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What do you think of someone who has faith that Jesus is their savior and believes in the resurrection, but they do not follow any of Jesus' teachings from his life?
What do you think about someone who does not believe in the resurrection, but tries to follow Jesus' teachings?
What are your beliefs about faith in Jesus vs. Jesus' teachings during his life? Do you think one is more important than the other? Do you think both are necessary or only one of these things is necessary (i.e. to be saved, to be a Christian, etc)
Reading the section below is what made me think of this question today, but other topics and comparing teachings within different denominations make these or similar questions come up in my mind on occasion. The bold emphasis below is mine, and the italicized words were Nhat Hanh's emphasis in the book.
If you're not familiar with Thich Nhat Hanh, he's a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and teacher. He was the Chairman for the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation during the Vietnam War. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. He is a Zen Buddhist, a scholar, and a peace activist.
Living Buddha, Living Christ
Thich Nhat Hanh
From Chapter 4
Seeing the Way, Taking the Path
When Jesus said, “I am the way,” He meant that to have a true relationship with God, you must practice His way. In the Acts of the Apostles, the early Christians always spoke of their faith in “the Way.” To me, “I am the way” is a better statement than “I know the way.” The way is not an asphalt road. But we must distinguish between the “I” spoken by Jesus and the “I” that people usually think of. The “I” in his statement is life itself, His life, which is the way. If you do not really look at his life, you cannot see the way. If you only satisfy yourself with praising a name, even the name of Jesus, it is not practicing the life of Jesus. We must practice living deeply, loving, and acting with charity if we wish to truly honor Jesus. The way is Jesus Himself and not some idea of Him. A true teaching is not static. It is not mere words but the reality of life. Many who have neither the way nor the life try to impose on others what they believe to be the way. But these are only words that have no connection to the real life or a real way. When we understand and practice deeply the life and the teachings of Buddha, or the life and teachings of Jesus, we penetrate the door and enter the abode of the living Buddha and the living Christ, and eternal life presents itself to us.
Asked by pam19 at 4:07 PM on Feb. 12, 2011 in Religious Debate
Level 30 (42,186 Credits)Answer by Shaneagle777 at 4:20 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
Answer by bandgeek521 at 4:34 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
Answer by BUTTERCUP777 at 4:39 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
Answer by sahmamax2 at 4:40 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
I agree, what we do matters a lot.
Answer by RyansMom001 at 4:59 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
Comment by pam19 (original poster) at 5:02 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
Answer by LiveBreatheSing at 5:03 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
Comment by pam19 (original poster) at 5:07 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
Answer by annabarred at 5:20 PM on Feb. 12, 2011
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