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• Periscope• Conventional Wisdom• Cyberscope • My Turn • Letters • Perspectives • Last Word
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Kenneth L. Woodward: This is Ken Woodward, religion editor and author of the current cover story which examines the figure of Jesus in world religions other than Christianity.
Edison, NJ: Why does Bible contradict itself in so many places? Why does the Bible claim that Jesus was the only Son of God when we all are sons of God? If it is so, who are we? Why do Christians believe there is no God other than Jesus? Kenneth L. Woodward: First, the Bible is the work of many hands compiled and edited over several centuries and differs slightly in what is left in and what is left out in the Catholic Orthodox and Protestant traditions. It is Christianity which is responsible for the New Testament and it is in the New Testament that the belief is expressed that Jesus is the Son of God. This assertion means that while we are all created of God, Jesus is his only begotten son born of the Holy Spirit. It is therefore a monotheism whose nature is expressed as relational between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is not compatible with essentially Asian notions that all of us are inherently divine. In all monotheistic faiths, it is sinful to equate a creature with the creator. Christians believe there is no God but God. And they simply do not belong to the world view which holds that there are many divinities as Hindus do. But even in Hinduism, one finds a hierarchy usually among gods so that Krishna or Shiva tends to be higher than the other gods or goddesses.
New Holland, PA: In discussing who Jesus is and what he has done, what historical sources--i.e. authorities--should we rely on? After all each religion has a different perspective on Jesus--which is the right one? Kenneth L. Woodward: The purpose of our cover story was to show readers that there is a figure of Jesus in all world religions, not just Christianity. I would suppose that people will accept the figure of Jesus that is most congruent with the religion to which they belong. For those who are outside of all religious communities, it is essential to ask on what grounds does each religion put forward its knowledge of Jesus. I would add that after more than 200 years there is not a lot we can know about Jesus apart from the sacred scriptures in which his story is told.
Washington DC: Could you speak about the evidence of the actual existence of Jesus? I am consistently amazed at the number of people who think that he was not a real person, and yet other religions besides Christianity accept him as being real. Kenneth L. Woodward: To suppose that there was no human being called Jesus and that the story is a fabrication requires flights of fancy far more perilous than in accepting him as real.
Kenneth L. Woodward: I thank you all for your interesting and provocative questions.
Laura Fording:
Join us every Wednesday at noon EST for Live Talk.
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