Friday, February 08, 2019

"when Jesus perceived in his spirit" - Against Those in Tropical Regions and Warm Climate


 Around Tokyo

Against Those in Tropical Regions and Warm Climate


No great religion emerged in Africa except Egypt.

No great religions also emerged in tropical areas including the Central and South America, and Pacific Regions.  However, people in those tropical areas must have enjoyed great nature without scarcity of foods.  Those tropical people must have had easier lives than those in Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia.

In India including bases of the Himalayan region, Buddha appeared, but his teaching was concentrated on basic problems even to happy tropical people: birth, sickness, ageing, and death.   In North, Central and South Americas, progress of civilization (introduction of agriculture) was slow, and people must have lived in environments rich in nature.  Their religious sense was overwhelmed by rich nature where human beings looked only part of nature but not as independent entities which could pursue God.

In China suitable for agriculture, religious activities were integrated into ritual of tribes and control of the society.  As a result, Confucianism emerged with focus on quality of humanity including respect for ancestors, which was a core of integrity of each family, each tribe, and each kingdom.  They did not develop the concept of God as the creator of the universe.  Or they did not see God that generated and governed the universe and the human world and could save people even if they admitted that there were gods with super power.

In Egypt also suitable for agriculture, a religion linked with Egyptian imagination about the universe was developed.  Thus pyramids were built as symbols of their imagination.  However, people did not need God that would save them from every pain and trouble in lives.       

Finally, when one tribe left Mesopotamia, suitable for agriculture, and went into deserts, they started to develop the concept of God who created human beings and had power to save people.

Their religion developed in Christianity to be accepted by Europeans living in relatively meager nature.  Their ancestors did not enjoy easy living like that seen in tropical regions or regions surrounded by rich nature.

Material civilization was mostly developed through human efforts to establish human living in severe nature.  Severe natural conditions fostered a tendency of accepting a non-nonsense religion.

Tens of thousands years ago, people living in tropical areas enjoyed easy lives; thousands years ago, people living in regions suitable for agriculture also enjoyed their lives.  However, powerful civilization was developed with a specific religion by people whose ancestor were living in meager natural environments.     

Therefore, since Columbus, the Western civilization and Christianity have made a conquest of the world.  Descendants of people having lived relatively easy lives in tropical regions or in warm climate suitable for primitive agriculture could not cope with the power of Europe.

So, God has saved people living in, otherwise, meager natural environments.  However, they might become too arrogant with power of material civilization and with pride of cultivating spiritual world based on their religion.

If this material civilization should collapse and the religion should get helplessly rotten, modern people in developed countries would envy those living in tropical areas, again.

So, modern people living in developed countries should appreciate God because due to God they could develop material civilization and spiritual culture so that they don't have to envy those living in tropical regions and rich natural environments.   

Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.


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Mar 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Mar 2:9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

Monday, February 04, 2019

”they uncovered the roof where he was” - Revere God with Spirit but not with Money


Tokyo

Revere God with Spirit but not with Money

The concept of God that cannot be expressed in any material forms but governs the universe and the human world was introduced into the Roman Empire by Christianity supported by Judaism.

And more importantly this God could send his Son or Spirit to the human world to show His love to the poor, the sick, and the suppressed, which was the key to appealing to poor and lower people or slaves, etc. in the Empire.  And the teaching of Christianity that if a man believes God, he can enter the Heaven and get eternal life must be also appealing to poor people in the Empire.

This teaching is still effective today, although Satan has been trying to brainwash people with material power of money and wealth.

Poor people can see how bad one can be if he or she wants to get money and big money to be rich and richer.  Poor people cannot express this truth of the human world, but they understand love of God and Christ Jesus to them as God and Christ Jesus hate money, wealth, and Satan.

Even today, most of people would sell their souls to Satan if Satan makes them rich.  And, poor people who are even neglected by Satan could see this truth about evil, and thus they can understand the teaching of Christ Jesus.

So, the conviction of poor people about truth of Christianity made the religion spread through the Empire.

However, rich scholars and priests, high-ranking leaders of the society, and elite people cannot understand this truth at the bottom of their heart, unless they abandon wealth, money, and their special privilege.  The poorer a man is, the more accurately he can understand truth of the human world and teaching of Christ Jesus and God.

So, some religious people go to monasteries to live poor to understand the truth. 

However, this tradition has nothing to do with Judaism.  Jewish people believe that God would save them to live materially rich lives.  They seem to have no custom to see truth of this world and the teaching of God through poverty.

In Christianity,  money, wealth, and riches belong to Satan.  But in Judaism and even in Islam, money, wealth, and riches are symbols of mercy given to men by God and thus they belong to God.

However, it seems to be true in any human society that the richer a man is, the less sincerely he asks help from God.  Indeed, Christ Jesus said that God was spirit and thus people had to revere God with spirit but not with money.



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Mar 2:4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
Mar 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

Sunday, February 03, 2019

"Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" - Judaism, Christianity, and What Next (?)


Mt. Fuji (the highest mountain in Japan), 100 km from around Tokyo


Judaism, Christianity, and What Next (?)

Although the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed through the Jewish-Roman wars around A.D. 70, Jewish people did not abandon their religion.  Likewise, although the Western Roman Empire fell before the sixth century, its state religion Christianity was not abandoned and forgotten.

So, if the modern civilization, initially built by Europeans and Americans before the 20th century, should fall due to its excessive materialism sooner or later probably in next 1000 years, the core religion in this modern civilization should survive.  But, what is the core religion?

In my estimate, if science, technology, and market-based or commercialism-based  economy continue to develop in the current trend for next 1,000 years, robots equipped with super AI might take over power of domination from the mankind, since robots don't die or are not afraid of death.

So, can future advanced robots believe in God or be afraid of God?  If so, what religion will they have?

Maybe the great power of God should appear truly in the era of robots that must start 1,000 later, which however may have nothing to do with the mankind of today.  But, it is very difficult to imagine that robots live in the Kingdom of God, which the mankind look like failing in so far as now.

Judaism, Christianity, and what next (?) must be the most important issue for the mankind, including Muslims who are also participating in the modern material civilization based on the traditions of Judaism and Christianity. 



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Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Mat 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.