Benedict XVI used (N.B. Benedict XVI was the one whose meditations these were, yet he did not write them, nor did he actually read the aloud - for more details about this situation - see the letter from the Vatican, explaining - link) the following line in his "Good Friday" meditations: "Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality." That line is apparently taken from Brahadaranyakopanishad an Hindu writing. He also used a line from Tagore's Gitanjali: "Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service." Furthermore, he made reference to Mahatma Ghandi. (source) None of this is wrong in itself, as long as we are plundering the Philistines, not joining them.
But the Hindu leaders praised Benedict XVI for this, rather than criticizing him for taking their scriptures in another sense than they were intended. Will we see clarification from the Vatican? I am guessing not. The zeitgeist of Vatican II is of meta-ecumenicism, which would avoid noting the fact that Catholicism must take these lines in a different sense, while promoting a semblance of unity.
I should note that Paul the Apostle plundered from the Greek poets, but when he did so he made clear that he was using these things either in the same or a different sense, depending on the context. He was not promoting ecumenicism with the Greek pagans, he was trying to convert them.
The reader can decide for themselves whether Benedict XVI was following in Paul's footsteps or departing from them.
-TurretinFan
UPDATE: Reginald di Piperno (Roman Catholic) has provided some factual corrections to the article linked above. (link to RdP's post) The basic point remains, as apparently it is not disputed that the various lines were spoken and that the references were welcomed by the Hindus. I'm also not sure whether RdP got the idea that plundering the Philistines is a good thing, whereas joining them is a bad thing.
UPDATE: In view of an amusing post at Ichabod, I've updated the post above a bit further (link).
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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8 comments:
Well, those comments should raise some ire?
I am mindful of the Apostle Paul, who was not betwixted and between opinions here:::>
2Co 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
2Co 11:11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
2Co 11:12 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.
2Co 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
My guess is the reason is because he was following the Leader, who said this here:::>
Mat 10:34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Sounds more divisive to me than ecumenical! That then, I suppose, is why the Apostle Paul is in the league of Apostles and Benedict XVI is not?
That saddens me instead of finding truth and comfort in the Psalms we are left with the ecumenicalism of hinduism.
May the Lord continue to bless his Word as found in the Old and New Testaments.
That saddens me and shows what happens when you fall away from sola scriptura.
May the Lord continue to bless his word in the Old and New Testaments.
You'll recall there was a big stink over his predecessor's interfaith day of prayer at Assisi. Apparently, Benedict XVI is cut out of the same piece of cloth.
Plato talked of going out of the darkness and into the light, a theme which John Henry Newman had inscribed on his tombstone. I do not think that Newman was a Hindu. St Paul also denied that the promises made to the Jews were of non effect, that did not make him a Jew. God is not a clergyman, He is not confined to the Church.
Veritas:
Plato and the Hindus both receive a measure of general revelation, and consequently do not always err in everything. Nevertheless, salvation is found only in the name of Christ.
Paul the Apostle was a Jew, as he not infrequently pointed out. He was not part of apostate Judaism, which rejected the Messiah, but was one of the true Israelites who was by faith a child of Abraham (as are we, if we believe the gospel that Paul preached).
God is not confined by anything, and yet salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone - and that knowledge of Christ comes by hearing the preached Word of God, to wit, the Scriptures.
-TurretinFan
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