Religions

At this writing, late spring 2012, a patient lady, Suu Kyi, has been freed from house arrest that lasted for 21 years.  She traveled to Oslo, Norway where she received the Peace prize that had been announced for her two decades earlier, but she was forbidden to travel, from her military controlled homeland, Myanmar.   A visitor said on seeing her: There are so few people in the world willing to sacrifice everything for justice and peace.  She’s in the same league as Nelson Mandela.  Her husband, Buddhist scholar, Michael Aris, was not alive to see her.  He died of cancer in 1999.  Her forced seclusion continued.  In receiving her Peace Prize after so many years she used: . . . key precepts from her Buddhist faith, particularly two forms of suffering: being forced to live apart from loved ones, and being forced to live among those one dislikes . . . The reader is deeply moved by the words of this woman of excellence, ideals and conviction.  Her words and sacrifice will live for good to the future of mankind on earth.  Universal truth is a part of human life.

What is the Christian interpretation of this dramatic experience, whether for her, or in a similar context, Nelson Mandela?  We applaud the commitment, we are warmed about the idealism, the concepts that carry a person through ordeals, and makes of them even finer persons than when they began.  These are outstanding examples of common grace and peace.  These persons function in the idealism of peace, of right (righteousness), self-denial and concern for others – even others who are yet to be born.  Here is opportunity to note first that God’s love is for all persons, and there is righteousness, whether they acknowledge God or not.  The Christian argues for and prays for God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. Those who work for that goal, consciously or unconsciously, in full information or in partial, in logic or illogic, they are the friend of God on earth, and the friends to their neighbors.  If humanistic religion (orientation) arrives at the same conclusion about how we ought to live in society, we acknowledge the universal meaning of truth to peace, to full natural life in freedom, as God is no respecter (divider) of persons.  God created mankind to function well at the beginning.  The illusive ideal remains for us.

This can be true and separate from the redemption of Jesus Christ, which the Christian believes is the only admission to the ultimate Kingdom of God.  Jesus offered the only way for us.  The disciples confirmed that way, ancient Israel prophesied the Messiah of God, and Scripture declares finality.  For God there must be no competition, and no sophisticated religion appears to feel, down deep, that there are many avenues to God’s immortal awards.  Christians need not be dogmatic about any other position than their own.  They believe Christ is the way and they stay with that to the point of telling the world that this is the way to God and life immortal.  There is no attempt to argue, to force any faith, to take a superior attitude about others and their ideas.  The duty is declaration.  There is no reason to believe Christianity will be proved by any natural system, or even with a flood of converts to Jesus Christ.  It is a matter of personal faith, and ought to be permitted to rest there.  We have the word of a perfect Gentleman, Jesus Christ.

Does God provide a second chance for heroic persons, for uninformed, for sincere pagans of the world?  We have no answer to that except that God has not informed us through Scripture if there is, and he informs us not to judge others.  That must mean also that we maintain the positive – that Christ died for the redemption of all, and that those not admitted to his sheepfold are in negative circumstances.  The gospel creates an enormous sense of humility and peace.  Gospel concern leads to mammoth effort by the Church during the last two thousand years to send missionaries and evangelists into the world – first for conversion, and then for education and service to mankind, to improve life in the natural context and prepare for the context to follow.  The Christian knows the love and compassion of God.  If there is a way in eternity to recover those outside the Kingdom of God, we do not know of it.  This is not our concern, and we are informed not to make judgment.  Evaluation is left to God.  Christ descended into death to speak to the dead.  What did he say?  Christians admit hell because Jesus did.  Mystery is a major Christian theme.