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From: lab@qubix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Buddhist relationship to other religions
Message-ID: <1115@qubix.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 19-May-84 03:28:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: qubix.1115
Posted: Sat May 19 03:28:58 1984
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[The bug has no respect for anyone.]

The "problem" I referred to in my previous article on this subject
centers on the difference between religion and God. Chris's view :

	"Religion ... [is a] mental construct of humans, over which we
	have (at least some) control - such as a choice to follow a
	particular religion in preference to another. At the conventional
	level, there are many different religions in the world."

presupposes that one religion is essentially as good as another, merely
taking a different view of God. But the problem is not a *different view*
of God; it is a view of a *different God*. Alan Driscoll's "ONE TRUTH,
MANY WAYS" runs directly against John 14:6 "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and
THE life; NO MAN comes to the Father BUT BY ME." The two are incompatible.

A variety of gods abound; Scripture makes reference to "gods that are no
gods." The former refers to the position that worshippers place the god
in; the latter refers to actual godhood. (Isaiah 44:8-19 brings this out.)

Christianity can well be considered a "disruption" - the Caesars certainly
viewed it as such, since the Christians would not worship Caesar as well
as their God. Rome had a different way of "expelling" offenders (munch).

I do respect people, and their views (but for the grace of God, I am as
others). I may not share the same respect for their god(s), however.
There will probably be some conflict in this.  (But not enough to keep
the various ists around here from agreeing that it is good that we get
our programs working - and working right.) What is needed is balance;
but what is too often asked is compromise. There is a difference.

The more I read about the Pope's visit with the Buddhist leaders, the
more I wonder how devoutly he holds certain views of the religion which
he heads, e.g., the Church of Rome's teaching that there is no salvation,
no access to heaven, outside of itself (I confirmed this with ex-priests).
-- 
			The Ice Floe of Larry Bickford
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