aeq@pucc-h (Sargent) (01/10/84)
> (I assume that > by Western religions you refer to such things as Christianity which are more > concerned with externals than internals) Ah, but Christianity is not just concerned with externals! It does not just ask you to act in certain specified ways and not in others, no matter whether you really want to or not. Rather, "the whole point of being a Christian is to become a little Christ", i.e. to be changed into a person who just acts Christlike by nature, because he wants to, not because he has to. (The approximate quote is from one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis, who wrote a good bit of well-thought-out stuff wherein Christianity is presented quite intelligently.) In other words, Christianity most definitely focuses on internals. I won't post my autobiography to the net, but I can certainly attest to the fact that changes in my behavior have come about because of changes within me, not because I hewed to some lifeless laws. I've said many times that prayer is the ultimate psychotherapy. (BTW, I was on vacation for 3 weeks, hence did not see the article I am quoting [dated Dec 21] until just now.) -- Jeff Sargent/...pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq
tim@unc.UUCP (Tim Maroney) (01/10/84)
Thanks to Jeff Sargent for his thoughtful response. I had asserted that Western religions such as Christianity were more concerned with externals than internals. Jeff responded that this was not the case, that the essence of Christianity is in the emulation of Christ. In other words, he feels that the "true Christian" doesn't refrain from sin because ordered to, but because of an inherent inclination to good. This is a view that finds a certain amount of support in the Gospels, particularly in the famous line about committing adultery by the simple sensation of lust, even without any adulterous action. However, I did not say that Christianity ignores internals, only that it places MORE emphasis on externals. This is evident from reading the Gospels, and observing that the pronouncements against those who DO certain things are much more common than statements that the true sin is internal. Also, Christianity does not provide any particular techniques or models relating to internal experience, unlike the inward-directed Eastern religions such as Buddhism (some forms, that is -- obviously, I am excludiong the absurdities of the Pure-Landers) and Taoism, or other inward-directed religions such as Thelemism. I am sorry that I did not make myself clear. I do not believe that Christianity completely fails to deal with internals, only that it is more concerned with the external. -- Tim Maroney, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill duke!unc!tim (USENET), tim.unc@csnet-relay (ARPA)