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Religion and Non-Violence
Christianity
While the prophets of the Jews portrayed their God as believing in social justice among human beings, Jesus Christ portrayed God as a Loving Father. The contrast between the Jews and the Christians in their approach to social problems is clearly discernible in the following teaching of Jesus Christ. He said: "Ye have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say unto you, resist not him that is evil but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also."
33
Christ was born in Bethlehem on December, 25th 5 BC.2 He is said to be the only-begotten Son of the Heavenly Father through the miraculous conception of the Virgin Mary, born to deliver the world from sin and suffering and to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. A special star, heralding his birth arose above the horizon in the east. The wisemen seeing that star, came to the spot where the newly born babe was resting; they adored him addressing him as the 'King of the Jews.'
King Herod, hearing of the event, was greatly troubled in his mind. He became extremely angry and sent out men to destroy all children under two years of age in Bethlehem and along the coast. In the meantime, Joseph, the husband of Mary, was roused one night from sleep by an angel, on whose advice he took the young child and his mother and went to Egypt, thus saving his life.
When Jesus was twelve years old, he displayed his divine wisdom by answering the most difficult theological questions of the learned Jewish scholars.
After the death of King Herod, the family returned to Galilee. Jesus grew to manhood participating in the duties of a carpenter's vocation but pondering deeply over the religious and moral needs of his people. From the age of twelve till thirty, we do not know much about the life of Jesus. It is said that at the time of his baptism at the age of thirty, the heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape in the form of a dove over his head and a voice was heard from
1Matthew, 5.39.
2This error in calculation in Christian calendar was detected only later on.
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