Sunday, January 24, 2010

Huston Smith: Christianity

1) What is the Christ of Faith?
Christ is believed to be God in human Form. He can be scrutinized in three parts: what disciples saw Jesus do, what they heard him say, and what they sensed him to be. Jesus was able to do miracles or deeds that went against the law of nature, however he didn't utilize them to populate his belief but performed quietly, apart from the crowds. The reason he was and still is so influential is that Jesus went about doing good, which is thought as how divine goodness would behave if it were to manifest itself in human form.
Even though a similar form of many Jesus's teachings could be found in any other document, his words were especially strong and moving for two reasons. his language was powerful even aggressive in a way so that words could be imprinted in people's minds, shown in such quotes as "If you hand offends you, cut if off" or "If your eye stands between you and he best, gouge it out". the second feature that makes his language so appealing is that he invited them to see things differently rather than telling them what to do or what to believe, meaning he spoke of things that were very much a part of his hearer's worlds, instead of difficult abstract ideas.
the contents that conveys his ideology were astonishing. We are told that we are not to resist evil by him but to turn the other cheek, even though the world assumes that evil must be resisted by every means available. they all are totally unconventional and difficult to follow, however these have been making the world better.
the two most important points he emphasized were God's overwhelming love of humanity and the need for people to accept that love and let it flow through them to others. the word Compassion would encompass those two points. Be compassionate to others regardless of their classes is the the teaching. Another reason that his words still prevail so broadly is that he not only taught them but also lived them.

2) What is the Good News?

the translation of the Good news would be Gospel in Jerusalem and the logo (Fish) indicated for Christian underground meetings where the Good news were preached when they were persecuted out open. a lot of people found themselves incapable of understanding Christian theology unless they saw lives that had been transformed completely by the Good news preached by Jesus' disciples; they were equipped with compassion and joy yet ridden of burdens. Early Christians had mutual regard, neglecting social barriers. The conventional barriers of race, gender and status meant nothing to them. Even though majority of Christians were not wealthy nor powerful and faced by more adversity than others, they found joy in their lives, feeling that God loved them. God's Love and Christian teachings also unburdened fear including the fear of death, guilt and self concern.

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