Xmas is just round the corner and millions of Christians all over the world will be celebrating the birth of their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, on December 25. Many non Christians also celebrate the occasion, not necessarily from a religious perspective but more so from a seasonal aspect in keeping with the end of the calendar year, holidays, and the forthcoming new year, with all its revelry, atmosphere and "spirituality".
All three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are supposedly from the same God, irrespective of what names are given to Him and were supposedly meant to reform humanity from a totally barbaric (The English were referred to as Barbarians in medieval times) tribe to a more decent, peaceful, and compassionate species. Prior to these three faiths being present on earth we do have the advent of Hinduism and Buddhism, who also preach the same thing from their own perspectives.
Sadly, what we see on the ground today is far from love, goodness, and compassion. Even with the massive development of science, medicine, technology, and learning, it appears that man, in his own need to sustain his power, status, and presence, keeps oppressing his fellow man in order to control and rule. Human rights, freedoms, and other simple common sense needs are seldm seen to be present even in the so called "democratic" and first world "emancipated" and "educated" nations.
Why do we have to face this dilemma on the ground today, I wonder? Any answers from the floor?
The religious parish would usually claim that the sufferings of humanity are brought upon themselves by their own hands in neglecting God, Prayer, and His Teachings. If that be the case, then why does not God step in and make a difference by removing the evil ones and allowing the so called "Saints" to take over and implement his plan? The secular folk may claim that its just a matter of greed for power and wealth thats driving humanity into this abyss as can be seen from the economic debacle that Wall Street has showered across the globe. The atheists may simply attribute it to nature taking its own course, based on instinct, as seen among the creatures who live in the Amazon and other forests across the divide.
If neither the fanatics, secular folk and the atheists, do not come up with a solution to put out all the fires burning across the planet and rid us of the sufferings that we see all around us we will probably only see another new year unfold with the same events happening over and over again in various nations, cities and towns.
It doesnt look like there will be an end to the madness.
Merry Christmas
&
A Happy New Year 2013
Amen
Muthu wrote:
ReplyDeleteYou are right Faz, no end to this madness, as Plato said all man made laws were to prevent wars. Only within his family unit man behaves like humans outside this realm he seems to loose it.
I thought it was the Germans who were called Barbarians who burnt the city of Rome?
Muthu
Graham responded:
ReplyDeleteWell said Fazli, my preacher could have not done better.
Let me first comment on China and religion;
The Chinese Communist party is officially atheist, in accordance with its Marxist roots. Initially the party had ordered their party members not to hold religious beliefs since party membership and religious beliefs are incompatible. But because of outside pressure with US leading, the Communist party has been growing more tolerant of religious activity. In fact, In 2005, the State Council passed new regulations that allow religious organizations to possess property, publish literature, train and approve clergy, and collect donations as long as they have registered with the state. I must hasten to add however that Muslim Uighurs, Buddhist Tibetans, unregistered Christians, and groups that the party brands as cults, such as Falun Gong, are still persecuted and repressed. The first two ie Uighurs and Tibertans want a separate state which is an absolute No No to the party and not surprising as I see it.
So, the state only recognizes five official religions—Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism—and considers the practice of any other faith illegal. But believe me this 'religious freedom' is well control. Since the 1980s, there has been a significant growth in Christianity throughout China. Pope Benedict XVI has said he would like to restore diplomatic relations with China, which were cut off in 1951 after the Communists came to power. But a dispute over the Vatican's right to appoint bishops has prevented progress.Obviously, the CCP does not want to lose control.
Out of curiosity, I have visited many churches in China and find them full of young Chinese mainly female.Every year Christmas activities get bigger and bigger mainly because it's a profitable venture for the shop keepers,restaurants, Hotels etc. It's party time and Santa Claus is the big hero. The name Jesus Christ is rarely mentioned except when swearing.
24th night is a big party, but 25th is a working day.
All of the religions; Hinduism, Buddhism,Judaism, Christianity and Islam preach goodness and it is man that has distorted belief and lifestyle for his own gain. There are still many places in the world that- love , goodness and compassion still prevail. But such is boring news which is why the media usually go in for sensations...guns, bombs, murder and death.
I believe that God still has great faith in humanity which is why he presently keeps away.
Graham
Skanda says:
ReplyDeleteThe Medievel Barbarians have merely reappeared .....in droves. SS
Fazli:
ReplyDeleteGraham/Skanda,
Faith in humanity seems to be a long lost case. I cannot see how we will be able to get back on track, as Mr Clinton oft repeated during his tenure, within the current framework we liove in on the planet. There just does not seem to be any end to the madness even after so many valuable lessons have been learned across the board.
Just look at the Arab Spring, as a great example, in recent times. The bloody rulers wont take the hint even after many heads have gone before them. They simply want to live in denial that they will prevail even after such mammoth protests and action by the people against them. The Rajapakshe regime back home seem to believe that they will go on forever even after having seen the aftermath of the attacks on the judiciary in Pakistan and Egypt. The Yankees keep supporting the Zionists in spreading absolute mayhem across Palestine.
How on earth do you think that this creature called Man is going to redeem himself?
Impossible, in my book. And never in my lifetime, and possibly yours too.
There must be some semblance of sanity that makes us have hope and feel that change will come for the better. Instead all we see is the carnage increasing in intensity everywhere, be it Burma, Africa, Arabia, or even China.
How long more does God want to continue with this spectacle?
Faz
Skanda wrote:
ReplyDeleteI am inclined to agree with your analysis Faz.....inspite of all the
negative vibrations the guys here are determined to carry on as
before....with arrogant impunity !!
Inward remittances from srilankans living overseas was quoted
somewhere as nearing 6 Billion dollars annually.....if that is
accurate you can well imagine the number of people whose lives are
being cushioned by them, and consequently remain disinterested in the
mayhem that is unfolding.
Our last hope for accountability from within lies in the Judiciary
that seems to have woken up BUT whether it can be sustained is
debatable ....the regime has a surfeit of spare cash, and work on the basis that every man has his price ....so this cookie too may crumble before long.!!........Oh Faz how one longs for that divine
intervention....SS
Irshad Mahmud wrote:
ReplyDeleteBarbarian was originally a greek description of those who did not speak greek or did not revere the olympic gods. So even the romans were considered barbarians at an early stage, but the word ´was not an insult. There were also "barbaric heros" like Hector in Homer's Epic. Later when the Romans took over, it was a term to all those who did not hv a greco-roman upbringing /education and the land beyond the empire was also known as Barbaricum and Rome honoured and respected many barbarians who eihter served the empire or fought it, e.g.Hannibal.The word got its present meaning as we use today is much after the roman period.
Irshad
Faz responds:
ReplyDeleteThis is what Wiki says:
Barbarian, tartar and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage. In idiomatic or figurative usage, a "barbarian" may also be an individual reference to a brutal, cruel, warlike, insensitive person.[1]
The term originates from the ancient Greek word βάρβαρος barbaros. Hence the Greek idiom "πᾶς μὴ Ἕλλην βάρβαρος" (pas mē Hellēn barbaros) which literally means "whoever is not Greek is a Barbarian". In ancient times, Greeks used it for the people of the Persian Empire; in the early modern period and sometimes later, they used it for the Turks, in a clearly pejorative way.[2][3] Comparable notions are found in non-European civilizations. In the Roman empire, Romans used the word barbarian for the Germans, Celts, Iberians,Thracians, and Persians.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines five meanings of the noun barbarian, including an obsolete Barbary usage.
1. etymologically, A foreigner, one whose language and customs differ from the speaker's.
2. Hist. a. One not a Greek. b. One living outside the pale of the Roman empire and its civilization, applied especially to the northern nations that overthrew them. c. One outside the pale of Christian civilization. d. With the Italians of the Renascence: One of a nation outside of Italy.
3. A rude, wild, uncivilized person. b. Sometimes distinguished from savage (perh. with a glance at 2). c. Applied by the Chinese contemptuously to foreigners.
4. An uncultured person, or one who has no sympathy with literary culture.
†5. A native of Barbary. [See Barbary.] Obs. †b. A Barbary horse. Obs.[19]
The OED barbarous entry summarizes the semantic history. "The sense-development in ancient times was (with the Greeks) ‘foreign, non-Hellenic,’ later ‘outlandish, rude, brutal’; (with the Romans) ‘not Latin nor Greek,’ then ‘pertaining to those outside the Roman empire’; hence ‘uncivilized, uncultured,’ and later ‘non-Christian,’ whence ‘Saracen, heathen’; and generally ‘savage, rude, savagely cruel, inhuman.’"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian
Faz
Irshad wrote:
ReplyDeleteThe points 3 & 4 of the ox dictionary came in much later. Correct, the greeks used it for the persians , but not in a derogative way.The original meaning then changed, as a form of insult, after events like the turkish invasion of europe, the crusades and the crowning was during the colonial era, when the european travellers saw for the first time savages and primitive tribes and societies.