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Is religion dead? Seems so. (Fortunately, JESUS IS ALIVE!)
Dalai Lama wrote on Facebook yesterday,
"All the world's major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness can and do promote inner values. But the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate. This is why I am increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion altogether."
HuffPo noted that "The Los Angeles Times notes the 77-year-old Buddhist monk was by no means "denouncing faith," but rather highlighting the need for a universally shared ethos that is rooted in compassion and is relevant in this modern age. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the Dalai Lama has long been a vocal advocate for compassion, religious tolerance and the need to bring together science and spirituality in the face of modern suffering."
Dalai Lama argues that secular ethics are more important when it comes to dealing with the problems in today's world than organized religion. When he says secular ethics, he means science. Are we finally at that place where religion is deemed irrelevant and science tells us that we are our own gods? Almost. During the Tribulation, the one world religion the Dalai Lama hopes for will "flourish" for three and a half years. But after that, the antichrist will crush the religion and demand that the world worship him. (Revelation 13:15).
All religions are dead, except for those who follow Jesus. We are not in a religion but instead have a relationship with the Messiah. Religion is increasingly irrelevant in this world because they don't work.
They don't work because people are dead in their sins, and nothing man does will resurrect his own dead spirit. Only Jesus, the Lamb slain for our sins and resurrected by the power of God, can revive us by sending His Spirit into us when He forgives us of our sin. How do we get our sins forgiven:? Repent! We are sorry for those sins, which are crimes against Jesus. If we ask Him to forgive them, He will.
BTW, the Dalai Lama is called His Holiness. He is known as an all-around, really nice guy. Dalai Lamas are the head monks of the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Wikipedia notes, "Tibetan Buddhism comprises the teachings of the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Foundational Vehicle, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna. The Mahāyāna goal of spiritual development is to achieve the enlightenment of Buddhahood in order to most efficiently help all other sentient beings attain this state. The motivation in it is the bodhicitta mind of enlightenment — an altruistic intention to become enlightened for the sake of all sentient beings. Buddhahood is defined as a state free of the obstructions to liberation as well as those to omniscience. When, in Buddhahood, one is freed from all mental obscurations, one is said to attain a state of continuous bliss mixed with a simultaneous cognition of emptiness, the true nature of reality. In this state, all limitations on one's ability to help other living beings are removed."
"Thus, although Buddhas possess no limitation from their side on their ability to help others, sentient beings continue to experience suffering as a result of the limitations of their own former negative actions."
Buddhism is a false religion. It is the opposite of Christianity, in which we know we are wretched human beings, can never do anything to resolve our depravity, and are of no help to anyone, in addition to being an abomination to God. It is HIS work on the cross that allows us the opportunity through His grace and mercy to be forgiven. When one believes on Jesus by faith and seeks forgiveness through repentance, He will transform us into living creatures, sanctified for every good work. Apart from him, there are no good works. (Psalm 14:1). Unless the Dalai Lama repents to Jesus, he will go to hell when he dies.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:4-10). [emphasis mine]
Dalai Lama wrote on Facebook yesterday,
"All the world's major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness can and do promote inner values. But the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate. This is why I am increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion altogether."
HuffPo noted that "The Los Angeles Times notes the 77-year-old Buddhist monk was by no means "denouncing faith," but rather highlighting the need for a universally shared ethos that is rooted in compassion and is relevant in this modern age. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the Dalai Lama has long been a vocal advocate for compassion, religious tolerance and the need to bring together science and spirituality in the face of modern suffering."
Dalai Lama argues that secular ethics are more important when it comes to dealing with the problems in today's world than organized religion. When he says secular ethics, he means science. Are we finally at that place where religion is deemed irrelevant and science tells us that we are our own gods? Almost. During the Tribulation, the one world religion the Dalai Lama hopes for will "flourish" for three and a half years. But after that, the antichrist will crush the religion and demand that the world worship him. (Revelation 13:15).
All religions are dead, except for those who follow Jesus. We are not in a religion but instead have a relationship with the Messiah. Religion is increasingly irrelevant in this world because they don't work.
They don't work because people are dead in their sins, and nothing man does will resurrect his own dead spirit. Only Jesus, the Lamb slain for our sins and resurrected by the power of God, can revive us by sending His Spirit into us when He forgives us of our sin. How do we get our sins forgiven:? Repent! We are sorry for those sins, which are crimes against Jesus. If we ask Him to forgive them, He will.
BTW, the Dalai Lama is called His Holiness. He is known as an all-around, really nice guy. Dalai Lamas are the head monks of the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Wikipedia notes, "Tibetan Buddhism comprises the teachings of the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Foundational Vehicle, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna. The Mahāyāna goal of spiritual development is to achieve the enlightenment of Buddhahood in order to most efficiently help all other sentient beings attain this state. The motivation in it is the bodhicitta mind of enlightenment — an altruistic intention to become enlightened for the sake of all sentient beings. Buddhahood is defined as a state free of the obstructions to liberation as well as those to omniscience. When, in Buddhahood, one is freed from all mental obscurations, one is said to attain a state of continuous bliss mixed with a simultaneous cognition of emptiness, the true nature of reality. In this state, all limitations on one's ability to help other living beings are removed."
"Thus, although Buddhas possess no limitation from their side on their ability to help others, sentient beings continue to experience suffering as a result of the limitations of their own former negative actions."
Buddhism is a false religion. It is the opposite of Christianity, in which we know we are wretched human beings, can never do anything to resolve our depravity, and are of no help to anyone, in addition to being an abomination to God. It is HIS work on the cross that allows us the opportunity through His grace and mercy to be forgiven. When one believes on Jesus by faith and seeks forgiveness through repentance, He will transform us into living creatures, sanctified for every good work. Apart from him, there are no good works. (Psalm 14:1). Unless the Dalai Lama repents to Jesus, he will go to hell when he dies.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:4-10). [emphasis mine]
Comments
religon means a belief in a god, or God,and Christanity believe in God and theofore is a religon, also if christanity is not a religon, then why do churches and ministries have tax-exempt status
ReplyDeleteA common definition of religion "a collection of belief systems, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values."
DeleteAs far as tax exempt status goes, I don't know. If something is tax exempt does that mean it is a religion?
no what ive meant is that if chrisanity is not a religon why do christian minstries get religous tax-exempt status for churches and ministries
DeleteI don't know Anonymous. I can't answer that one. That is more of a tax question for the IRS, I think...
DeleteReligion has become the physical manifestation of human efforts to transform it to conform to modern day societal rules of thought. Belief and faith are the cornerstone to true spiritual enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteOK...so what do you put your faith in?
DeleteGod is true and real and his words are living and true, but to say someone will go to hell based on your own judgement is not kind.
ReplyDeleteIt is not based on my judgment. It is based on God's judgment. Anyone unrepented person who does not believe in the saving grace of a resurrected Jesus Christ will go to hell, their sins unforgiven. It is the final word of a holy God. Matthew 25:41- Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels
DeleteMatthew 25:46- "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
You are a contradiction... you somewhat respect the words of a man who commits his entire life to helping humans then you say we "can never do anything to resolve our depravity, and are of no help to anyone". Even though God stresses how much we should care about one another (outside of the old testament, atleast). And if one truely cares one would be playing a similar role to the Dalai Lama and Jesus. There are 6 billion existing humans on earth. Around 1 million are starving/in poverty. There is no reason this cannot be resolved. The attitude you express is narcissitic (you inflate the importance of how terrible of a human you are, even though God created you this way). If one was to dwell on this idea it could probably be a good reason why depression exists. People are good -we want to love and be loved; we feel compelled to help when one is hurt. Being good happens so often that our News Channels don't even talk about good deeds (because it is expected of everyone!) Yes, realistically some are going to be terrible and do terrible things(we are offended and hurt by those people), how much guidance/control did they really have? Anyways. weather or not we are an abomination, God made us this way. So suck it up and stop giving excuses to support how pathetic and helpless we are, we already know we are! Lets jump on the wagon and do what we can to make things better! GEEESH. Also, saying someone is going to hell just because you know the criteria (Bible based) does not mean that it is so. Don't you think Gods judgement is more complex than that? He puts us in certain situations to test us, right? Then Gods judegement is probably circumstancial. The men who wrote the Bible clearly could not understand God and His complexity(and could not have possibly written it perfectly), not to mension that the Bible (in our language) has many interpretations, what were the interpretations of the Bible before we translated it into a thousand languages and decided on our own interpretations-there is no reason not to beleive that the Bible, is in some way.. incomplete. Which is why we have our personal relationships to compensate for what is missing. Not to be rude, but i will loose interst in this conversation if there is more written than what I have done. Just like you might have. So lets keep it short, I want to listen, i just don't want to read bricks of words that are justification from the many interpretations of the Bible. What does your REASON say?
ReplyDeleteThe biblical understanding of God's wrath is not complicated nor is it circumstantial. It is global. Anyone anywhere at any time not believing by faith in Jesus Christ is under God's condemnation. Period. (John 3:18).
DeleteIsaiah 64:6 says that all our works are filthy rags. If anyone not in Jesus performs a kind act it is nice for that person but doesn't get him anywhere with God. God doesn't accept it and doesn't count brownie points towards it in your account.
Dalai Lama can be as nice as he can be, but on the last day, he will the one to whom Jesus declares-
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
As far as your not so subtle hint that I am loony and irrational because I believe the bible- my REASON says that I have nothing to commend me to enter heaven. Only by the blood of Jesus can I do so.
I want you to know clearly that I was raised an atheist and spent 43 years never going to church. My REASON, however, said that the earth could not have come together out of chaos. my REASON says DNA did not happen by evolution. The progression of the planets in their orbits and the seasons going apace didn't happen by chance, my REASON tells me. My REASON told me just by opening my eyes and seeing the world that there had to be a Creator.
My REASON told me that I am not a very nice person and why should I go to heaven. Eternity was written upon my heart and REASONABLY these things bespeak of a higher power.
Then Jesus saved me and now I understand. My REASON says the following:
--God made the world
--God is holy and perfect
--we are not holy nor perfect
--the twain will not meet in the afterlife unless something happens
--that something is Jesus.
Your reason knows this too. The bible says in Romans 1:18-19,
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
You see the same earth as I do. You understand how DNA works as well as I do. You SUPPRESS what God has already shown you, in your UNREASON. Do not justify your sin by a false pride in supposed intellect. What you are actually doing is being irrational.
Anonymousto say someone is good is very relative good compared to what standard? what is Good?- how do you define that?
DeleteI love it how everyone thinks they know the answers. If I am human in which I am and I don't know the answers then I promise you that you don't know the answers. Live in doubt. Doubt is humble. Thinking that you know the answers to life after death and judgment day creates argument and disagreement. Saying god will cast you to hell if you don't believe is just another belief. It doesn't mean it's true. Unless you have spoken directly to god in which I know you havnt then you don't know. The world is screwing up because people think they know the answers when they don't.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have faith in the Gospel (Jesus lived as fully and & fully God on earth, a sinless life, was killed on the cross for our sins, and rise again to reign from heaven, and to return one day to judge the living and the dead) THEN God sends the certainty. It is all true.
DeleteThe certainty is the Holy Spirit in us, which is God dwelling in us and it is He which gives us the knowledge of the Lord via the bible. We know that we know that we know. Living in doubt is stupid when you know the truth. There is no need. I pray someday you come to knowledge of the truth also, not just belief, but after belief comes truth.
John explains it here in 1 John 3
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,d and Gode in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.