Christ and The Other Religions
by Michael Fitzgerald
In his Apostolic Letter
for the preparation of the Jubilee of the
Year 2000, Pope John Paul II has stated that "The
two thousand years which have passed since
the birth of Christ ... represent an extraordinarily
great Jubilee, not only for Christians but
indirectly for the whole of humanity, given
the prominent role played by Christianity
during these two millennia" (TMA 15).
The Holy Father, underlining «the
ecumenical and universal character of the
Sacred Jubilee» (TMA 55), envisages
the possibility of a meeting of all Christians,
organised in a spirit «of grateful openness
to those religions whose representatives
might wish to acknowledge the joy shared
by all the disciples of Christ (ibid). Since
the celebration of the Jubilee is to take
place simultaneously in the Holy Land, in
Rome and in the local Churches throughout
the world» (ibid), it would seem
that this openness to people of other religions
should also be shown at the local level.
What restrictions may be
expected from people of other religions?
Will they be willing to join Christians in
celebrating the birthday of Jesus? What do
they think of Jesus
Christ? The purpose of
this short article is to take a rapid look
at how the followers of some religious traditions
might answer this last question.
- The Jewish Tradition
- Conclusion
The Jewish Tradition
With regard to the Jewish
tradition it is important not to overlook
the Jewishness of Jesus. There is not only
the fact of his birth, but also his love
for the Scriptures and for the Temple as
evidenced in his preaching and his ministry
in general. It should be remembered too that
the first Christians were in fact Judeo-Christians,
though very soon Gentiles entered the Church.
In the first two centuries
there does not appear to be much opposition
on the part of the Jews to Jesus as a human
person. From the 3rd century onwards, as
the Christian faith in the divinity of Christ
became more clearly expressed, and the distance
between Judaism and Christianity grew, Jews
tended to ignore Jesus. After the year 1000,
when persecution of Jews increased, and Jesus
was perceived to be the source of all their
woes, Jews adopted a more critical stance.
Yet some Jewish sages, writing between the
12th and 14th centuries, could speak of Jesus
as a "saint", as one who "served
to prepare the whole world for the veneration
of God in the communion of hearts".
The Enlightenment brought
a change. Jesus is regarded as a religious
and ethical master, a reformer, a man of
faith. He is regarded by some as a "messianic" person,
but obviously Jews do not accept him as the Messiah awaited by Israel. The new climate
established by the Declaration Nostra
Aetate of the Second Vatican Council
has allowed both Jews and Christians to take
a new look at Jesus....
Conclusion
This very rapid look at different religious
traditions will have shown that there are
many different approaches to Jesus. As Christians
we are rooted in our belief in Jesus as Son
of God, Lord and Saviour, and in our love
for him. It is this faith and love which
allows us to go out to others. We may feel
that, though they do not fully share our
belief in Christ and our commitment to Him,
they are able to walk part of the way with
us. This may encourage us to invite them
to be associated in some ways with our celebrations
for the 2000th anniversary of the Birth of
Christ.
Source: Excerpted from the Commission for Interreligious
Dialogue, The Vatican.
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