Tenets of Christ

8/12/2019 Tenets of Christ

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Tenets of christanity

Christianity(from the Ancient Greek word , Christos, trntion of the

erew , M, meaning "the anointed one", together with the Latin suffixes -ianand -itas) is a monotheisticreligion based on the life and oral teachings of Jesus as

presented in the New Testament. Christianity is the world's largest religion,withapproximately 2.2 billion adherents, known as Christians. Most Christians believe thatJesus is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human, and the saviour of humanitywhose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament. Consequently, Christians refer toJesus as "Christ" or the Messiah.

The foundations of Christian theology are expressed in ecumenical creeds.These professions of faith state that Jesus suffered, died, were buried, and wasresurrected from the dead in order to grant eternal life to those who believe in him andtrust in him for the remission of their sins. The creeds further maintain that Jesus bodilyascended into heaven, where he reigns with God the Father. Most Christian

denominations teach that Jesus will return to judge everybody, living and dead, and togrant eternal life to his followers. He is considered the model of a virtuous life. Hisministry, crucifixion, and resurrection are often referred to as the "gospel", meaning

"good new" ( on trntion of the Greek: euanglion). The term gospelalso refers to written accounts of Jesus' life and teaching, four of whichthe Gospels ofMatthew, Mark, Luke and Johnare considered canonical and included in ChristianBibles.

Christianity is an Abrahamic religion that began as a Jewish sect in the mid-1stcentury.Originating in the Levant region of the Middle East, it quickly spread to Syria,Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and Egypt. It grew in size and influence over a few centuries,

and by the end of the 4th century had become the official state church of the RomanEmpire, replacing other forms of religion practiced under Roman rule. During the Middle

Ages, most of the remainder of Europe was Christianized, and adherents were gainedin the Middle East, North Africa, Ethiopia and parts of India Following the Age ofDiscovery, Christianity spread to the Americas, Australasia, sub-Saharan Africa, and therest of the world through missionary work and colonization. Christianity has played aprominent role in the shaping of Western civilization.

Worldwide, the three largest groups of Christianity are the Catholic Church, theEastern Orthodox Church, and the various denominations of Protestantism. The RomanCatholic and Eastern Orthodox patriarchates split from one another in the schism of the

11th century, and Protestantism came into existence during the Reformation of the 16thcentury, splitting from the Roman Catholic Church.


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There are many great teachings in the Bible, but here are 10 of the most important, orfundamental beliefs of the Christian faith. Within each of these broad categories thereare many other doctrines that could fill whole books and bookshelves. This is just a

quick overview of what Christians believe.

God

Theology is the study of God. This includes who He is in person and personality. This isan absolutely fundamental belief of Christianity.

In the pages of the Bible it is taken for granted by the writers that God does exist. TheBible opens with the words that God created the Heavens and the earth He is thecreator, or source, of all life Nature teaches us that there is a Creator and we havewithin us a basic understanding of a higher power.

God is a Spirit. He does not want to be worshiped through graven images or idolsbecause He does not have a form as we know it. Though a spirit, He has personality asdenoted by the names He has been given or claims of Himself. Though existing in threepersons (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) He is one God.

God knows all. He is all powerful. He is present everywhere at the same time. God iseternal and unchangeable. He is holy. He is righteous and just, yet merciful andgracious. And God is love.

It is wonderful to know that God communicates to us through His Word so that we can

know about Him and His plan

Christ

Christology is the study of Christ. Christianity would not be what it is if there was not arisen Savior, who was the promised redeemer.

Though Jesus was the Son of God, He was also born to human parents. Jesus had aphysical body that grew and had normal physical needs.

Jesus died on a cross as the substitute for the sins of mankind. He rose bodily the thirdday after His death. He ascended to Heaven to God.

Holy Spirit

Pneumatology is the study, or doctrine, of the Holy Spirit. Though a Spirit, He too haspersonality like God the Father. He is referred to in many of the same passages as the


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The purpose of the church is to worship God and bring glory to Him on the earth. It is toevangelize the world and help people to grow into mature Christians. Shunning theattendance of church leads to false doctrine.

Angels

Angels are beings created by God and are not the spirits of dead saints or simplyglorified believers. They are ministers of God. Angels have great might and power. Theiris a hierarchy of angels. There are some angels who have abandoned God.

Satan is one of these fallen angels and is at war with God and His angelic host. He iscalled the prince of the power of the air, the god of this world, the wicked one, thetempter. He is an adversary to the Christian. His final judgment is to be cast into thelake of fire.

Future

Escatology is the study of the last things. While there is some controversy amongChristians over the exact order of events, the general idea of things to come is thatChrist will return to rapture the church and resurrect the dead believers. There will be

judgment for the unsaved. While the saved will be judged, there will also be a time ofreward for them.

Prayer

Though this is not a strictly Christian belief, prayer is vital to a Christian. So importantthat the Bible says that neglecting prayer grieves the Lord. Prayer is the way God has

ordained for us to communicate with Him. It is so important the founders of the churchsought help in the ministry so that they could dedicate their time to prayer.

Through out the Bible prayer can be seen to take many forms. Moses talked with God inprayer more like a dialogue between two friends. In Joshua and Judges the Israelitesoften cried out to God. Samuel, and many other prophets prayed more in a manner ofintercession (on behalf of others). David considered himself able to go to God in prayeron his own behalf instead of needing someone to pray for him. The book of Psalms isfull of a crying out to God on a continual and consistent basis.

We can pray to God, to Christ and to the Holy Spirit. The normal pattern in prayer is that

we pray to God through the Holy Spirit with the authority of Christ. There is no requiredposition in prayer prescribed in the Bible. We can pray standing up, kneeling, prostrateor in bed.

Basic Beliefs of a Christian

As I said at the outset, these are just some of the basic beliefs of a Christian. It iswonderful to know that God communicates to us through His Word so that we can know


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5 Reincarnation and Liberation

Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmashave been resolved, and moksha--spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle ofrebirth--is attained. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

6 Temples and the Inner Worlds

Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship,rituals, sacraments as well as personal devotionals create a communion with thesedevas and Gods.

7 Yoga Guided by a Satguru

Hindus believe that a spiritually awakened master, or satguru, is essential to know theTranscendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification,

pilgrimage, self-inquiry and meditation.

8 Compassion and Noninjury

Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practiceahimsa, "noninjury."

9 Genuine Respect for Other Faiths

Hindus believe that no particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above allothers, but that all genuine religious paths are facets of God's Pure Love and Light,deserving tolerance and understanding.

Hinduism: Background, Basic Beliefs and Sacred Texts

How did Hinduism begin?

Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma ("eternal spiritual path") began about 4000 yearsago in India. It was the religion of an ancient people known as the Aryans ("noblepeople") whose philosophy, religion, and customs are recorded in their sacred textsknown as the Vedas. These texts were initially handed down by word of mouth fromteacher to student. It was not until much later that they were actually written down.

Archeological evidence from the Indus Valley civilization of northwestern India helps toestablish Hinduism as the world's oldest living religion. Today, worldwide, there arealmost one billion people professing some aspect of Hinduism. The fundamentalteachings of Hinduism, which form the foundation of all its different sects, are containedin the concluding portion of the Vedas, and are therefore known as the Vedanta (the"end or concluding portion of the Vedas"). This part of the Vedas is also known as theUpanishads.


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What do Hindus believe and practice?

The fundamental teaching of Hinduism, or Vedanta, is that a human being's basicnature is not confined to the body or the mind. Beyond both of these is the spirit or thespark of God within the soul. This spirit is within us and also within everything we see.

All beings and all things are really, in their deepest essence, this pure or divine spirit, fullof peace, full of joy and wisdom, ever united with God. This is not just theory, but it canactually be experienced. Anyone who takes the trouble to undergo the necessarytraining to purify and refine the mind and senses can begin to feel the truth of this. Thistraining can take various forms and is known as yoga ("union"- union of the individualself with this inner spirit). There are four main types of yoga, meant for the four main

Types of human temperaments:

o Karma Yoga or the discipline of right actions is for those of activetemperament, striving to eliminate selfishness, and to cultivate universal

sympathy by seeing the divine reality in all.

o Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion to God whose presence can be felt inall things. God can be worshipped as present in an image in a Temple.God can be worshipped also as present in suffering humanity by service.

o Jnana Yoga, preferred by those of analytical bent of mind, is the disciplineof trying to see the divine reality within all things directly, by mentallybrushing aside all the obstructing physical and mental coverings that hideit.

o

Raja Yoga is the process of mental control, purity, and meditation to makethe mind very calm and quiet. In that profound quiet, the inner divine lightreveals itself.

What are the manifestation(s) God in Hinduism? What are the different sects of

Hinduism?

The general name for God in Hinduism is Brahman. The name of the divine

essence within us is Atman. They are one and the same, infinite and eternal. However,God is also present in all creation. God's manifestation in creation goes by many

names. It is the one infinite, eternal, Divine Being that is manifesting in countless ways.

It is like a person at the same time being called "father" by his son, "friend" by his friend,

"son" by his own father, "husband" by his wife, etc. A special relationship goes with

each name. So the same Divine Lord has been addressed as Shiva, Vishnu, etc and as

Divine Mother, Kali, Durga, etc. God can also manifest as an extraordinary being in


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human form, who is then known as an incarnation of God, such as Krishna, Rama, etc.

Since it is the one infinite God alone that is being looked at in different ways, all these

manifestations can be prayed to for help and protection. This is the underlying principle

behind all the different sects of Hinduism. Those who prefer a particular manifestation of

the divinity will form a sect devoted to the contemplation and worship of that

manifestation. All the sects, however, will accept the ancient teachings of the Vedas and

the Vedanta as the foundation of their practice

What is reincarnation?

In this world every cause must have its effect. We are responsible for the results

of our actions. Long ages ago, human beings first asked themselves, why are some

people born in happy circumstances, whereas others are born to suffer all their lives?

The events of this present life are not enough to account for such suffering. To

reasonably explain an excess of suffering or of enjoyment in this life, it was assumedthat we all have had previous existences, and that we are now reaping the results of

those previous actions. It must also be true then that we can take charge of our destiny

right now. We can create a better tomorrow by resolving do better actions today.

However, as long as desires remain in the mind, the tendency toward rebirth will exist.

What is Maya?

In this life we do not see things very clearly. We are constantly faced with

contradictions. Though we know what is right, we have trouble doing it. Our thoughts

soar high, but our actions cannot rise to the level of our thoughts. The world is full ofmisery and injustice; as quickly as we remove some, more seems to rush in to take its

place. We are told by the saints, and we also feel, that a loving God is at work in this

creation, but we cannot reconcile this with what we see around us. This complex

situation in which we find ourselves is called maya.

The way out of this, according to Hinduism or Vedanta, is that we are not really seeing

the world properly. If we saw it properly, we would see that it is God alone before us.

Instead, we superimpose all this complex world on that divine reality. The illustration

given is that of a rope, mistaken in semi-darkness for a snake. The snake of this world

frightens us. What is the solution? Bring a light and you will see its real nature. It is only

a rope. Likewise, the real nature or essence of this world is divinity alone. Bring the light

of spiritual wisdom through yoga, and you will see God alone everywhere. This is what

constitutes spiritual freedom or liberation, Moksha. When this knowledge dawns, there

is complete satisfaction; no desire remains in the mind, and no further impulse for

rebirth remains.


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What code of behavior do Hindus follow?

The code of behavior is one's dharma. This is determined by the place in society

and the duties associated with it. There are four main social positions or varna;

Brahmins (priests and teachers) Kshatriyas (rulers and soldiers), Vaishyas (merchants)

and Shudras (workers).

There are four ideal stages of life described in Hindu scriptures: the student, the

family man, the recluse, and the wandering holy man. For most Hindu people these

represent a metaphorical path, not an actual path.

What are the Hindu sacred texts?

Hindu ancient, sacred texts were written in Sanskrit, the language of

ancient India.

The Vedas are the oldest - about 3000 years old. They are a collection of

hymns, prayers, and magic spells.

The Upanishads are stories and parables told by gurus (teachers) to their

students

The Mahabharata is a story of a war between two royal families. The

Bhagavad Gita is a very popular part of this text.

The Ramayana is a story of the god Rama and the rescue of his wife Sita

from Ravana, the evil demon king

A Summary of What Most Hindus Believe

In the 1980s and early '90s the publishers of Hinduism Today magazine crafted a

simple summary of Hindu beliefs. These were printed side-by-side with their Christiancounterparts in Christianity Today magazine in February 1993 so Christians could bettercomprehend Hindus. These nine beliefs offer a basic summary of Sanatana Dharma'sspirituality.


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Nine Beliefs of Hinduism

Hindus believe in the divinity of the Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, andvenerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and

the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion which has neither beginning norend.

Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent andtranscendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation anddissolution.

Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual createshis own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmashave been resolved, and moksha, spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle ofrebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship,rituals, sacraments as well as personal devotionals create a communion with thesedevas and Gods.

Hindus believe that a spiritually awakened master, or satguru, is essential to know theTranscendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification,

pilgrimage, self-inquiry and meditation. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be lovedand revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, "noninjury."

Hindus believe that no particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above allothers, but that all genuine religious paths are facets of God's Pure Love and Light,deserving tolerance and understanding.


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Five Obligations of all Hindus

Worship, upasana: Young Hindus are taught daily worship in the family shrine room--rituals, disciplines, chants, yogas and religious study. They learn to be secure through

devotion in home and temple, wearing traditional dress, bringing forth love of the Divineand preparing the mind for serene meditation.

Holy days, utsava: Young Hindus are taught to participate in Hindu festivals and holydays in the home and temple. They learn to be happy through sweet communion withGod at such auspicious celebrations. Utsava includes fasting and attending the templeon Monday or Friday and other holy days.

Virtuous living, dharma: Young Hindus are taught to live a life of duty and good conduct.They learn to be selfless by thinking of others first, being respectful of parents, eldersand swamis, following divine law, especially ahimsa, mental, emotional and physical

noninjury to all beings. Thus they resolve karmas.

Pilgrimage, tirthayatra: Young Hindus are taught the value of pilgrimage and are takenat least once a year for darnana of holy persons, temples and places, near or far. Theylearn to be detached by setting aside worldly affairs and making God, Gods and guruslife's singular focus during these journeys.

Rites of passage, samskara: Young Hindus are taught to observe the many sacramentswhich mark and sanctify their passages through life. They learn to be traditional bycelebrating the rites of birth, name-giving, head-shaving, first feeding, ear-piercing, firstlearning, coming of age, marriage and death.

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Tenets of Christ