Re: My religious experiment: Athena
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 1:31 am
"Athena" could well be classed among the many Hindu Gods and Goddesses. What Athena and these various gods lack is perhaps summarised by Gandhi (a Hindu himself):
I guess this is what Paul meant when he said:
For many Hindus Jesus Christ remains an inspiration for social
teaching. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) would be an eminent
example among these. He found the whole social teaching of Jesus
Christ beautifully summarised in the Beatitudes. More than as a
person, Jesus Christ is understood as a moral principle or an
ethical symbol by Mahatma Gandhi. In other words. Gandhi was
simply fascinated by the message of the Gospel or the thought of
the preaching of Christ. This is what he said: "I can say that
the historical Jesus never interested me. Nothing would change
for me if someone proved that Jesus never lived and that the
Gospel narration was a fictitious story. Because the message of
the Sermon on the Mount would always remain true for me". He was
certainly moved to a profoundly spiritual action but his
attitude couldn't be said to be evangelical. At best it could
be described as a Gospel value-based attitude. Going through the
writings of Mahatma Gandhi one may reach the conclusion that he
was attached to the person of Christ. M. Gandhi once said,
"During many years of my life I considered Jesus of Nazareth a
great Master, perhaps the strongest the world has ever known...
I can say that Jesus holds a special place in my heart as a
teacher who has exerted a considerable influence on my life".
However, it could not be said to be a commitment of faith in
Christ. Jesus Christ remains for Hindus like Gandhi a supreme
human model to be imitated or an inspiration to be referred to.
I guess this is what Paul meant when he said:
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (Acts 17:23)