Why Jesus Lost the Nomination

The proper use of money is approved by God. For example, Jesus said: "Make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous riches." (Luke 16:9) This includes contributing toward the advancement of the true worship of God, for we definitely should want God as our Friend. Solomon himself, following the example of his father, David, contributed large amounts of money and valuables toward the building of Jehovah's temple. Another Christian mandate is to give material assistance to those in need. "Share with the holy ones according to their needs," said the apostle Paul. He added: "Follow the course of hospitality." (Romans 12:13) This often involves spending some money.
What about the love of money? Paul discussed extensively "the love of money"—or literally, "fondness of silver"—when he was writing to his younger fellow Christian Timothy. Paul's council can be found at 1 Timothy 6:6-19. He commented on "the love of money" as part of his broader consideration of material things. Paul's inspired comments are useful in view of the emphasis today's culture puts on money.
Paul warns: "The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains." (1 Timothy 6:10) This text does not say that money itself is evil—nor does any other scripture. Neither does the apostle say that money is the fundamental cause of "injurious things" or that money lies at the root of every problem. Rather, the love of money can be a cause—even if not the only cause—of all kinds of "injurious things."
Christians who begin to love money are vulnerable to all kinds of problems, the worst of which is that of straying from the faith. This truth is reinforced by what Paul said to the Christians in Colossae: "Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects . . . hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5) How may covetousness, greed, or "love of money" amount to idolatry? Does this mean that it is wrong to want a bigger house, a newer car, a more profitable job? No, none of these things are evil in themselves. The question is: What is the heart attitude that makes one want any of these things, and are they really necessary?
Wholesome and well-placed desire can be constructive. It motivates us to work and to be productive. Proverbs 16:26 says: "The soul of the hard worker has worked hard for him, because his mouth has pressed him hard." But greed is dangerous and destructive. It is desire out of control.

"The love of money is the root of all evil"
or
"money is the root of all evil"

Is there a difference?

I understand that Mr.Chopra is a media personality, but this is a website for intelligent people to “engage in conversation about faith…in a way that sheds light”. I’m sorry he had to resort to a sad stand-up routine, which is insulting and dismissive of Christianity, instead of adding some real insight.

Mr. Chopra’s comments do reveal he is wholly ignorant regarding Jesus. Jesus never ran for president. When he was offered political power he refused it. (John 6:14&15)
“ Hence when the men saw the signs he performed, they began to say: “This is for a certainty the prophet that was to come into the world.” 15 Therefore Jesus, knowing they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain all alone.”
And rightly so, because Jesus knows Jehovah God’s purpose for the earth will not be realized through human governments but through God’s heavenly government.

(Matthew 6:10&11) “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”

Mr. Chopra trivializes the expression “Love your enemies”. During his ministry, Jesus Christ gave his disciples a command that could be an antidote to many of the world's ills. Jesus said: "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34) The solution to many of mankind's problems is love. When, on another occasion, Jesus was asked which commandment is the greatest, he answered: "'You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this, 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.'"—Matthew 22:37-40.

Jesus made very clear who our neighbor is through his illustration of the Samaritan.
(Luke 29-37)
“But, wanting to prove himself righteous, the man said to Jesus: “Who really is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who both stripped him and inflicted blows, and went off, leaving him half-dead. 31 Now, by coincidence, a certain priest was going down over that road, but, when he saw him, he went by on the opposite side. 32 Likewise, a Levite also, when he got down to the place and saw him, went by on the opposite side. 33 But a certain Samaritan traveling the road came upon him and, at seeing him, he was moved with pity. 34 So he approached him and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine upon them. Then he mounted him upon his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever you spend besides this, I will repay you when I come back here.’ 36 Who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man that fell among the robbers?” 37 He said: “The one that acted mercifully toward him.” Jesus then said to him: “Go your way and be doing the same yourself.”
Jesus showed us by words and deeds how to love God and fellow humans.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples how to show love for fellow humans. He said: "All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them." (Matthew 7:12) The word "men" that Jesus used here includes even one's enemies. In the same sermon, he said: "Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you." (Matthew 5:43, 44) Such love would solve many of the problems that we face today. Hindu leader Mohandas Gandhi thought so. He is quoted as saying: "When [we] shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in this Sermon on the Mount, we shall have solved the problems . . . of the whole world." Jesus' teachings about love, if applied, can solve many of mankind's ills.
Mr. Chopra also revealed his ignorance of the Bible. “Money is the root of all evil” is not what the Bible states. It is the love of money that is the problem.
(1Timothy 6:9-10)
“However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.”

Jesus has already demonstrated what kind of Ruler he would be. He has not only the power to help people but the desire as well. (Matthew 8:1-3) He is unselfish, compassionate, courageous and humble. The record of his life on earth is there in the Bible for all to read.

The more interesting question is not what kind of candidate Jesus would be, but why would a true Christian be involved in politics at all.

It is regrettable for two reasons, that Chopra trots out the old misquote about money and evil. The Bible actually says, "the love of money is the root of all evil." Money itself is neither good nor bad but only a tool of exchange. Since I expect that Chopra is quite wealthy, his misquote would seem to hit him in the center of his life and lifestyle. The second reason is that the misquote focuses on the material aspect (money) not the spiritual aspect (our relationship with money, wealth, material goods.)

Dear Dr Chopra

I'm delighted that you are now one of the panelists on the On Faith forum and I look forward to your essays on the topics posted for each weeks.

It is amusing to read how most bloggers here have completely failed to recognize the humor in your essay and the wisdom you sought to express through it.

Many years ago it was a well known American Buddhist lady, who was my spiritual teacher for a while, who told me about you. She said that I ought to work with you! However despite my great interest and profound admiration for your ideas and work, the fact that you presented Hinduism as the only supreme source of wisdom (at least that is the way I understood it since you referred only to Hindu religious texts) put me off a bit. I'm deeply respectful of the spiritual genius of Hinduism and it remains a part of my heritage. As a Christian I value the spiritual wealth of the Judeo-Christian tradition and know the areas in which it differs with the Hindu spiritual tradition and know exactly why I am a Christian by conviction and not a Hindu. One Hindu blogger suggested that my Nambudiri Brahmin ancestors probably did not know Hindu Scripture well enough, otherwise they would have converted Apostle Thomas to Hinduism rather than give up their Hindu faith to adopt Christianity. If it was ignorance that led to the conversion, blessed be the ignorance that led my Hindu ancestors to convert!

Now your development, your interest in Jesus, your immense contribution in bringing a Hindu perspective to Jesus with your new book, so that Jesus may be understood by Hindus, and from a different perspective by Christians, suddenly makes you a person I would love to meet if the chance should ever present itself! I send out this wish in the hope that it may be fulfilled in God's time and way.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter in advance!

Soja John Thaikattil
Sydney, Australia

s_j_thaikattil@yahoo.com.au

I let the voters go about their business while Chopra penned his porkified wit. Beautiful! Those are definitely the guys if anyone ever chooses to ride upon the master with his crimson mantel and glittering sword.

“Wisdom is vindicated of her children”, so why are we displaying, for all the world to see, such impeccable, such utterly enviable insight into the way we think?” Sam put it best when he told Frodo, ‘One more step and this is the farthest I've ever gone from home'.

Face it: Deepak backwards is Kapeed. And that goes for some of the rest of us, too.

Forever, for all the puny, precious people,

Formerly Me

It seems many have misinterpreted this article just as they have misinterpreted much of the bible.

If your local pastor or priest had written the article you would probably be more inclined to try to understand it.

Anyone who has actually read Deepaks books knows he is not against Jesus teachings, but seeks to clarify what he actually taught. Anyone who seriously wishes to be as true a christian as possible should welcome this new clarity.

People need to work on themselves and follow their own spiritual path, sooner or later we will all make it to the Kingdom of God, this im sure.
Those of you who claim that its all gonna be a great massacre soon are only fearful of God and are projecting that fear onto others. Either that or you are trying to brown nose your way to Heaven
, sorry that dont work.

It was Peter, a Gnostic who wrote some time in the second or third centuries something to the effect that "Man created god in his image and has worshiped that image ever since"
We assign human attributes to a divine force that no one on earth really knows or understands in the vain hope that it will assume human form.
Jesus was the son of man. A great, great Teacher but not god and no more the son of god than you or I.

I renounce the Holy Spirit.

Jacquie, Jacquie, Jacquie,

You apparently suffer from the Three B syndrome i.e. Bred, Born and Brainwashed in orthodox Christianity.

After much research by many contemporary NT exegetes, your orthodox Jesus has been reduced to the historical Jesus i.e. a simple preacher man who had no powers to heal or change water into wine and definity not part of any deity or kingdom.

Here is a Five Step Method to start your deprogramming:

Repeat the following Five times:

1. There was no physical resurrection (i.e. Heaven is a Spirit State).

2. And it therefore follows there was no ascension and no assumption.

3. There is/was no original sin. A&E were fictional characters living in mythical land.

4. And it therefore follows, baptism does not erase original sin since there is no sin to erase. Limbo therefore is a non-issue.

5. Jesus was crucified but details of the deed have little historic verification.

How sad that a person like him with influence on society was given the "right" to disparage the Name that is above ALL NAMES ~ The KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS.

How dare he take his position to voice such untruths and get away with it ~and how dare he write such a column without even having his "facts" straight.

A person who does NOT know Jesus Christ personally does NOT in my opinion have a right to voice their opinion what our Savior would do in ANY circumstance.

Actually Jesus DID NOT run for PRESIDENT ~ HE was ALREADY crowned the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Jesus did NOT say that "money was the root of all evil" he said that "THE LOVE OF MONEY" was ~ because then people would compromise their principles to do whatever it took to have it.

and he did not say to not resist evil ~ HE SAID, to resist the devil and he would flee from us ~

and on and on I could go ~ but how sad that a man like this would have a platform to disparage the NAME THAT IS ABOVE ALL NAMES ~

We need to pray for him.

I'm not too sure that a certain "christian" way of thinking is actually good. One can take the point of view that there are no evil people, but that the system somehow makes them evil, or puts them in positions where they will do evil, just by virtue of being who they are, rather than consciously wishing to do evil.
But where does responsibility for evil events go then? To the system, i.e. everyone? This would make everyone evil.
Hence, forgiving one's enemies can in itself be extremely evil, if viewed as understanding their evil as a product of the environment, circumstances, being misguided or nature.

How sad that a person like him with influence on society was given the "right" to disparage the Name that is above ALL NAMES ~ The KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS.

How dare he take his position to voice such untruths and get away with it ~and how dare he write such a column without even having his "facts" straight.

A person who does NOT know Jesus Christ personally does NOT in my opinion have a right to voice their opinion what our Savior would do in ANY circumstance.

Actually Jesus DID NOT run for PRESIDENT ~ HE was ALREADY crowned the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Jesus did NOT say that "money was the root of all evil" he said that "THE LOVE OF MONEY" was ~ because then people would compromise their principles to do whatever it took to have it.

and he did not say to not resist evil ~ HE SAID, to resist the devil and he would flee from us ~

and on and on I could go ~ but how sad that a man like this would have a platform to disparage the NAME THAT IS ABOVE ALL NAMES ~

We need to pray for him.

Did you write this Deepak? If so it is very good political comedy. I enjoyed it. Showed another side to your writing abilities. Quite comedic, your witticism is dashing.

Peace,

Question everything.

John A. Lockley,

Words from Paul??? Actually, most contemporary NT exegetes believe after exhaustive research that the epistles to Timothy (and Titus) were not written by Paul but by "wannabee" Pauls. See Father Ray Brown's analyses in his 878 page book, An Introduction to the New Testament pp. 639, 654, 673,
an excerpt:

"Authenticity: Probably written by a disciple of Paul or a sympathetic commentator of the Pauline heritage several decades after the apostle's death. "

See also Professors Crossan and Reed's book, In Search of Paul and Professor Bruce Chilton's book, Rabbi Paul.

Talk about bringing the darkness into the light?

I agree with the overall message of the article. Christ does thinkdifferently from mankind. However, Jesus would have never said that "Money is the root of all evil."

But, He would have agreed with what the Apostle Paul wrote to his friend Timothy:

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (I Tim. 6:10, NKJV).

Actually, money is neutral. Our love of money is what gets us into trouble : - )

Deepak Chopra, I find what you say on this blog very clever and a lot of fun. Thank You Oh yes, If indeed Jesus returned whether to run for pres or not he will be crucified for his ideas, ideals and philosophy as he was before.

Anonymous,

Sadly, you have been trapped by your superstitions. You can't imagine how we could be unafraid because you can't imagine not being afraid yourself. So sad. But all you have to do is let go of the ghost stories that haunt you and they will fall away like the illusions they are. There is no hell. There is no judgement. There is no God. It's all just a terrible, frightening story. A grim illusion. A bad dream. Let it go and you'll be fine. Trust me, I'm fine, and the rest of the non-superstitious people here are fine too. It's going to be OK. You're going to be OK. Just let go.

Anon, Anon, Anon whomever you are,

Your bible thumping and threats of hell are, to say the least, amusing.

their were parties together before mistake.(bk)
well coined story ,u can not undrestand sprit by flesh deepak.
u do not know otherside or u are making money
by opposition of a great man.
i think u have no practicals in jesus teaching.
if jesus has to run presidential election he would have become king of the jews when ben hur offered him with his army.
deepak u belong to koran how u can undrestand jesus with koranic eye,yes u can undrestand allaudin.
i too as jesus wish not to reveal the secrets in parables before its opt.

JB.

Repent....repent....repent.....repent....repent!!!

For what.....for what.....for what??????

God, you people are scary!!!!

"I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I've seen love conquer the great divide"

U2, When love comes to town

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH81Klu1FAw

As an intellectual fundamentalist Christian (yeah, I know, go figure), I found the post amusing in places, challenging in places, and incorrect in places. Dr. Chopra is not making fun of Jesus; he is making fun of the U.S. electorate (in particular, those who call themselves Christians, both Dems and Repubs). Truthfully, we deserve a bit of ridicule.

My take is that IF Jesus wanted to run for President, He would run as an independent and easily win, for the following reasons:
1) He was born about 2000 years ago, making him far and away the most experienced candidate.
2) He founded and runs a worldwide organization of several billion people, which has changed the entire course of history, despite the gross incompetence (not to mention malfeasance) of many of His followers.
3) Being omniscient, He could promise to tell us how to get totally green power generation, thus solving all of our energy and global warming issues.
4) Being omnipotent, He could eliminate all crime and war, thus saving us a bundle on police and defense.
5) Being the Great Physician, He could eliminate all disease, so we wouldn't need either private or nationalized health care.
6) On welfare, He would implement with perfect wisdom the contrasting Biblical policies of "let every man bear his own burden," "bear one another's burdens," "if a man will not work, then let him not eat," and "if anyone does not take care of his own, then he is worse than an infidel."

However, Jesus would eventually have to suppress a rebellion against His presidency, for the following reasons:
1) He would insist that sinners be forgiven, no matter how many times they've sinned.
2) However, He would insist that forgiven sinners "go and sin no more."
3) He would define marriage as between one man and one woman for life, and would outlaw all extra-marital sex, all pornography, and all divorce.
4) He would outlaw drunkenness, gluttony, lewd speech and dress and behavior, gambling and every other sort of greed, cursing, name-calling, back-biting, gossip, lying, and every kind of violence.
5) He would show favoritism by appointing only His faithful followers to positions of authority, and then would alienate any who breached His trust by severely punishing them.
6) He would not allow people to foist on others the nurturing of their children or the care of their aged parents, nor would He allow minor children to disobey their parents (or authorities designated by the parents, such as teachers).
7) He would outlaw abortion.
8) He would outlaw selfish overconsumption, such as too many pets, too much meat, too many clothes, gas-guzzling cars, oversized houses, most spectator sports, etc.
9) He would insist on being President of the entire world, not just the U.S.
10) And most critically, Jesus would offend all non-Christians and all mamby-pamby Christians by insisting that He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," and that "no one comes to the Father except through Him."

It's the "Love of money" not "money" is the root of all evil.

There is so much to dispute but what sticks out is his misinterpretation of money is the root of all evil. What is meant is the love of money- in other words lying ,cheating,stealing and anything unlawful to justify making money. There is nothing wrong with money itself, we all need money in this society to live our daily lives.I would hope in the future he would study the correct translations as not to mislead the American public. Resist not evil? In no way, I believe, does it imply we should not defend ourselves. As far as running for President, because of the amazing teachings and miracles, many times they tried to make Him their king. He walked away every time.

I believe, fear is the point where I begin to learn something new. I don't fear your statements. I've traveled the road of having "solved the mystery of this existence" several times from different angles. I've used insults and taunts to show how great I was to have solved this mystery.

But, each time I have been humbled like when Krishna told Indra that the ants were all former Indra's.

So, as you throw your lightning bolts at the "idiots who don't listen", I tell you:

Love.

Now that Hillary/Obama are headed for the White House, and the country has decided that we don't want a leader with Christian Conservative underpinnings, the Religious Right are out in droves, making a desperate last ditch effort to be heard, reaching deep into their dogmatic pockets to play their trump cards of "hell-and-damnation-if you don't think like me", and "Jesus is coming and then you will be sorry, for in Heaven their will be topless photos of Ann Coulter and it won't be a sin to look at them", and " there is a special deep hole in Hell for tree-hugging Prius owners who blasphemed God by believing that oil was not being continually secreted from the bowels of the earth as a gift to His children"

Arguing about religion is like dancing about architecture.........

Cheers.

CCNL,

Please read the parable again and again. Aren't you afraid that if you don't repent, there's very high probability, to the tune of 100%, that you would forever burn in hell?

I beg you, please read the parable again and again till it opens up your mind.

With respect to the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids/Virgins (Matt 25: 1-12)

Many contemporary NT exegetes after a thorough review have concluded that this parable was a later addition to Matthew's gospel and was not said by the historic Jesus.

e.g. http://wiki.faithfutures.org/index.php/164_The_Closed_Door

Gerd Lüdemann

Lüdemann [Jesus, 234] :

"The narrative is inauthentic since the semi-allegorical form derives from the needs of the community to find themselves in the parable. Furthermore the parable reflects the delay of the coming of the bridegroom Christ."

"The commentary in The Five Gospels (p. 347) notes that Luke's brief saying is reminiscent of the longer parable of the ten maidens in Matthew 25.

On the Matthean parable, the commentary observes:

This story does not have any of the earmarks of Jesus' authentic parables. it does not cut against the religious and social grain. Rather, it confirms common wisdom: those who are prepared succeed, those not prepared will fail. Consequently, it does not surprise or shock; there is no unexpected twist in the story; it comes out as one expects, given the opening statement that five of the maidens were wise and five foolish. The story lacks humor, exaggeration, and paradox: it is straightforward, unimaginative, and moralizing ..."

"Thou shalt not take The Name of The Lord in vain".

Atheists/liberals, aren't you afraid?
Deepak, aren't you afraid?

"Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said " I don't know you".

"...and the door was shut." The doors of hell will be shut and the burning would be forever.

The parable has now been exposed. Judgment is very near.

Profound this is not.

One more thing: Jesus never ran for president and doesn't have to! He is the master of this entire universe. He has always been and always will be! And all of you people who think that Mr. Chopra's comments are so amusing and right-on, remember, when the devil was kicked out of heaven a 3rd of the angels went with him. I guess we now know that that 3rd has been posting commments on this message board. You can hide behind a board right now but when Michael comes back, you will cry out for the rocks to fall on you.

Jesus refused to get envolved in worldly politics. John 6:15, 18:3

Not money, but the love of money is “a root of all sorts of injurious things". 1 Tim 6:9,10

Jesus said : “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword..." Matt. 26:52

Inscription on the United Nations Building is from the book of Isaiah 2:4... And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore...

What I find even more offensive than the writer's intellectual dishonesty, and shallow humor is the disrepect he shows for not only Jesus, but the millions upon millions who believe Jesus is the greatest man that ever lived.

The historic Jesus would have a very hard time running for any political office since any opponent would simply note the following about about him:

"My opponent, Jesus of the maybe spirit state of heaven is illiterate with only a basic background in peasantry and carpentry. He apparently suffers from "visions" and hallucinations of devils aka the demons of the demented. Some have characterized him as the "holy roller" from Nazareth, PA to a mythical character from Nazareth, Wherever, to a mamzer from Nazareth, PA. Analyses of Jesus’ background by many contemporary political scholars have concluded that only about 30% of Jesus' commentaries are authentic. The rest being embellishments (e.g. miracles made-up by his political speech writers to impress various Christian, Jewish and Pagan sects.)

The 30% that is "authentic Jesus" was plagiarized and/or borrowed from speeches of other politicians.

His supporters like followers of Luther, Calvin, Joe Smith, Henry VIII, Wesley et al also suffer from the belief in/hallucinations of "pretty wingy talking flying fictional thingie" visits and "prophecies" for profits analogous to the myths of Catholicism (resurrections, apparitions, ascensions and immaculate conceptions

Jesus would never run for anything as He owns everything and has authority and power over everything. I am sure this is a sore point to many reading this humble information but I assure you that in "due time" you will change your mind. The Bible says that "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord". Does the word "every" exclude anyone? For the first 45 years of my life that was the case but now that I am in the light it is amusing to contemplate the stupidity of anyone that pretends to live without Him. You see the Sun that warms you and feeds you, He created it. "He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous..." (Matt 5:45)

The religious right whether it be Moslem or Christian has lost its moral compass. Religion for them is nothing more than an eye for an eye. Do unto others before they do it to you, including torture, seems to be in their books. Where is the outcry against the greed,the corruption, the inhumanity, and destruction of our youth? Religion no longer saves people, it is the weapon of choice to detroy people. God bless America worn on the sleeve of this president is a mockery of Christianity, of religion.

THE LIGHTS IN THE OVAL OFFICE FLICKER, AND THE DOORS SWING SHUT AND LOCK. DISTRACTED FROM HIS MERCENARY MIKE NINTENDO GAME, GEORGE BUSH LOOKS UP TO SEE A CLOUD OF GLOWING ETHER COALESCE INTO A RECOGNIZABLE PRESENCE…

JESUS: Truthfully, George, I don’t know where to start.
GEORGE: Don’t be gettin’ on me about the Surge, cause it’s working.
JESUS: Indeed. I have reports that a real surge of Iraqi civilians has entered Paradise the past few months. And now that you mention it, yes—your war has been troubling me deeply. But it’s more than that.
GEORGE: Well, if it’s about Peter Popoff, I just ain’t making any more big donations to that guy. I practically took a bath in that holy water he sells, and it didn’t help my arthritis a bit.
JESUS: How can I put this… George, think about Satan for a moment. One of the things that makes him evil—and dangerous—is his capacity for deceit.
GEORGE: Well, of course. If he was honest and above-board in all his dealin’s he wouldn’t get very far, would he?
JESUS: I expect deception from the Devil, but when you make it the principle strategy of your presidency, it’s very disappointing. In the name of freedom, you invaded and occupied a foreign country. You condemned government spending while you authorized billions of dollars in war expenses and ran up a 9 trillion dollar national debt. The support you claimed for Education and the Environment was name-only, your real allegiance always being to wealth and big business. And especially troubling, George, is your claim to being a champion of Democracy while you covertly strengthened the Executive Office, shut out Congress, and created a Monarchy in the White House. It’s like your whole presidency has been saying one thing while doing the opposite.
GEORGE: Well, to be honest, I don’t know why you’re bringin’ all this stuff to me. It was Karl that made me do it.

This is total blasphemy. How dare you make fun of Jesus' time here on earth and God's plan of salvation!! I feel sorry for you because when Michael stands up..... Go read your bible and figure out the rest!

I think I see how this could have been smart humor if Chopra had interlaced actual sayings of Jesus. Jesus never said the latter two of Chopra's three "quotes." In Chopra's misty world, actual accuracy may not matter. It should.

The parable is now exposed.

Judgment is coming and the time to repent is now. Once that door is shut, it would be forever.
Forever in agony and no rest.

Ahh, what idiocy if you don't listen.

Deepak, aren't you afraid?
Liberal/atheist, aren't you afraid?

"Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said " I don't know you".

Are you kidding me? Mr. Chopra, please attain a greater understanding of Christianity than that which one might get from reading "Christianity for Ultra-Dummies", BEFORE getting witty about it.

friend,

Can you quote me at what exact words did I say that has too much hate? You are the one who's judging. Maybe you should look at yourself and stop acting like a "holy person" coz actually, it's you who have no idea what wrath means in the Bible.

If you don't believe in hell, you make the Lord a liar. Well that makes you one of the foolish virgins I guess.

Make your own Bible and let the Bible speak for itself.

You can't get much more wrong than this blog. I'll ignore the factual errors, such as "Money is the root of all evil," which is a gross distortion of the biblical verse "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil."

The important thing is that we've had eight years of theocracy and "faith-based" rule from the Bush regime. There is no reason to think that Jesus himself could do any better.

No, what we need now and forevermore are truth-based initiatives, reality-based initiatives.

As an aside, Jesus was not a native citizen of the U.S. Furthermore, there is much in the U.S. Constitution and the U.S.C. that contradicts his teachings, so he couldn't take the oath of office in any case.

"Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said " I don't know you".

Deepak certainly doesn't know that the Lord spoken here is Jesus Christ. How he degrades Christ in his writing illustrates he doesn't know the Lord and neither does the Lord know him.

Jesus, the Lord said " I don't know you".

Deepak, aren't you afraid?

You cannot judge other people, Anonymous, there is too much hate in your heart. You cannot interpret the Bible for everyone, everyone must find their own way.

Even if you interpret this beautiful book as you do, you should speak with compassion and not with hate.

It is possible that you, Anonymous, misinterpreted this parable. While you are content with the oil you have, others have continued to store away gallons of oil. Maybe when you wake up to this day of judgement, for all days are judgement days, your lamp went out.

Love.

Jesus knew how to ask the incisive questions of his enemies; something about which you seem to know very little.

Puts you right there on the Axis of Evil.

Could you possibly be more sophmoric?

Jesus never said "Money is the root of all evil." The verse you are misquoting is I Timothy 6:10: "The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil." So it isn't the money that's evil, it's the love of it.

That said, I agree that Jesus would never win an election, and neither would anyone who espouses these true Christian teachings.

If Jesus ran for office, republicans and specially neocons definately will call him a coward and a traitor. Democrats will like always be background noise and uninteresting.

friend,

what are you talking about? Please clarify. Don't you believe in Hell or Judgment day? What's your interpretation of the parable?

Deepak I love you, but we really should not compare Christ to politicians. However, your point is well take and I only wish somebody would listen to the best speech ever made in Matthew 5-7 (The Beatitudes).

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

[ There were ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five
of them took their lamps and took no oil with them. The other five took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, " behold !, the bridegroom cometh; go out and meet him". And all the virgins arose and lighted their lamps. The five virgins who didn't have oil said unto the other five, give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out. But the other five answered, saying, "not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but rather you go to them that sell, and buy for yourselves". And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Afterwards, the other virgins also came, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said " I don't know you".]

Parables are fables representing something real in life. The virgins that the parable is talking about represents us while the bridegroom represents God.

Interpretations :

1. All the virgins slept.

All of us will die.

2. The bridegroom came and the virgins were all awakened.

In time, God will awake all of us from death.

3. The five foolish virgins asked for the oil to be shared but the other five, though they might be willing, can't share.

On Judgment Day, those who lived on earth for God cannot bail out the doomed ones even if they are dear to them. (Now is the time to bail out our loved ones while they are alive and urge them to direct their goals for God.)

4. When the ten virgins awoke, the five virgins who have no oil were told to buy oil for themselves and while they went to buy oil, the bridegroom came and the doors were shut from them.

After we're awakened from our death, those who are not ready to meet God would try to compensate by doing good things in their spirit form but it is not acceptable to God. (We're lucky to read this article in our physical self so whatever we can do for God now is very much acceptable to Him. Don't be a foolish virgin who didn't care until it's too late. After our death, there is no more chance. Thank God, we're still alive to serve Him.)

5. "Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said, " I don't know you".

No amount of prayers from the doomed ones will be heard. (Now is the time to pray and not after we die.)

There are many questions that we can't answer while we are still alive, but it is most safe to believe on somebody who can multiply the fish and the bread, calm a storm, raise a dead, and even raise Himself alive rather than believe on our doubtful self who, for an infinite time, will not and cannot turn water into wine. If you believe that someday we can turn water to wine, read again because I'm sure you didn't understand.

Kerusso:
Allaaaah!!! Goddammit, what the Jehova is wrong with you?!! Jeeeezus!!! You Son of a Bhudda......
lol.

PS: GASH!!
(ie, Get A Sense of Humor)

It is possible that you, Anonymous, misinterpreted this parable. While you are content with the oil you have, others have continued to store away gallons of oil. Maybe when you wake up to this day of judgement, for all days are judgement days, your lamp went out.

Love and compassion are my wishes for you.

I realize that this is Mr. Chopra's attempt at parody, but it also reflects the junk theology (or Christology, in this case) that has become the norm for the blogosphere. First, the most common use of Jesus these days is the idea that his teachings on loving your enemy, turning the other cheek, etc. should be understood in pacifist terms. The truth is that both the 10 Commandments ("Do not kill") and Jesus' teachings on violence and self defense have nothing to do with capital punishment or the rights of the civil authorities of government to wage war and "resist" the enemies of the country. They are prohibitions on personal vengeance. Jesus, in fact, acknowledged the right of government to take up the sword to defend itself and God actually ordered Israel to go to war many times. The commandment is rightly understood as "Do not commit murder." Can you imagine a country that adhered to the musings of Mr. Chopra and proclaimed to its enemies that they could invade at their leisure and should expect no resistance whatsoever since there were no defensive forces to begin with?

Second, "money" is not the root of all evil. the LOVE of money is the root of all evil...and this was Paul's warning to Timothy.

Third, the "Kingdom of Heaven" actually came...in the hearts of those who have trusted Him by faith. Jesus repeatedly said that he, his kingdom and his followers were "not of this world". In fact, he said something that actually acknowledges the rightful use of force: "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

Jesus Nomination Obituary By The Devil

Indeed, what would Jesus do?

to Kerusso and A Different Point of View: Thank you. Mr Chopra and the New Age will have the very uncomfortable situation of condemnation if they do not cease with their denials of God and His Kingdom. Chopra's negativity and flippant speech will hopefully one day make him realize what a fool he is. Trust me, i went through the same ordeal. Peace and God bless.

Is the author saying a man of ideals can't win against a woman who schmears him with lies?

mr. achem

i didnt site examples because i was referring to all of these posts as narcissistic and disturbing.
for the sake of clarity i will elucidate....
calling someone else stupid for interpreting written
words differently, claiming that you alone know the
truth, claiming that someone else's motivations are
clear to you, claiming to understand the universal order, claiming to know the will of god, claiming to
know the truth about anything you didnt witness,
claiming to know the truth about something you DID
witness, calling others thoughts and ideas blasphemous and evil, castigating others for having a different point of view....
and specifically to mr. chopra well for writing a post that would intentionally spark a polarizing
debate...
if any of us, including myself, knew any of this we would talk less, not more...
and as i cross that line into hypocracy by doing that which i rail against...blogging is narcissistic...humanity will not find peace or resolution in these paltry words.

-jacob

The mystery of the parable has been exposed. It means that Judgment is very near.

Deepak, aren't you afraid that you're one of the foolish virgins?

"Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said " I don't know you".

my son is tired of all the debt. could we move on to the general election and watch obama take office?

All you fundies who can't take a little humor should wake up and get an edgykation. Chopra is a highly respected and intelligent spiritualist. For those of us who can read, it is clearly not his intent to mock Jesus or Christianity. His point is that our current political system is anything but Christian, that we and our politicians lead our lives without regard for true Christian principles. Wake up!

Very Funny. I know that GOD has a profound sense of humor. You can see it every day all around you. You, Mr Chopra, reinforce my faith.

This is witty. But if you want to take on this topic, I wish you would have done it more seriously.

Do you really think Jesus would have conducted the so-called "War on Terror" as the US has? Do you think he would have completely ignored our role in giving cause to those who dislike US foreign policy? Or do you think he would have taken the Bush (and now Hillary Clinton approach) of focusing on "destroying the terrorists" and preemptive war?

Deepak, the parable states that you are one of those foolish virgins. Aren't you afraid?

Why don't you all close your mouths and shut down your computers. My son doesn't need to run for any office.

If Jesus is son of God, then son was defeated not God.God in his wisdom has saved his son from wandering away to the path of destruction and that is Truth, and "GOD IS TRUTH."

Deepak, you are one of those foolish virgins. Aren't you afraid?

I read through many of the posts but couldn't quite finish them all. Here's my reaction anyway:

1) if you think you know with great certainty what Jesus would be for or against, stop kidding yourself. You are just indulging in the time-honored practice of creating a Jesus that suits your preconceptions. This the mental equivalent of pounding a square peg in a round hole and declaring victory when the task is done. No figure in history been so abused in this way as the rabbi from Nazareth.

2) If you are happy being the way you are, if you have no deep sense that something is wrong with your life and with the human world, it is a good idea not to get too close to this guy. What we do know of Jesus' teachings should give everyone pause. In the core sayings and parables of the synoptic gospels, Jesus says things that strike at the very heart of how we humans have lived our lives from time immemorial and still do. Are we up to hearing him? Don't answer yes too easily! If you really hear these things your life will begin to change beyond recognition. Most of us are too comfy and too self-absorbed to even contemplate such a possibility and this is exactly why we turn Jesus into a figure who affirms our view of ourselves and the world, instead of one who challenges it.

3) I think Mr. Chopra is right. Jesus would be a spectacularly unpopular presidential candidate... if you could ever get him to run. And that would be a tough sell; wasn't he the fellow that said "My kingdom is not of this world?"

What's with treating great spiritual leaders as infallible? Almost all end in a point where they see themselves in all and everything (which allows miracles), but fail to see other people in all and everything, or somehow loose it.
This "I am omnipresent" way of thinking is their undoing.
Buddha could not bear all the suffering he felt as part of all, so he got around it by denying the feeling of suffering (but to not feel is not human).
Jesus got crucified for it; "are we doing this to you, or are you doing this to yourself" is basically what other people's spiritual sides asked him at the trial. So he took responsibility for something he shouldn't have been taking responsibility and died.
Muhammad took the easy way out of this - he struck back and made war.

Things are rarely as shiny as they might seem, when it comes to spiritual matters, but of course, most people never make nearly as far as the above mentioned.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

[ There were ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five
of them took their lamps and took no oil with them. The other five took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, " behold !, the bridegroom cometh; go out and meet him". And all the virgins arose and lighted their lamps. The five virgins who didn't have oil said unto the other five, give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out. But the other five answered, saying, "not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but rather you go to them that sell, and buy for yourselves". And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Afterwards, the other virgins also came, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said " I don't know you".]

Parables are fables representing something real in life. The virgins that the parable is talking about represents us while the bridegroom represents God. The five virgins gathered oil for their lamps because they believe that the bridegroom is coming and that they have to prepare for it. The other five believes that the bridegroom is coming but don't do something about it. In the same manner, we all believe in God and that we will meet Him after we die. But while we wait for that inevitable event, what are we doing to be ready? Honestly speaking, most of us belong to the virgins who didn't collected oil. The following discussion might make us agree :

1. What are we doing now?

a] Some of us just work to enrich ourselves and to taste the goodness of life. Nothing more and nothing less.

Some of us patronise movies, tv programs and magazines that promotes sexual lust and buys tapes and CDs which supports singers who make trash music. (Eraserheads, Yano, rock bands, etc...)

Some of us try to do things so people will adore us.

b] Some of us try to help other people esp. the least in our society.

Some of us give our peso to people who need it more than we do. (It's not bad to give a helpless beggar.)

Some of us do things that will please God regardless of what other people might think.

Many of us would rather choose letter "a" because we don't want to mingle with dirty people or else our hands get dirty and greasy. Our hands get so clean that there is no "oil" to show God. Whatever we do here on earth, it must be geared towards the coming of God, or else we are just one of the five foolish virgins.

Interpretations :

1. All the virgins slept.

All of us will die.

2. The bridegroom came and the virgins were all awakened.

In time, God will awake all of us from death.

3. The five foolish virgins asked for the oil to be shared but the other five, though they might be willing, can't share.

On Judgment Day, those who lived on earth for God cannot bail out the doomed ones even if they are dear to them. (Now is the time to bail out our loved ones while they are alive and urge them to direct their goals for God.)

4. When the ten virgins awoke, the five virgins who have no oil were told to buy oil for themselves and while they went to buy oil, the bridegroom came and the doors were shut from them.

After we're awakened from our death, those who are not ready to meet God would try to compensate by doing good things in their spirit form but it is not acceptable to God. (We're lucky to read this article in our physical self so whatever we can do for God now is very much acceptable to Him. Don't be a foolish virgin who didn't care until it's too late. After our death, there is no more chance. Thank God, we're still alive to serve Him.)

5. "Lord, Lord, open to us". But He answered and said, " I don't know you".

No amount of prayers from the doomed ones will be heard. (Now is the time to pray and not after we die.)

There are many questions that we can't answer while we are still alive, but it is most safe to believe on somebody who can multiply the fish and the bread, calm a storm, raise a dead, and even raise Himself alive rather than believe on our doubtful self who, for an infinite time, will not and cannot turn water into wine. If you believe that someday we can turn water to wine, read again because I'm sure you didn't understand.

Wow.

Would the Deepak ever write about Mohammed in a modern political context?

Nope.

Brilliant!

If Jesus came back, those who claim to speak in his name wold be hammering nails into his limbs or having him assassinated. George Bush has revealed himself as the real blasphemer, citing Jesus and then killing hundreds of thousands of people in a stupid and illegal war.

At times like this I wish a god REALLY existed, so people like Bush could receive justice for their crimes. Well, it's up to us voters and maybe a future war crimes trial.

To all the Kerusso Fans of this Blog:

Your ilk doesn’t have a sense of humor and you think your God is going to punish all those who talk about him/Her. Yah, as though there is indeed a God who is calculating and vengeful! Get a life!!
For your own salvation, read something intelligent like the most recent book by Christopher Hitchens about religion and God. The title of his book is “ god is not great – How Religion Poisons Everything”

The quote should read "The love of money is the root of all evil"

Deepak Chopra is an idiot. The thesis is stupid, and the argumentation is stupid.

To Kerusso, It's bigots like you that give the Christian faith a bad name. You stand in judgment on everything relating to " your " faith. Your perception is the only thing that counts, not the truth.
I would be willing to bet that you are a member of some sect that has a big pile of dogma that they adhere too. And that judging others is a regular practice among your group
So you will judged with what judgment that ye met out. Sorry

I have often compared the Democrats to the Sadducees and the Republicans to the Pharisees, two religious/political sects in Jesus' day. Both opposing factions agreed on one thing: That Jesus must die!

I may not agree with the writer's bias, but I agree with his point.

Deepak, you are correct, and I often think about this. What saddens me even more is that it's the religious people I know who vote for the most avaricious and violent candidates.

As satire, this is rather silly. From my readings of the Bible and commentary, Jesus never cared about popularity nor what the majority thought. For which I thank God.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have read in a long time.

Jesus despised politics, now we know why. END THE WAR IN IRAQ.

As a follower of the Carpenter I can only say 'amen brother' to a very accurate description of Jesus real persona. What a pity that most American Christians are clueless regarding this.

His Kingdom was not of this world. Had he run for actual office, he would have been crucified. The world does not want to hear what he had to say.

Many of the above responses merely prove Chopra's point (he's a "blasphemer," a "communist," "go back to India," blah blah blah). Poor Jesus. He would have definitely lost, especially in the so-called Bible Belt, where self-righteous ignorance, xenophopia, and hate reign supreme.

You made the common mistake of misquoting - it is "Love of money is the root of all evil". There's nothing inherently evil in money.

I think that you misquoted the Bible. Money isn't the root of all evil.

The "love" of money is at the root of all evil.

Nancy

I stopped reading as soon as I got to "Money is the root of all evil." The correct quotation is "...the love of money is the root of all evil," something anyone with even a modicum of cultural literacy should know.

If Jesus runs for presidency is a big if. Did Jesus could have been born as a king if he liked. He chose to be different.
You cannot compare what worked at the time of Jesus to what will work now. If Jesus was suppose to be with us now (like us) then he will be in different form and he will be different. Still many people do not understand what was he trying to tell.
Don't try to bring Jesus in between and earn money for yourself.
Disclosure: I am not a christian and not read bible.

The Church of the Cosmic Huh?

Throughout the ages religions and philosophies have arisen to fill psychological needs as well as lessen the miseries resulting from social chaos.

Fundamentalist Islam, for example can be hard for some of us to understand, unless we realize that conditions on the Arabian peninsula may well have been fragmented, murderous – in short an ongoing nightmare – until Mohammed devised a belief system that could work as a framework for stability. Tribal feuds and vendettas were banned. Laws were made and rewards and punishments clearly spelled out. Daily life may well have been made easier by the suggestion and then the imposition of commonly binding rules. (Karl Marx and his wayward step-children, Lenin and Stalin attempted something similar.)

In today’s world the vast majority of the Earth’s population either lives lives ruled directly by - or at least guided by the principles and beliefs of the 5 or 6 great world religions. Millions, however, are unhappy with the belief systems they were born into and drop them in practice, while continuing to pay lip service to their community’s norms. Others switch religions or pursue a life-long search for a belief system that can satisfy their needs.

As there are, and always will be, millions who seek solace in some form of spirituality, it would make sense to rationally construct a more beneficial framework for a 21st century spiritual idea - an idea devoid of superstition, dogmas and certainties. Perhaps a spiritual framework meant to evolve much in the same way as the Linux computer operating system lacks certainty and evolves – anyone in or out of this Linux spiritual framework can contribute – and ideas which prove beneficial will survive.

But just as Linux has a basic skeleton, any proposed spiritual system built along these lines would also need a basic set of principles as a skeleton - hopefully far less than 10 Commandments - mainly for simplicity’s sake, but also as a constant emphasis of the fact that the fewer the rules the less the risk of ossified dogma. Cast iron rules ought always provoke skepticism and caution.

Surely our first necessary and fundamental principal is contained in the name, The Church of the Cosmic Huh?

Life is a question, a curiosity, a longing to know more. Danger and degradation arise from certainties. The central tenant to the Church of the Cosmic Huh? is that no one has the answers, no one can tell you you should stop searching, no one can tell you their take on life, death and the cosmos is definitely the correct one. No one can say, “Look no further. Jesus is the answer. Buddha is the answer. Atheism is the answer. All other ideas are false.”

BEWARE OF THE CERTAIN

In the Christian faith the most famous prayer begins with, Our Father who art in Heaven..

Perhaps The Church of the Cosmic Huh?’s repeated credo should be this wondering pondering preamble: I may well be wrong.. but it could it be that…?

But the first question which might spring to mind in the reader now could be, “If you want to construct a spiritual system based on eternal questioning or doubt, what will be the glue that holds it together? What would your community have as an attractive framework to grow upon?

This question, is of course, central. In order to construct a system that can in some ways resemble yet surpass traditional religions, it ought to have built into it techniques and strategies for the nurturing and strengthening of such a new community.

Rituals may be essential. As we all know, rituals bind people together. Gatherings and ceremonies such as baptisms, weddings and funerals unite. Many religions have rites of passage ceremonies, too, for the transition into adulthood and responsibility. Holidays such as Christmas and Easter were newer expropriated versions of older holidays having to do with birth and renewal.

The Church of the Cosmic Huh? must have all these things – although it must always be stressed that these new traditions and rituals must be constantly evolving. That there is no dogma attached to them and no priesthood who can either condone or condemn or declare legitimate or illegitimate.

The central meaning of the Church of the Cosmic Huh is to prevent dogma and certainty, and to constantly remind the world that no one has the answers – certainly not the final answer to any question regarding spirituality. Perhaps not even God – if one exists.

God is, of course, welcome to sit in our church as a guest.

But God’s presence is neither central nor essential. Nor should it be overshadowing or intrusive. The Church of the Cosmic Huh? is about humanity’s search for higher values regardless of whether God exists or not – or what God’s true intentions may be.

The essence, the heart of this idea is that the open-minded and eternal search is what is paramount, moral and inspiring.

To think one has found “the answer” is to lapse into spiritual inertia and forever frozen aspirations.

The Church of the Cosmic Huh? can only grow if it becomes virtual as well as electronic. Spreading the idea on the Internet is essential as a start up and a suppliment. But the Net can never be the sole home or promoter of Huh?’s message. Real gatherings, church services if you will, will have to take place. A physical sense of closeness and community is vital for any real bonding or sharing of ideas.

Huh? indicates humor as well as searching. Spirituality and philosophic musings are often best illuminated when conveyed through humor. One idea which might be very appropriate is that comedy clubs across the world might receive an extra income by holding a weekly Church of the Cosmic Huh? “service”. Comedians would be encouraged to act as temporary preachers, their sermons being serious as well as funny examinations of spirituality, religion, morals, frustrations. As it has been noted before, many comedians like Lenny Bruce, George Carlin and Woody Allen were preachers for a new age who concerned themselves with moral and sexual hypocrisy. Comedians might be the ideal hosts for our services as they would emphasize that mankind’s certainties are absurd. And M.C. – or Master of Ceremonies – might be a far better title than priest for our (temporary) shepherds.

As we begin the foundation of the church of the Cosmic Huh? we ask readers to send their thoughts and ideas. This is an inclusive endeavor.

If you have suggestions as to the possible make-up of new rituals – baptism, marriage, burial, holidays – please send them. Let’s inspire each other.

Dex@DexterVanDango.com

Here’s something to chew on: George Carlin’s take on the 10 Commandments.

http://www.georgecarlin.com/mp3/George%20Carlin%20-%20When%20Will%20Jesus%20Bring%20the%20Pork%20Chops%20-%20The%20Ten%20Commandments.mp3

Agnostics

Are agnostics closed minded?

We’ll I can’t answer for anyone but myself, but I would expect that there are as many kinds of agnostics as there are religious people.

Here’s one kind, the kind who says, “It may be possible that the universe was created by a conscious force, a force “who” is acting on purpose, a thinking willing instigator. But personally I believe something created everything, and not somebody.

We agnostics often join atheists in saying, the God you religious describe for us is not real. Why? Because we all believe what we prefer to believe. What fits our temperament.

For example I hate the idea of living in a universe longed for by the religious, a place were God answers some prayers but not others. He cures the lame but will not allow amputated limbs to grow back! He allows buses of religious pilgrims to go over cliffs as recently happened in Poland. That he acts inconsistently, petulantly and yes - immorally.

On the contrary, as an agnostic, I see only evidence for a totally impartial creator who cares neither for morality, for who does what, who kills who – yes, mass murder and ecological stupidly can wreck the planet – but so can solar flares and galactical collisions!

The gods of Olympia and the Hindus were an attempt to explain extreme emotions of love, hate, destruction and creation. Instead of blaming one god for having all these mixed impulses – like a manic-depressive bi-polar type – the Hindus and the Greeks said one god was kind, another spiteful etc. Spread responsibility!

What agnostics like myself say is that the creator couldn’t possibly have the petty motivations and human limitations as ascribed to god in almost any religion. No, God, if it exists must be so far beyond any human personality traits that to even speculate openly is a waste of time, and to state with certainty is a shameful self-deception and a deception of others.

For if god exists, I believe he wants light and sound to work at certain wavelengths, electrons have certain orbits and that E equals Mc2.. not that good people are rewarded and bad ones punished.

At the risk of sounding swell-headed I believe people invented morality, which is more than God ever showed any objectively observable interest in.

Jesus would never be elected because even people who say they belive in him dont act like him.

Considering the amount of violence in india, maybe you should concentrate your efforts there.

Gated Communities of the Mind

Is religion a condom?

We all live in gated communities of the mind. Places where we feel safe and comfortable. Relaxed and secure. But there are conditions for inclusion in the community. Just as the residents of Palm Springs or Palm Beach must adhere to the prevailing world view or risk ostracism or exclusion, so too must the residents of Marin County. (Hippies may have had their minds expanded but there is little evidence they are more open minded than others.)

But with the advent of the Internet these gated communities are no longer solely defined or encapsulated by geographic or even economic boundaries.

What defines these thought communities is commonality – an us versus them instinct. Our street is better than their street. Our village or town is better than theirs. Our country is better than theirs. Our religion, our skin color, our sex or sexual preference. Our economic class or political party is better. Macs are better than PCs. Linux better than Windows.

This division into us and them is nearly always translated into good and bad. Mankind has survived because we have learned though painful experience what and what not to put in our mouths, where to hunt or flee, who to trust. What is beneficial. What is damaging.

While the familiar is quickly recognized as safe or unsafe, the new or the unknown is automatically put into the question-able/unsafe category until proven safe. Generally a wise precaution, we’d all admit.

In order to survive we try to inoculate ourselves from dangerous microbes and dangerous ideas. Religion to a great degree arose from the desire to protect us from destruction. Demons, death, unsafe foods, unsafe thoughts, dangerous sexual practices, rape, the danger arriving from outside the group, foreign ideas, foreign ways. Religion’s main function, in many cases is that of a prophylactic. A spiritual condom pulled over our heads to protect our thoughts and souls (..strange and illogical that Bush administration refuses to allow its agencies to promote the use of condoms!)

The religious might point out with tongue in cheek that we non-religious promote unsafe sex and unsafe practices in general - as we reject the need for spiritual condoms!

But cast iron, non-penetrable condoms, if worn 24 hours a day, eventually smother the soul. Nourishment of any kind is always more effective and pleasurable when it is varied.

When we rely on firewalls, whether in our computers or in our hearts and minds - we should always be aware why we need them, and how to fine tune them so they do not control, impoverish or make slaves of us.

Windows are always preferable to walls. And the ultimate danger arises when we, out of laziness or the longing to belong, allow others to define or keep the gates to our souls.

Deepak has written on Chrisitanity for a very long time. This is a more humorous pointed piece but basically he knows the Bible far better than most So Called Christians in America. The Prince of Peace would not recognise these people as part of His flock. I have been a Christian my whole life and find the hawkish, fundimentalists to be replusive and materialic. There is nothing of Christ in their messege. To walk with Christ is to forsake the greed and violence. The anger and hate in some of the posts right here shows the truth.

Gratitude

One of the jokes that believers in the traditional god like to make about us doubters of a traditional god, is that one day, when we’re lying in our coffins, “We’ll be all dressed up and no place to go.”

(Buddhists might spring to our defense and say although there are no heavens or hells we’ll be reincarnated – we’ll just come back here.. and that’s a place, isn’t it?)

But believers have a problem with us. They assume because we are none believers that we lead less moral lives than they – and that we are ingrates.

They are sure that we are not grateful for having been given a life, that we are using our lives without acknowledging a debt.

I understand believers’ feelings on this subject. It is a more natural, stronger feeling to feel grateful to someone instead of something. But they ought to be capable of understanding that we can be and are grateful to nature - and perhaps dumb luck - that we are here and we are capable of wonder and gratitude.

Should we wish to be ungenerous, I believe we might just as easily make the charge that believers are ungrateful. After all, it is they who are dissatisfied with just one life, and require an extra first class one – nay, not just first class.. perfect! Beverly Hills for all eternity!

Considering the amount of violence in india, maybe you should concentrate there.

JESUS CHRIST , MY LORD , MY LIFE , MY SOUL , NOT JOKE WITH YOUR NAME .PLEASE

So, Deepak is taking the name of Jesus up as a weapon these days... tsk, tsk

All is nonsense

The Jesus I know would be laughing heartily. Well done.

This little tidbit Deepak is not one your best. Your analysis of Jesus' point of view is to an understanding of Jesus mission and point of view as comic books are to Shakespeare.

Yes ideas do have consequeces and not all ideas lead to benign ends.

Jesus was murdered because his prosecuters were not enlightened not because God, his Father willed it so. (See Paul's statement that "If the rulers of this age had understood they would not have crucified the lord of Glory" Or Deepak see Jesus own words and tears at the Garden of Gesthemane or his telling of the parable of the vineyard orhisothermany statements that crucifixation was not his original coursesuch as, "I would have gathered you as hen would gather her chicks yet you would not...

We are not all one yet.

This little tidbit Deepak is not one your best. Your analysis of Jesus' point of view is to an understanding of Jesus mission and point of view as comic books are to Shakespeare.

Yes ideas do have consequeces and not all ideas lead to the benign ends.

Jesus was murdered because his prosecuters were not enlightened not becuase God, his Father willed it so. (See Paul's statement that "If the rulers of this age had understood they would not have crucified the lord of Glory" Or Deepak see Jesus own words and tears at the Garden of Gesthemane or his telling of the parable of the vineyard.

We are not all one yet.

Take you New Age garbage and shove it. You are a pathetic loser. I feel sorry for the ignorant people who buy your books full of drivel. No wonder so many people commit suicide.

Jesus is not even eligible to be President: not native American born, and, at 33 at last report, not at the 35 year old minimum. So what is this all about?

Anonymous wrote:
>You Should be Ashamed To Be a HINDU/BUDDHIST
>[repeat ad nauseum]

That reminds me of something Bush said about how propaganda (i.e., lies) need to be repeated over and over again to make people believe them.

A man confident in his words needs to speak them only once.

If Jesus returned today the Christofascists would brand him a heretic for daring to preach compassion for the poor and to preach against wars of conquest. After all, our economy is based on making, selling, and using arms. To preach against that is to hate America, and to hate America is to be some kind of pinko commie liberal atheist scumbag for whom no punishment is too horrible.

Our nation has become like the Roman Empire -- addicted to ever expanding our empire by brute force at the expense of individual liberty and morals back home -- so if he came back now, Jesus would probably end up being crucified again.

One of the enduring human experiences -- and one that I've shared in -- is the Experience Of LOSS.

We lose time. We lose money, jobs, and loved ones. We lose our youth, our health, and eventually we lose our lives.

It seems to be in the Nature of things -- that applies to all living and non-living things -- that change occurs and part of the consequence of change is that what is here will be lost -- no matter what we might do to try to prevent that change, that loss.

Life, IMHO, is unfair. People suffer from diseases, (such as Cancer), that lead to a painful, cruel death who have done nothing to warrant that. Natural calamity strikes -- and men, women, and children suffer and die by the hundreds and by the thousands.

So Humankind has looked for Another Reality, a Spiritual Reality. That Spiritual Reality comes in many different "flavors" depending upon which myth(s) we have inherited from our forefathers.

I have my own. And it was "given" or revealed to me as a Spiritual Experience.

A Great Peace, a Transcending Peace, a Deep Peace came upon me while I was taking an afternoon walk, thinking of nothing in particular, and minding my business. This "voice" said to me that Everything is All Right, and Everything Will Be All Right. And I fully believed it.

I believe it less today, but I believe that such a Reality exists where there is Great Peace, Transcending Peace, a Deep, Personal Peace -- that has no room for hate, no room for fear, no room for loneliness, no room for darkness -- because that Reality Visited me, and it became my own experience, if only briefly.

Since I'm tired, I'll briefly say that the second experience had to do with the Serbian attrocities where men and boys were being taken into the hills and machine gunned to death. I cursed God for letting this take place -- and I meant it with all my heart, with all my intent, and with all my might.

The next day, I found myself in the Luminous Presence of God and we talked about His letting this Great Evil take place.

The Presence of God said that if I had been a Serbian soldier assigned to kill these people, that the Presence of God would have expected me to have declared that This Is Wrong!!

And that I would have laid my weapon down and JOINED the Muslims that were about to be killed. In short, the Presence of God expected me to sacrifice my life in protest of these murders that were taking place.

That happens to also be a Christian message -- to sacrifice your life in the resistence of Evil by joining the Victims of Evil -- even as Christ chose to die as a criminal, as a Victim of Great Evil, even though He was Innocent of Wrong Doing.

The final message was simply that nothing is lost. We may lose time, money, health, friends, loved ones, and eventually our lives.

But there is another reality that exists, even though I exist in THIS reality. And in that Other Reality, nothing is lost, and everything is all right.

President? Who the hell, in their right mind, would want to be President of the United States?

Better to work for the end of Injustice, for the end of Self-Aggrandizement, for the end of Fear, the end of Anger, of Rage, of Self-Righteousness and Hate and Killing.

Better to work for Self-Knowledge and Acceptance, to work towards Becoming Tolerant and Understanding and Wise and Kind and Happy and Wanting to Help Others.

It beats creating deadlier weapon systems, (which I used to be part of), of creating poverty, homelessness, and despair.

And creating loneliness.

Mr. Chopra,

First let me apologize for the gibberish postings on this site. The WaPo will not implement registration in order to post because this would diminish the number of "clicks" they would get, and therefore they would not be able to command as much money for their advertising. Therefore, we all have to put up with this cr*p. Thanks WaPO---money before your readers, no surprise there.

Second of all, America is full of religious idiots, and it seems like most of them seem to find their way to this board, ready to rant and judge and condemn--true Christians!!!

Your essay is prescient and witty, and seeing these loons come out of the woodwork is both very humorous and bit scary (for our country).

Keep up the good work.

According to the Book of Matthew, the Devil offered Jesus dominion over all the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus did not accept the offer, but neither did he challenge the Devil's ability to deliver this power to him. The obvious conclusion is the Devil had and still has power in the political institutions of this earth. Jesus offers us a heavenly kingdom, not an earthly one.
Peace.

"Christians just lack the tolerance as well as the intelligence to question their belief system once in a while. If anything these are people who just follow what others want them to, rather than make change"

Thats a pretty close minded if not downright ignorant stance to take. You say Christians lack tolerance, well what do you call what you wrote? You must be one of those far-leftist nut-jobs who doesn't believe terms like "Liberal Christian" or "Liberal-practitioner-of-any-faith" can exist despite the millions of us who are out there.

Oh right, I forgot, someone who doesn't even follow a religion in any way told me I can't be Christian and advocate birth control or gay rights, therefore there is no possible way I can, right? Obviously that isn't something I can decide on my own, no... some non-Christian told me I can't do both.

How very 15th century Christian of you sir.

And to everyone else calling Chopra the anti-christ and whatnot, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to take what he said with a grain of salt. It's political satire, a commentary on the modern election, you're not supposed to take it seriously.

None of you guys have any idea what stance Jesus, or any deceased person, would politically take. It's a different country, time and world. What Jesus preached was in the context of the Roman Empire AT THAT TIME. Conjecturing what he would do today based on the world of 2000 years ago is pretty silly itself.

Seriously guys, stop the "You're going to hell" stuff here. When you pull this kind of stuff is when everyone begins to believe we're all just a bunch of crazy, right-wing, closed minded, backwards neo-cons and it makes the rest of us look bad.

I once heard a very wealth parishioner, who owned a nationally known eatery, who attended my church declare to the priest on the Sunday before the national elections when the cyclic reading assigned for the day was the Beatitudes, that he would never return to a church that preached the "Democratic dogma two days before the (1988)presidential election." He has not returned and on that day, I learned that Jesus was a Democrat. I also no longer eat at any of his establishments anywhere int he world in protest.

Spiderman2 and other Bible Thumpers, Fortune Tellers and Those Severely Brainwashed in that Old Time Religion,

Fools are those who have read only the bible. God cannot be proud of such lazy creations!!!!

To reiterate:
What flash of light gave you such brilliance in the field of fortune telling and interpretations of said stupidity???

The reality of it all is that the "pew sitters" and "bowers" are coming to grips with the flaws in their religions and in ten years the religions of today will be unrecognizable or extinct as the "pretty and ugly wingie flying thingies" are finally buried in the piles of utter stupidity.

Jesus refused the political aspirations many wished him to have. His sense of what he himself was about seems to be something which Bush, Huckabee, Robertson, Falwell et al just don't get.

The spiritual materialism of Christian fundamentalism is the antithesis of what Jesus had to offer. The neurotic need to have "more" faith, "more" spiritual experiences, "more" manifestations of the the Holy Spirit, "more" signs of God's fiscal favor et cetera are just other forms of the neurotic need to have a theocracy; a distasteful and hateful idea to our founders.

Those who wish to have a Christian United States are just plain and simple bullies (spiritual rapists a la Huckabee). They have to fight, cause dissension, polarize, alienate, and legislate a morality that is uniquely theirs. They impose a false sense of what being an American is.

The United States is a child of the Age of Enlightenment. Men and women of science and reason envisioned our nation as a place where the true purpose of religion was defined as something outside the scope of political ambition and political idealism.

American idealism is about the power and responsibility of the individual -- not the FAMILY nor is it the creation of a Christian nation as the fundamentalists want us to believe.

Individually we are capable of materializing the great American values of reason, diversity, and clear thinking. The core truth and foundation of a truly American spirituality is not the nuclear family or a theocracy. It is the individual pursuing their own ideas of what happiness, liberty and a meaningful life is.

We have to forgive those who rant and rave about Dr. Chopra's article, for they know not what they are doing.

God does not live in a box labelled Baptist, Catholic, Orthodox, or even Christian.

Such attacks will continue because those in the box are not yet ready to search for spirituality beyond the confines of man-written organizations and doctrines.

It is important not to react with emotion to their attacks, but to think, to let go of any hostility and anger, and to allow feelings of compassion and understanding toward them to take over.

I don't agree with their opinions, but I absolutely refuse to behave like them.

appalling

Excellent, as always.

Jesus became such a cashable commodity. Liberal and orthodox, theologians and scholars, politicians and priests all take their pound of flesh from the life and teachings of Jesus to further their cause. Deepak Chopra is merely a new addition in this long line up.

I am not a Christian but I take His message: "Love Your Enemy" very seriuosly. Taken seriously, it can set in inner spiritual struggle to improve our life. I attended many Sunday church sermons, but in their sermons church fathers rarely include this great and straight forward challenge for use in the journey of our everyday life.

One will not have to be Christian to be moved this simple message. Like treat others in the way you like to be treated yourself, Love-Your Enemy is a great universal gift to all people, everywhere, available all the time. Incidentally, the Buddhist and Gandhian messages of peace and nonviolence are incomplete without this ultimate and positive milepost in our journey of seeking and finding. A mere attempt to live these two messages will change the nature of our worldly and spiritual life.

What???, let's get it straight as to what Jesus is reported to have said: Math 5, 43: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
and 44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you; also Math 5, 39: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. So, my friend, what issue do you have with Chopra's Biblical references? From the hate filled warm mongering that spews forth from the mouths of many so called "fundamentalist" Christians, I suspect that they have to be in denial about what the Savior taught us as it flies in the face of their deep seated fears and hatreds. Once when discussing what Jesus taught about such matters with an avowed fundamentalist Baptist, he finally blurted out, "Well, he could believe all that becasue He is God and not a man!" Many cry Lord Lord, but few are called. Let's get it straight: Jesus would not have condoned the invasion of Iraq, he would not condone waterboarding, he would not serve in the military, etc. When Jesus instructed his followers to render unto Caesar, he was referring to paying taxes, not military service. His teachings on meeting violence with violence and revenge are very, very clear. No, Jesus would not seek the office of president or any earthly position of power (does anyone remember Satan's temptations during our Savior's 40 days in the wilderness?), but when He comes again in His glory, all that went before in the affairs of man will be rendered trivial, null and void, and that includes states and rulers of any kind, other than He, and He won't need an army or have to use torture.

I used to be proud to tell people I once worked for this newspaper. Not anymore.

This is not humor or satire. It is venomous, vitriolic mockery. Is this the "New Humanity" Mr. Chopra espouses--poorly disguised contempt for others' beliefs?

This is all a very interesting question to those who do not know the word of God.
Jesus would not run.

I often get frustrated with this world. Why there is so much suffering and sadness when there doesn't have to be.

We are all brothers and sisters (that goes for Americans, Africans, Mexicans, Iraqis, etc.)and need to be working to make our lives better. Life isn't a "fixed pie" where someone loses if someone gains.

So it pains me when I see "religous" groups espouse positions that I believe cause so much sadness. I hope to understant someday how why religous groups either outwardly or tacidly support:
- hateful words and actions toward homosexuals -- as it especially pertains to marriage, serving in the military, civil rights, etc.
- hateful words and actions towards illegal immigrants - hard working men and women who have helped build America and deserve better than the treatment they are getting
- exploitation/degridation of the environment -- it seems that all religous people should worship all of God's creation
- support of the death penalty.

I just think that someone who is religous and who truly tries to follow in the footsteps of Christ would have a much different view of the U.S. today.

If anyone can help shed light on this I would appreciate it.

-Shaun in DC

Jesus, of course, had the serious political handicap that his kingdom is not of this world.

But, you know -- Two thousand more years from now, look to see whose teachings are still around from today -- and then see if anyone is still praying, "Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." I bet you some people are.

Stuff like that, man, you can't fake it.

First of all I don't think that Jesus would even get involved with politics, because it is evil and very under handed.

You sir, are speaking nothing but complete and utter garbage.

Given that Jesus poked fun at James & John for seeking power (and then foretelling their death), and saw Judas for who he was (before he hung himself) as the one who would try and fail to manipulate Jesus into taking on Rome as a political power... well, President Jesus is a far stretch.

That said, Jesus did ride into Jerusalem on an ass (aka, a donkey). Hummm.

Appreciate the humor, but "WWJD"? I doubt he would ever be a politician and certainly not want to use the state as a way to force people to live out what is a belief (I'm not sure what's scarier -- having the state teach us faith, or risk not having a faith).

Sigh... I fear our own version of the "taliban" though the last thing we need is an absence of faith in the discussion of where we are going as a people. A quandry Jesus understood as a trick question and thus spoke of the coin...

Apparently Washington Post and Newsweek would post any blasphemy, lie, and falsehood from anyone to attack and smear Jesus Christ but reject to publish the truth.

I'm annoyed by the fact that you've given Deepak Chopra another outlet for his commercial spiritualism. It's bad enough that he preys on people's fear and ignorance in almost every other medium but to find it in the local paper is intolerable. When will the world be rid of these people that trade in religious and spiritual crap like this? How long is it going to take? 100 years? 1000? When will we finally take responsibility for our own fate as a species? Will it be too late by then?

Anyone who suggests that Jesus would lose is an anti-Christ, a child of darkness. Just wait until you die, and see who is losing. Just wait when Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, returns with great power and glory to rule the world and reign with saints, and see who is losing. Just wait until you are facing the judgment of God anytime now, and see how you escape. Just wait until you are in hell to be tormented forever and ever, and see who is losing. The enemies of truth and children of darkness are spreading lies and falsehoods in the world. The day is coming, the wicked will be totally eliminated. The truth will triumph ultimately. Who is the Victor? No one but Jesus Christ, the Lord and Creator of the universe. Let all bow and worship the Immortal, Eternal, and Almighty God. You have a choice before you die. Now is the day of salvation. Today is the accepted time. Repent sincerely and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior before it is too late!!!
March 7, 2008
Willie Wong
http://www.wongwillie.zooomshare.com/

Jesus = God: which means He is above all things. Why would he run for president when He is "Lord of all Lords", "King of All Kings." Jesus wouldn't want to become a selfless servant for mankind again, He already accomplished on the Cross and before God. This time, Jesus is coming back with a vegenence and with wrath for the non - elect('Not a Child of God' - Calvinist Reformed THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH (1646) - look it up)

You are so right sir, Jesus would be called a bleeding heart liberal...

Chopra is the Anti-Christ.

I will praise the Lord's name Forever!!!!!

Sorry to interrupt this little "How many angles can dance on the head of a pin" party, but God, as most of you define the term, is a human construct. I thought we figured that out a long time ago?

Nevertheless, I saw Mr. Chopra speak at a paid appearance recently and read his book "The Third Jesus". I found that he tends to take huge logical leaps and selective historical facts to form arguments which seemingly are made to support his ultimate insinuation of "We had all of this stuff figured out in India thousands of years ago"

He seems like a nice enough guy though, and I wouldn't brand him a complete snake oil salesman, (although he is selling "wellness solutions" off of his website store...ewww) but there's definitely a mild cult of personality that surrounds him which he also seems to encourage.

I find his quest into discovering the nature of human consciousness much more sincere and interesting.

Why are you guys jumping on Deepak ?

What makes you think he was talking about your God, who has such a hair trigger temper anyway ? This God of yours, after creating the known vast universe as we know it, gets all bent out of shape when a puny carbon-life attributes something to him.

Deepak was really talking about fictional Jesus, the mexican guy, who will be running for president in a few years.

Thank you Deepak for this insightful reminder.

I can't imagine what Jesus would do if he were president. However, I can imagine that he might oppose hate speech, just as an "ordinary" citizen.

Hence, he might ask why Arun Gandhi, following his January 7th anti-Jewish racist rant, continued to write essays for this blog, notwithstanding the protests of hundreds of people, who continue to make clear their outrage, even now, on his response to the current question.

I can believe that Jesus was not an racist, that he would not hate Jews, that he would not refer to the Dalit as "Untouchables" and jeer at the conversion of some of them, sixty some odd years ago, to Christianity, as Arun Gandhi did in his last essay.

Click on "all panelists." See what the expert has to say about Jesus.

I can believe that Jesus would see hate speech as violence. Yes, I can.

I can't imagine what Jesus would do if he were president. However, I can imagine that he might oppose hate speech, just as an "ordinary" citizen.

Hence, he might ask why Arun Gandhi, following his January 7th anti-Jewish racist rant, continued to write essays for this blog, notwithstanding the protests of hundreds of people, who continue to make clear their outrage, even now, on his response to the current question.

I can believe that Jesus was not an racist, that he would not hate Jews, that he would not refer to the Dalit as "Untouchables" and jeer at the conversion of some of them, sixty some odd years ago, to Christianity, as Arun Gandhi did in his last essay.

Click on "all panelists." See what the expert has to say about Jesus.

I can believe that Jesus would see hate speech as violence. Yes, I can.

Building A Better God

It often seems to us lonely agnostics that we are caught between two aggressive ideologies. Caught between the fanatical believers in God and the fanatical unbelievers. But we who believe the universe is so absurd there may well be a God, have a problem with religion because of the way God is described to us. May the good Lord protect us from the good Lord!
2005 saw the passing of John Paul II, a man with some good - and some very bad ideas. Just how do we balance his brave opposition to totalitarian communism with his perferring that little babies contract aids rather than their fathers wear a piece of latex for three minutes! Religion ought to be a solace, but all too often its sold to us, at worst as another tyranny. And at best? Well, Karl Marx said that religion is the opium of the people. Perhaps he should have said a babys pacifier?
One pacifier story that illustrates my point happened recently. We had been sitting in her living room, chatting about friends and family for only a few minutes, when my friend noticed that her one year-old son had taken a pair of scissors from a table and was happily sucking on the sharp point as he toddled around. Quick as a panther, my friend sprang up and ran to the child, pausing a split second on the way to grab a pacifier. She then pulled the scissors from the boys mouth while substituting the pacifier for the dangerous plaything. The boy hardly noticed the change and happily began sucking on the pacifier. His mother turned to me and said, made wise by past experience, "You can never take something away without giving something in return."
A similar story took place more than 30 years ago. At the time I was a young man, working in a school in Los Angeles. It wasn't a very demanding job and there was frequently time to chat about anything and everything with the small staff. One middle-aged woman employed there, was a Jehovah's Witness, and curious about her faith, I began to ask her questions..
(I had always been interested in ideas and philosophies, and had in high school once asked a friend who was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) "What do you believe?"
I'm not sure if he had an accurate knowledge of his faith at that age, but he replied, telling me among other things, "We believe if you are good - I mean really good-that when you die you get your own solar system to be God to."

I was astonished. "You mean like a MacDonald's franchise?" I asked, and further angered him by asking, "Are there already people on the planets in the solar system--or do you have to wait around for billions of years for intelligent life to evolve that you can torment?")

My questions to the Jehovah's Witness weren't quite as rude. I was mainly interested to know why they chose to interpret so severely a vague passage from the Bible concerning the mixing of the blood so as to let their children die rather than allow blood infusions, as I would have interpreted the passage as simply a warning against intermarrying with non-Jews.
Her reply to me, after some minutes of my questions, shocked me and shut me up. She said, "If I didn't have my religion I wouldn't have any reason to live.
No reason to live! We have the sun and the stars! We have the sound of babies laughter. We have butterflies and waterfalls, flowers and rainbows. Do we absolutely have to have strange and illogical explanations for our existence? And explanations that require us to waste our lives standing on street corners handing out dismal tracts? What kind of cold-hearted God would require such a life from his followers? And perhaps more importantly, would such a God deserve our worship?
But I stopped my questions, for I had nothing to replace her faith if my questions managed to severely shake it. I had no comfortable pacifier with which to replace the sharp scissors.

"Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones. One is often told that it is a very wrong thing to attack religion, because religion makes men virtuous. So I am told; I have not noticed it."
- Bertrand Russell

"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart."
- H. L. Mencken

Some people shop for gods, most others have gods thrust upon them from birth, gods to whom they feel obliged to remain loyal, mainly and sadly due to peer pressure.
But whenever one is reflecting on whether the god one currently worships is the best, the most beneficial, the most deserving of worship - or when considering whether there are, in fact, better alternatives, one can use a kind of check list for surveying the qualities of the god one is currently saddled with - or the god one is considering adopting (..can one adopt a parent figure?)
One suggested check list is humbly supplied below, but it would be better for each of us to make our own list - or at least come up with supplements or substitutions. (Moses' laws were chiseled in stone - but that was back when stone was cheaper than papyrus.)

1. Ask yourself "Is your current god similar in disposition to someone you know? A rich or powerful uncle or grandfather who is usually generous, humorous, but can turn spiteful or vindictive when he doesn't get his way? Your own father - or the father you wished you had?
Logically if you can't admire your god, who can you admire?
Your god ought to be the most patient, kind and generous imaginable - and not just an affable alpha-male who turns nasty when his children continue to misbehave. Drowning the world for its sins is an act of pique, to say the least! The Bible is full of stories of when God became angry. But how can you get mad unless you are unpleasantly surprised? A perfect all-knowing god surprised and enraged? A logical impossibility! The Bible's God is Donald Trump, cool and all-knowing, always striving to appear in control, but all too often forced to peevishly punish the disappointing when their shortcomings suddenly appear!

2. Do you require your god to have a face? A nose? A mouth? Would three eyes eliminate a god from consideration? Tentacles instead of arms? Egyptians once happily worshipped crocodile-headed gods. Why cant we in the West today? Hindus continue to love Ganeesh, not despite, but perhaps because of his trunk! If God can create a creature as strange-looking as an octopus - think of it! Eight arms! Suction cups! Squirts ink! Changes colors! Poisonous! If God can create something so bizarre and alien to us, what shape and appearance would God choose for himself? Surely a Charleton Heston-type would be dull, insufficient and highly unlikely?

3. Must your god have a gender? Is a beard really necessary? Must your god resemble a patriarchal male in order to hold your respect - or a wise earth mother? What about Elvis sideburns? (When you picture Jesus do you imagine him as far more physically attractive and far less sarcastic and ironic than the average Jewish male?) Does your god just happen to have your skin color?

4. During the English War of the Roses (1455-1487), which side was God on? Which side would you have been rooting for? Does it matter? Is it enough to suppose that God is always on the side of the underdog or at least the side that didn't start it? Do you require your god to take sides in all wars - or remain neutral? (If God chooses to take an interest in some wars but not others, is it a sign of attention deficit?) Can you live with the notion that there may be a creator who doesn't care a whit who amongst his creations lives or dies, or how they live or die, and has no interest in punishing or rewarding behavior? A god that is impartial and indifferent, regarding us as no more special or necessary than cockroaches? Can we confused humans in fact be far more interested in morality than God is?

5. Do you require your god to have motives and plans that we can not only glimpse and understand, but approve of? For example, would you love and respect a god who created the earth and mankind - and has been patiently waiting for us to reach 20 billion - so that He can then feed us like tasty tidbits to His true favorites on the planet Belso? What if we've been created only to contribute global warming - so that later on His real "in his image" preferences, the lizard people, can evolve and thrive?

6. Do you require your god to perform magic tricks? Walk on water? Turn water to wine? Part the oceans? And when you don?t see these things occurring in your neighborhood for .. oh.. the last 2,000 years - do you say to yourself, "The Old Guy must be busy."

7. Do you want or need a god simply because you can't wrap your mind around the possibility that the universe is the result of something and not someone? That there has never been a conscious plan for you or for anyone or anything else? Do you absolutely require a Man With a Plan?

8. Do you find it impossible to believe that human beings are capable of behaving kindly and decently in a universe without a conscious god who punishes and rewards? Would you really behave much worse than you already do if you began to believe there are no cosmic eyes watching you? Do you really want a god like J. Edgar Hoover or Dick Cheney?

9. Do you require a god to take credit for the good stuff - and a devil to take the blame for the bad? If God created Satan, surely God can uncreate or change his nature? Unless of course God needs a fall guy to take the blame. An enforcer? If youve been bad, God "renders" you to hell just as Rumsfeld boxed and shipped off the despised to Syria and Bulgaria for waterboarding?

10. If you are a woman, is your perfect god a nearly sexless male figure, a Richard Chamberlin? A male figure who never thinks of sex but just wants to cuddle? For 2,000 years millions of frustrated Catholic women have lusted after the parish priest simply because they wish to believe he is incapable of lusting back or any other heinous form of male deceit. Is your god the one-of-a-kind male - the pure and shining ideal - the only man that can be trusted?

11. Do you absolutely require life after death? Heaven or Hell? Disneyland or Auschwitz? Do you imagine that Heaven is some kind of gated community ? and do you secretly fear that God may be letting in riff-raff - that He hasn't had the sense to set up some kind of platinum card system to keep the good - but poor and boring people from trying to mingle with - or stalk the better, richer more interesting, more important residents? And if you do require eternal life, what do you hope to do with your time - when you are unable to find anything interesting to do now on a rainy Sunday afternoon? Aren't you already sick of repeating your jokes and stories? How much will you be repeating during the next trillion trillion trillion millennium? Especially when there are no more fresh and juicy murders or sins to gossip about?

12.
Admittedly we are often told by clergy that the pleasures of Heaven will be different than earthly pleasures, purer pleasures, superior pleasures. But if you have been purified to such a degree that you no longer long for - nor appreciate sex, cheeseburgers, heavy metal music, Terminator movies - or any other cheap but delicious pleasures - just who is being admitted to Heaven? Certainly not you, as you are the sum of your pleasures. The new purified you will be as different to the present you as a total stranger would be. God may as well as make a robot copy of you without a personality and usher the - yes, soulless - copy through the Pearly Gates in your place. If Heaven is to be without familiar pleasures, familiar faces or a familiar feeling of time, then it will be an alien place indeed, built perhaps only for Newtons and Einsteins who could possibly thrive on pure thought - though I imagine that even Einstein appreciated a beer or a good steak once in a while. If God is a foe of earthly pleasures He had better have some mighty interesting substitutes waiting for us. But I suspect that the equivalent of one endless eternal mental orgasm might begin to seem trivial and tiresome after just a few millennia.

As in all things, when contemplating God and the hereafter, we should reflect with some humility, as so-called impossible or absurd things, do show themselves to exist in our universe from time to time. And when we contemplate the nature of God and "His" creations, we cannot rule out a God who has and does behave absurdly.
But as creatures of free will, we should never blindly nor gladly worship an absurd god, Ours, if we feel the need to have one, should behave with some decorum, and should refrain from creating such shameful and childish theme parks such as heaven or hell.

And if God won't behave himself we shall have to build a better one. Heres one proposal a God who has been here from start to finish, but so far remains innocent!
In the time before time, in the time before time had a framework to crawl upon, in the time before all movement - for there was nothing to move and no distances to transverse - there was the ultimate negativity. The ultimate absence. There was no place, no time, no light, no thing and no context.
And this lack of all and any manifested itself in negative energy, possibly understood by us metaphorically as a great hunger, a great longing for something.
Nature hates a vacuum, we are told. And this ultimate vacuum, this longing to abandon the negative, this yearning for simple existence, was so great, that an explosion of desire occurred. When did it occur? Exactly at the beginning, for there was no time and therefore no before before the beginning.

But with the explosion time, place and distance began, as sub-particles of sub-particles appeared and the physical placement and relations to each other in the outflowing space being created, caused the 4 dimensions we recognize and possible others unseen to us to be born. Within trillion parts of the first second the rapid growth, the outpouring of the desire to be, accelerated, like cells dividing.
It was in this proto-second that God, the sum total of everything, was born and began to evolve. And for all time past, and for all future time, this still-sleeping God/fetus will remain blissfully unconscious, growing as the galaxies, born-evolving-dying, spiral further and further away from the singularity, from the birthplace.
And all through this continuing period of gestation the future-God will grow increasingly complex, this complexity aided by the actions of evolving intelligent beings within God's still unconscious body. And for countless millennia these beings, us and others, will increasingly manipulate energy and matter, until every sub-atomic particle has been ordered and systematized.
Finally, at the last nano-second of time, when every bit of energy and matter has been manipulated into its final and most complexly possible state, God will awaken. God will be truly born and set free.
What will God do then, at the end of time as we know it?
Perhaps God will begin to behave with honor and curiosity, and possibly go on to greater more noble pastimes than we contributors were ever capable of?
Perhaps God will yawn, stretching cosmic muscles and say with a star-toothed smile, "Now to accomplish something!"

For religion, the holy is true. For philosophy the true is holy.
-Feuerbach

People are crazy. They can?t create a fly.. but they can create gods by the dozens!
-Michel de Montaigne

First he was rooting for Romney. Now he's rooting for Hillary. He makes a fool of himself by flooding this board. If you're confused who to vote for, just ask Jovez and vote for the other guy.

Keep up the good work, Deepak. Don't let the haters ("Christians") stifle the truth.

I can appreciate good humor, but this wasn't particularly funny. DC's understanding of Jesus is seriously twisted, and it shows.

Jesus did not advocate not resisting evil. He came to take on the devil on his own turf. He cast out demons, a serious form of spiritual warfare. He took on the religious establishment. He overturned the money-changer's tables. He came to our world to destroy the works of the devil. This doesn't sound like non-resistance to me.

Jesus did not have an interest in political position. He could have ruled the world. He was offered this chance and refused it. He made himself scarce when he realized that the crowds were going to take him by force and make him king.
He had a greater work to do before he could take on civil rule. He wanted to institute God's governmental rule in our heart first. The civil rule will come later when he appears as King of Kings, wearing many crowns. It is an elected position, but the only one who gets to vote is His Father. Nonetheless, every knee will bow and acknowledge He is Lord. Those having crowns will cast them down before him.

I do not worry about Deepak's blasphemy. I wouldn't expect anything else from a non-believer. In the end he will be judged on how he relates to Christ. That is the one thing he needs to worry about.

I can appreciate good humor, but this wasn't particularly funny. DC's understanding of Jesus is seriously twisted, and it shows.

Jesus did not advocate not resisting evil. He came to take on the devil on his own turf. He cast out demons, a serious form of spiritual warfare. He took on the religious establishment. He overturned the money-changer's tables. He came to our world to destroy the works of the devil. This doesn't sound like non-resistance to me.

Jesus did not have an interest in political position. He could have ruled the world. He was offered this chance and refused it. He made himself scarce when he realized that the crowds were going to take him by force and make him king.
He had a greater work to do before he could take on civil rule. He wanted to institute God's governmental rule in our heart first. The civil rule will come later when he appears as King of Kings, wearing many crowns. It is an elected position, but the only one who gets to vote is His Father. Nonetheless, every knee will bow and acknowledge He is Lord. Those having crowns will cast them down before him.

I do not worry about Deepak's blasphemy. I wouldn't expect anything else from a non-believer. In the end he will be judged on how he relates to Christ. That is the one thing he needs to worry about.

A Feeble Old Man

Believers in a traditional God seem to believe him to be a feeble old man. Perhaps that’s why they tend to view none-believers with not only pity and contempt, but with real fear. As if we are a danger to them. That God in his ancient decrepitude has somehow become near-sighted and when angered, he will cast a lightning bolt at us unbelievers – and hit a nearby believer by mistake!

Yes, as many fanatics in the middle-east seem to believe, God is too feeble to defend himself or to punish the wicked. True believers must do the killing for him. As if their timeless God hasn’t the patience to wait for sinners to die a natural death. His proxies are obliged to do his dirty work for him down here.

This scoring of brownie points, this divine ass-kissing is the saddest and most repulsive form of God worship, the ingratiation through violence and persecution. It is as if these nuts believe God to be a bleeding heart liberal too delicate to do the weeding, that he needs help, whether he wants it or not.

It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him.
- Arthur C. Clark

Man is, and always has been, a maker of gods. It has been the most serious and significant occupation of his sojourn in the world.
- John Burroughs

An honest God is the noblest work of man.
- Robert Green Ingersoll

Is man one of God's blunders or is God one of man's blunders?
A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Praying is like a rocking chair -- it'll give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere.
-- Gypsy Rose Lee

Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?.
-- Douglas Adams,
F

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
Voltaire

If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil. But the worst that you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever.
-- Woody Allen

They say God has existed from the beginning of time and will exist beyond the end of time. Can you imagine trying to sit through his home movies?
- Scott Roeben

If God wanted us to be happy he would have given us an atmosphere consisting of nitrous oxide.
- Michael West

He will perhaps do better in a reincarnated campaign effort. LOL

Jesus, has presented in the "New Testament," certainly would receive very few votes in Republican primaries. His compassion for the poor and needy, not for the rich and powerful, would be a losing message among most Republicans. He would do somewhat better in the Democratic primaries until one of his opponents had a three a.m. ad, questioning his capacity as a commander-in-chief during a foreign crisis.

Well put. Your discussion cuts to the heart of the central issue of the primary.

A corollary to your observation of what is going on inn the Democratic Presidential primaries is very simple "What would Jesus do ?" This is one that all "Christian's" should think about. I dare say he would not be doing what the Clinton Campaign is doing. Another quote from the Bible which I think should be kept in mind by those who are voting is: "Know them by their fruits"

Unfortunately Clinton's handlers don't pass either test. The question is what does that say about Clinton's willingness to lie, falsify, and pander to the lowest possible level and then rationalize it as revealing the truth about Barack Obama ?

As an independent I am disgusted by Clinton's latest line of attack. Barack Obama is one of the most inspirational leaders to come along in this generation. I will never forgive her or her party for what they are doing. It is beyond immoral... it is evil in the purest sense of the word. One of Satan's names is "the deceiver". Well I guess we know who she is batting for... And I guess I know who I will be voting for in the fall if she gets the nomination using these tactics... Mr. McCain here I come.

PS Pal Jesus does'nt need to be president.He's KING OF KINGS already!

Jeez, Lousie Deepak...to borrow from the great Ronald Reagan, "There you go again." If your going to quote the bible quote it right. It makes you look ignorant when you don't understand the basic principles of the bible. It is the "Love of money that is the root of all evil". Hmm...if you're so altruistic why don't you donate more of your money to charity, after all "to whom much is given much is required."

I could say more but...why would I?

Deepak - please re-read the New Testament - Jesus had nothing to do with politics - "My Kingdom is not of this world." He was the antithesis of a politician. Maybe you should re-write this about a great man like Ghandi, and how Ghandi would lose today.

i really wonder what jesus would have to say about the current state of our world-war,greed,violence and the simple unadulterated hatred that seems to be slowly eating us alive-our leaders profess to be christians-i like to think that jesus would have something to say about that.....

"The love of money is the root of all evil" is closer to how Jesus cautioned on materialism.

Bravo! The more they talk about change, and who has MORE change, the more they play the same games. What if they were secure enough in themselves to cooperate and run on the same ticket? That would surely be a win-win. Abraham Lincoln gave his fiercest opponents major positions in his administration and the country benefited from their many varies skills. Won't it be nice to have an administration that encourages all opinions and really makes thoughtful decisions based on the best information? I am looking forward to it. Thanks Deepak.

Hey Deepak,
if your hindu god, Ganesha, with the elephant head ran for US president, he just might win. Won't he?
He is a god of success.

When people don't have anything worthwhile to say or do then they run back to Jesus and Buddha and mould their mythological character according to their imagination and ideas for their advantage. Reason behind such an effort is same, good name, good fame and good money.

Deepak Chopra is no different.He is trying to become from a new age Guru to a new age prophet but through the words and actions of Jesus. He should stand on his own rather than borrowing the old crutches. Writing about Jesus and enjoying that wealth..he should try to live a simpler life if he wants to understand Jesus.

When people don't have anything worthwhile to say or do then they run back to Jesus and Buddha and mould their mythological character according to their imagination and ideas for their advantage. Reason behind such an effort is same, good name, good fame and good money.

Deepak Chopra is no different.He is trying to become from a new age Guru to a new age prophet but through the words and actions of Jesus. He should stand on his own rather than borrowing the old crutches. Writing about Jesus and enjoying that wealth..he should try to live a simpler life if he wants to understand Jesus.

What a load of tripe.

Jesus always "lost" to the worldly powers, because His Kingdom "is not of this world". This is just another pointless and offensive article trying to bring the sublime and inspiring down to the level of scum.

There is no comparison, and Jesus never competed in politics anyway.

That's why the scribes and pharisees rejected Him as the Messiah. They didn't recognize non-competitiveness, or any philosophy other than the worldly kind.

I guess their Heaven basically just looked like the wealthier suburbs of Las Vegas.

CCNL wrote : "The historic Jesus would have a very hard time running for any political office"
-----
Wrong. Just wait till he allows atheist/liberal people nuke themselves first before He runs for President. There would be no opposition to his candidacy coz all the idiots are gone with the wind.

Josh R. wrote :

"Alas, alas, that great city... for in one hour is she made desolate". Revelation 18: 19

Funny, I don't see the word liberal in there anywhere. And, what great city? Moscow, Paris, London, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago?

-------

Actually, it's probably all of the above. The nuke will make sure that it will land where Chopra resides and all the people like him.

So take a long look at his face coz it is an endangered specie.

My oh my....this was nearly as affective as the SNL parody about Obamania. The similarities are unquestionable. Imagine that?

Along another note...Christ was sent to us (humanity) by our Creator as a physician to inspire us to love one another without covetous motives and as a moral guide for our free will. We have no evidence that Christ was here nor do we have evidence that the Creator exists. Faith in what we are taught, typically early in life, is crucial to the contentment of the innate spirit.

The historic Jesus would have a very hard time running for any political office since any opponent would simply note the following about about him:

"My opponent, Jesus of the maybe spirit state of heaven is illiterate with only a basic background in peasantry and carpentry. He apparently suffers from "visions" and hallucinations of devils aka the demons of the demented. Some have characterized him as the "holy roller" from Nazareth, PA to a mythical character from Nazareth, Wherever, to a mamzer from Nazareth, PA. Analyses of Jesus’ background by many contemporary political scholars have concluded that only about 30% of Jesus' commentaries are authentic. The rest being embellishments (e.g. miracles made-up by his political speech writers to impress various Christian, Jewish and Pagan sects.)

The 30% that is "authentic Jesus" was plagiarized and/or borrowed from speeches of other politicians.

His supporters like followers of Luther, Calvin, Joe Smith, Henry VIII, Wesley et al also suffer from the belief in/hallucinations of "pretty wingy talking flying fictional thingie" visits and "prophecies" for profits analogous to the myths of Catholicism (resurrections, apparitions, ascensions and immaculate conceptions

Kerusso, why do you consider "Goddamnit" blasphemy? It sounds like a prayer to me.

Jesus was about love, first, last and always.
As for the people who have an issue with this article, learn to be Christian and offer your love; otherwise, you are NOT a follower of Christ and are just someone who is confused. Learn to love everyone and God is pleased.

I hear ya Deepak, I am sure Jesus is weeping bitter tears over Iraq and all the hawks in America who think you can fix things with violence. Yours in Christ, Beth

"Watching the religious get up in arms is always good entertainment."

Well, if it keeps you from bating bears or other such entertainment - all the better.

What a mess.

Christians need to understand that there is a historical view of Jesus and a religious one. Taking the view that he's the son of your God is religious and requires faith. Based on the evidence you can still believe that Jesus was alive and that his followers were early Christians, but there seems to be this feeling out there that Deepak is insulting the religious Jesus when maybe he's making a commentary on the historical Jesus. When looking at Jesus through someone else's eyes you cannot assume that the view your faith believes in is the only relevant view or you are a fundamentalist.

Very witty, very funny.

But perhaps even more humorous is the derision of those who get worked up over Chopra's column. Watching the religious get up in arms is always good entertainment.

Interesting comments by Chopra, But some people might actually believe that Jesus' purpose was to rule over the land, which would be entirely preposterous, nor accurate at all...

only a hindu would not get that the Son of GOD is way above being president. tell us, would budda get the job as president, if you said NO, you would be right, but then budda was not GOD.
In the Old Testament, GOD struck down the enemies of Israel, GOD took them out, in the New Testament, man must learn to deal with his enemies. If you ever read the Bible you would know that the Son of GOD stayed away from politics, what is of God is of God, what is of man is with man.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and therefore cannot serve as President of the United States. Only citizens born here can serve. Jesus could run for Prime Minister of Israel, but I don't think he'd get many votes.

That said, if he were eligible to run, he would win hands down.

Religion is the only power on earth that could make a person launch a nuclear holocaust and feel right in doing it. Those who write drivel about Jesus and the American presidency are so ignorant of power in heaven and on earth that it does not even justify a serious response.

Very witty article. And it is true that Christ would never even make the ranks of an 'also ran' in our political industry.

You forgot a good plank - "The meek shall inherit the earth". That sounds positively unamerican. And then there would be all the debate about what is his position on the 'Death Tax' with such a stand...

I think that there are far better things to do in this screwed-up world than contributing to inane articles such as this which is absolute drivel.
I only read it because it was sent to me.

love your enemies, resist NOT EVIL?? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? HOPEFULLY DEEPRA IS JUST A BAD TYPIST/ as huckabee stated, JESUS IS TO SMART TO RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE. , BUT OTHERS SURE LIKE TO USE HIS NAME AND MAKE MONEY WRITNG RIDICULOUS MEDIA ARTICLES.

I NOTICE, IMMEDIATELY, THAT THE WRITER DOES NOT MENTION CHRIST, AT ALL, AND THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR CHRISTIAN RESPONSE. JESUS CHRIST IS KNOWN AS GOD'S SON FOR A SPECIFIC REASON AND PURPOSE. THIS WAS TOTAL AND COMPLETE PAYMENT FOR ALL THAT KEPT MAN FROM HIS ALIGNMENT WITH HIS CREATOR. THIS PAYMENT, IN CHRIST, WAS SUFFICIENT. NOT A PENNY MORE, NOT A PENNY LESS,AS GOD IS NOT A GOD OF WASTE, BUT, A GOD OF WORTH. HE DOES NOT APROVE OF HAUGHTINESS OR SUPERFLUITY. HE, THE SON, WAS GIVEN, AS THE EXACT COST OR PRICE FOR MANKIND'S RANSOM. JESUS CHRIST WOULD WIN ANY CONTEST THAT HE WOULD BE APART OF BECAUSE HE CAME THROUGH PROPHECY, NOT A SPUR-OF-THE MOMENT TIMING, BUT, IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME, FOR OUR SAKE, SINCE GOD IS NOT SUBJECT TO TIME.

GOD IS PERFECT. HIS SON IS PERFECT, ALSO, THEY ARE ONE AND NOT AT ODDS IN ANY WAY. FURTHERMORE, CHRIST WOULD NEVER UNDERTAKE ANYTHING, BUT, WHAT HE SHOULD, HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE, HE COULD NEVER LOSE. THERE WOULD NOT BE ANYONE IN WHICH TO LOSE. HE AND THE FATHER ARE ONE AND THE GOD HEAD IS ONE, NOT SEVERAL. THEY, AS ONE, COULD NEVER LOSE AND WHEN GOD IS FOR YOU, NO ONE IS AGAINST YOU. (THERE IS NO ONE LEFT TO BE AGAINST YOU, GOD IS ALL) ESTELLA MARGARET DAVIS

love your enemy-- resist NOT evil! im sorry i dont know what the guru is talking about???hopefully he is just a bad typist???as mike huckabee stated, JESUS IS TOO SMART TO RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE. but others sure like to use his name, to make money for writing stupid media articles.

Jesus here. BET I'd win ! Loving 'em DEAD, works.

Peace (after they're killed).

But Jesus wasn't running in his lifetime for president, or even a political savior for the people of that day. He was living His Father's will, to be the Savior of the World.

But, his message to the world affects our individual lives, in every way. Our adherence to his teachings govern our lives, and through this affect the world - even governments. Is it any wonder that the world is so messed up? We can be more honest. We can act better towards one another. We need to reject the world's "whatever it takes" mentality. The peace of the world depends upon it.

But Jesus wasn't running in his lifetime for president, or even a political savior for the people of that day. He was living His Father's will, to be the Savior of the World.

But, his message to the world affects our individual lives, in every way. Our adherence to his teachings govern our lives, and through this affect the world - even governments. Is it any wonder that the world is so messed up? We can be more honest. We can act better towards one another. We need to reject the world's "whatever it takes" mentality. The peace of the world depends upon it.

"Money is at the root of all evil."

no no no

its the love of it

Wow! The Washington Post should filter these comments a little more intelligently.

Reading these posts is like watching the Jerry Springer show.

Mr. Chopra, ;), I think has the last laugh at all this.

Jesus wouldn't waste his time on such a manmade idea to begin with.

As a third-party candidate Jesus wouldn't even make it into the debates. He'd be blocked by the masters of the Republican and Democratic parties.

Kerusso, so, Buddha's name is never spoken in vain. Well, when I was in the Navy we had a very large, squatty tractor that was used to pull airplanes around the ramp; it was, probably still is, called a Buddha. I am sorry, but this, to a Buddhist, is blasphemy. Many Americans have bought statues of Buddha and rub their bellies for good luck. In our culture we make references to obese people as being like Buddha. I am sure there are many other examples. Also, I would be very hesitant making the statement that Allah (a word, by the way, that translate into English as "The God" or "God") isn't blasphemed. Although Christians (at lest Western Christians) consider Allah a personal name, it is no more a personal name than is our English term, God. In our language, god is a generic term (a word, actually, that was used by the pagan Germanic peoples to designate deities and is not of Christian or Hebraic origin; we capitalize the word to indicate that we are speaking of the most powerful, or, as we believe, the only being to be so considered). God is not the Most Holy's personal name. Do Spanish speaking people worship a different deity because they call Him Dios? Continually referring to Allah as if it were a personal name, like Zeus, is a form of blasphemy. Actually, any English curse using God would be translated into Arabic using Allah, so Allah is blasphemed whenever God is; too difficult to comprehend? What do Arab Christians call God? Would they use the Germanic word, God? Of course not. They use Allah. For that matter, Arab Jews use Allah to refer to the Supreme Being. Allah is an Arabic word, and is not unique to Muslims. Until the 7th Century, C.E, Arabs were mainly animist, with goodly numbers of Christians and Jews. Allah was used by all of them to refer to deities, including the Supreme Being. As a good Christian you should be aware of the proscription in the Bible against using or uttering God's personal name; the proscription is so strong that scholars aren't even sure what it is. Even though the majority seem to prefer Yahweh, it isn't clear if that really is a personal name or an attribute of the Most Holy (like "The Most Holy"). The nature of man and his relationship to God is much more complex than we understand: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Interesting how so many here, including Mr. Chopra, seek to predict or proclaim what Jesus would do, without really bothering to investigate "What Jesus would have me do".

Words of Jesus:

Matthew 28:17-20 : When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Mark 16:16 : Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned

Jesus would LOSE all the Bible Belt states.

The Christian Right is neither.

Jesus wouldn't get past the ushers at any of their megachurches.

A short, swarthy Jewish feller with a big nose, sandals, and a robe?

I can hear the good Christian ushers saying "Get lost, hippy!" and giving him the bum's rush.

Jesus is no longer welcome in most Christian churches.

But torture is. Go figure.

Well said, Tofurky Joe.

Not only Bible, even Kuraan, Geeta, Guru Granth Sahib and all religious scriptures are not actual words of respective God but interpretations of God's followers.
All of them were great thinkers of their times.
Scriptures do capture essence of their message, but one needs to use common sense to grasp the message. It would be foolish to interpret the words in literal sense, and worse, act in a way that contradicts the message.

Although I agree with the points that Mr Chopra made, as a non-Christian, I did not enjoy it.

Re: Jill McCormick's comment: "if you're so sure Jesus is against the death penalty I suggest you read Genesis Ch.3 where it says 'whosoever sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed.' Jesus forgives, but that doesn't mean he takes away consequences".

Supposedly Jesus said something like "let s/he who is without sin cast the first stone". Only someone who refuses to see what Jesus taught can see remark this as anything other than an outright unequivocal condemnation of humans "punishing" other humans for sins or crimes, real or imagined. So-called "christians" who believe Christ's teachings are not inconsistent with imposition of the death penalty have swallowed the Devil's trickery hook, line and sinker.

{Having said the above, however, I understand the visceral, primal urge to kill someone who would harm my family, a child, my neighbor, and so on. I believe that Jesus does not condone our primal vengeful nature, but asks us to be like him.)

Beautiful, just beautiful. At 19, I walked out of church and never looked back. While I love the message of Jesus, peace, compassion & tolerance, it is his fan club that I cannot stand.

We need those fighter jets. Even in my new home town venders
suck me dry and steal my money. But not a one of them yet has blown me up at the produce department or pharmacy. But things can change. Jesus was aware of the evil doers and realized Ceasar
was needed to protect the populous. I mean He is God and I'm not going to argue with Him.

We need those fighter jets. Even in my new home town venders
suck me dry and steal my money. But not a one of them yet has blown me up at the produce department or pharmacy. But things can change. Jesus was aware of the evil doers and realized Ceasar
was needed to protect the populous. I mean He is God and I'm not going to argue with Him.

kdinsd:

wrote "The Bible verse actually reads, "The love of money is the root of all evil." It is not money itself that is the source of evil, but the irrational passion that some develop while pursuing it."

Without a doubt hdinsd has been to church where, "the irrational passion that some develop while pursuing" money is the norm.

jacob:

wrote[it seems that humility has long ago lost its value as a virtue. the combined narcissism of the posts here is truly disturbing...]

Examples are in order otherwise you may as well have said ...the posts here are truly enlightening. For example, blogger jacob is disturbed. I didn't know that.

Sigh. I just wish Deepak would go away and stop opining about a Jesus he obviously doesn't know.

TOFURKY JO:

That's where the faith part comes in.

The Bible verse actually reads, "The love of money is the root of all evil." It is not money itself that is the source of evil, but the irrational passion that some develop while pursuing it.

Most "Christians" today would fail to recognize their "savior"...homeless helping, hunger feeding, dirty hippie who fed the multitudes, drank and told stories to 12 fisherman bums; who spoke of abandoning possessions and healing the sick.

These self righteous evangelists would walk right past him to change money in the temple.

"Democrats, always the party of intellectuals"

Has Mr Chopra read the Post's boards? I guess name calling and ignorance are the hallmarks of the modern "intellectual".

Jesus never ran for president. The jews wanted him to come and kick out the Roman empire but he didn't do that. Jesus didn't come to earth to reform health care, change the death penalty, or manage the budget. He came to earth to die for the sins of the world and to make it possible for everyone to be forgiven and spend eternity in heaven with him.

Diff point of view;
if you're so sure Jesus is against the death penalty I suggest you read Genesis Ch.3 where it says "whosoever sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed." Jesus forgives, but that doesn't mean he takes away consaquences.

It has come to my attention that many of the posts here fail to take in any traditions other than Christianity and the English language. Many of you claim to be true Christians, and to follow the word of Christ. What you are indeed following is over a millenium of translations. The language you speak about religion in and read about The Holy Bible in is not the language or the tradition that these writings come from. When you make a statement based on the literal words themselves you are neglecting the centuries of adaptation and evolution of what you're reading and the language you are reading it in. How many people changed the words? How many centuries did it take for Modern English to become a written language?

Stop basing your arguments on semantics.

Brilliant! Too bad, some did not grasp it. Jesus wouldn't have a prayer in the election.

He was jewish and we know what the bigots will say

How would Mohammed do?

"the still small voice within" me says that the person who gave up his life for people he didn't even know, including people who were harming him, would more probably act the way "a different point of view" suggests than the opposite.

so are you for Obama or against?
Are you for Hillary or against?
Are you for McCain or against?

Please let me know
publicv@aol.com

"As it turns out, Jesus's other planks caused even more problems on the bumpy road to the nomination. The second one was "Money is at the root of all evil.""

FALSE.

The quote is "LOVE of money is the root of all evil"

Big Difference.

Read your Bible Mr.Chopra before you start quoting from it.

Thank you.

Dr. Copra is entitled to his opinions ad to his own religion, but what Timothy 6:10 says is "Love of money is the root of all evil," a very different idea from Chopra's "Money is the root...."

Sincerely,

a non-Christian who believes in Timothy 6:10

I loved Chopdaji.

Still trying to sell books, Chopra?

The Washington Post blogs (and the entire paper) is a joke and is nothing more than a vehicle for reactionary secular humanists (Jacoby, Hitchens and Chopra come to mind)

Want real commentary and intellectual conversation on religion and philosophy and politics, there are plenty of great bolgs out there.

The Immanent Frame comes to mind:

http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/immanent_frame/

If you thought Hitchens was great...you probably won't be able to follow true intellectual discourse found above...

Blah blah blah. To everyone who keeps citing the Bible - guess what. It's a BOOK. No one knows who wrote it, you can't PROVE that what's in it is the "word of God." Of course, your only response to that statement will be that it "is the word of God." But I want you to give me concrete proof of that statement that isn't circuitous in its illogic. Please do. I've been waiting for someone to be able to do that my whole life, and surprise, surprise - no one can.

Since the root of all evil quote has been talked about, maybe we can just substitute this one for it, since it leaves the meaning intact:

...I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:24.

Good job, Deepak!

One would hope that your essay would make "Christians" on the right to see that the government policies they support are against everything that Jesus stood for.

Alas, this country is infected with Christian religious fundamentalism, not unlike the Muslim, Jewish and Hindu fundamentalism that Christian fundamentalists are so quick to condemn. The intolerance and defensiveness of some of the responses evidences as much.

As is said among some of us you have known well,

Jai Guru Dev

You wrote- The second one was "Money is at the root of all evil."
You forgot "THE LOVE OF..." I think that's a pretty important part of the quote.

Love it. It's always useful to return to the source texts and clear away 2,000 years of grime from what was in essence a very clear message that wouldn't fit well in either party's platform. Separation of church and state never looked better, while clearly showing that religion has a true place that government simply can't fill.

"Why are you bashing Jesus Christ all the time? Can you please get your point across without doing that?"

Who is bashing Jesus Christ?

Seriously, can people from now on provide evidence in some form to back up what they're saying as opposed to madly ranting in any direction? That would seriously make for a much more interesting discussion.

This column is really bizarre.

Jesus ran for president, according to Chopra. This is a bit ahistorical. He was the opposite of a polititian.

He was a peaceful revolutionary. He spoke against certain state and governmental paradigms/strictures, and he even spoke up for women, for children, and for the sick or disabled.

One might sooner compare his run to the non-violent "resistance" movements of the 1960s, than to the "uniter" Chopra alludes to with his play on "Audacity." Lastly, can you please explain how a message of hope can co-exist with all these voices of hate?

If you want to know exactly what Jesus had to say on these issues, you may want to read the Holy Bible from cover to cover. Since the bible claims that he is the Word of God. Also, Jesus of Nazereth don't have to run for president. He's going to rule the entire earth (including the U.S.A.), soon anyway. He will rule and his word will have the final judgement. If you want to know about rule of law that Jesus will institute on earth. Open your bible and read the first 5 books. That's when he ruled Ancient Isreal. He set up laws for them to follow. He ruled until they held an election and asked him for a human king (that's when Saul became king). But even then, if Ancient Isreal failed to keep his law, they were cursed. Not so much because He was angry with them, but because his law is a way of life. We all will find out all about his law and how good it is for mankind when he returns to the earth to become the King of All kings.

When are we going to realize we can not offend God? An omnipotent being can have anything they want. Actually want is not the right word, he would want for nothing because he can create anything he desires.

Are we actually saying that God who can create anything, created a situation where he can be offend? He created a situation where he is not in control? He has created beings that don’t make him happy? He made his presence so ambiguous that most humans can’t agree on who/what he/she is?

There are two logical conclusions. God doesn’t exist or we have a very confused idea of who/what God actually is. I favor the later myself.

We have so much to learn

I agree with Daniel. Ther's a lot of hate in your heart man. What happened to you in Iraq? I was deployed too. God either rips your heat open, or you choose to pour salt in it. Put the salt down Canyon. There is no need for it here...

Excellent Analysis Dr. Chopra.

The negative comments from the religious folk confirms that it is an excellent topic and Christians just lack the tolerance as well as the intelligence to question their belief system once in a while. If anything these are people who just follow what others want them to, rather than make change. That is to say that they have no qualities that Jesus possessed. Jesus was not a blind follower, but was a simple person preaching what he learnt from his own experience.

Once again Dr. Chopra, keep up the good work.

Rob
Fort Worth, TX

It's interesting that there would need to be a diologue about "Jesus" as the president of the United States.

Interesting and scary.

First and foremost, American's are NOT suppose to be down on their knees... especially not to some guy from the middle east... The concept is BEYOND embarressing.
.
Lastly, I get the impression that SOMEBODY is trying to superimpose middle eastern concepts into American politics... where WE get to turn into a theocracy and elect leaders based solely on their religious stands ( My invisible friend is better than YOUR invisible friend)
.
Forget it.. it AIN'T gonna happen.

EVER

Why are you bashing Jesus Christ all the time? Can you please get your point across without doing that?

Kerusso, why'd you change your name? Canyon Shearer was much better:) I can't wait till we all burn and die. Oh, liberals will burn, it says it in the Bible yo. Cann't wait! I'll be at Spiderman2's house while Canyon (aka Kerusso) is baking smore's.

YAY!!

Hard to argue with Deepak's point

Although all the candidates will trip all over themselves to proclaim how devoutly they follow Jesus, in reality they don't take anything he said seriously.

What ignorance. What you claim we have forgotten is something you clearly have never known. May the Lord of the universe have mercy on you, Mr. Chopra. You have offended the righteous and holy king.

Why did you write this stupid article

Some amazing comments.

"nadeem tahir:

This guy is a total jack ass. Is he suggesting that barack obama is jesus? you have got to be kidding."

Where are you even getting that? Obama's name is not mentioned ONCE in this article.

"Posted on March 6, 2008 14:20
Anonymous:

Well thats weird to see some one talk so low of someone elses beliefs. I bet ur muslim to have no respect like that lol. You should have used some one else and you could have till made a point like one of your muslim gods lol."

Well, first, Muslim's only believe in one god. So, negative three points for ignorance. Secondly, where is anybody talking low of Jesus' beliefs? If anything, he's talking highly of Jesus' beliefs and lowly about the beliefs of voters (whether they espouse Christian beliefs in name or not). So, negative four points for lack of reading comprehension. Or, alternatively, do you have evidence that you'd like to offer to bolster your point (as opposed to hateful ranting)?

You know what Deepak, I love you because I must but I REALLY DON'T LIKE YOU. With this piece you are taking my Lord's name in vain and making a mockery of my religion (as you usually do)!! But you know what... that's OK because the one you are mocking is the one you will have to deal with one day. I hope your attempt at being clever was worth it and I don't think your holy cows will be able to save you.

Well thats weird to see some one talk so low of someone elses beliefs. I bet ur muslim to have no respect like that lol. You should have used some one else and you could have till made a point like one of your muslim gods lol.

This guy is a total jack ass. Is he suggesting that barack obama is jesus? you have got to be kidding.

Chopra's post was rather cliched and uninspired, but I found Kerusso's comment very funny. Maybe Mr. Chopra could take a hint from him/her and engage in fresh satire.

A different point of view ,

If Jesus loves the liberal democrats, why then does the Bible prophecy that liberals would burn?

"Alas, alas, that great city... for in one hour is she made desolate". Revelation 18: 19

Funny, I don't see the word liberal in there anywhere. And, what great city? Moscow, Paris, London, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago? If you can spin some definitive truth out of such ambiguity you should campaign for Miss Cleo's job. That or a novel writer.

As for Jesus as candidate, or perhaps a candidate who espoused policies based upon the sayings of Jesus'--never gonna happen. His prison policy (no death penalty!! visit the poor!!!) would sap his votes. And the pacifism? Oh my! The arms contractors would be pumping money into his opponent's campaign chest.

it seems that humility has long ago lost its value as a virtue. the combined narcissism of the posts here is truly disturbing...

Deepak, your posts are clearly a creative & idealistic attempt to plant seeds of a more universal way of understanding life and the core message of Jesus.

I very much appreciate your writings for their wit and insights.

It is evident unfortunately that your allegory is too subtle and threatening for some to appreciate.

You clearly don't mind being crucified for attempting to awaken a deeper memory or understanding in people's souls.

But we both know such awakening must happen at some point. Nothing wrong with trying to stir people a bit who are open to engage in some reflection regarding Jesus' deeper message. Ever knowing you'll be vilified by many in the process.

You've got a lot of courage to enter the lion's den; it takes a lot to make a crack in the encrustations of human ego and human belief.

Spiderman2 aka Bible Thumper, Fortune Teller and Severely Brainwashed in that Old Time Religion,

Fools are those who have read only the bible. God cannot be proud of such lazy creations!!!!

To reiterate:
What flash of light gave you such brilliance in the field of fortune telling and interpretations of said stupidity???

The reality of it all is that the "pew sitters" and "bowers" are coming to grips with the flaws in their religions and in ten years the religions of today will be unrecognizable or extinct as the "pretty and ugly wingie flying thingies" are finally buried in the piles of utter stupidity.

A playful response to the question from Deepak.

A Jesus like character would not run for president and would not associate the self with any specific labels or fictional frameworks.

This character would spend most of the time communicating as would the Apostles delivering messages while trying to bring attention to the message not so much to themselves. They would be more thought leaders than nation leaders.

Playing the role of president this character might be limited in what they could say and lose certain other freedoms available with anonymity and not holding a formal position.

Of course you might find leaders seeking the advice of this character and the Apostles; they could also speak the things some might dare not say, which would allow others to point to what was said without the repercussions of having said it themselves.

No doubt one would find many people listening to these apostles, and it is those people that have the ultimate say and the only real power to implement change through their collective intent. There would be no obstacle they could not transcend.

I think the very reason Jesus made the statement, "render unto Caesar etc".. is because of precisely what is going on. You of all people Mr. Chopra knows, that to seek and be One with God is not through the path of the intellect but rather by transcending the "monkey chatter" mind to the elevated level of consciousness which hears "the still small voice within". The attitude and behavior of politicians since the time of Jesus sadly, has not changed much, they are still led by their overwhelmingly (personal) egos which dictate their selfish, power-hungry obsessions. We all have a specific purpose on this earth which no-one else can fulfill. Jesus' purpose had nothing to do with the politics of the time instead had everything to do with understanding, recognizing and ultimately living our Divine nature. The core of our existence is in living the spiritual experience while in the physical body therefore, Jesus' entire life was in embodying the essence of who we are because with that in place, an enlightened man can then go forth and be the most effective, purpose-driven politician, doctor or street cleaner he/she can ever be. Lastly, Jesus or God for that matter is "not offended" (I hate putting human qualities unto the Divine) by our discussion of these matters however, I do find it rather silly and unproductive as after 2000 years, we still have not grasped the fullness of Jesus' manifestation into flesh. We worship, revere, put him on a pedestal... making him this untouchable, un-relatable character and not realizing that his trip to the physical plane was simply to say, stop fooling around folks... you all got the power, the magic, the God-like quality to do everything that I, Jesus have done.... and even more. Which among you have ever entertained the thought of walking on water? See.. we still haven't got the message... so let's evolve beyond these kinder-garden type nonsense and get with the real program.. in every human being is the limitless potential to be.... all that I AM...

Kerusso:

http://www.hoax-buster.org/sellyoursoul since you seem to have an interest in the only deadly sin, blasphemy.

Mr Deepak Chopra:

I love your humor although I expect you're not laughing. What you say is so given our pretend democracy. Recently some facts about Jesus have surfaced that makes what you said that much more so.

Jesus did run for office, king to be exact that encompasses all political parties. So I must give you that one, candidates for king are seeker of all nominations.

She used the political name, Amenophis IV instead of her own in an effort to avoid the embarrassment of God's child losing to an ordinary heathen, the bastard son of the king. As luck would have it and with a lot of help from the back room political bosses she won all nominations. Here your presumption goes astray, all nominations can be won by a single person but not the office of president of course.

Things went well for a while with her campaign but then, probably a simple case of the big head, she declared herself to be "the son of God." When objections were voiced by the high priest she declared herself to be king in spite of the king still being alive and attempted to fire the high priest. When he objected she "threw the money changers out of the temple of God."

Naturally, the religious authorities couldn't have that for without money the temple will collapse or worse. She was charged with blasphemy for claiming to be the son of God, arrested, convicted, sentenced to hell and died on the cross in the usual 3 hours.

Whole story at http://www.hoax-buster.org page 2 -an outline of the 50 year patch of ancient Egyptian history that is the basis in fact for the critical stories of the Bible. Naturally, the religious authorities are against this and therefore it doesn't get much press so only a couple hundred million people know about it so far, (their stone wall has a significant leak -the Internet).

Spiderman: I would say the nightmare is already here. My father's tales of war and my walks down some streets on Earth confirmed it.

But the dream is here also, I saw it last night when the sun set and my children told me that they loved me.

I heard a seminary professor say that Jesus would probably be a "conservative moderate liberal" for the following reasons:
1. Conservative, because he believed that the law should not be abolished but fulfilled and that not even "a jot or a tittle" should be removed.
2. Moderate, because he refused to take sides. ("Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's")
3. Liberal, because Jesus cared more about helping regular people rather than hanging out with the "religious folk."

overall, clever.

however, misquote on the money thing; it's the love of money, not money itself, that is the root of all kinds of evil, and it wasn't Jesus who said it.

diff pt of view, you make some good points, but distort many othes; you can't take teaching on personal responsibility and force it into corporate/govt context. Read a few books on Jesus and govt (there are many) and you'll find articulate views, some that match your own, some that show you're 90% off.

It's a dreamer's point of view, so dream on coz the nightmare is coming soon.

A different point of view ,

If Jesus loves the liberal democrats, why then does the Bible prophecy that liberals would burn?

"Alas, alas, that great city... for in one hour is she made desolate". Revelation 18: 19

This is right on the mark. Anyone who professes to be a Christian and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus needs to be reminded of his message. The journey to salvation does not end at the alter rail but is baptized in the messy city streets, poor rural communities, and in the halls of Congress. Jesus calls us to care and to be involved.

PROGNOSTICATOR:

I have to disagree. I think an open dialogue may not have an immediate affect on one's opinion, but it will make us all think and grow as people.

I was walking with a friend of mine at work who says he is evangelical. He began to talk about his religion. I said, "You know, I don't feel that way". He said, "Everyone needs to find their own way".

Even if we are offended, I try to reach out to our brothers and sisters with love, because we're trapped here on Earth together and evangelicals follow someone who preached love.

"Better recognize your brothers, everyone you meet"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MieDFkhlByo

Well said.

Very clever blog, Mr. Chopra. I liked it.

Kerusso, a.k.a. Canyon Shearer, Anonymous, Spider, etal. Get a life!!!

Different Point of View -

Good post but challenging the thinking of fundamentalists (such as it is) is pretty much like trying to kick large stones out of the way.

It only hurts your foot & rarely moves a cumbersome if innert object. Much better to walk around obstables and go about your way.

The boulders will still be there when you return, so have no doubt about that. Stones are stones because that's their nature and Lord knows they don't know any better.

As my mother used to say, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

regards -

In spite of the fact that folks are making sport over the Jesus as president issue, there are evangelicals who vote their religion and hold candidates to the litmus test of whether they are "Christian enough". It is to those voters that I address these comments to offer suggestions on how to evaluates their candidates.

Jesus would be against the death penalty as he taught forgiveness (e.g., when he was being crucified, he said "Forgive them for they know not what they do" rather than "Give them the death penalty for their crime")

Jesus would not fight the war on terror, nor would he have attacked Afghanistan or Iraq after 9/11 because he preached that when struck, you should turn the other cheek not practice an eye for an eye.

Jesus would be against guns because he taught us to beat our swords into ploughshares.

Jesus would be against tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations because he taught that you cannot serve God and money and that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (which we have never seen happen) than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus would also support a very progressive tax system since Jesus taught (e.g. to Lazarus) that to truly follow him, one must give up one's money.

Jesus would be a strong supporter of the environment because he would believe what is written in Genesis that man was entrusted by God with the care of the planet.

Jesus would support universal health care because he always welcomed the opportunity to heal the sick.

Jesus would heavily support social programs because he believed in the concept of helping others (e.g., the parable of the good Samaritan and principle of loving thy neighbor).

When George Bush was elected president, many evangelicals claimed that God was in the White House. I invite those evangelicals to match Bush's positions with those based on Jesus' teachings. More importantly, in the upcoming election, when candidates say what they stand for, perhaps the same religious voters will vote the candidate who best embodies the positions that match Jesus' teachings.

In spite of the fact that folks are making sport over the Jesus as president issue, there are evangelicals who vote their religion and hold candidates to the litmus test of whether they are "Christian enough". It is to those voters that I address these comments to offer suggestions on how to evaluates their candidates.

Jesus would be against the death penalty as he taught forgiveness (e.g., when he was being crucified, he said "Forgive them for they know not what they do" rather than "Give them the death penalty for their crime")

Jesus would not fight the war on terror, nor would he have attacked Afghanistan or Iraq after 9/11 because he preached that when struck, you should turn the other cheek not practice an eye for an eye.

Jesus would be against guns because he taught us to beat our swords into ploughshares.

Jesus would be against tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations because he taught that you cannot serve God and money and that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (which we have never seen happen) than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus would also support a very progressive tax system since Jesus taught (e.g. to Lazarus) that to truly follow him, one must give up one's money.

Jesus would be a strong supporter of the environment because he would believe what is written in Genesis that man was entrusted by God with the care of the planet.

Jesus would support universal health care because he always welcomed the opportunity to heal the sick.

Jesus would heavily support social programs because he believed in the concept of helping others (e.g., the parable of the good Samaritan and principle of loving thy neighbor).

When George Bush was elected president, many evangelicals claimed that God was in the White House. I invite those evangelicals to match Bush's positions with those based on Jesus' teachings. More importantly, in the upcoming election, when candidates say what they stand for, perhaps the same religious voters will vote the candidate who best embodies the positions that match Jesus' teachings.

In spite of the fact that folks are making sport over the Jesus as president issue, there are evangelicals who vote their religion and hold candidates to the litmus test of whether they are "Christian enough". It is to those voters that I address these comments to offer suggestions on how to evaluates their candidates.

Jesus would be against the death penalty as he taught forgiveness (e.g., when he was being crucified, he said "Forgive them for they know not what they do" rather than "Give them the death penalty for their crime")

Jesus would not fight the war on terror, nor would he have attacked Afghanistan or Iraq after 9/11 because he preached that when struck, you should turn the other cheek not practice an eye for an eye.

Jesus would be against guns because he taught us to beat our swords into ploughshares.

Jesus would be against tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations because he taught that you cannot serve God and money and that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (which we have never seen happen) than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus would also support a very progressive tax system since Jesus taught (e.g. to Lazarus) that to truly follow him, one must give up one's money.

Jesus would be a strong supporter of the environment because he would believe what is written in Genesis that man was entrusted by God with the care of the planet.

Jesus would support universal health care because he always welcomed the opportunity to heal the sick.

Jesus would heavily support social programs because he believed in the concept of helping others (e.g., the parable of the good Samaritan and principle of loving thy neighbor).

When George Bush was elected president, many evangelicals claimed that God was in the White House. I invite those evangelicals to match Bush's positions with those based on Jesus' teachings. More importantly, in the upcoming election, when candidates say what they stand for, perhaps the same religious voters will vote the candidate who best embodies the positions that match Jesus' teachings.

First, as far as the evangelicals whatever happens, God has allowed it for His purpose and plan not ours, including those who are chosen for offices all the way up to the Presidency. Also, we all need to take the plank out of our own eyes before we take the speck out of others. Blashemy: anytime you use it in vain, not just as a four-letter filty curse word but irreverantly or for your own selfish gain and I have to say: that happens alot on this website and also in the world. Whomever wins the Presidential election, God has allowed it but those who consistently mock and persecute the true Christians and blasheme Christs' name will be held accountable.

If Jesus loves the liberal democrats, why then does the Bible prophecy that liberals would burn?

"Alas, alas, that great city... for in one hour is she made desolate". Revelation 18: 19.

A "Wrong" Different Point of View,

When was the last time you read your Bible? You've done some marvelous scripture twisting to make up a Jesus in your own image.

In spite of the fact that folks are making sport over the Jesus as president issue, there are evangelicals who vote their religion and hold candidates to the litmus test of whether they are "Christian enough". It is to those voters that I address these comments to offer suggestions on how to evaluates their candidates.

Jesus would be against the death penalty as he taught forgiveness (e.g., when he was being crucified, he said "Forgive them for they know not what they do" rather than "Give them the death penalty for their crime")

Jesus would not fight the war on terror, nor would he have attacked Afghanistan or Iraq after 9/11 because he preached that when struck, you should turn the other cheek not practice an eye for an eye.

Jesus would be against guns because he taught us to beat our swords into ploughshares.

Jesus would be against tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations because he taught that you cannot serve God and money and that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (which we have never seen happen) than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus would also support a very progressive tax system since Jesus taught (e.g. to Lazarus) that to truly follow him, one must give up one's money.

Jesus would be a strong supporter of the environment because he would believe what is written in Genesis that man was entrusted by God with the care of the planet.

Jesus would support universal health care because he always welcomed the opportunity to heal the sick.

Jesus would heavily support social programs because he believed in the concept of helping others (e.g., the parable of the good Samaritan and principle of loving thy neighbor).

When George Bush was elected president, many evangelicals claimed that God was in the White House. I invite those evangelicals to match Bush's positions with those based on Jesus' teachings. More importantly, in the upcoming election, when candidates say what they stand for, perhaps the same religious voters will vote the candidate who best embodies the positions that match Jesus' teachings.

Your response concretized the question and rocketed past it's absurdity.

Well done!

The Gospel of Thomas said:

113 His disiples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"

"It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!'. Rather the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the Earth, and people don't see it"

Walt Whitman said:

There was never any more inception than there is now, Nor any more youth or age than there is now, And will never be any more perfection than there is now, Nor any more heaven and hell than there is now.

Today Jesus would be running as a spiritual Libertarian with Mary Magdelene as his running mate.

He firmly believed that spiritual emancipation comes through full knowledge of Spirit and the Spiritual Absolute (the Pleroma) - he was in effect the premiere Gnostic of all time.

As we know, Gnostics and Gnosticism have been persecuted since the time of Jesus and continues to this day. Thomas the apostle was in possession of this deep esoteric truth, as we see in the Gospel of Thomas.

Thomas was no doubter, but was discredited and suppressed as a Gnostic.

I predict that the message of Jesus would be as subject to misinterpretation today as it has been for the last 2000 years..... and worst of all, he would probably be forced to live in Texas after the election.

I told you, this man (Chopra)is dangerous. He twists the Bible to fit his moronic thinking. India is a very poor place because these kinds of thinking abound. Go to North Korea instead. You'd be useful there. They are too serious there that they need a stooge to kick around and laught at. They would also need your brain to confirm if humans and monkeys have similar brains. They would need it to prove their point.

Hi all, i think Jesus would be a demoublican-he wouldn't want to rock the boat(noah's,especially with all those funny animals in it!!)he would want to be a leader of all parties as he is a pacifistic,humane,equalitiarian man/woman.

Great comments Kerusso and thank you for them!

The only way one can blasphemy is against himself with his negative words,thoughts,and actions. You blasphemy against the Christ within.

you my friend, are a communist

Very funny stuff!

Mr. Chopra,

While I dislike and disagree with about 101% of everything you've ever written, this was very clever, yet very blasphemous.

God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain
C. Shearer (c) Jan 2008

Have you ever noticed that people who claim to have no animosity towards the Living God use His name in a flippant manner.

Blasphemy has been long overlooked as an excellent proof for the truth of Christianity.

The world around, you can find people who find weird and imaginative ways to curse God. My friend Taketo is Japanese and speaks very little English. He was speaking to a friend in fluent Japanese and I was simply listening with interest, when I heard a derivative of, "Christ" in the middle of his conversation. Taketo, a Buddhist, chose to blaspheme the God of the Universe instead of the god of his culture.

If you ask a secular person for an example of Blasphemy, you'll usually hear "Goddammit", and this is certainly one of the worst. But it is not the only. "Jesus Christ" used without reverence is another example, but so are the ones most people don't think of. "Geez" is blasphemy, without any effort whatsoever you can see that its etymology derives from "Jeezus". Other examples are simply the acronym OMG or the phrase, "Oh my Word" (John 1:1), and especially "Oh my Gosh". If Gosh is not a derivative of God, then I ask you what Heck is a derivative of?

"Man" can be blasphemous of "Son of Man" and similarly "Man Alive" is blaspheming the same name of God. "Word up" was popular a few years ago, and you should now see the blasphemous reason it caught on. Similarly, “Good Lord”, “Oh my Goodness”, and “Goodness Gracious” are all blasphemous.

Perhaps the worst one is "Son of a B..." and other “Son of a” phrases. These are certainly not accidents in language, but cursing Christ through His mother and Father. You are also implying a less than ideal name for Jesus Christ through lineage.

I'm certain I haven't given you even a taste of the curse words that have been invented to curse the Living God, but you see the point.

But why does it matter? The Bible says that God's name is the only name blessed forever. When you curse it, you are declaring your hatred for God by trying to drag His name into the mud. Notice that no-one ever yells out, "Siddhartha Buddha" when they hit their thumb with a hammer, or says, "Allah dammit." The reason is because these names are already cursed. But not the names’ of God, of these Jesus Christ is the name above every name.

Be assured that you don’t need to speak in order to blaspheme God’s name. You are created in the image of Him and of His name. In this you reflect Him and the world can see Him in you. In a perfect world, this would be a wonderful honor, but unfortunately it is also an opportunity for blasphemy.

When you tell a lie, then you tell the world that God is a liar. When you steal, the world doesn't just see you, but an image of God, and determines that He must be a thief. When you speak idle words, you tell the world that God's Word is not eternally important and omniscient. Out of the mouth the heart professes, when you speak curse words you tell the world that God's heart is not infinitely pure. When you look at someone that is not your spouse with lust, you commit adultery in your heart, and you tell the world that the covenant God has made with His bride, the church, is not binding and is not trustworthy.

Another form of blasphemy is when you raise other religions to the level of God, by doing this, you insult His sovereignty, justice, and mercy. Holy Cow is derived from Hinduism and the debacle of the Israelites at the base of Mount Sinai. When you say that the God of Christianity is the same god as Islam, you insinuate that the Living God is unjust, bribable, inhuman, and unloving. When you fixate on one attribute of God, you present an imperfect view of Him. God is Love, but He is also the Righteous Judge, who is Angry with the wicked everyday, a Consuming Fire, a Strong Refuge, an Everlasting Rock, Holy, Mighty, Merciful, Gracious, and the God of Salvation who by no means will clear the guilty.

God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.

Even in the hundreds, if not thousands, of times you have blasphemed God's name, He still loved you and gave Himself for you. Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to this earth, born of a virgin, lived a perfect sinless life, offered Himself up to be crucified on the charge of claiming to be God, died in your place, and on the third day defeated death and rose from the grave. If you'll repent of all your wicked ways, especially your habit of substituting His precious name in place of your filth words, and place your trust in Him, He will save you based on His atoning payment on the cross and forgive you in spite of your hatred of Him. Once you have done this, He will replace your heart with a heart that thirsts for righteousness and loves Him.

Finally, if you hear this message and decide that this offer is not reasonable, that you’d rather hang onto your blasphemy and sundry sins than submit to God, whose name is Righteous, then you commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and this sin will not be forgiven. Today is the day of salvation, call out to God in repentance and faith, and all of your sins will be forgiven of you.

Seriously. This has got to stop. All these things about Prez Jesus are getting increasingly silly and annoying and basically destroying my interest reading On Faith any more. Just cut it out guys and go back to posting interesting stuff.