Are You Saved?

Are You Saved?

            How does one respond to such a question? It is a presumptuous one that assumes you share the same belief system as the person who asks the question, and also, implying in some way that you should. Also, no answer seems to be sufficient to such a question. Even if you answer “yes,” you may then be asked “Are you sure?” – which is just a further display of the questioner’s arrogance in believing that not only does he or she have the market cornered on religion but that he or she is the supreme owner of the “truth” and only he or she can discern where you stand in the grand order of God’s plan.

            Debates with such people are practically impossible, impossible because they only allow a limited amount of information to be used for premises in the argument. By limited information I mean information that falls within or agrees with their belief system, anything else is dismissed as irrelevant or concluded to be “questioning God’s word.” This of course is deemed heretical. But let me clarify what I mean by debate. I don’t mean to persuade anyone to believe as I do. I have no need to do so, namely because there is little that I believe to be absolute truth. I don’t claim to be so supreme that I can profess ownership of the absolute truth, and the lack of the absolute truth is the only truth that I am fairly certain about.

However, I do have beliefs. I have beliefs based on my life experience. They are true to me, but I don’t presume that they are true to others or that they should be true to others. I believe there is more to this world than what our five senses perceive. I believe there are entities that have “intelligence” and they take interest in us. I believe there is an essence that permeates and is a part of everything. Taoist would call it Tao, Hindus – Brahman, Christians – Holy Spirit, and Luke Sky Walker – the Force. I believe different cultures, different people, each explains this ineffable “it” (a.k.a. God) in a way that allows them to relate to something so un-explainable. I also believe these beliefs directly effect how these mysteries are manifested to and explained by the individual. I believe the world is as we see it, because we see it. In other words, we create reality through perception – or perception alters reality. 

Here is an example. The Sioux Indians believed evil spirits could make a person ill. They believed that burning Sage in their dwelling would drive away evil spirits. In modern times we explain it differently. We believe that germs can make a person ill. We believe, and have scientifically proven, that Sage kills germs (like the Lysol spray we use). Aren’t both of these beliefs true? Aren’t they just two different ways of explaining the same truth? It makes me question how many other beliefs we may find to be the same way. After all, Quantum Physicists have been seeking answers from Tibetan Buddhists for some time now in order to better understand certain phenomenon that don’t reconcile with Aristotelian logic. They are now implementing Buddhist logic.

Now that I have shared some of my beliefs I will get back to the debate. But first, let me say something about the Christian religion, which may be seen as the reason for my writing this essay. It is not the reason. A certain fellow, whom I will call “the Dictator”, is the reason, and I would like to thank him for motivating me. The Dictator asked me the question I referred to earlier about being saved, and there are many like him in the area in which I live. I don’t believe the Dictator represents the Christian religion in the same spirit that Jesus intended. I have read the Bible and have paid close attention to the teachings of Jesus. I believe if I had lived during his time, I probably would have hung out with Jesus. I think Jesus is cool! I think those who practice a religion based on his teachings practice a beautiful religion.

I have a couple of friends who represent it very beautifully. I have one friend who, when he shares with me his faith in Jesus, his faith is so strong it melts me. It makes me want to find Jesus and embrace him. Another friend, who is a Christian, loves to talk about religion, especially his. But he never says his belief system is the only way or that mine is wrong. He is so enthusiastic and excited when he shares his faith with me that it makes me admire him more for his convictions. I don’t share my friends’ beliefs in the way of doctrine, at least not all of them, but in spirit we are the same.

Now, back to the debate I mentioned. My response to the Dictator’s question about being saved was “I don’t share that same belief system.” This didn’t sit well with him. He proceeded with a long, apparently well rehearsed, bombard of rhetoric that was, I believe, meant to show me the error of my way. However, It felt more like a hard sale by a pushy salesman, and as a result I felt very uncomfortable and almost converted just so he would leave me alone. He insinuated that if I were intelligent I would see that what he was saying was not only reasonable but was also the gospel truth. It is a very good sales technique. Those who have read sales books or have been in the business know what I mean. But I will argue that what he said can be reasoned differently.

I will start with the watchmaker theory. The reasoning is this: where there is a design there is a designer. He used the example of a house. He said that when he looks at a house he doesn’t believe it simply appeared from nowhere. He said no intelligent person would believe that. His reasoning is that first the house is designed and then someone builds it. It has a creator. And so, he said, it is reasonable to conclude that we are of a very complicated design and so we have a designer, a creator.

I agree that this is a valid argument, but that in itself doesn’t make it a true one. There are other things to consider. I don’t believe that reasoning and logic are the answer for everything, and using them to prove ideas about things that are not in the realm of reason and logic is like trying to prove love exists by using a math formula; however, I will use it anyway.

I ask the question why. Why do we build a house? Because we have needs. We build a house for shelter, a watch to tell time. We have needs because we are not sufficient within ourselves. It takes things outside of us to keep us alive, for us to exist. Does that mean that God, the creator, is not complete? Does God have needs? Can God exist without fulfilling those needs? Is that why God creates? Some Hindus argue that if there were a God who was complete, perfect, and all-powerful then such a god would not create us. It would have no desire or need to do so.

The next line of argument the Dictator put forth to support his beliefs was the Bible. Apparently someone has told him that the Bible is the very word of God, he believed it, and so he concludes it must be true. For hundreds of years a vast majority of people believed the Sun revolved around the Earth. It was not true. This is where he throws all reason out the window and goes strictly on authority, his authority; because, not only would he have me believe that the Bible is the word of God (because someone told him it was), but he also professes that he has some sort of divine ability to interpret this sacred text that exceeds my abilities to do so. He does not believe that he could be wrong. He does not believe the Bible could be wrong either. The fact that the Bible has been interpreted in many different ways, by many different people in various times in history is, I can only assume, irrelevant in his eyes. I would also assume that he believes he has divine abilities that supersede those people as well.

For argument sake, let us assume that the Bible is the word of God, and assume also that God, a creator, exist. The Bible, I think most reasonably intelligent people would say, is contradictory. Anyone who doubts this could read the last section of each of the gospels. Each one tells a slightly different version of the account of the resurrection. This is usually dismissed by saying that eyewitness accounts often differ slightly. This is true. It is also true that eyewitnesses sometimes make huge mistakes, but that is beside the point because I was told that the Bible was the un-erring word of God. Is it the un-erring word of God or eyewitness accounts? Is it a mistake or is God contradictory? Or is it all of the above? In my experience, questions like these often are answered with, “You just have to believe, don’t question God.”

I am sorry, but I don’t believe everything I am told and God hasn’t made it a point to come to me in person and tell me anything yet. Buddha never asked anyone to believe him. He instructed people to do the opposite, to find out for themselves. This sounds like good advice to me and so I will do the same. I admit I could be wrong. Don’t believe what I say. Find out for yourself.

I will also say that I am not totally critical of the Dictator. I think the Dictator does want to help people. I think he is searching for the truth and if his path fails to take him to enlightenment, perhaps in the next life it will. I also think the Dictator hurts more people than he helps. His belief system excludes many people. His words are spoken with authority and not humility (much like the Pharisees of Christ’s time). He turns more people away than he draws in. His love appears conditional. It is dependent upon the other person accepting his beliefs. I think Jesus would be disappointed in his lack of humility and love for all people, and I am without doubt that Jesus would see vast shortcomings on my part as well. However, I continue to strive to be more loving and accepting of others. In time I may even have a better attitude toward the Dictator. I am sure Jesus would advise it.