Whas Ghandi a Christian?

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disciple
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Whas Ghandi a Christian?

Post by disciple »

I found the following article posted on another website and despite the fact that Ghandi did not want to be associated with those who professed to be Christians, I cannot help but ask: was Ghandi not more Christian than 99.9% of professed Christians today?

Didn't Jesus state that "not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock..."

In context, isn't it clear from the verses above that Jesus clearly saw his teachings as his Father's, and that doing his words was the bases of eternal salvation? On this bases I ask and state again, wasn't Ghandi more a Christian than most of you people here who claim to be followers of Jesus but embrace materialism: loving this world and thus truly showing you hate Christ. Jesus clearly stated: "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."



Which of you would dare judge Ghandi as a non-christian, while your life has far less fruits of Christ's teachings than his?







What Jesus Means to Me by Mahatma Gandhi

November 13, 2013 by Nayaswami Kamala —Leave a Comment



Mahatma Gandhi

(1869-1948)

Although I have devoted a large part of my life to the study of religion and to discussion with religious leaders of all faiths, I know very well that I cannot but seem presumptuous in writing about Jesus Christ and trying to explain what he means to me. I do so only because my Christian friends have told me, on more than a few occasions, that for the very reason I am not a Christian and that (I shall quote their words exactly) “I do not accept Christ in the bottom of my heart as the only Son of God,” it is impossible for me to understand the profound significance of his teachings, or to know and interpret the greatest source of spiritual strength that man has ever known.

Although this may or may not be true in my case, I have reasons to believe that it is an erroneous point of view. I believe that such an estimate is incompatible with the message that Jesus Christ gave to the world. For, he was certainly the highest example of one who wished to give everything, asking nothing in return, and not caring what creed might happen to be professed by the recipient. I am sure that if he were living here now among men, he would bless the lives of many who perhaps have never even heard his name, if only their lives embodied the virtues of which he was a living example on earth; the virtues of loving one’s neighbour as oneself and of doing good and charitable works among one’s fellowmen.

What, then, does Jesus mean to me? To me, he was one of the greatest teachers humanity has ever had. To his believers, he was God’s only begotten Son.* Could the fact that I do or do not accept this belief make Jesus have any more or less influence in my life? Is all the grandeur of his teaching and of his doctrine to be forbidden to me? I cannot believe so.

To me, it implies a spiritual birth. My interpretation, in other words, is that in Jesus’ own life is the key of his nearness to God; that he expressed, as no other could, the spirit and will of God. It is in this sense that I see him and recognize him as the Son of God.

The Spirit of Jesus

But I do believe that something of this spirit that Jesus exemplified in the highest measure, in its most profound human sense, does exist. I must believe this; if I did not believe it, I should be a sceptic; and to be a sceptic is to live a life that is empty and lacks moral content. Or, what is the same thing, to condemn the entire human race to a negative end.

It is true that there certainly is reason for scepticism when one observes the bloody butchery that European aggressors have unloosed, and when one thinks about the misery and suffering prevalent in every corner of the world, as well as the pestilence and famine that always follow, terribly and inevitably, upon war.

In the face of this, how can one speak seriously of the Divine Spirit incarnate in man? Because these acts of terror and murder offend the conscience of man; because man knows that they represent evil; because in the inner depths of his heart and of his mind, he deplores them. And because, moreover, when he does not go astray, misled by false teachings or corrupted by false leaders, man has within his breast an impulse for good and a compassion that is the spark of Divinity, and which some day, I believe, will burst forth into the full flower that is the hope of all mankind.

Jesus’ Example

An example of this flowering may be found in the figure and in the life of Jesus. I refuse to believe that there now exists or has ever existed a person that has not made use of his example to lessen his sins, even though he may have done so without realizing it. The lives of all have, in some greater or lesser degree, been changed by his presence, his actions, and the words spoken by his divine voice.

I believe that it is impossible to estimate the merits of the various religions of the world, and, moreover, I believe that it is unnecessary and harmful even to attempt it. But each one of them, in my judgment, embodies a common motivating force: the desire to uplift man’s life and give it purpose.

And because the life of Jesus has the significance and the transcendency to which I have alluded, I believe that he belongs not solely to Christianity, but to the entire world; to all races and people, it matters little under what flag, name or doctrine they may work, profess a faith, or worship a God inherited from their ancestors.
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Bryn Mawr
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Whas Ghandi a Christian?

Post by Bryn Mawr »

disciple;1467384 wrote: I found the following article posted on another website and despite the fact that Ghandi did not want to be associated with those who professed to be Christians, I cannot help but ask: was Ghandi not more Christian than 99.9% of professed Christians today?

Didn't Jesus state that "not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock..."

In context, isn't it clear from the verses above that Jesus clearly saw his teachings as his Father's, and that doing his words was the bases of eternal salvation? On this bases I ask and state again, wasn't Ghandi more a Christian than most of you people here who claim to be followers of Jesus but embrace materialism: loving this world and thus truly showing you hate Christ. Jesus clearly stated: "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."



Which of you would dare judge Ghandi as a non-christian, while your life has far less fruits of Christ's teachings than his?






OK, I'll bite.

Ghandi was a non-Christian, he was following the dictates of his own religious upbringing which were not Christian and the fact that some of his beliefs mirror those of Christianity does not make him a Christian.

That many who profess to be Christians do not lead a Christian life does not make Ghandi a Christian and I'm sure that he would have found the concept abhorrent - you disrespect his memory by suggesting that it is so.
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FourPart
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Whas Ghandi a Christian?

Post by FourPart »

Practically all Religions PROFESS to follow the same moral paths & fundamental teachings as all the others, namely Peace, Love & Goodwill to all Men. It's just that those who place themselves in positions of power within those Religions seek to corrupt the original intent to suit their own purposes.

If everyone were to follow the true meaning of their individual Religion's doctrines, there would probably only be a single Religion, of which Ghandi, no doubt, would have been happy to be a part of.
disciple
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Whas Ghandi a Christian?

Post by disciple »

Bryn Mawr;1467423 wrote: OK, I'll bite.

Ghandi was a non-Christian, he was following the dictates of his own religious upbringing which were not Christian and the fact that some of his beliefs mirror those of Christianity does not make him a Christian.

That many who profess to be Christians do not lead a Christian life does not make Ghandi a Christian and I'm sure that he would have found the concept abhorrent - you disrespect his memory by suggesting that it is so.


To suggest that Ghandi would have found the concept of being considered a Christian abhorring, tells me you know very little to almost nothing of Ghandi's writings and comments on the subject.
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LarsMac
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Whas Ghandi a Christian?

Post by LarsMac »

The issue is really simple.

How do you define a Christian?

If a Christian is defined by the generally accepted doctrines of the Church, then no, Gandhi was not one.

Was Gandhi's behavior often Christ-like?

Yes. So if you want to use that to define a Christian, then I can offer up a whole list of people who are, or were Christian by that definition, and yet most of them would reject the idea that they are/were Christian.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
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disciple
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Whas Ghandi a Christian?

Post by disciple »

LarsMac;1467450 wrote: The issue is really simple.

How do you define a Christian?

If a Christian is defined by the generally accepted doctrines of the Church, then no, Gandhi was not one.

Was Gandhi's behavior often Christ-like?

Yes. So if you want to use that to define a Christian, then I can offer up a whole list of people who are, or were Christian by that definition, and yet most of them would reject the idea that they are/were Christian.


I would like to point to Jesus' words as mentioned above ("not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven") and ask the question: If obedience to the teachings of Christ is the bases for salvation: was not Ghandi far closer to being saved than most professing Christians are today?

Are not a person's actions/works how we are to know who is a sheep and who is a goat? Ghandi was far more a sheep of Christ's than almost any person I know who profess themselves Christian and if he was not a Christian (follower of Christ) then I dare say I doubt one exists hardly in the world today.

I don't blame Ghandi or the many others for not wanting to be associated with those who claim to be Christian. But I also don't think for a second that Jesus would care what they called themselves so long as they embraced the practical teachings he was promoting: so that they could live with love towards all men.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It clearly appears that Jesus considered those that embraced the essence of his teachings as his true followers and as Ghandi stated above: many people have and are influenced by Jesus teachings unaware (see the 3rd last paragraph in the opening post). It matters not if people associate with the man Jesus Christ, but rather the spirit of Christ: as the words that Jesus spoke they are spirit and life. The problem is that today's church goers are ignorant to the real Jesus, who was a practical man, thus they even go so far as to almost deny his humanity and in doing so negate the true power behind his teachings, as they say: "he was divine and not a man that we could hope to attain to what he embraced" and yet Jesus says: not only can we, but we must.
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FourPart
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Whas Ghandi a Christian?

Post by FourPart »

LarsMac;1467450 wrote: The issue is really simple.

How do you define a Christian?

If a Christian is defined by the generally accepted doctrines of the Church, then no, Gandhi was not one.

Was Gandhi's behavior often Christ-like?

Yes. So if you want to use that to define a Christian, then I can offer up a whole list of people who are, or were Christian by that definition, and yet most of them would reject the idea that they are/were Christian.


Spot on.
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