Growing up Atheist in the Southern United States, I've been dragged into more than my fair share of religious discussions – all dealing with Christianity.
Okay, in some cases I dove in head-first. I think we all like a good rousing debate over something that ultimately comes down to a matter of opinion. Like talking sports. And just like sports, some people take their religion way too seriously. They've lost the message in their adoration for the messenger. This makes it impossible to have a decent discussion with them.
So over the years I've developed The Gandhi Test as a way of identifying good Christians from bad ones. Thanks to the internet I can share this revelation with the world. Not only will taking this test show you if you're a good Christian or a bad one, it will help Atheists understand that – in its good form – Christianity can be fine.
Ready to take the test? Here we go:
First, a little background:
Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi was a revolutionary leader in India from 1914-1948, and if anyone in the history of the world lived a life as close to that of Jesus Christ, it was Gandhi. Both men's countries were occupied by a foreign power. Both men lead peaceful movements against their foreign rulers. Both men had issues with the religions as they related to the politics within their countries. Both men were non-violent. Both men inspired others to seek change through peaceful means.
Both men were killed by their own people.
Gandhi went further in his lifetime than Christ did in his. Gandhi stopped two shooting wars with hunger strikes, and lived to see the day the occupiers left his country.
So any way you slice it, Gandhi was a great man of peace. If anyone in the world could hold a candle to the life of Jesus Christ, it is Gandhi.
But...
Gandhi could never, ever, accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior.
Why? Millions upon millions of people would have died in horrific wars if he did. India was populated my Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and various sects thereof. The first two had been at war with each other for centuries. Their hatred for each other still make Palestinian / Jewish fights look like a tough day on the playground. The British occupiers of India for over a hundred years, were Christian.
Gandhi was born and raised Hindu, but would say of his own religion, "I am a Hindu and a Muslim and a Christian and a Jew – and so are you." His neutrality on religion was the cornerstone of the peace he forged between Hindus and Muslims – something no one had been able to do before him. If he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior, it would mean he'd sided with the British and could no longer be trusted with the future of India. The cold war between Hindus, Muslims, and Christians would have turned hot and millions of people would have been killed.
Even after his assassination, there could be no hint of Gandhi having accepted one religion over another. The Mahatma (Great Soul), Bapu (Father), of India had to remain a father or all mankind, not just one piece of it. Accepting "Thou shall have no other God by me," would have turned the Ganges river red with blood.
Now, here's the teat:
Is Gandhi in heaven? Choose your answer in the poll, then click on the menu choice to find out if you're a good Christian or a Bad one.
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ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point. Most Christian denominations teach that only Christians will go to heaven. The denominations that do not have typically rejected the biblical depiction of God as destroying those who reject Him. Rob Bell brought publicity to the latter view last year after grappling with this very issue, the fate of Gandhi.
ReplyDeleteI know of only one Christian denomination that rejects universalism while allowing for heathens in heaven. Here is a passage from one of its sacred texts:
"Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God."
This is not universalism, because it excludes violent people like Hitler from heaven. It is also not common fundamentalism, which excludes those who do not know the name of Jesus from heaven. There is much fascinating reading in the pages following the passage above that I think you would like.
(I removed the first post because of a typo, which should be fixed now.)
You need another option: It's not for me to judge.
ReplyDeleteI'm Eastern Orthodox Christian and we believe that God has mercy on whomever He wishes and it's not our place to judge whether or not someone is in Heaven. While we believe the fullness of the faith is within the Orthodox Church, God is not at all limited and He can save whomever He wants.
So I can't really answer your poll. :) I have no idea if Ghandi is in Heaven, but I certainly hope that he is.
In my opinion, Gandhi is in Heaven because God is above religion. God is God. Religion is a tool used to try to understand God; God knows God and does not need a religion any more than he needs a hammer.
ReplyDeleteThe poll is closed, but I would have to go with the "I don't believe in Heaven" choice. For most of my life I was a Christian and I would have answered yes, but I noticed too many people around me would have answered no. After a mighty struggle with my religion, I decided that I should believe whatever makes me happy as long as I do my best to remain a good person. Thus, I am now a unitarian universalist with reincarnationist leanings. :)
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