Let’s proceed to Dhammika’s interpretation of Christianity.

On page 4 of his book Good Question Good Answer, he writes: “In Christianity, the fish is used to symbolise Christ’s presence…” (P. 4). Used by whom? This is found nowhere in the Bible, except in one reference to Jesus calling Simon and Andrew to become “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17), which means fish is a symbol of men, not Christ.

Ethical Questions

On page 26 he asks, “If a good god [notice he capitalizes ‘Buddha’ but refuses to capitalize ‘God’  (a standard practice) which shows his disrespect to other religions] really creates each of us, it is difficult to explain why so many people are born with dreadful deformities…” What’s so “difficult” to explain about that? People suffer because of karma or sin. Heaven has no suffering because there is no sin there. Hell is eternal suffering because all karma or sin is punished there. If we had no karma or sin, we would have no suffering. This is literally Sunday School Christianity.

On page 27 he states, “Another problem with theistic explanation is that it seems very unjust that a person should suffer eternal pain in hell for what he did in just 60 or 70 years on earth.” This is a question that most people have before they embrace Christianity. But once you appreciate God’s love for justice and God’s desire to protect victims, there is nothing perplexing about this. For 1 minute of rape, a rapist may be incarcerated for 35 years. Is this unjust? It seems to Dhammika it might be! But to a God of law and justice it is not.

God understands we cringe at the idea of going to hell for eternity, so He provided a counter-example for us to see His perspective. Before we go there, let me agree that I don’t like the idea of anybody going to hell for eternity. But I’ve also learned that people tend to be less willing to change as they age. The older people get, the more fixed, stubborn and set in their ways they tend to become. That is why most religions aim for the youth, who tend to be more willing to change. My point is this: if people do not repent of their sins and trust in Christ after 60 years, what makes anyone think they will repent after 1000 years? It’s generally easier to admit you’re wrong the earlier you do it.

God actually anticipated Dhammika’s question and answered it for him in advance. The proof that sinners who do not humbly seek forgiveness in this life will not become humbler in 1000 years is given in the Book of Revelation. The proof is Satan. Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for 1000 years, and after the 1000 years are expired, “Satan shall be loosed out of his prison” for “a little season” (Revelation 20:3, 7) What will Satan do after being in hell for so long? Will he have thought about his misdeeds? Will he have mended his ways? Will he say sorry for his arrogance and give glory to God? Will he spread joy and peace instead of havoc and hate? No! Satan will continue to do what he has always chosen to do – violence and deception (verses 8-10). Thank God he will be loosed for only “a little season,” just to prove to people like Dhammika that God has in fact thought about the situation, and it’s better to leave Satan in hell forever. The same goes for rapists, murderers, idolaters, and all liars…all “shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8).

On page 27, Dhammika continues: “Likewise, 60 or 70 years of good living seems a very small outlay for eternal bliss in heaven.”  No one is saved by 60 to 70 years of good works. Not even 600 years of good works will save you! Buddha and Jesus both agree that keeping rules and laws will not save you. We are saved by Jesus’ Perfect Work on the Cross. Why can we not save ourselves? Because Jesus alone is without karma or sin, therefore Jesus alone can save us.

The Question of Mark 16

In chapter 33 of my book From Buddha to Jesus, I quoted the last words of Jesus from Mark 16:15-18. Dhammika questioned whether Mark 16:9-20 belongs to the Bible, based on a footnote he has read in the NIV Bible (“Some of the oldest mss. do not contain v. 9-20”). This unoriginal argument has always amused me. It’s funny to me that people who don’t believe the Bible believe the footnotes in the Bible… but only when it suits them.

In Mark 16:17-18, Jesus stated 4 signs that will follow a believer:

“And these signs will follow those who believe:
(1) In My name they will cast out demons;
(2) they will speak with new tongues;
(3) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them;
(4) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

These verses come from the Textus Receptus. The NIV questions it. What is the evidence? There are over 5000 surviving Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. 95% of them agree with the Textus Receptus compiled by Erasmus in 1516 and used by all Protestant reformers. The NIV bases its speculation on the other 5%. The worst part is those texts belonging to the 5% disagree with each other over 3000 times in the Gospels alone. Very unreliable indeed.

The supernatural signs Jesus promised Christians are problematic to Dhammika because he has no power and practices a “form without power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Born again believers all around the world including myself regularly experience these four powers. We do not follow a powerless self-invention but a powerful God.

But let’s suppose with Dhammika for a moment that the footnote in the NIV commentary is more reliable than the Bible itself…let’s suppose Mark 16 isn’t in the Bible. It would not matter because:

The power of Jesus’ Name to cast out of demons is in Acts 16:18, 19:12.
Speaking in tongues is in Isaiah 28:11, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 8:26-27, Jude 1:20.
Travelling without fear of snake bites is in Acts 28:3-6.
The doctrine of laying hands and praying for the sick for physical healing is in Hebrews 6:1-2, Acts 28:8, James 5:13-16.

By removing Mark 16 from the Bible, one has not changed the teachings of the Bible. This is one of the many evidences that the Bible is unique and inspired beyond human intellect. God anticipated Dhammika’s desire to “take away from the words of the book of this prophecy” even though God warned that He “shall take away his part from the Book of Life” (Rev 22:19), so God built into His Word an incredible level of structural integrity. It is tamper-proof against its enemies who desire to destroy it or delete certain parts of the message. The problem with removing parts of the message is that the message is still repeated elsewhere! No essential doctrine is in one single verse alone. Take any portion of the Bible away and Salvation through a Savior remains the constant theme. No matter how you slice and dice the Bible, Christ remains the central focus! There is simply no book in the world like the Bible.

What’s more important? The Bible or the footnote of some commentator added later to one English version? One should study and believe the Bible more than the footnotes.

The Protestant Reformation

Dhammika questions my statement that the Protestant Reformation was a protest about the authority of Scripture versus the authority of the Pope. Quote: “He [me] says that Martin Luther protested against ‘the idea that the Pope was infallible’ (p.11). But the issue of papal infallibility is not mentioned in any of Luther’s 95 Theses…” Yet, here are excerpts from Martin Luther’s 95 Theses:

#5 The pope …. cannot remit any penalties…

#6 The pope cannot remit any guilt…

#27 They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box [collection of Papal taxes], the soul flies out [of purgatory].

#32 They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon [from the Pope].

#36 Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon. [The doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ alone, denying the Pope’s or priests’ or oneself’s ability to save.]

#52 The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain… [no priest, monk or pious person can save. Only Jesus is the Saviour.]

#54 Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word. [The great schism between the Catholics and Protestants is over the supreme authority of God’s Word over man’s word, including the Pope’s.]

#62 The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel… [reiterating the supremacy of the Bible over human opinions and theories.]

#76 We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins…

#94 Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in FOLLOWING CHRIST, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell. [Better to die trusting Christ than live fearing the Pope’s punishment or any religious persecution. Religious people are the most violent people, but not to be feared when we are saved in Christ.]

#95 And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the ASSURANCE OF PEACE.

Can anyone miss Luther’s point? The 95 theses clearly challenge the Pope’s power to save, uphold the Bible as pure truth, and uplift Jesus as the only Saviour we are to follow. There is no peace to the person with karma. Karma exacts revenge and suffering. What Buddha taught is absolutely logical. The goal of life is to be cleansed of our karma, even at the cost of forsaking our family, friends, and former religion [Buddha did], and of embracing persecution from onlookers, blasphemers, and religious murderers.

Who is Really Afraid?

Dhammika, like some who left old churches, thinks that his experience of Christianity is universal; a common misconception they share is that Christians live in guilt or fear. The Bible teaches the contrary:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
(1 John 4:18)

On page 16, Dhammika wrote, “The Buddha, like modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god idea have their origins in fear…” and “Primitive man…created the idea of gods.” What condescension! His blanket statement excludes the many modern sociologists and psychologists who do believe in God. The irony is most Christians I know live without fear of a loving God, while most Buddhists I know live in constant fear of karmic retribution, superstition and evil spirits.

Why do you suppose Buddhists wear idols and carry good luck charms? Fear. Why do shops and hotels have idol altars and ghost houses which the owners must appease and feed? Fear. Much of the Buddhist’s religious life is doing merits to seek for protection. The Christian’s life is already saved, blessed and protected by the finished work of Jesus Christ. We have no fear, not even of death. Paul said:

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is GAIN. ²² But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet WHAT I SHALL CHOOSE I cannot tell. ²³ For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a DESIRE TO DEPART and BE WITH CHRIST, which is FAR BETTER. ²⁴ Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. ²⁵ And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.” (Philippians 1:21-25)

Does that sound like the words of a person living in fear? As a Christian, the aged Paul said he had a choice whether to live or die, stay or go, and he said to die is GAIN and to go to Heaven is FAR BETTER because he would BE WITH CHRIST. How could you improve on being with your Maker and Saviour? To be with Christ is to be set free from all uncertainty and fears, in this life and for eternity. This life is but a vapour, but we will spend eternity without knowing any more sin nor suffering! Thanks be to Christ who suffered on behalf of sinners!

God still loves those who hate Him

Dhammika teaches an anti-Christian version of Buddhism (something Buddha would never have done) and he cannot help himself from attacking Christianity. He attacks one of the central tenets of Christianity on page 31, “there is not a scrap of evidence to prove the existence of heaven,” yet on page 28 he contradicts himself and admits the existence of heaven and hell. His struggle with Christian concepts comes across as confusing. A good question I have is, “Who created heaven and hell (which Buddha believed in) if there is no God?”

For someone who says he doesn’t believe in God, Dhammika likes to mention God a lot! What shall we make of a person who talks about Someone whom he doesn’t think exists? What shall we make of a Buddhist monk who repeatedly assaults the Highest Being of the Christian faith? Is it not a karma to be so rude and disrespectful to Christians, Christianity and Christ? True Buddhists are polite and know Buddha taught us “to respect each other and refrain from disputes” (The Teachings of Buddha, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, p 22).

Because Dhammika had spent some early years in “Sunday school” (we don’t know which kind of church, school or denomination nor for how long) he presents himself as an authority on Christianity. He doesn’t understand who Jesus is, how to be saved, what the Bible says, or what the Protestant Reformation was about. Some authority indeed. Don’t be fooled.

Continue to Part 4

© 2009 Steve Cioccolanti

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