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I know what Buddha means. Of course, Christ was THE Enlightened One. I have a problem with representing Him as a founder of a pagan religion. That is what is blasphemous. Since Christ also preached equality of men and social justice, let's portray Him as a Communist. Since Christ preached judgement, let us also portray Him as a fire-breathing monster. I think you get the point...

No, I don't. He's not being protrayed as a founder of a pagan religion. He's being potrayed as a Man praying in the way common to those cultures. There's a difference. I think I once saw in a book pictures the early Roman Christians painted or otherwise made of Christ in a pose like that of Apollo. I don't think that's blasphemous, and apparently, neither did they.

Atheists, Agnostics, non-Christians may do good, but it won't get them to Heaven. We get to Heaven by Faith, Grace and mercy. We do a disservice to people when we pretend that all paths lead to the same place.

Works won't get them into heaven. Christ will.

Really? I thought we had to believe in Jesus Christ; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life in order to be saved. I wasn't aware of another way. This, of course, excludes those who through no fault of their own, don't know the Gospel.

And who says all of the people you're talking about have heard it? I'm at least willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. There are many people, Hindus, Buddhists, and others, who haven't heard the Gospel. Even when they have, they haven't been convinced of it, either by the theology itself or the witness of that religion's adherents. Do we now believe that anyone who's ever heard of Jesus in any way is now bound to follow Him, no matter what, even if they don't believe out of lack of conviction or something, or otherwise endure eternal damnation?

It's not that there is another way. There is only One Way. You preach the Gospel to as many people as possible; let Him do the rest.

Portraying Christ as an Indian is fine. As stated above, I have a problem with portraying Him as a Buddha. Buddhism is a religion, not culture.

In some ways, you cannot separate culture and religion. It is a part of the culture to pray in the lotus position. It is part of the culture to seek "enlightenment". I will say for now that Buddhism is a religion (although I don't see it exactly this way), but that doesn't automatically mean that everything that ever went along with it, and passed into the culture, is evil.

Because you disagree with me doesn't mean I don't understand what I'm saying.

Relax. I know you understand what you're saying. I'm saying that you may not fully understand Eastern culture. "Columcille" is a very Irish name. Let me assure you, there is a world of difference between European/North American culture, and Eastern culture. I happen to live in both, so I understand it in a way not too many others do. If you disagree with what I am saying, that's your prerogative, and I won't deny you that. But you seem to also be disagreeing with my experience with Eastern culture, and that's kinda strange...it probably sounds the same as if I were to tell you what it means to be Irish.

Forgive any offence I've caused you.

Dear Qathuliqa,

Basically, I think we both need to take Columcille and his wife out on the town for some good, spicy Indian food, don't you?

I think he just needs to be loosened up a bit .

I had that done to me some time ago - and I've not been the same since, mercifully . . .

In Ukrainian, a "Buddha" can be translated as the "dog-house."

So it's term that I'm quite familiar with in more ways than one.

Alex

Mor Ephrem-

I don't have time to reply in a manner I would like to. But a couple points, if I may:

If one has heard the Gospel, they are bound by it. It doesn't matter if they don't believe it. They are sincerly wrong. Scripture is clear. You aren't arguing with me.

I'm not claiming to be a cultural scholar. I know that there is much in Christian practice and custom that is pagan in origin. There are just certain things I feel uneasy about, that's all.

God bless,

Columcille

>>>Basically, I think we both need to take Columcille and his wife out on the town for some good, spicy Indian food, don't you?<<<

I LOVE Indian food. There is a place we go to for lunch sometimes that was just voted the best Indian Restaurant in NJ. My co-worker has even said that I am an honorary Indian. He nicknamed me, Patel:D

Columcille

Dear Columcille,

You have a great sense of humour and you are not against Indian food!

I think you are ready to be a REAL Orthodox Christian now!!

God bless,

Alex

Dear Patel ,

If one has heard the Gospel, they are bound by it. It doesn't matter if they don't believe it. They are sincerly wrong. Scripture is clear. You aren't arguing with me.

So as long as one hears the Gospel, even without being convinced of its truth, one is bound to accept it? What good is it if someone embraces something they do not believe? If a Muslim spread his "gospel" to you, and you, hearing it, were not convinced, are you still bound to accept it and become a Muslim because "they" say it is the true and only way? Help me to understand where you're coming from, whenever you can.

On a lighter note, I'm glad that we can agree on a choice of food. What do you like best? And have you ever had South Indian food?

Dear Qathuliqa,

This is only connected to Eastern Christianity in a gastric sense . . .

What is better to use with hot, spicy Indian food, yogurt or cold water?

Alex

It has always amazed me how western people (specially in Britain, or the USA) are so fascinated with Buddhism, Hinduism and all those Asian religions, the New Age Movement, the Third Path, and other sects. It's clear that these people are looking for a spirirtuality that the traditional churches have lost or don't offer anymore.
I think that the leaders of the churches should start to think about this loss of spirituality and how to restore their traditional heritage.

While the interfaith prayer was taking place in Assissi (the Pope and the leaders of other religions), an unusual protest of traditional catholics took place in Belgium, people got really offended when an idol of Buddha was put in a christian altar (in Asissi). There's a large number of christians who don't like this kind of interfaith prayers, because an indifferentist conduct is not charitable (it denotes lack of charity toward the Pagans).

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Anyone who is interested in these Eastern Religions like Buddhism, Taoism, Hiduism and the like, (and really, even if you're not) should read Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future [amazon.com] by Father Seraphim Rose. It goes into detail about these religions and the hidden dangers in them. An excellent book praised by Orthodox, Catholic & ProtestAnts alike. For less that $10, you cannot go wrong with it! God Bless!

Dear Remie,

Well, one has to be careful and sensitive to people's feelings, like our friend Columcille, the Dove of the Church!

Again, Buddhism as such is really "areligious" and is silent on the subject of God/gods etc.

It even wasn't supposed to have images, but the Emperor Asoka was so concerned that Buddhism didn't "look" like the other religions in other kingdoms that he began to have Buddhas made.

Interestingly, the image of the first Buddhas under Asoka was taken from the Greek god, Apollo, from the norther Indian Kingdoms where there was a cultural influence stemming from Alexander the Great!

(Please sit down for a minute, if you are too overwhelmed at this minute ).

So Buddhism is a way of meditation that was eventually co-opted by the religions of Asia. In its origins, it really isn't a religion in the way we think of religion - it is too monistic for that. St John of the Cross and others in the West were "monists" as well.

The Buddhist master quoted in the article whose URL I listed above DID in fact say that Christians who look for spirituality in Buddhism never really understand Buddhism and, number two, don't really understand their own Christian tradition.

Basically, I think the real Buddhists have had enough of Hollywood actors sticking incense on needles into their skin and walking around with Buddhist beads telling everyone at their parties that they are Buddhists, but without knowing what they are talking about.

I think they want the Church to reclaim these misfits and get them out of their hair - the hair that hasn't been shaved off, that is.

I think that an Orthodox Christian Tibetan would maintain numerous Tibetan traditions and incorporate these into his or her private devotions and whatever the Church allows in the public liturgy - and that is as it should be.

By the way, Tibet had a large Assyrian Church and in the ninth century, during the T'ang Dynasty, there were two Assyrian Metropolitans and 20 Bishops in Tibet. We have the great Assyrian Tablet from that time that describes their way of life, their wearing the beard, praying seven times a day etc.

Some say that the miters of the Tibetan Buddhist monks come from the Assyrian tradition that was later stamped out in that area.

Alex

Dear Alex,

Were there 20 bishops in China including Tibet or in Tibet alone? I know the Assyrians had a see in Tibet, but I didn't know there were as many as 20 bishops there. Do you know how many Christians were in Tibet at the time? Thank you.

In Christ,
Anthony

By the way, Tibet had a large Assyrian Church and in the ninth century, during the T'ang Dynasty, there were two Assyrian Metropolitans and 20 Bishops in Tibet. We have the great Assyrian Tablet from that time that describes their way of life, their wearing the beard, praying seven times a day etc.

Well, Alex, if you wanted to stop the burn, you'd probably be better off using yogurt. I usually just use water because you can never have too much water, and because I'm not a fan of yogurt when it's all lumpy and mushy looking. But there is something we do with yogurt and other vegetables like cucumbers, onions, ginger, tomatoes, etc. where these items "water down" the yogurt when mixed in, and then I can't eat enough of it. But the times I have that are few and far between. Oh, and we still put chili peppers in there too, but when in the yogurt they're not too bad.

I'm hungry...

Dear Qathuliqa,

Sounds cool and funky!

Thanks!

Alex

Phil,
Help me to understand your point here? Are you implying here that Catholicism/Orthodoxy contains no more truth than Islam? That it is only because "We say" it is the truth?

David

Dear Anthony,

The Church in Tibet must have been pretty large given that reports indicated they had hundreds of priests.

This was for Tibet alone. The Assyrian Church was in China as well, in Manchuria and elsewhere.

And it was quite numerous as well, judging from the reports of the Kyivan Prince St Theodore of Smolensk who was sent to speak to the Khan in Mongolia and who wound up marrying the Khan's daughter.

The Khan was so impressed with St Theodore that he allowed him to bring Orthodox missionaries to Mongolia and China. Theodore reported that there were Assyrians in China and this is why the Khan was more or less favourably predisposed to Christian missions from Kyivan Rus'.

Theodore built Churches there and his sons, Sts. David and Constantine, who were the first Mongolian Orthodox Christians, assisted their father in this outreach enterprise.

An Assyrian priest from China visited King Edward I of England and performed a Qurbana in London. King Edward and everyone else participated in Communion because they thought that the man must be Catholic, even though he expressly denied his Church was in union with the Pope of Rome.

Queen Elizabeth the Second is herself distantly related to the T'ang Dynasy by blood . . .

So even the Mongolians had their Assyrian Church among them and they are still in India, of course, where their symbol of Christianity is simply to wear the sari on the opposite shoulder from the Hindus - and this is how they are recognized as Christians there.

Alex