My Definition of Christianity

Salvation is the key to most any religion.  I understand this perfectly.  I used to preach salvation from an Evangelical perspective.  And with Salvation comes repentance and turning one’s life around.  Now, I believe that everyone has a path they follow.  Even Atheism is a path unto itself.  The major difference between myself and most any religion is how I now define “salvation.”  I say we are all born saved and each person finds his or her own path.  I am now saying that my path has probably always been more of that as a follower of Buddha than being Christian.  In fact, I don’t even know how to define Christianity any longer.  It has become so materialistic that I don’t think Jesus would recognize it today.  I STILL insist however, that Jesus died for ALL sins, but that I make an exception for two.  I am saying this is an Angel thing and NOTHING can change my mind about this.

I go so far to say that Buddha isn’t the savior of the world.  But it’s what Buddha teaches that is so important to me as opposed to just about all of Christianity.  This does NOT mean I am NOT a Christian.  In fact, I am more Christian than most Christians are Christian.  I don’t say this to boast.  I say this because in my mind, I KNOW Jesus.  But Buddha teaches that ALL life is sacred.  I am saying ALL Human Life is sacred.  No one has a right to intentionally take a Human Life except for God Himself.  Therefore, God does NOT forgive the sins of either murder or suicide.  This means all Human Life, including our own lives are sacred.  Buddha would accept this.  However, most of Christianity would not.  Why?  It’s about God’s forgiveness, because God WILL, according to most Christians, forgive both murder and suicide.  And Christians accept that there ARE reasons why a person would intentionally take a Human Life, mostly according to laws.  Laws define murder and laws will exonerate a person from having taken a Human Life, if there is a justifiable reason why one has done so. 

Now, what I believe comes from my Angels, but then in another way, my Angels only confirmed what I already believed.  I never believed in doing harm and I never believed a person could intentionally take a Human Life and be absolved from having done so.  But, I couldn’t fit such a teaching into the context of what I understood Christianity to be.  On the other hand are all sins.  I saw a lot of repentance, but on the other hand, I didn’t see a lot in the way of changed lives.  Having been raised in the context of Christianity, my father said that such people were still saved, but that they “back-slided” and kind of lost their way.  I understood this perfectly.  But as a Buddhist person, I understood that God forgave ALL sins regardless, but that once one had intentionally taken a Human Life, including committing suicide, there could be no forgiveness.  But I defined murder according to how laws defined murder.  And I allowed for warfare, although I personally, was against ALL wars, regardless.  But then I thought that God can’t condemn people for what they chose to do. 

So, I say I am a follower of Jesus, but the Jesus I know didn’t allow for the taking of ANY Human Life, nor could He forgive those who had.  I understood this from a very early age, believing that all other sins didn’t really matter.  I still believe this.  But while Christianity today would reject much of what I am saying, I believe Buddha would embrace what I am saying.  And I go so far to say that Jesus would too.  But Buddha didn’t die for my sins.  I understand this perfectly.  Jesus died for ALL my sins.  I never took a Human Life, intentionally or otherwise.  So, I am saying that because I believe that Jesus died for ALL my sins, a Buddhist would accept what I am saying about ALL Human Life being sacred.  And this is probably my ONLY disagreement with most ANY Christian.  So, in that regard, I am on my own path.  Someone said that they believed that he or she messed up God’s path for their lives.  Then another said, “We are NOT that powerful.’  I like that comment.  I am on a path God intended for me and that I am saying a lot of Christians would NOT accept my definition of salvation, but that I am saying most ANY Buddhist would.  Peace.  I am Brother Ralphie writing for my Angels from The Angels of Life Institute.  Brother Ralphie works from his study for the promotion of Peaceful living and inner Peace with God. He calls this the “Sanctity of Human Life Movement.”