Fox News commentator Brit Hume is of the opinion that the extent to which Tiger Woods can recover from the recent scandal depends on his willingness to embrace Christianity instead of Buddhism – a faith which (half Asian) Woods inherited from his mother – because according to Hume, Buddhism “does not offer the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith.”
It is clear to me that Mr. Hume knows precious little about Buddhism, and I have to wonder if he really knows all that much about Christianity, for that matter.
At the core of the Christian belief is faith in God, acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as one’s saviour, and the ongoing effort to try and live according to the Christian ideals and values set forth by God and the Son of God through the Bible.
It is people like Brit Hume that make it seem as though Christianity can be summed up as a set of moral values; that if you act like a good Christian, you will be forgiven and you will redeem yourself. To a Christian, faith should be more than a means to an end, should it not? Why is this guy talking about Christianity like a car salesman? “That Buddha will get you where you’re going, most of the time, but Jesus here will provide better gas mileage, better forgiveness, and a lot more redemption in the long run.”
You can make the argument that Tiger Woods can only get to Heaven (as defined by Christianity) by accepting Christ as his saviour and putting his faith in God, but you cannot suggest that Christianity is the only religion through which one can seek personal change.
Mika Salakka is a Finn living in the United States. He is a nursing assistant, a creative writer, a devoted husband, and an observer of the human condition. His interests range from music and literature to psychology, sociology, medicine, technology, and spirituality.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Well said. The “car salesman” line (and quote) is priceless.