Hinduism vs. Christianity

Reading about different religions is proving to be very informative.  I know a little about the other religions, but further investigation has revealed more information about them which is interesting.  It is a daunting task to try and look at other religions objectively when I am very strong in my Christian faith, so my views may not be totally objective.  I will do the best I can, however….in my analyzation of each religion.  First I will speak of Hinduism...

Notes about Hinduism:

Each person’s reality is different

If a person’s reality does not lead to happiness, it must be abandoned

God changes and adapts to circumstances

No absolute truth

Duhkha…bad space

Brahman…the Godhead, who we are to know intimately

The differential between expectations and outcomes will determine one’s amount of earthly suffering

Pleasure and Pain are very interconnected

Spiritual ignorance is the source of unhappiness

God responds to each individual based on his needs, personality, etc.

Each person may find the Truth in a different way…through study, experience, or logic.

All creation  has a soul

Reincarnation and transmigration

Religion…to be experienced

Science…to be proven

 For a religion to be reconciled with science it needs to fulfill three requirements:— 1. It must accept all proven scientific facts as true. 2. It must reject any view which is contradicted by science. 3. Its beliefs must be based on observation, logic and experience.

In studying Hinduism, I found many similarities to the Christian religion that I agree with. The biggest one is that they believe in a Godhead, who we are to know intimately. I agree that God responds to each individual based on his needs, personality, etc.  He knows our circumstances and what leads us to believe or disbelieve.  He knows what drives our actions, and His mercy is unfailing.  I also agree that pleasure and pain are interconnected.  To appreciate pleasure, one must recognize what pain is.  To feel pain, one must have experienced pleasure.  I also agree that spiritual ignorance is the source of unhappiness.  The history of Hinduism shows that from the very beginning there has been a quest for intimacy with God.  I agree with this as well.

I disagree that there is there is no such thing as absolute truth.  For those who believe in science, there is absolute truth.  In the spiritual realm, I believe there is also absolute truth.  I do not believe, as the Hindus do…that God adapts and changes according to circumstances.  I believe that God is unchanging.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He is like a rock, and a solid foundation on which to stand.

I do agree that every person has a reality that is based on his own experiences and circumstances.  The Hindus believe that if a person’s reality does not lead to happiness it must be abandoned.  I disagree with this in that I do not believe happiness on this earth is our ultimate goal.  I believe sharing the love of God with others is our ultimate goal.  Whereas that might make us spiritually happy, it does not necessarily mean that everything else in our lives is happy.

I believe that people may be led to the Truth in various ways, but I believe there is only one Truth.  I believe, as the Hindus, that they may be led by personal experience, personal study, or logic.

I do not believe that all of creation has a soul.  God set man apart, and created us in His image.  We have the knowledge of right and wrong written upon our hearts.  We have a conscience, unlike a tree or a rock.  We do not merely exist.  We were created to care for the other life on earth and to love God.  

I do not believe in reincarnation or transmigration.  This is where I cannot help but be biased in my belief.  I believe God’s plan paved the way for us to have eternal life through his son Jesus Christ.  I do not have to earn my way to Heaven or be born into other lives until I reach perfection.  My perfection was born on the cross when Jesus died for me.

Christianity is not the oldest religion…true.  That does not, however, make it wrong.  All religions have in common the searching for something more.  There is an innate sense that there is something greater than who we are. I believe that God put that desire in our hearts for intimacy with Him.

Christianity is the only religion where God came to earth in human form.  Not only this, this human, Jesus Christ, took our sins so that we might have eternal life.  Jesus said He was the Messiah.  This makes him either a lunatic, a liar, or the Son of God.  Enough people believed in Him to martyr themselves over the years.  He did miracles, and had many witnesses to those miracles.  Not only did he bring people back to life, He himself rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven.  From Heaven, He continues to heal and transform lives every day.  The life of Jesus fulfills the prophecies that were foretold thousands of years before His birth...and it all came about as the prophecies said that it would.

As far as the method goes to reconcile religion with science…

-I believe scientific facts are true.  (Saying “there is no God is not a fact because nobody can prove the non-existence of God)  I also believe that Science and the existence of God do not contradict each other.

-Again…science cannot contradict something that cannot be proven…and there is no God DNA.

-My beliefs are based on:

-Observation (creation, miracles, and life transformations in the name of Jesus Christ)…

-Logic(Jesus Christ said he was the Messiah…and He also healed people, loved people, and brought people back to life.  A lunatic or a liar would not logically be so loving as to do those things, yet lie about who he is.  Therefore His claim must be true.)…

-Experience ( I have personally received Jesus into my heart…experienced His miracles firsthand, and experienced his restoration, peace, and love…and I have seen the changes in my life as a result).

The God Challenge

So my dear son, Rob, has challenged me and given me an assignment:

 “Mom I have an interesting proposition for you and assignment for your blog here… and you can write about your findings. If your faith is truly right then you shouldn’t have any problem completing it. 

As a believer test Christianity with the same skeptical standards you use to evaluate the other faiths that you reject. For example, you don’t believe in Hinduism…. why? Why don’t you believe in this? Use that same logic and apply it to Christianity, I will be curious to see what you come up with”

I have accepted his challenge …more to come...

                                                           Cheryl A. Williams 2014

The Mother/Son God Debate

As of late, I have been in a constant debate with my dear son over the existence of God.  Even though he was raised in a Christian home, he has decided that he needs scientific proof of God's existence as well as answers from God as to why he has done all of the things he has done since the beginning of time.

This is a daunting task for me.  As a Christian, I believe 100% in the existence of God.  I don't believe for any  reason  other than He has revealed Himself to me over time...in various situations I have gone through in my life.  Not only that, His Spirit resides in my heart.  I am a changed woman because of Him.  Now, my son would say this change came about because of my inner power.  No.  This change came about because I realized how powerless I was to change my life.  In my weakness, God showed me His strength.

I cannot prove the existence of God.  This will make my son say "Aha! I told you so!"  For that, I am sad.  I wish I could prove God's existence because I love my son with all of my heart.  But what is proof to me is not the kind of proof my son desires.  He wants some kind of God DNA or something.  All I have is for proof is the beauty of Creation, the grand design that is apparent in every single living thing that exists, the miracles I have witnessed, and the lives completely transformed in the name of Jesus Christ. But for all of these things, my son has other explanations that do not point to God.

So what am I to do?  Pray.  I do believe in the power of prayer.  And I do know that if my son ever does turn to God, He will have one of the strongest advocates He has ever had.  For my son will be fierce in his belief and his love for the God that he so diligently searched for and tried to disprove.

                                                             Cheryl A. Williams, 2013

The Thin Line that Separates Church and State

Is is becoming increasingly apparent that the line that separates church and state is slowly disappearing.  It's a scary world we are living in.  We are living in a world with no boundaries...a world filled with hate and bigotry, a world where anything goes, a world where people who have deep religious beliefs are being persecuted...and even killed.  Government is slowly encroaching more and more into the lives of people, taking away our freedoms and taking away our independence. This is not really a surprise to anyone who serves God.  It is predicted in the Bible as something that will happen before the return of the Lord.

As Christians, it is important to not only love one another, but to stand up for what we believe.  There must be a balance, for one without the other will lose in this battle that is currently ensuing.  The enemy has no other desire other than to "steal, kill, and destroy"...and unless we, as Christians stand up to this evil, it will only spread. Our religious freedom is at risk here in the "land of the free and the home of the brave".  This nation "under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" is slowly disappearing.

Are you willing to stand up for what you believe?

                                                         Cheryl A, Williams, 2014

A Moment in Time

For a moment in time,

On that spring evening

When the sun’s fading light

Was casting shadows

On the green, I thought

I was imagining

Those huge doe eyes

Staring directly at me,

No fear in them, but rather

A sense of curiosity and wonder.

We stared at one another

With equal surprise,

Waiting in the stillness

As songbirds trilled,

And cicadas hummed,

And the scent of magnolia blossoms

Filled the air.

I gently pressed the shutter button

And in that instant, our connection ended.

You leaped into the woods

As trust was broken

And our moment together was recorded.

                                                           Cheryl Williams (2015)

Conquering My God Complex

I have always considered myself to be someone who was put on this earth to serve others in some capacity.  That is where I find the most fulfillment.

I have to also admit that it can be hard to remember that I am merely a servant of Him who put me on this earth.  All gifts I offer to others come directly through Him.  Sometimes he has to remind me of that, and it can be a rather harsh awakening.  I hear His still, small voice whisper to me, “Cheryl, you are not God.  I am.”  I usually hear this voice when circumstances are preventing me from helping someone the way I would like to or when circumstances are not  going the way I think they should be.  When the unfairness of life is smacking me in the face, and I am feeling out of control, that is when I realize that I cannot give beyond my time and resources.  This is when I realize, I am not God.

A person I know recently reminded me that when I try to control people and situations, even if it is for a good cause, that I am closing the door on God.  I am, in a sense, telling Him “I don’t need you.  I can do this myself.”  Sometimes the best thing we can do for others is simply “Let go and let God.”

I think of all of the life lessons that I have learned so far in my life, and they have all been the result of the lessons God has taught me.  When I step in trying to save the world by controlling and manipulating situations, I am preventing God from teaching these people valuable lessons that need to be taught.  It can be painful to watch, especially if it is someone you love.  But all of those old clichés are true.  The rainbow really does come after the rain.

When I lost my husband of 33 years, I was faced with some tough, life-changing decisions.  This was hard for me because I was not accustomed to making these kinds of decisions. I had always been the homemaker, the stay-at-home mom, the nurturer.  He was the one who took care of all of the finances.  My self-esteem was low.  My self-confidence was non-existent. 

Suddenly I was faced with cleaning out the home we had lived in for 30 years and selling it.  I was faced with worrying about funeral expenses in the midst of mind-numbing grief.  I was faced with finding a job with benefits after years of working part-time.  I was scared and I was feeling very hopeless.  I was feeling out-of-control when I had no choice other than to be in control.  In the midst of that “control”, however, I realized that I could not do it alone. When I realized that there was nobody who could “save” me from my circumstances, I cried out to God. 

He has never let me down.  Three years later, my circumstances have changed.  I have a job.  I have benefits. I got out of debt. I am paying rent and my own bills.  I bought a car and have no payments.  I have a 401K.  I have published three books, including my novel “Alone in the Crowd”.  I have lost 60 pounds.  I am exercising and eating healthier.  I still have a LONG way to go in being the person I want to be, but I know I'll get there.

I want this for others, and I need to learn that I cannot fix everyone’s situation.  I can only do what God gives me the resources and time to do.  And if God does not respond to a situation the way I believe He should, it is because He has a much better plan in mind.

Let go and let God.  I’m learning to do that…and when I stop trying to butt in, perhaps I will see some of the miracles God has in mind to help the ones that I cannot help.

                                                             Cheryl A. Williams, 2015

Smiles at Work

I love seeing people smile.  I think that's one thing I love about my job.  The people I work with are amazing.  Not a day goes by where I am not laughing or smiling at something a co-worker does or says.  Sometimes it is just a look that says it all.  We all have a commonality of experiences that we share working in a retail environment.  There are the customers who are regulars, the customers who appreciate us, and the customers who give us lots of good stories to share with each other.

For all of the aspects of my job that I don't particularly care for, I will say that my fellow team members make it all worthwhile.  They make the long days a bit shorter, and for that I am very appreciative.  It is because of this that I strive to be a positive, smiling face at my job. After all, if we can all make each other smile...the world will be a tiny bit better...:)