religious unity and healing miracles (off topic)

[Guest guest]

Dear Rosemary,

As usual I start on these things in the middle of the night when I am too tired to make much sense, but your letter about Hinduism stirs me to comment. Although I have been a student of comparative religion for many years, I am always at the beginning of study. I feel that the more I learn, the more complex, beautiful, and yet somehow unified the major religions become. The path toward knowledge or the realization of God beckons and winds on through twilight shadows and small, but brilliant, sunlit glades.

It is tempting, but misleading (according to most modern religious scholars) to look at Hinduism, as well as Judaism and earlier roots of Christianity, in a fundamentalist way (accepting all of the stories and myths as historically true). Examination of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other documents

unearthed or more properly translated since the publication of the King version of the Bible in the early 1600's, clearly shows that many of the Biblical stories of the Old Testament were borrowed and adapted directly from the myths of pagan religions.

Such things as the creation of man and earth, and the nature of God can be seen only through a veil of mystery

and ignorance, so it was necessary for holy men in various places of the world to create (and pass down by word of mouth long before recorded history) stories that would explain natural phenomenon and unite the people with common beliefs, traditions, and behaviors. The myths of Hinduism or of native American or Chinese or African religions may seem farfetched and strange and unbelievable to American Christians, but they are completely suited to the cultures they serve; they instill the shared values, ideals, and rules that, if heeded, will allow societies to continue to exist and prosper.

What has intrigued and amazed me in study of religion from Hopi to Hindu,

from Islam to Christianity and beyond, is that beneath the myths and surface structures, seems to lie a reservoir of universal beliefs or Truths shared by every successful religious culture. It would seem to me that these

shared Truths are the part of each religion that must be inspired by the one universal God. All of the Hindu Gods, as well as the various Gods of other religions, illuminate aspects of the one God as many facets illuminate a diamond. It seems arrogant to believe that one universal God would purposefully exclude most of the people of the world. We must always keep in mind that the holy books, including the Bible, were inspired by God, but not written by God (or Jesus).

There are may contradictions, mysteries, and interpretations, even in the Gospels of the New Testament. For example, if Jesus knew his future and predicted the betrayal by Judas, how can we be sure that Judas' predetermined behavior would have caused his condemnation? It was, after all, a necessary step in Christ's journey to the cross, the fulfillment of his purpose on Earth. We just cannot know God's mind or number the paths to reach him.

Jesus also said that you are healed, not by him directly, but by your belief.

He gave his apostles the same power to heal, but they were unable to use it well because of their incomplete understanding and faith. And so we remain.

Christianity has had its fair share of curses and disasters; the crusades, the inquisition, and slavery in America stand out in my mind. I am a Catholic convert with strong Protestant roots, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a Buddhist or a Hindu ahead of me on the path or at the gate.

I am happy that your faith has healed you, and I wish good health to all of us.

I am SO tired and must go to sleep now.

love,

Gloria