hinduism isn't a religion?

To SGB and Bhaskar - I have no idea what Jesus taught originally. (I assume however, it was based on love) My own opinion is that it is very likely that there has been much deviation, and probably, the original teachings are now lost to us.

Many early 'gonstic' texts, teachings and groups were viciously supressed by the mainstream churches in the early period and during the middle ages.

A lot of what goes by the name of christianity originates not with Jesus, but with St.Paul.

 

It does not matter BBB. We have to seperate the prejudices from the divine message. We want the divine message, we don't care about what types of prejudices people at that time may have held. We really cannot judge them either for holding such prejudices then, because we don't know Why they held on to those beliefs.
For instance in manu smriti, it is said that a woman should never be allowed to be independent because someone always has to protect her. In my opinion, this teaching was probably relevant during ancient times because then women were somewhat vulnerable, and there were alot of barbaric tribes that would loot villages and kidnap women.

It is not relevant today because things are not as bad as they used to be. Ofcourse, I would never leave the side of a woman if know if she is walking around in a dangerous neighborhood, but hordes of barbarians are not going around kidnapping women.

So the point I am trying to make is that we need to seperate prejudices from the divine message. The divine message in bible is still relevant to us and is eternal, but the prejudices they may have held may not apply to today's social situations.

 

A good friend of mine is catholic. He talks to me about God continously, and I have never seen him say anything bad about anyone or anything. He is so tolerant that he helps everyone he can thinking that he is doing the service to God.
There are so many catholics all over the world, and many of them are very tolerant. what some people in power say does not in any way account for what a million other people believe or practice. As long as these people in power are not becoming violent.

 

I think it does matter quite a lot.

What is 'the divine message of the Bible'?

According to most xians, it is that a bloody sacrifice was required by god in order for him to forgive humankind of 'original sin', and that those who don't believe will go to eternal punishment forever.
I don't think that is true now, or was true at any time in the past.

I think we can assume that people held/hold such beliefs out of fear and ignorance induced in them by preachers etc.

 

The catholic church is against gays, women, other religions, contraception - That is all in official church dogma.
It isn't a tolerant organization.
In past epochs, it was intolerant of scientists and pagans too, many of whom were burned alive to 'help' them get to heaven.
Individual catholics may depart from the official line, but it make very little difference to the thing as a whole.

 

No. They say that Jesus is the son of God, he has sacrificed himself for us and we need to believe in Him to go to God, because believing in Him will let him into our hearts and develop all good qualities.

I agree with the christians on this account. You have a very biased view of christianity in my opinion, no matter what the source of this bias, it does not account with reality.

 

Sorry Jedi, but I'm afraid you need to brush up on xian theology.

How could Jesus sacrificing himself help us? Only if you believe in the doctrine of original sin.

Try reading John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' sometime. Petrhaps he too had a biased view?
Or the works of Thaomas Aquinas - was he biased like me?
Even the letters of St.Paul.

Thomism BTW is more or less the 'official' theology of the RC church.

 

Supposed to... but I have to tell you I have met very very few Catholics who believe one hundred percent what the Church teaches...even more so now with the installation of Nazi Pope......

 

Some people see the good and ignore the bad. Some see the bad and ignore the good. Very few see the divine at play in both.

 

You have to see the consequences too of the negative attitudes of many christians, including the church.

Take Poland, where catholicism is a very powerful force. It is one of the most right leaning countries in europe, and the govt has a homophobic stance, which in turn leads to persecution of gays.
Same is true in Russia with the orthodox church.

Also with the global population set to explode, the consequences of the ban on contraception is simple insanity, given human nature.

If the bad outweighs the good in any human institution, it has to change, or it has to go.

 

Krishna consciousness - is eternal religion