All religions including Christianity, interpret age old religious beliefs and traditions on par with faith. This is the sad unfortunate and faithless situation existing in our religions. Faith is a pure gift of God, whereas religious beliefs and traditions are invented and created by the Holy men and religious leaders to love and live in faith in our daily living. Therefore, faith is a fearless search for the truth i.e. God.Unless the age old religious beliefs and traditions advocate liberty, equality, fraternity among people irrespective of caste, class, creed and gender as enshrined in our Indian constitution, how can they help us to live in faith? When the Supreme Court interprets religious beliefs to fall in line with our constitutional equality, the religious leaders including their devotees bluntly oppose the same. It is clear indication that so called Holy men, religious leaders including their devotees are neither interested in faith nor bothered about God.Are our Christian Catholic people convinced that Jesus Christ the universal saviour of human kind came to establish a society of liberty, equality and fraternity filled with compassion and unconditional love for our fellow human beings in this world through the instrumentality of the Holy Mother Church?Canute Barboza, St Antony Church, Kandlur
The Message of Pope Francis for ‘World Mission Day 2018’ is addressed to the youth, in a major way. It is characteristically titled ‘Together with young people, let us bring the Gospel to all.’ He speaks to the young people in a direct language and along with them and through them speaks to the entire Catholic Christian community. His message spills over Catholic and Christian boundaries and addresses the entire human society, too. Certainly, the focus of the message is young people, but the spirit of the message is ‘youthfulness’ in faith and mission and the application of the message is Catholic, Christian and all human communities across the world, in a progressive manner.His message, obviously, has two core purposes - one, ‘motivating young people towards a mission in life’ and two, ‘making the entire Christian community youthful through young people.’ The ‘bonus effect’ of the twin-purpose is that ‘Christian faith remains ever young.’More often than not, mission is understood to be a certain task performed, of course within life, but other than life proper. Pope Francis has a brilliant definition of mission. He states ‘life is a mission.’ In other words, rather than ‘I have a mission in life,’ it is ‘I am a mission on this earth,’ so profound an insight! Quoting Evangelii Gaudium, 273, he asserts ‘that is the reason why I am here in this world.’ In yet other words, ‘every man and woman is a mission.’ One has to inca
Kudos to Pakistans Supreme Court verdict against the death sentence of a Christian woman who was convicted under the ‘blasphemy law’ in the year 2010. The law violates freedom of religion and expression in faith which is the fundamental right of a citizen. it is against the universal declaration of human rights.Therefore the UN must act against such draconian laws still existing in Islamic countries. Prophet Muhammed taught that “Have compassion on those who live on earth and He who is in heaven will have compassion on you.”
Thomas Mulackel, Bengaluru
It is good to have native bishops, but I am afraid that without real spiritual and theological empowerment of the native laity we will have more problems. This is what happens in politics. Every politician promises to give acche din to people, but ends up only in grabbing as much as he can. Even the poor and the needy are not spared. Politicians can do this because they know that most of our people are not adequately educated and motivated for an effective democracy that places the good of the nation above the gains of individuals and of the party.Our good missionaries have managed to make many ‘converts.’ But sacramentalization does not necessarily lead to evangelization. In Baptism there is no transubstantiation. The convert remains what he is. The Roman Emperor Constantine too is reported to have been ‘converted.’ As a result, crowds flocked into the Church. The once persecuted Church overnight became the persecuting Church. The bishops and archbishops became ‘lord’ and ‘archlords’! That was the starting point of the dechristianization of the Church.Only when we empower our laity theologically and spiritually will we have a healthy balance in the Church. Otherwise, claiming that we have been especially chosen and consecrated, priests and bishops will continue to do what they wish to do, even if what they do is against the values of the Gospel. Even in the Church of God we need a healthy opposition.
A cursory look at the world will tell us the human development disparities in different regions of the world. Without many efforts we can say human development is the highest in Europe, North America and Australia; then have a look at the ethos dominant in these continents and anybody would agree that it is Christian.When the United Nations defined human development, though not stated explicitly, that too was from a Christian background and perspective, and that is natural because the majority of its member states are influenced by Christian ethos. When I speak of Christian ethos, I don’t mean Christianity as a religion but as a value system or ideology.The UN defines human development as the process of enlarging people’s choices allowing them to lead a long and healthy life, to be educated, to enjoy a decent standard of living as well as political freedom, other guaranteed human rights and various ingredients of self-respect.This definition clearly brings about the essential characteristics of human development: healthy long life, education, guaranteed human rights, self-respect.The most fundamental principle that emerges from the life and works of Jesus is love, forgiveness and freedom. Love your neighbor as yourself and forgiveness explains the core of Christianity and every type of freedom comes forth only from such a philosophy. Without love and freedom human development is not possible at all.Political scientist Harold Laski has said it in anotheDevelopment: Does Christian ethos hold the key?
