 |
|
|
|
ONE GOD - MANY NAMES / ONE SON - MANY PATHS / ONE TRUTH - MANY FAITHS |
|
The Way of Holiness and the Sacred Hoop The following is an excerpt from the book entitled: The Way of Holiness and The Sacred Hoop written by Robert Mendelson I have spoken with Robert Mendelson and have his permission to share this with you. I encourage you to read it, teach it, share it. It is a worthwhile message that needs to get out in these 'latter days'. Our first subject: Creator Spoke to Everyone (as writtein by Robert Mendelson) As I grew up,I used to cringe when someone said we should"fear God". It still makes me feel a little uneasy, although now I understand what's meant by "fear" is really "deep respect". What puzzles me is how so many people who say other people should "fear God" are so fearless about God themselves. It's not only Christians who make this error, either. The phenomena is readily observable in Jews,Muslims,Hindus,Buddhists, Mormons and Native Americans, too. Each seems blind to a common-sense principle concerning our relationship with God. "Father", "Mother", "Uncle", "Grandfather", and "Grandmother" are names commonly given by religions to their version of the Universal God, or Aspect thereof. If God gave us parental names to associate withHim/Her, whydo we act as though God is utterly different than a Parent? It makes sense to use the pattern of human family interaction between parents and childrenas a guide to understand scriptures God the Parent wrote for us theChildren.Parents speak to their children directly, not through one child only. Parents speak to and give guidance andgifts to all their children. Yet we humans tend to act as though God gave the "correct"religion/Sacred Book/OralTraditiononlytous,ourpeople,andnooneelse. Wemaybekindto peopleofother faiths, but privately, we distrust theMessage God delivered to them.We act as if what the Parent said to them has no relevance to us because it was said to another child. This is illogical, exhibits lack of faith in God's Parental Ability, and tacitly accuses Creator of showing favoritism. It also reveals a lack of"fear"orrespectforGod when we condemn another sacred book before first reading it ourselves. Until we've read other books, we risk condemning a part of God's Message basedonlyonhearsay.Whether out of pride,laziness, or rashness, whenever we denounce God's Message elsewhere, we also denounce God. That's blasphemy, not "respect" or "fear". Psalms 100:1,3; 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 3
…Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we[all humanity] are his people, the sheep of his pasture." Let's be respectful and logical. Let's give due respect ("fear") and trust God's words. When we trust God's words, we find scriptures of multiple religions connect, thatGod gave something of inestimable value to each people, excluding none.It's importantwedon't give mere lip-service to this principle. To be fully empowered as liberators from the theology of separation, we need a foundation in scripture of support for this principle. Truth is our peaceful weapon to overcome imbalanced, elitist theology. As Paul wrote… 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul; 4
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,…" Let's treat Creator's Word everywhere as holy. Let's choose the path where each Message reconciles with the others, common sense, and science. Matthew 7:7-14, Jesus; 7
"Ask [for spiritual knowledge] and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock[respectfully, with open heart and mind] and the door [to understanding the Way of Holiness] will be opened to you. 8
For everyone [, be it Hindu, Muslim, Jew, Native American, or Christian] who asks [for spiritual knowledge] receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks [respectfully, with open heart and mind], the door [to understanding the Way of Holiness] will be opened. 9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those [of any race, location, or religion] who ask him! 12
So in everything[, including theology and Messages for others], do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. 13 "Enter through the narrow gate."… [The "Way of Holiness" and the "Sacred Hoop", where all God's Messages intersect.] 13 cont.; …"For wide [mainstream] is the gate [theology] and broad is the road [mainstream] that leads to destruction, and many [mainstream traditionalist believers] enter through it. 14
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." The"small…gate"and"narrow…road"isamethodologycalledthe"WayofHoliness" in the Bible (from Isaiah) and the "Sacred Hoop" (Native American). Misuse of Christ's gospel by colonial powers had the greatest negative impact in terms of genocide, enslavement, and exploitation of other cultures of any major religion. Therefore, we'll focus first on Bible evidence salvation for non-Christians is attainable through a route outside traditional Christian theology. After that, we'll examine examples of scripture from other religions that support the concept. Traditional Christian theology teaches that we must "accept" Jesus Christ by that specific name--"Jesus Christ"--before we die as a prerequisite for salvation. This theology doesn't take into account the difficulty conversion presents for someone born into a non-Christian culture. Nordoesit providemitigation for people who died hating Jesus because his name was associated with brutal and barbaric acts of "Christian" conquerors. A Native American chief, Red Jacket, in his own words expressed what Paul was saying, and the morally impossible contradiction traditional theology presents to converts regarding salvation. That is, people are "saved" if they say the "right" words and perform the "right" ritual (and believe this formula) beforetheydie. Yetthe moment they express such belief they tacitly condemn their ancestors(whomissed their"dead"-lines)tohell,whichdishonorsthedead; "Red Jacket's reply to the missionary Cram at Buffalo, N.Y., 1805 [from "Gospel of the Redman", compiled by Ernest and Julia Seton]: " After the missionary had done speaking, the Indians conferred together about two hours by themselves, when they gave an answer by Red Jacket, which follows: "Friend and brother, it was the will of the Great Spirit that we should meet together this day. He orders all things, and He has given us a fine day for our council. He has taken His garment from before the sun, and caused it to shine with brightness upon us; our eyes are opened, that we see clearly; our ears are unstopped, that we have been able to hear distinctly the words that you have spoken; for all these favours we thank the Great Spirit, and Him only. "Brother, this council fire was kindled by you; it was at your request that we came together at this time; we have listened with attention to what you have said; you requested us to speak our minds freely; this gives us great joy, for now we consider that we stand upright before you, and can speak what we think; all have heard your voice, and all speak to you as one man; our minds are agreed…
"Red Jacket's reply", cont.; You say that you are sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to His mind, and if we do not take hold of the religion which you White people teach, we shall be unhappy hereafter; you say that you are right, and we are lost; how do we know this to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book; If it was intended for us as well as you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us, and not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it rightly?… Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit; if there is but one religion, why do you White people differ so much about it?" Brother, we do not understand these things; we are told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us, their children. We worship that way. It teaches us to be thankful for all the favours we receive; to love each other; and to be united; we never quarrel about religion… Brother, we do not wish to destroy your religion, or take it from you. We want only to enjoy our own." That sounds reasonable and fair, especially when you add the following two verses from the Bible to Red Jacket's argument… Exodus 20:12; "Honor your father and your mother[and ancestors],…" Exodus 21:17; "Anyone who curses his father or mother[by converting to a religion that teaches they may be "saved" in a manner that necessarily means their parents died unbelievers and went to hell]
must be put to death." However, what's written about Jesus Christ in the Bible can't be denied. A path must be found that reconciles the Bible with the other parts of God's Message found in non-Christian sacred books. Traditional Christian theology teaching we must "accept" Jesus Christ as a prerequisite for salvation is based on the following scriptures… John 14:6; Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Acts 4:8, 10, 12; 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them:… 10…It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,… …this man stands before you healed. 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." John 3:16, 18, Jesus; 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." Ephesians 2:13-15, Paul; 13 But now in Christ Jesus youwhooncewerefarawayhavebeenbroughtnearthroughthebloodofChrist. 14
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15
by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations." These passages are entirely true,if read in the proper context, fully consistent with the rest of the Bible. That's the key--reading these passages in a manner fully consistent with the rest of the Bible. Correct interpretation agrees with how Paul,Peter,Jesus,and the Father (whospokethroughthem) meant them. One invaluable guide in this important step of interpretation are the personal characteristics, or attributes, with which Jesus and the Father describe themselves. If we read the scriptures in a manner consistent with their character, it's unlikely we'll stray very far from the path. Here is a list of four key attributes of the Father and Jesus Christ that set parameters for interpreting their words…
The Father and Christ's Four Divine Attributes; GOD IS "TRUTH" Isaiah 45:19; "I, the LORD, speak the truth;" Matthew 5:18, Jesus; "I tell you the truth," GOD IS IMPARTIAL Deuteronomy 10:17; …God…shows no partiality…" Romans 2:11; …does not show favoritism." GOD IS "LOVE" 1 John 4:16; …God is love." John 10:30, Jesus; I and the Father are one." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul; 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." John 13:34-35, Jesus; 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." GOD IS ALMIGHTY Genesis 17:1; …the LORD appeared to him [Abram] and said, "I am God Almighty;…" John 10:30, Jesus; I and the Father are one." God is truthful, loving, and doesn't show favoritism. God is also Almighty. This means God has the power and choice to intervene in human affairs, in a manner consistent with the three previous attributes. Jesus, who loves us so much he died for us, shares these attributes.
|
