The Hindus just began a sacrifice of 250,000 animals in Nepal. As you know, there are about 1 BILLION or so Hindus in India, the country where our church does the majority of its mission work. They are sacrificinng animals for a Hindu festival honoring the goddess Gadhimai.
The world's biggest animal sacrifice began in Nepal today with the killing of the first of more than 250,000 animals as part of a Hindu festival in the village of Bariyapur, near the border with India.
The event, which happens every five years, began with the decapitation of thousands of buffalo, killed in honour of Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power.
With up to a million worshippers on the roads near the festival grounds, this year's fair seems more popular than ever, despite vocal protests from animals rights groups who have called for it to be banned. "It is the traditional way, " explained 45-year old Manoj Shah, a Nepali driver who has been attending the event since he was six, "If we want anything, and we come here with an offering to the goddess, within five years all our dreams will be fulfilled."
Crowds thronged the roads and camped out in the open, wrapped in blankets against the cool mist. The festivities included a ferris wheel, fortune-telling robots and stalls broadcasting music and offering tea and sugary snacks.
As dawn broke, the fair officially opened with the sacrifice of two rats, two pigeons, a pig, a lamb and a rooster in the main temple, to cheers of "Long live Gadhimai" from spectators pushing against each other for a better view.
The article goes on to say,
Chandan Dev Chaudhary, a Hindu priest, said he was pleased with the festival's high turnout and insisted tradition had to be kept. "The goddess needs blood," he said. "Then that person can make his wishes come true."
Every time we visit, we go to the Hindu holy city of Rishikesh on the Ganges River. This city is full of temples, idols, holy men, ashrams, yoga centers, and pilgrimage sites. It reeks with incense and sacrificial prayers. Bells are constantly ringing to awaken the deities from their slumber in the thirteen story high Kailashananda Ashram on the banks of the Ganges. Westerners flock to this place to study yoga and fulfill their search for enlightenment. But, darkness is all they find.
"The goddess needs blood." This is true about every religion. Blood, sacrifice, and our offerings are required to awakent the gods and goddesses to our plight and give us good fortune. Religion tells us that we can get to God through what we do. This is the spell that the Hindus are under. But, the Bible declares this perspective to be patently false. We can never get to God, no matter what we do. Yes, blood is required because our sins are great and they require punishment. But, we are incapable of paying the punishment of our sins. A sacrifice is needed, but the blood of bulls and goats is not sufficient. We need a Perfect Sacrifice. This is who Jesus is. He was the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The full wrath of God was satisfied by the punishment that was laid upon Christ. We do not have to continue to offer sacrifices for our sins to to gain good fortune. We must only look to Christ in faith in what He did for us. His death and resurrection is sufficient.
Hebrews 9:11-15 says,
11When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
Religion tells us how we can climb to God. True Christianity tells us that God has come to us to rescue us and make things right. We must only respond to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ in faith and repentance. We must look to Jesus. Hinduism only keeps people in perpetual bondage. Christianity sets people free. People who say that all religions are basically the same know nothing of what world religions teach. They are as fundamentally different as night is from day. As Christians, we no longer have to make sacrifices or perform rituals for salvation, but rather, we must only believe in Jesus Christ, the One that God has sent.
And for that I am truly thankful.
So you're saying that Christianity is different from all the other religions which call for blood sacrifice, because the human/god sacrifice of Jesus was better???
But you don't seem to have any problem with why God would demand the death of someone, if not an animal, who is innocent? Otherwise known as MURDER???
And if this blood thirsty God doesn't get his blood payment, he intends to torture billions of people with fire, for eternity???
And you think living with a deity like this is going to be OK???
Sorry, but if God is anything like you describe, you have no good news to share.
I've actually written an entire book on this topic--"Hell? No! Why You Can Be Certain There's No Such Place As Hell," (for anyone interested, you can get a free ecopy of my book at my website: www.thereisnohell.com), but if I may, I'd like to share with you one of the many points I make in it to explain why.
Let's say you end up in Heaven trying to sing endless praises to a God who is, simultaneously, torturing billions of others. Unless you are given a de facto lobotomy (in which case, YOU would no longer be YOU, so you might as well have not had a soul to begin with), you would have to begin wondering, "When am I next?" and the joy of Heaven would be lost, replaced by gloom and foreboding! Why? Because you could never rely on a God who is so mean to be honest about making any exceptions.
After all, which is more difficult? For God to actively cause so much immense pain, for so many, for so long, or to go back on whatever promises he made to a few others that he would not put them in Hell too at some point?
It would be like accepting an invitation to live as a guest with one of these maniacal men we've been hearing about lately who kidnap, imprison, rape and torture young girls in secret basements. Can you imagine such a guy, simultaneously, having some other young lady as his dinner date, and treating her with respect and care? And even if he did for a while, wouldn't his true nature unleash itself upon her at some point in time, as it has on so many others? Of course!
But there is real good news after all, at least, if the real message of Jesus is right about God--starting with there being no Hell.
If one is willing to look, there's substantial evidence contained in the gospels to show that Jesus opposed the idea of Hell. For example, in Luke 9:51-56, is a story about his great disappointment with his disciples when they actually suggested imploring God to rain FIRE on a village just because they had rejected him. His response: "You don't know what spirit is inspiring this kind of talk!" Presumably, it was NOT the Holy Spirit. He went on, trying to explain how he had come to save, heal and relieve suffering, not be the CAUSE of it.
So it only stands to reason that this same Jesus, who was appalled at the very idea of burning a few people, for a few horrific minutes until they were dead, could never, ever burn BILLIONS of people for an ETERNITY!
True, there are a few statements that made their way into the gospels which place Hell on Jesus’ lips, but these adulterations came along many decades after his death, most likely due to the Church filling up with Greeks who imported their belief in Hades with them when they converted.
Posted by: Rick Lannoye | November 24, 2009 at 04:38 PM
Rick, the good news that the Gospel shares is that we all deserve punishment for our sins. We have all sinned. God is completely holy. He would be totally just to punish us infinitely for our sins against His infinite holiness. But, His mercy triumphs over judgment and He took our sins upon Himself. He didn't sacrifice someone else. God became flesh. He gave Himself up for us. That is love, not murder. Jesus was not a victim of a vengeful, murderous God. He gave Himself up willingly. Of course, an understanding of the Trinity is important here in that Jesus and the Father are one.
It is only in the Cross that all of the attributes of God are able to be displayed. He is just. Sin must be punished or He would cease to be just. But, He is also merciful. So, He gave of Himself and took our sins upon Himself. But, He also does not coerce us. He offers us life in Him if we would just believe in Him. This is incredibly loving. It is sinful humans who love their sin and suppress the truth of God and exchange it for a lie that reject God and His offer of salvation. In that, the punishment that they receive is just. They are seperated from God for eternity, but they never wanted God to begin with. This future fits their desire. Through the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed, and it is a righteousness that is by faith in what Jesus did for us from first to last.
I find nothing irreconcilable here. It is exceedingly good news as I hear it, that even though I am a great sinner, Jesus is a Great Savior. What an incredible mercy and love!
Posted by: Alan Cross | November 24, 2009 at 06:26 PM
Amen Bro. Alan,
The good news is that an innocent man was murdered by men. It is that God in the flesh willingly laid down his life so that the wrath of God might be satisfied for those that believe in Him! The Cross is the perfect picture of Gods Holy hatred for sin and His Holy love for us and His desire for us to have life and have it more abundantly.
The problem most people have with Hell is that they think God was made for our bidding! “Give me this, I want that, make me well”! The problem is that we were made for his bidding! His command for our lives is to “Repent, Believe, Deny yourself, Take up your Cross and Follow ME”! If we do anything other than this then we are, as R.C. Sproul says, committing “Cosmic Treason”! Our sinful human nature cries out “God how can you send anyone to Hell, are you not merciful?” When what we should be saying is “God why have you saved me from Hell, are you not just?” If I the potter make a dog bowl and this bowl jumps up and slaps me in the face and tells me that it will be fine china, then I have no choice but to destroy this bowl. It has rebelled against its creator and its intended use. If we as rebellious, sinful, depraved, self centered humans give the Glory of God to anything other than Him than we deserve nothing but His punishment.
I have more of a problem “living with a deity” that lets people into heaven than I do with one who punishes us for our sins! God’s forgiveness is completely undeserved. The blood of Christ was totally unwarranted! Grace is just another word if there are no consequences for our sins! I know that when I get to heaven that God will not change His mind not only because He has said He will not, but also because while I am there He will not be looking at me! When He sees me all that will show is the perfect spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ and His shed blood.
The good news is that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” and if we repent and believe in Him, “then there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”!
Posted by: Brett | November 25, 2009 at 11:46 AM
The good news (best news ever told) is GOD LOVES US. Christ never said "Hey Guys I am going to die for you all sinners!!” He was tried, sentenced, spat on, mocked, whipped and finally was put to death in the most gruesome manner one can imagine. All the 4 gospels literally explain these events. Paul made these events more as metaphor that JC died for our sins. That is not wrong, even though that was not literal but it gives a deeper philosophic meaning. If JC wanted to just die for our sins he could have jumped from a bridge or consumed a poison. He could have died without the SUFFERING. Dying is easy, but not suffering. JC showed his utmost endurance in suffering.
Genesis is very clear: God purposely gave us full freedom, He knew Adam and Eve would sin in freedom (He is God).It was played well purposely to let us know ONLY IN FREEDOM WE SEE AND UNDERSTAND LOVE. Yes, it is the RISK God ever took in giving freedom, we abuse the freedom and commit sin. But there is no way out. Most of us do good things because of Love.
Evil was fully expressed through Religious people of his time and Romans; it had a hay day on that Good Friday. Love blossoms only in Full freedom. God put Love before Life. JC represents the most radical manifestation of Grace and Love. God's Love is not logical, it is senseless, it is irrational.
Heaven or hell is right here on earth. People who cannot experience Love, see Hell right here. It is the fundamental responsibilities of people who experience Love to go out of their comfort zone (jump off the boat) seek and love the unloved ones.
Posted by: KT | November 25, 2009 at 07:25 PM
KT, I am not sure I follow your logic here. Why would suffering be necessary, if it were not for the purpose of punishment? If Jesus did not die for our sins then why would God manifest himself in the flesh and submit to meaningless torture by his created beings? If it was not a means to an end (salvation of his people) then the Cross was pointless!
I don’t think Paul was using a metaphor when he wrote this to the Romans!
Romans 3:21-26 “21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation (wrath bearing sacrifice) by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Notice how he says over and over that the cross was used to demonstrate the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God, and not just the Love of God! The cross is the perfect picture of Gods Righteous hatred of sin and his Righteous love of sinners! You cant just have love when you look at the Cross! It must be accompanied by the Holy wrath of God against sin!
Romans 5:6-11 says “6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Notice what happened there? While we were sinners, Christ died for us! So that we might be spared from the wrath of God and be reconciled to Him! This reconciliation occurs when we put our faith in Jesus and His Salvation, then he becomes our mediator to the Father! His Blood covers our sins and we can enter into his presence!
Also your statement that God knew that Adam and Eve would sin and that all after him would follow in the same way yet he took a risk when he made them is a contradictory statement. You say he did something purposefully and then took a risk in doing it makes no sense. An all knowing all powerful God by definition cannot take a risk! He knows how the Game ends before it is played! You are right that in freedom we should know what love is. His kindness should lead everyone of us to repentance for rebelling against our Creator. The problem is that it does not! We can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give to the poor and love the unloved all day long, but if we are not doing it out of gratitude and worship for what Christ has done for us, then we are no better off than when we began.
Posted by: Brett | November 30, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Well said, Brett.
Posted by: Alan Cross | November 30, 2009 at 02:47 PM
Dear Brett: The Cross was never and will be never be pointless! It is the ultimate symbol of God’s Love and forgiveness. I find Love of God is indeed Righteousness.
I personally find Paul’s description more of a metaphor than literal. All 4 Gospels literally describe how the evil forces tried him, sentenced him, whipped him, mocked him and finally crucified him in the cruelest way one can think. Where was God then? Was He enjoying His own son being bloodied and tortured and just bent on His law of wrath? This is what Hindus belief of Karma says. Evil act (Sin) has to be punished. I guess this is theology. Kingdom of Heaven/God, JC describes is nothing but Love and forgiveness.
In every Kingdom of material world there are laws and when you break those laws you usually pay a penalty of some sort. It makes sense to assume the same with the Kingdom of God. When you break the laws of the Kingdom you become unrighteous. So what do we do to become righteous?
The Bible tells us that none of us are righteous in and of ourselves (Psalm 14:1-3). There is nothing we can do to make ourselves righteous, but God Himself has provided us with the righteousness we need.
Kingdom of God is defined by Love and forgiveness (for infinite number of times as JC puts it). Kingdom of God already knows we have broken the laws. The beauty here is it does not bring the fear of punishment; it brings Unconditional love and infinite forgiveness. The word Kingdom (of God) is used metaphorically in the historical context of Kingdoms of Herrod and Rome. In the Kingdom of God the punishment is the powerful redemption and reconciliation, we are given (not earned) the righteousness, unthinkable in the material Kingdom.
About God knowing Adam and Eve would sin: I stated He took Risk metaphorically. Because it sounded that way for me. Love is a risky business. But this is what God calls for. He wants me to jump off the boat. He challenges me to come out of my comfort zone. No other religious scripture (Hindu or Islam) calls for that challenge. It is not a matter of just believing and worshipping as in other scriptures, JC literally calls me to bear the cross on my shoulder and reach the unloved. He wants me to abandon my close relatives and to follow Him. Get slapped by my enemy. These things sound insane. But these have profound earth shattering messages. Down right RISKY!!
I do agree with you. We can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give to the poor and love the unloved all day long, but if we are not doing it out of gratitude (and worship) for what Christ has done for us, then we are no better off than when we began. My point is it is not the word Jesus as an entity but what Jesus stood for, that matters.
Blesings Love KT
Posted by: KT | November 30, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Genesis story is intereting If God wanted us to be clearly sinless he would have made two seperate trees, a tree of Good knowledge and a tree of bad knowledge. No! He did not. He put both Good and Evil in one tree. He really wanted us to eat but did not force that, gave us the freedom and cleverly brought a satan character to tempt us. Wow! This is powerful. On the flip side had A and E not eaten the fruit from the tree of knowledge of both good and evil we would have still stayed in the Garden and NOT knowing anything LOVE.
Blessing Love KT
Posted by: KT | November 30, 2009 at 10:23 PM
KT,
With a heart full of love for you and with the utmost respect I have to strongly disagree with just about everything you said in your last two posts. What you are doing is taking pieces of buddhism, hinduism and Christianity throwing them in a pot mixing them up and taking out only what feels good. I am sorry but true biblical Christianity does not work that way.
I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding of Gods love. You are right that all 4 Gospels literally describe how Jesus was tried before men and nailed to a cross, But, all 4 Gospels also clearly convey that these men were not the ones who killed Jesus. Out of His on mouth (Jesus') came the words "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” Jesus laid his on life down at the feet of His Father so that His wrath would be satisfied against our sin. You asked where was God during the crucifixion of His Son? He was there at the crucifixion pouring out His Holy and Righteous wrath on His only begotten son! He was bridging the gap between Himself and us. He was killing His son!
I would encourage you to go and read Isaiah 53. It is a prophetic foreshadowing of what happened to Jesus on that cross. The most disturbing and most beautiful verse in the whole chapter is verse 10! "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." It was the will of God that GOD should crush His only sinless perfect Son so that we a completely sinful and imperfect people might be spared from his wrath. That is LOVE!
Imagine that someone hated you and everything about you, and this person came into your home and killed all of your family except one child. Then went and killed your mother, father and siblings. Then just because he hated you so much he went and killed all of your in laws. Then at the end of this, he was arrested and taken to trial. At the trial there was insurmountable evidence against this man along with his confession of the crime. The judge and jury came to a quick verdict and sentenced this man to death. Then you step in and say "I love this man so much, for reasons he will never know, that I want to offer my last remaining child to bear his punishment in his place. Take my child and execute him as a payment for his crimes!"
This is a flawed picture I know, but it does give us a look into what God has done for us. We have hated him in every way by sinning against him. Our sins are a capital offense in the Literal Kingdom of God. They must be punished. But instead of holding us accountable, He held His Son accountable and has given us the ability to avoid His justified wrath by placing our faith in the work of Jesus on the cross.
My friend, you speak a lot of Love and rightly so. But love by itself will lead you to cheap grace. A grace that didn’t cost anything. If you understand that the Love of God is accompanied by the wrath of God (outside of Jesus Christ) then that will lead you to a right understanding of grace. You my friend were not bought with gold or silver or precious stones! You were bought with the priceless and perfect blood of the one and only savior Jesus Christ! You are right that it is not the word Jesus that we should be concerned with. It is the second person of the trinity, the image of the invisible God, the manifested flesh of God Himself Jesus Christ that we should be concerned with. Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life! No one comes to the father but by HIM! Acts 4:12 says "12 There is a salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” My friend, when you do away with Jesus and His sacrifice, you have done away with the only hope we have. Today, while you still have breath, repent, believe and be saved because you are not promised tomorrow.
Posted by: Brett | December 01, 2009 at 09:32 AM