Making it Real

 

Many of the people mentioned in this article were inspired,

sometimes indirectly, by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ,

even though some did not call themselves Christians.

 

Jesus taught people to love others, to live simply, to give up

everything, including your life,  to help the poor, working for

God (love) instead of money.  He criticised the religious and

political establishment of his day and was cruelly tortured

and  crucified as a result.  

 

He spoke of a time when many would say “Lord Lord!”

but would refuse to follow his teachings (Luke 6:46).

As Gandhi rightly noticed, nominal Christians are not

like Christ.  The churches nurture this perversion of true

Christianity because of their rejection of the cornerstone

of Christ’s teachings (Luke 20:17).  Jesus also spoke of

many people receiving eternal life who did not even know

they were helping him through their practical love for

other human beings.  (Matthew 25: 34-46)

 

WHAT JESUS TEACHES                                                                         WHAT RELGION TEACHES

 

 

Jesus says: Love your enemies. (Matthew 5:44)                           The church says: Bomb them before they bomb us.

 

 

Jesus says:   Sell what you have and give to the poor!                 The churches say: Jesus only said it to the rich young

(Luke 18:22, Luke 12:33)                                                                        ruler. It's not for everyone.   I'll have to talk to my

                                                                                                                        pastor  about that other verse. I didn't know it existed.

 

Jesus says: If you don't forsake all you own, you can't                The churches say: He meant you should

be a Christian. (Luke 14:33)                                                                  forsake it all “in your heart”, not literally!  

 

Jesus says: You can't work for God and money at the                 The churches say: You can as long as

same time. (Luke 16:13)                                                                        you don't say prayers to money.

 

Jesus says: Heaven belongs to the poor. (Luke 6:20)                   The churches say: He didn't mean poor; he meant 

                                                                                                                       humble.

 

Jesus says: Woe to the rich, for they'll be punished!                    The churches say: Nonsense!

(Luke 6:24-25)                                                                                           Wealth is a sign of God's blessing.

 

Jesus says: Don’t pray in public, but pray in secret                        The churches say:  If you don’t pray in public,

to God in private.  (Matthew 6:6)                                                         you are ashamed of your faith.  

 

 

Many of Jesus’s teachings are about putting our faith in God rather than in money and wealth and about being willing to suffer for doing good and speaking the truth .