MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Would You Accept an Invitation to Speak with the Dalai Lama, Bishop Tutu, and Pravrajika Vrajaprana?

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Mon, April 07, 2008
Viewed 266
(100) comments so far

For your response:

1. Would you speak at an event like this. (Obviously, I know that Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt are not endorsing the other speakers on the platform, but this does feed into the criticism both have had from inside the Christian camp, does it not?)

2. What good could come out of an event like this one? (I’ve thought about it and couldn’t really come up with anything).

Todd

I know that we kind of poke when some blogs get mad at 'their own' like John Piper for sharing the stage with a person such as Mark Driscoll. But, would you accept an invitation to speak at an "InterSpiritual" day that featured people like the Dalai Lama and top Hindu, Islamic, and Sikh leaders? Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt have. They'll be sharing at the Seeds of Compassion event in Seattle later this month. I'm wondering... what could the end result of this day be for the Christians involved? What's the end game on this one?

Comments

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Derek on Wed, April 16, 2008

CS,

So here we go again with a discussion of linguistics. What does the phrase “His Holiness” mean? The word “holy” means special, set apart, different, separate, etc. In that connotation, the DL is “holy.” He is not holy in the way God is holy, but that is not how Buddhists are using the word. I am afraid you are using a Christian definition to a word used in a Buddhist context and missing the point.

I think if Christians used the title “His Holiness” to speak of Jesus then I would see why we as Christians would take offensive at using that title for the DL. For example if the DL used the title “Lord and Savior,” I may be a bit hesitant to use that in reference to the DL, because it is a common title used for Jesus.

I think showing respect for a religious leader is a part of loving our enemies as long as “respect” does not become idolatry. Certainly there is a fine line there.

Derek

P.S. This is comment 93
High and Mighty Grand Imperial Poobah on Wed, April 16, 2008

Well, if “Your Holiness” is just an honorary title, with no religious significance, I guess I shouldn’t have a problem with it. With that in mind I would like to heretofore be addressed as Your Magnificence, High and Mighty Grand Imperial Poobah. 

http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif
Derek on Wed, April 16, 2008

Your Magnificence,

Did I get the title right or is the whole thing with the “high and mighty” and the “poobah”? http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif)

“His holiness,” as a title, certainly has religious significance. I was simply pointing out that one religion uses the word “holy” differently than another. CS said the DL is not holy. The DL is not holy like God is holy, but he is holy (special, set apart, etc.) within his religious context.

Derek, the Great

P.S. You may refer to me as “His Greatness” if you so desire… http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif
Wendi on Wed, April 16, 2008

CS – with all due respect, your opinion about what to call the Dali Lama if you sat on the panel is irrelevant because you’ve made it very clear that wouldn’t sit on the panel. I’m interested in what people who WOULD sit on the panel (like me) think is appropriate to call him.

Derek the Great – good points about trying to apply Buddhist terminology to our Christian context.

Mr. Grand Imperial Poobah (Dan) – since my spell checker doesn’t recognize the title Poobah, I’m not sure we should consider it a legitimate title.

Are there other comments about the clips? We’re at 96 now.

- Plain old Wendi
Peter Hamm on Wed, April 16, 2008

On the way to 100…

I’d like to be called Monsignor even though I’m not Catholic. Will that work okay?

Dan, how about abbreviating to HAMGIP.
Derek on Wed, April 16, 2008

Plain old Wendi,

I watched the clips on A Little Leaven (posted above) and I can’t say what Rob said was all bad. I think he was trying to authentically answer questions, but I would have liked him to work in the gospel and maybe the name Jesus. In the second clip, he certainly could have said, “Jesus taught us” or something like that.

You don’t want to just blurt out GOD, JESUS, BIBLE (the three answers to 75% of Sunday School questions), but he could have certainly spoke in Jesus name by saying Jesus name.

A Little Leaven posted more video on their post here:

http://www.alittleleaven.com/2008/04/rob-bells-comme.html

Derek
DanielR on Wed, April 16, 2008

Wendi, you obviously are not using the official Flintstones spell checker.

I assume since he’s called “The” Dalai Lama, Mr. Lama would not be correct.

I’d like to know what he would say if someone broached the subject and explained that some Christians are uncomfortable calling him “Your Holiness” because we consider only one person holy, Jesus Christ. I have a feeling he might just say, “Call me Dondrub then.” I would think the whole Your Holiness thing would get old pretty quick.

I’ve decided to ditch the big title and go back to just Dan. High and Mighty Grand Imperial Poohbah is just too much to sign every time, plus it makes me sound like I should be behind a curtain pulling the “magic” levers.

I would like to see Peter meet with the Dalai Lama and call him “Dude”. As in, “Listen, dude, about this whole reincarnation thing…”
Wendi on Wed, April 16, 2008

Yipee - I get the mug. #100

I agree with you Dan. I bet DL isn’t all that caught up in the “His Holiness” thing.

Good decision about going back to Dan BTW. If I’d typed your whole title,someone might have snuck in ahead of me and gotten the mug for 100.

Wendi
Peter Hamm on Wed, April 16, 2008

I’d relish that, “Hey, Dude… reincarnation? Come on now, really?” but not as much as if I’d won the 100-comment Todd Rhoades Mug contest…
Wendi on Wed, April 16, 2008

I think I mentioned back on this thread that my sister-in-law and her family are Buddhist. Once while we were all vacationing in Hawaii, my then 4 year old nephew kept insisting that he had been there before. After several attempts to assure him that he had not, his father apparently had an “ah-ha” and told him, “well maybe you have been here, but just not while you were Michael.” Arrrgh.

I wanted to say the same thing Peter, “come on, you’ve got to be kidding.”

Wendi