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As far as I understand it, in terms of Christian doctrine no one can be as holy or enlightened as Jesus. .
The fundamental reason is that God is Jesus and Jesus is God and that was a onetime event. Literally..
The God who made the heavens and the earth became human, born as a child, grew into a man, taught the ways of God, and shared in the human fate of suffering and death.
The dynamic of Christ's suffering is inextricably connected to the fact that God acknowledges human imperfection (sins) and via Jesus Christ we reconcile with God.
It is still God in one way or another.
But this has been an abstract concept that philosophy has tried to reconcile. Take Spinoza for example, who supposed that there is one primary substance, and that one substance is God. Everything by contrast is like God and shares in the abstract nature of God, including Jesus and other Jessi. Under that framework, there could definitely be other versions of Jesus. But definitely, both Christ and Siddhartha Gautama were enlightened and spread mutual compassion and salvation. Now could we all be potential Christ's? Fundamentally no, but ideally it would be great.
In Christian theology, particularly in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis (written also: theiosis, theopoiesis, theōsis; Greek: Θέωσις, meaning divinization, deification, or making divine) is the process of transformation of a believer who is putting into practise (called praxis) the spiritual teachings of Jesus Christ and His gospel. In particular, theosis refers to the attainment of likeness to or union with God, that is the final stage of this process of transformation and is as such the goal of the spiritual life. Theosis is the third of three stages; the first being purification (katharsis) and the second illumination (theoria). By means of purification a person comes to illumination and then sainthood. Sainthood is the participation of the person in the life of God. According to this doctrine, the holy life of God, given in Jesus Christ to the believer through the Holy Spirit, is expressed through the three stages of theosis, beginning in the struggles of this life, which increases in the experience of the believer through the knowledge of God, and is later consummated in the resurrection of the believer, when the power of sin and death, having been fully overcome by the atonement of Jesus, will lose hold over the believer forever.[1] This conception of salvation is historical and foundational for Christian understanding in both the East and the West.
Has anybody ever pondered the thought of what if anybody has the potential to be just as holy and enlightened as Jesus Christ?
In Mahayana Buddhism, we believe that all people can be Buddha's and that Siddhartha Gautama was the first one to become enlightened and teach others about it. Many Buddhists also believe that Jesus Christ was one of these enlightened Buddhas.
Has any Christian Theologian entertained the idea that, since we are all the children of God, we all have the potential to be Christs?
I know that this goes against some Biblical teachings, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless.
Yea, I think we all have the potential to emulate the best of qualities discussed. But I also think there exists the very distinct possibility that Jesus of Nazareth wasn't nearly as holy or christ-like as we believe he was.
"An historical novel of a human Jesus who uses illusion and deception to persuade his followers that he teaches truth. Convinced that he delivers the word of God, given to him by his father Joseph and through "little whispers", Jesus discovers that the Jews ignore his preaching. They have been warned to beware false prophets, and that true ones can be recognized only by their miracles and fulfillment of prophecies. To get them to accept the truth of his revelations, he allows his followers to give him credit for miracles he did not perform. But as he relies more and more on deception, he slowly slips deeper and deeper into sin. . . . The author blends historical facts with the Biblical account to make a vivid and compelling portrayal of Jesus, not as God, but as a man -- a prophet -- who is desperately trying to teach others the importance of his revelations."
Has any Christian Theologian entertained the idea that, since we are all the children of God, we all have the potential to be Christs?
I know that this goes against some Biblical teachings, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless.
In Christianity, the main difference is that one cannot be an equal to the one 'Jesus of Nazareth'. In Buddhism, from what I understand, it is believed that anyone can become a Buddha equal to Siddhartha Gautama. Of course it is taught that Jesus was God in flesh, while Buddha was not God in that sense.
The sharp distinction I see is that Christian teaching leads to giving oneself over as much as possible to God, as Paul said, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in (or through) me"... while Buddhism is about waking up to one's true self, and becoming whole.
At their core, the teachings about Christ and Buddha reveal a great rift in the nature of the two 'Great Teachers', and what we, as followers, can and/or are supposed to do or be...
I think it is an inaccurate assessment of Buddhism to say that it carries the same message as Christianity.
Christians believe Jesus's sacrifice removed the sin of man yet the Buddha is specifically noted as saying no other being can remove or suffer for your actions. These are completely opposing views.
Heaven and enlightenment are not the same thing. Otherwise the Buddha would have said to obtain enlightenment all you need to do is die. He never said such a thing. It is a perverse to make the claim that Christianity and Buddhism have the same message.
If Christianity's message is love then why do you see so much hate speech?
Then I would say either the message is not clear or clearly there is another message.
If Christianity's message is love then why do you see so much hate speech? Protests against gay rights? Where is the love?
I have rarely ever seen a christian who used any message with love. It's always believe or else damnation be upon you.
If love was the christian message it wouldn't have taken so much to get there but obviously it is so convoluted that very few Christians would agree with what you said.
Oh by the way, the Buddha never said to try to love, he said that compassion is a naturally by product of the path. It is not something that need be obtained or forced. In fact love is not mentioned at all in the sutras unless he is specifically teaching on the shortcomings of the emotions.
Wasn't that the entire underlying message of Christ? That we too are sons of the living God, that he is the vine and that we are the branches?
I believe that Christ will arise within the consciousness of man, not fall from the sky. That there's a dormant flame within each and every one of us and it's the light of God/Christ or whatever one wants to call it yet it often goes unnoticed.
30 "...I [Jesus] and the Father are one." 31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?