Loving Rascal

I don't preach Christianity. I believe in Knowing Jesus because knowing Jesus is knowing God. Jesus is God's love in human form. Vivekananda said, "If I lived in Jesus' era, I would have washed his feet with my blood, and not with water." The word gospel means "the announcement of the good news of an emperor born" in Israel, as God had promised the Hebrew people. The gospels –Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John– answer the question, "Who is Jesus?" and "Why did he come?" The first question has two parts: Who does Jesus claim to be (Messianic King, Israel's Savior, and God in human form)? And, what do people consider him (Prophet, Teacher, Activist, False Messiah, Liberator)? The second question has many parts, such as, "Did he come to save Israel from Roman oppression or the power of Sin and the Devil?" "Does he save only Israel or other people groups also?" Further, "Is the salvation physical and tangible or is...

The Buddha’s teachings on morality and the universality of suffering are admirable. I agree with him that suffering is universal. I also agree that our desires and expectations cause our individual sufferings. Buddha has a way to help people accept and cope with their individual pain. However, our desires are not the cause of all of the world's sufferings. Evil and injustices of the world –diseases, terrorism, crimes, rapes, murders, and accidents– also inflict much suffering. We might say we have the choice to reject the pain of suffering. Do we really agree that if we learn to ignore the effects of the suffering, the suffering will cease? It may become bearable, but it will still not cease. Individually, we would be left with the haunting, unanswered questions, “Why does suffering exist, and why did I, not some other person, have to endure it?”   My first point of disagreement is that, though Buddha admits the universality of suffering, he doesn't really explain or addres...