tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post958351223099671615..comments2024-03-24T19:55:32.537-05:00Comments on The View from This Seat: TTT #3 God is Fully Revealed in Jesus, but the Christ is not Limited to JesusLKSeathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-1932242664636424792018-02-02T09:04:48.076-06:002018-02-02T09:04:48.076-06:00First of all, Truett, thanks for sharing your view...First of all, Truett, thanks for sharing your views in disagreement with my article. I'm sure there are others who disagree with me but have not been willing to articulate their opposing ideas.<br /><br />I must, however, disagree with you that I have espoused universalism. Christian universalism is the view that all human beings will ultimately be restored to a right relationship with God--or will be saved, in the usual evangelical terminology.<br /><br />I do believe in the universal love of God and maintain, as I tried to express in my article, that God's love is made plain primarily through Jesus Christ but that it (God's love) is not limited to Jesus of Nazareth.<br /><br />This in no way implies, for example, that people in China where God's "logos" is at least partially embodied in the Tao or that people in India where God's "logos" is at least partially embodied in "dharma" will all be saved any more than everyone who lives in Western countries where the preaching about Jesus Christ is ubiquitous will be saved. <br /><br />Affirmation of God's universal love and widespread revelation of that love in ways in addition to Jesus of Nazareth in no way implies the universal acceptance of that love.<br /><br />I take seriously the words in the first chapter of Romans: "18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21 for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened."LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-85846201567939720912018-02-02T08:42:08.250-06:002018-02-02T08:42:08.250-06:00Thinking Friend Truett Baker in Arizona makes the ...Thinking Friend Truett Baker in Arizona makes the following comments, which are in disagreement with my blog article:<br /><br />"I'm just a simple Missouri Ozark farm boy and this blog was more than I could chew or shallow. It is 'Universalism' pure and simple and oh how I wish Universalism was true! You and my brother were both foreign representatives of our church and I choose to believe that your lives counted for much more than Universalism allows.<br /><br />"Jesus taught that He was the only way to God. That seems pretty clear to me. The Scriptures also talk about two ways: the broad way and the narrow way. That implies a choice but most of the world has and is choosing the broad way. <br /><br />"I'm not clear on the meaning of John the Revelator's words, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last . . .' Having said that, I share my missionary brother's belief that God has someway made provision for the salvation of the Jewish people. Paul implies that in some of his letters.<br /><br />"Well, that my take on this blog, Leroy. Very stimulating and thought-provoking as usual but I'll keep my Ozark farm-boy mentality on this one."LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-69049359159233620942018-01-31T14:28:29.500-06:002018-01-31T14:28:29.500-06:00Thinking Friend--and fellow grad student many year...Thinking Friend--and fellow grad student many years ago--Graham Hales in Mississippi also sent the following comments by email:<br /><br />"I have traveled to many foreign countries since retirement. I saw millions of people who were not Christians, many of them had never heard of Jesus. To condemn them to hell makes of god, an awful sadist, he creates and then with no other option, condemns them to hell. So far from the Gospel Jesus."LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-30445385056188546082018-01-30T18:41:00.763-06:002018-01-30T18:41:00.763-06:00Thanks for your comments, Eric. It is indeed inter...Thanks for your comments, Eric. It is indeed interesting, and difficult, to interpret the similarities and differences between Christianity and Hinduism.<br /><br />It is my understanding that the Hindu deities, including Brahma, are manifestations of Brahman, which/who is the most transcendent deity. Then below Brahman there are the "trinity" of deities: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer). Then according to many Hindu scholars, it seems, Krishna is worshiped as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu. But then there are those who see Krishna as the supreme God, like a personification of Brahman.<br /><br />Many Asian Indians, including some Christians, have referred to Jesus as an avatar. I have a short subsection in my book "The Limits of Liberalism" titled "Is Jesus an Avatar?" (pp. 190-1) and in a footnote I refer to "Jesus the Avatar," a 1930 book by a Hindu convert to Christianity.<br /><br />Hrom the orthodox Christian point of view, though, I think that that is not a proper designation for Jesus. It is not surprising, though, that many Indians would use that terminology.<br /><br />I also found that there were a number of websites that were more positive than you about seeing the similarities between Krishna and Jesus.LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-70961092940684749442018-01-30T17:14:46.319-06:002018-01-30T17:14:46.319-06:00Thinking Friend Glenn Hinson in Kentucky sent me t...Thinking Friend Glenn Hinson in Kentucky sent me these comments by email:<br /><br />"I like that, Leroy. Indeed I published an article based on John 1:9 a number of years ago. Christ speaks as the universal Christ in John. Parallel to that is Peter’s revelation in his exchange with the Centurion Cornelius in Acts 10:34-35: 'I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.' Of course, those verses aren’t popular with fundamentalists."LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-83877326222135252192018-01-30T10:12:20.346-06:002018-01-30T10:12:20.346-06:00Well stated, Eric. That has been my observation a...Well stated, Eric. That has been my observation as well from living around Hindu people.1sojournerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08541170856645246334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-26194101122527595112018-01-30T09:57:06.246-06:002018-01-30T09:57:06.246-06:00Here are comments from Thinking Friend Eric Dollar...Here are comments from Thinking Friend Eric Dollard in Chicago, who regularly sends thought-provoking comments for posting here:<br /><br />"Thanks, Leroy, for your comments about the differences between Christianity and Hinduism.<br /><br />"A few years ago I read Hinduism by Swami Nikhilananda, who was a proponent of Vedanta, one of many versions of Hinduism. He maintained that all of the gods of Hinduism are simply manifestations of the one true God, Brahma. Modern, educated Hindus generally view these manifestations as metaphors for experiences in life. <br /><br />"One time Judy and I went to a Hindu wake at the home of some friends. The prayers were virtually identical to what one would hear in a similar, Christian setting, except for one word: Krishna, instead of Christ. A Hindu person once told me that Christ is just another avatar.<br /><br />"Although Krishna is the Hindu god of love, compassion, and tenderness, it would be unconvincing to identify Krishna with Christ. The stories of their lives are very different."LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-17423678715332070452018-01-30T07:23:22.916-06:002018-01-30T07:23:22.916-06:00Well said!Well said!Anton Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17377655010541153458noreply@blogger.com