Just like Martin Luther King, Jr. learned much from Gandhi, so some have suggested that Jesus learned from the Buddha. A few coincidences make this theory plausible. Firstly, Jesus' life story has a serious gap in it. We see Jesus at birth, when he is a tween and not again until his ministry begins when he is grown man. His story has plenty of time for him to travel by foot or by treacherous sea to India.
The problem is there is nothing we know of that would compel Jesus to do this. One could argue that God told Jesus to go and guided Jesus to the correct person in India, but there is no record on either side of the Indian Ocean to suggest this.
What is more likely is that people have seen the commonalities between Jesus and Buddha and taken it to mean they must have been of one mind. Some have seen this coincidence and thought it proves they were after the same peace, the same God.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Did Jesus Smoke?
Tobacco is a new world crop, so if Jesus did smoke, it wasn't tobacco. There is the possibility that Jesus used marijuana, but even then it wasn't likely in a bong or a pipe or even a joint. Some have even suggested that Jesus' healing was actually a numbing from using cannabis infused oils to anoint those he healed.
Many people ask this question to get a sense as to whether Jesus would condone smoking. There is no evidence that Jesus would call smoking sinful except that smoking often hurts others and can be inconsiderate.
Many people ask this question to get a sense as to whether Jesus would condone smoking. There is no evidence that Jesus would call smoking sinful except that smoking often hurts others and can be inconsiderate.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Did Jesus write?
In Ben Franklin's Autobiography, he tells his readers that if they would like to be humble to see Socrates or Jesus as examples. The irony of his statement, probably not lost to Franklin, is that neither of those gentlemen wrote a word of their own story.
Jesus almost certainly knew how to write as many stories have him interpreting the scriptures. In another story he makes marks or writes in the dirt in front of him. If Jesus knew how to write, why didn't Jesus write down his own story rather than let others write it down for him.
Perhaps Jesus didn't see the point of his ministry to be canonized instruction. Or perhaps Jesus was afraid that writing down his own story might lend too much authority to the words and close the door to interpretation.
Or maybe Jesus knew what Franklin knew, humility demands that you not write down your own story.
Jesus almost certainly knew how to write as many stories have him interpreting the scriptures. In another story he makes marks or writes in the dirt in front of him. If Jesus knew how to write, why didn't Jesus write down his own story rather than let others write it down for him.
Perhaps Jesus didn't see the point of his ministry to be canonized instruction. Or perhaps Jesus was afraid that writing down his own story might lend too much authority to the words and close the door to interpretation.
Or maybe Jesus knew what Franklin knew, humility demands that you not write down your own story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)