Good With God - Chapter V

Good With God

Chapter V

How to be Good With God (or Respecting the Beliefs of Others)

There are similarities between the major religions such as “walking the straight and narrow” which is referred to in Hinduism as “walking the razor's edge.” In researching a similar Buddhist teaching, I came across these things:

From the Hindus:

To walk the razor's edge...

"Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path,

difficult to tread and hard to cross."

Katha Upanishad: 3:14.

From the Christians:

Straight is the gate and narrow is the way..

The Narrow and Wide Gates

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 (King James Version)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 (New International Version)

Walking the Yogic Path

By Linda Shevloff

There is a Buddhist meditation practice in

which one observes the quality of every step, when

one observes the mind at every step. It becomes

clear that at every moment is a choice. We are

constantly creating our situations. In India this

process is known as karma. The effect of what we

do in one moment can be seen as the cause of the

next one. Even in our simplest undertakings and

intentions, every step is a choice. The concept

brings home the message that we are ultimately

responsible for our own lives. Personal freedom

from the sorrows and suffering of life comes

through awareness, and conscious choice

The concept of karma is mentioned by Christ:

Matthew 7:1-2 (New International Version)

Judging Others

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

As far as Buddhist meditation, the Bible also tells us to meditate, though many overlook the fact or misunderstand it or don't consider that meditation is supposed to be part of Judeo-Christian life as well:

Genesis 24:63 (New International Version)

He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.

Joshua 1:8 (New International Version)

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1:2 (New International Version)

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 39:3

My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

Psalm 48:9

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 77:12

I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Psalm 119:15

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Psalm 119:23

Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate

Psalm 119:27

Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.

Psalm 119:48

I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:78

May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts

Psalm 119:97

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

Psalm 119:99

I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

Psalm 119:148

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

Psalm 143:5

I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

Psalm 145:5

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

In the 60s and 70s, it became popular for Christian preachers to condemn meditation because the “hippies” were doing it and they opposed the war in Viet Nam. The churches preached “God Bless the Troops” and prayed for our boys to win and kill the evil Communists. They taught that the hippies were worshiping foreign gods and were evil.

It's true that many of the hippies were following the Dalai Lama because of The Beatles and other celebrities looking to him for the truth. What they didn't seem to realize is that what they were condemning the hippies and the Dalai Lama for were some of the very things that Christ himself taught.

Alright, so there are similarities between the major religions. That gives Christians a good place to start in respecting the beliefs of others. You can recognize that these people are religious people and worship their god or gods and compliment them on that fact as Paul did when he went into Athens:

Acts 17:22-23 (New International Version)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Alright. Now that's settled. But, how can you respect an Atheist? After all they don't even believe God exists! Shouldn't they be scorned and condemned because they don't even HAVE a belief in a God?

Think about it this way. Haven't you ever been in a situation where you have doubted that God existed? Have you ever prayed for the return of a love who has gone astray and they never returned to you? Have you ever prayed for a spouse to quit cheating only to be disappointed over and over again? Have you ever prayed for a loved one to quit drinking or quit using drugs only to be disappointed? Have you ever prayed for a spouse to quit abusing you and the abuse only got worse and worse? Have you every prayed for a sick or injured child of yours or someone close to you and the child died anyway? At those times, didn't you feel that God had abandoned you or felt that perhaps there wasn't even a God? Perhaps someone came to you and told you that these things happened because you didn't have enough faith in God or because you did something wrong against God. Similar things were said about Job, too, even though Job was not at fault for what he was experiencing. Consider how you felt at those times and you will be able to relate to how an Atheist feels about God and how an Atheist feels when you harp on him or her about being an unbeliever. Maybe you'll understand why Atheists are sick and tired of hearing about Jesus and God.

Most Atheists weren't born being Atheists. They looked at the facts, saw relatives or friends who prayed to God and who were continually disappointed, and decided that anyone who believes in an invisible entity must be missing a few brain cells. To them, if there is no evidence, it doesn't exist. Sometimes we as Christians put too much faith on God and don't do enough work of our own to make something happen and wonder why we fail. Sometimes, it would benefit us to look at some of the things we do in the light that an atheist looks at things. If things aren't working the way they should be, perhaps we need to reconsider what it is we actually believe and see if there was some flaw in our teachings or concepts we thought we had grasped. Perhaps there is a flaw in our technique or perhaps we have been depending on God to do too much in our lives. We can't always just “give it to Jesus” and expect God to do all the work. Sometimes we have to do the work ourselves.

Copyright © 2010 Cal Jennings