.
Bottom Line?
People East and West just want The Truth!
In the west is the resurgence of that search for truth among Christians in multiple denominations as information and ‘libraries’ have become accessible at your fingertips! Alas, cyberspace is already flooded with fact and fiction or mixture of both!..but people are smarter, younger, and hungry for that truth!
Just musing, of course…
We Christians in the West not only have been taught to be “nice” but we have allowed transgressive Western-values-hating-anti-Christian Marxist elitists to take over the education systems and media, all in the name of “tolerance” and “multiculturalism.” The problem is that militant secularists are not tolerant of Christians and multiculturalism in practice has tended to mean celebrate every culture except your own. So we have Westerners demanding that crosses be taken down while happily providing Muslim footbaths at universities. They are
IMHO.