World Religions in a Nutshell (16 page)

You:
How are you doing morally in this life?

Ravish:
I’m doing very well, sir.

You:
Ravish, let’s see if you will come back as a prince or as a cockroach. Do you think you are a good person?

Ravish:
Yes. I believe that I’m a very good person.

You:
How many lies do you think you have told, in your whole life? I don’t mean “white” lies. I mean real lies.

Ravish:
One or two. Maybe three or four.

You:
So, what do you call someone who tells lies?

Ravish:
They are called liars. But everyone tells lies.

You:
Have you ever stolen anything, in your whole life, even if it was small?

Ravish:
Yes. Little things. When I was a small boy.

You:
What do you call someone who steals things?

Ravish:
They are called a thief.

You:
Have you ever used God’s name in vain?

[You will more than likely find that American culture—particularly Hollywood—has made biblical blasphemy universal.]

Ravish:
Yes, sir, I have.

You:
God gave you your eyes to see the beauty of His creation, and ears to listen to good music. He gave you taste buds to enjoy all the wonderful foods He has made. He lavished His goodness upon you, and yet you have taken His holy name and used it as a cuss word to express disgust. That’s a very serious crime in His eyes—it’s called “blasphemy.”

Ravish:
Yes, sir. I know that it’s wrong.

You:
Jesus said, “Whoever looks upon a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Have you ever looked at a woman with lust?

Ravish:
Yes, I have done that, very many times.

You:
Ravish, you’ve admitted to me (and I’m not judging you) that you are a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, and an adulterer at heart; and you have to face God on Judgment Day whether you believe He is personal or not. The Bible says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. They will end up in a place called “Hell.” Also, no thief, blasphemer, or adulterer will enter Heaven.

Ravish:
I believe that Hell is here on earth. Actually, I believe in karma.

You:
If I stood in front of a judge and said, “Judge, I know that I am guilty of murder, but I don’t believe in the electric chair,” my unbelief doesn’t change anything. And there is no reincarnation. The Bible says, “It is appointed to man once to die, but after this, the judgment.” So, does it concern you that if you died right now and God gave you justice, you would end up in Hell forever?

Ravish:
Yes, it certainly does.

You:
Do you know what God did, so that we wouldn’t have to go to Hell?

Ravish:
No, I don’t know what He did.

You:
God became a morally perfect human being and gave His life as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. We broke God’s
Law (the Ten Commandments) but because Jesus paid our fine on the cross 2,000 years ago, God can dismiss our case. He can forgive us, and commute our death sentence. He can let us live.

The Bible says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God proved His great love for you through the cross. Then Jesus rose from the dead, and defeated the power
of the grave. Ravish, if you repent and trust the Savior, God will forgive your sins and grant you everlasting life. Does that make sense?

Ravish:
Yes, it does.

You:
Ravish, where would you go, according to the Bible, if your heart gave out and you died right now?

Ravish:
I guess I would go to Hell.

You:
You are right. All liars will have their part in the lake of fire. No thief, blasphemer, or adulterer will inherit the Kingdom of God. What are you going to do about it?

Ravish:
I will ask God to forgive my sins.

You:
That’s right. Repent, and trust in Jesus. When are you going to do that?

Ravish:
I have been doing it while we have been speaking.

You:
Ravish, thank you for listening to me. I have a booklet I would like to give you called “Save Yourself Some Pain.” It will help you grow as a Christian.

Buddhism

With about 375 million adherents, Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. There are only about 1.5 million Buddhists living in the U.S., so their beliefs may not be very familiar to you.

It is the dominant religion of the Far East and is becoming increasingly popular in the West, especially among movie stars. Many of us associate Buddhism with celebrities like Richard Gere, monks dressed in orange, and, of course, the most famous of all Buddhists, the Dalai Lama.

Buddhism appeals to many because it promotes non-violence and tolerance, and offers a moral life of peace, tranquility, and enlightenment—all without any accountability or obligation to a God. It may sound odd, but God has as much place in Buddhism as in atheism—yet both belief systems are considered religions. The Buddhist’s view of God is explained in
A Basic Buddhism Guide:

There is no almighty God in Buddhism. There is no one to hand out rewards or punishments on a supposed Judgment Day. Buddhism is strictly not a religion
in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being
.
²⁴

Over its long history Buddhism has developed into a wide variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and worship of deities to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. But all share in common a great respect for the teachings of the Buddha, “The Enlightened One.”

Background

Buddhism was founded around the 5th century B.C. by an Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama. According to tradition, the young prince lived an affluent and sheltered life until a journey during which he saw an old man, a sick man, a poor man, and a corpse. What he observed was that nothing lasted—people desired to hold on to life, health, possessions, and each other. But all these things pass away, which causes suffering.

Troubled by these scenes of human pain and suffering, on his 29th birthday Gautama left his wife and infant son on a search for truth and the meaning of life. After wandering for six years, and experimenting with yoga, asceticism, and near starvation, Gautama sat beneath
a tree and vowed not to move until he had attained enlightenment.

Days later, the 35-year-old prince felt he attained understanding and arose as the Buddha—the “Enlightened One.” He spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching the path to liberation from suffering (the
dharma
) and establishing a community of monks (the
sangha
).

In the 2,500 years since the Buddha’s enlightenment, Buddhism has spread over many countries, split into numerous sects, and adopted a wide variety of beliefs, practices, rituals and customs. It has evolved into three main philosophies, or schools:

^■
Theravada
(the “Doctrine of the Elders”) represents approximately 38% of the Buddhist population. Theravada is the closest to the original atheistic philosophy.

^■
Mahayana
(the “Greater Vehicle”) represents approximately 56% of Buddhists. Over the years, Mahayana has accommodated many different Asian beliefs and now worships Buddha as a god.

^■
Vajrayana
(also known as Lamaism or Tantrism) represents the remaining 6% of Buddhists. Vajrayana has added elements of shamanism and the occult.

Some groups may involve more animistic superstitions than others. Many participate in idol worship, the veneration of the spirits of dead ancestors, and ceremonial rituals to appease evil spirits. The beliefs, practices, rites and ceremonies, customs and habits of Buddhists can vary in different countries, making them especially difficult to define. The following is just a sampling of some of their views on the important topics of God, the afterlife, and salvation.

Scriptures

There are a large number of religious texts and scriptures in Buddhism. The
Sutras
are considered to be the actual sayings of Buddha. The
Tripitaka
is one of the earliest compilations of Buddhist teachings. Over the years, many new observations were added until today it consists of up to 50 volumes—and it’s more than 10 times larger than the Bible. The collection is also known as the Pali Canon and is considered sacred by some.

Other texts consist of observations on the Sutras, compilations of quotes, histories, grammars, etc.

Who Is God?

One doctrine agreed upon by all branches of modern Buddhism is that “This world is not created and ruled by a God.”
²⁵
The idea of a personal, loving Creator who interacts with people is foreign to Buddhists. It is thought that Siddhartha Gautama rejected theistic beliefs because he had difficulty reconciling the reality of suffering, judgment, and evil with the existence of a good and holy God.