So, the conservative newsman Brit Hume thinks Tiger Woods should turn to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation?
I tell you what, Brit. How about if I have an affair with YOUR wife, and then I'll pray to Jesus to forgive me. And He will, won't He? You'll still be furious, maybe ready to wring my neck, but I'll be OK because Jesus will forgive me for having sex with your wife. Right?
Because that's what Jesus is there for, to forgive you Christians even when you don't deserve it. Jesus will make everything OK, even when someone like Tiger Woods is a complete jerk and destroys the lives of his wife and children.
Never mind how the wife and children feel, and whether they want to participate in this forgiveness fest. Jesus doesn't seem to care about them – all Tiger has to do is ask Jesus, and *poof*, it's all better.
And then when Tiger is absolved of his sin, maybe he'll decide he really likes Christian morals. He could follow Jerry Falwell's lead and hire a cheap hooker to take care of his needs. Or maybe be like Rush Limbaugh and get addicted to painkillers.
Or maybe, just maybe, Tiger should stick to his Buddhism, which teaches about karma and balance, and how life must be balanced. It teaches that your life will be how you make it, that if you make sadness, you have to live with it or make it right again, and if you are a good person, good will be attracted to you. In fact, maybe that's why Tiger is keeping a low profile right now, because instead of instant forgiveness from Jesus, Tiger realizes that his life is out of balance and he needs to put it back in order.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
del.icio.us
reddit
StumbleUpon
5 comments:
Dear readers -- I am no longer blogging and after leaving these blogs open for two years have finally stopped accepting comments due to spammers. Thanks for your interest. If you'd like to write to me, click on the "Contact" link at the top. Thanks! -- CJ.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Hmmm. Interesting thoughts. Would love to see what you think of this book.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.karmaofjesus.com
Thanks.
Tj - You have a very weird, and incorrect, understanding of either Jesus (which seems unlikely given your training) or Buddhism. The Christian idea of forgiveness by accepting Jesus is the opposite of karma. Christianity is very clear that in the end, accepting Jesus and asking for His forgiveness is the ONLY thing that matters. Sure, you guys preach that you should make amends and live a good life and all. But that's empty rhetoric, because the promise of Heaven, where you'll be blessed and in God/Jesus' presense for thousands, millions, and billions of years makes everthing else completely irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Christian doctrine, I can lead a perfect life here on Earth, leave nothing but good karma behind, and still be punished eternally, and I can lead a horrifyingly cruel life yet be forgiven.
That is fundamentally an immoral doctrine. Why should anybody believe in such teachings?
@Craig,
ReplyDeleteI have to say this is the thing that really bothers me about Christianity. Well ok, 2nd, after intellectual bankruptcy.
Basically Christians use "divine forgiveness" to allow themselves to feel good about any horrific things they have done and may do in the future. Apparently it is much easier than holding yourself responsible for your own actions.
Never mind how the wife and children feel, and whether they want to participate in this forgiveness fest. Jesus doesn't seem to care about them – all Tiger has to do is ask Jesus, and *poof*, it's all better.
ReplyDeleteNot quite. "Asking for forgiveness" is different from "repentance"; the Bible demands that we genuinely grieve what we've done, actively work not to do such a thing again, and inevitably try to repair the damage we've done. (cf Zacchaeus, for example). If we simply say a token "sorry", without any real conception of our wrongdoing or will to make amends, Jesus makes it clear we ain't gonna get forgiven.
It also tells us to forgive as we have been forgiven - and I'm sure that Tiger has forgiven his wife for at least something in their years of marriage.
Finally, if Tiger does repent, and does become a Christian, then his character (and behaviour) will inevitable change as he walks with God (cf John 15).
Sure, you guys preach that you should make amends and live a good life and all. But that's empty rhetoric, because the promise of Heaven...makes everthing else completely irrelevant.
Eh? What makes you think you'll get to heaven if you don't try to make amends? Jesus is clear (John 15 again) about the process of sanctification; and James lays out the hollowness of a professed faith that doesn't actually do anything.
It honestly scares me sometimes, some of the things people say. As if this life we have now doesn't matter at all, it's all just a test for the real one which even then doesnt matter as long as we say sorry to god for what we've done wrong. That is something I just cant understand and I feel could be dangerous.
ReplyDelete