Chaitanya Jyothi Museum Opening, 2000
RAMANAM
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen
Countrymen,
ORBIS NON SUFFICIT
SOLUS DEUS SUFFICIT
Under title More Sugarcoating of Islam from Pope Francis, professor and author William Kirkpatrick summons discussion of relationships between Christians and Moslems, Christianity and Islam. He does not approve Pope Francis’ approaches to and treatments of those relationships. Neither do I. Yet, Kirkpatrick’s exposition of the factors in that discussion and in those relationships is fair and fairly extensive.
I have pondered and contributed to that discussion for decades, ever since I saw The Sarva Dharma Symbol, which was after I saw Sathya Sai Baba.
My friend Professor Dr. Marek Jan Chodakiewicz invited my attention to this essay by Kirkpatrick. I am thankful he did and responded, with extensive edits here, as follows:
There is a way to take Christianity and Islam as brother religions under God, Who is One, yet hardly the same religion or culture.
With this rent-seeking pope and benches of cardinals and bishops, and their ability to self-replicate, it may be a long time before reason is reached. When it is, the second half of the Koran, the Medina part, will be declared spurious and non-canonical. And the truths that justification (salvation, liberation) comes only through the Name of Jesus the Christ and extra ecclesiam nulla salus will be taken aright.
Like climate change and national security, I take diversity of religions as a rhetorical clamp for keeping one’s mouth attached to the taxpayers’ tits.
Climate is always changing — so is everything else. There is no national security — only national opportunity. There is no diversity of religions — only success or failure at a singular religion, and that is spiritual (intangible) success, albeit with cultural (corporeal) consequences.
After their Superior General Wlodimir Ledóchowski, Jesuits have wanted to get inside culture and politics thinking they could drive them eventually. In this desire of theirs, Jesuits illustrate the danger of modeling the phenomenology of sanctification on the martial metaphor, calling sanctification spiritual warfare when it is not that. For the phenomenology of justification, yes, use the martial metaphor. but not for the phenomenology of sanctification. It has another metaphor, horticultural.
However, their usage, and the confusion it oozes forth, facilitates Jesuits’ desire to get inside the world, to be of the world, to control it. So-called Liberation Theology is just that simple in its object.
Spiritual warfare occurs in the phenomenology of justification, which starts a new life, initiates a spiritual rebirth. Justification is a post-warfare victory dance. One cannot move Godward, acquiring strength and happiness, until one is freed, through spiritual warfare, from certain downward-dragging impulses and conditions.
The martial metaphor should not be employed to describe, as modern Jesuits do, the phenomenology of sanctification. Sanctification is a peaceful and often delightful struggle, well short of warfare, to fortify and expand the victory won through spiritual warfare during the fight for justification, which is the true liberation.
Horticulture is the proper metaphor for the phenomenology of sanctification.
I mention this to highlight a material distinction between the phenomenology of justification and the phenomenology of sanctification, a distinction germane to my next post regarding A Theology Of The Army.
Do not focus on differences of caste, faith, communities, nationalities and religions.
True education focuses on equanimity amongst students.
Religions may differ, but the pathway is one.
Human beings may differ, but the divinity in man is one.
Nations are many, but the planet is one.
Stars are many, but the sky is one.
Men are many, but breath is one.
Flowers are many, but veneration is one.
Sathya Sai Baba
Βασιλεία του Θεού
Kingdom of God
Update 1: Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb sign a “Declaration of Peace”
Update 2: Bishop Schneider says Vatican is betraying ‘Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind’
AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA
