Why I’m Sikh/Muslim/Buddhist/Jain/Bahá’í/Taoist/Christian…

The word Sikh comes from the Hindi language for learner or disciple – I wish to be a disciple, to continue to learn more and more

The word Muslim comes from the Arabic ‘one who submits’ (to God) – I wish I could submit to the will of God, and always do God’s will.

The word Buddhism come from the word ‘budhi’ which means ‘to awake’ or ‘to enlighten’ – I wish I could be enlightened and awaken to my purpose

The word Jain comes from the Hindi ‘Jaina’ which is from Jinah meaning ‘overcomer’ and is from the base Ji meaning ‘to conquer’ – I wish I was an overcomer and a conquer, to overcome and conquer what is evil

The Bahá’í religion was founded by Bahá’u'lláh. In Arabic Bahá’u'lláh means the Glory of God – I wish I could see/hear/smell/taste/touch/be the Glory of God in any way, shape or form.

Taoism is all about The Tao, which is typically translated ‘the way’ – I wish I knew the way, I wish I followed the way and I wish I could help others follow it too.

The word Christian was first used by the Greeks and Romans to abuse, rebuke and disgrace Jesus’ follows after his death, it loosely means ‘little Christ’ – I wish I could be more like Jesus, and I wish I was causing such a shock to the system that people were making up names for me…

http://buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

http://www.dictionary.com

The Last Battle

C.S. Lewis seems to be one of the greatest theologians of the 20^th century, and is widely respected and trusted among most Christians today, across the spectrum. His fantasy series, the Chronicles of Narnia, is often used to draw parallels with the Christian meta-narrative, which is why I find it odd to find examples of theology which many Christians would surely struggle with.

In the concluding book, the last battle, Aslan (the Jesus figure) restores Narnia with a new Narnia, and some kind of judgement day takes place. Now the Christian story as I’ve always been told it said that those who believe enjoy the pleasures of this new Narnia, whilst those who don’t suffer an eternal torture of some kind. But C.S. Lewis paints a different idea of things. In his tale we follow the account of three different types of people, the creatures, the dwarfs and the Calormene, all with three different fates.

First off the creatures. The story goes that as they approached Aslan, at their judgement, they each looked him in the face. Those who knew him and loved him, although initially scared because ‘he’s not a tame Lion’, saw Aslan and loved him and passed through the door on his right. Those creatures, which never knew Aslan, were either scared of him or hated him, meaning they moved to his left, passing into a ‘huge black shadow’ and ceasing to be talking beasts anymore.

Second we come to the dwarfs. The dwarfs are found already inside the new Narnia, for what reason I’m not sure. The context behind it however is that during the last battle they refuse to choose sides and attacked everyone, they believe in nothing and no one – ‘Dwarfs are for dwarfs’ as the saying goes. However once inside they cannot see where they are, everything is bleak and black to them, they can’t smell the roses or taste the food or see anything. They are in paradise but can’t experience it. ‘“You see,” said Aslan. “They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of believe. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.”

Finally, whilst in the new Narnia the children and the creatures stumble across a young Calormene, one who served the great lord Tash, a rival to all Narnia and Aslan. He tells how he came to be in the new Narnia. Now I think it’s worth listening to part of this story, so here goes…

‘Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I (the Calormene) overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deeds accepted.’

I personally think this is rather genius. Here C.S. Lewis seems to be pointing to a theology that says that we condemn and judge ourselves, that what we do in life, the way we think of ourselves, and God and the things that we do, have eternal consequence. He certainly doesn’t leave people with the impression that to experience the new Narnia all you have to do is believe in Aslan, and that Aslan will condemn those who don’t into eternal fire.

Doesn’t that turn traditional views on hell and judgment on their head?

Does that sound more like a loving, just God?