The Spirit of Truth

The Spirit of Truth By Rev Madeline Montez Duffany

Dear Reverend:

All of my Christian lady friends are making the cutest little avatars to replace their photos of themselves on Facebook. To do it, you search for a cartoon-like picture, and choose skin, eyes, and hair color to try to fit your likeness. It’s such fun! Do you think it would be appropriate to use as a heading in my Christian newsletter? Rather Be Cute

Dear Cute:

Satan has many ways to trick us and trip us up. Sometimes we are not immediately aware of things that come along, things disguised as cute and popular. Let’s take a look together at this popular Avatar trend. My husband pulled this up from Wikipedia:Avatar [ˈavəˌtär] (Wikipedia) (noun) In Hinduism: a manifestation of a deity or released soul in bodily form on earth; an incarnate divine teacher. synonyms: deity · god · goddess · mother goddess · divine being · celestial being · supreme being · creator · demiurge · godhead · daemon · numen · personification ·epitome; power; an incarnation, embodiment, or manifestation of a person or idea. Example: “he chose John Stuart Mill as the avatar of the liberal view” An avatar (Sanskrit: IAST: avatāra), a concept in Hinduism that means “descent”, is the material appearance or incarnation of a deity on earth. The relative verb, “ to alight, to make one’s appearance” is sometimes used to refer to any guru or revered human being. Theologically, the term is most often associated with the Hindu god Vishnu, though the idea has been applied to other deities.

Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara of the Garuda Purana and the twenty-two avatars in the Bhagavata Purana, though the latter adds that the incarnations of Vishnu are innumerable. The avatars of Vishnu are important in Vaishnavism theology. In the goddess-based Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, avatars of the Devi in different appearances such as Tripura Sundari, Durga and Kali are commonly found. While avatars of other deities such as Ganesha and Shiva are also mentioned in medieval Hindu texts, this is minor and occasional. The incarnation doctrine is one of the important differences between Vaishnavism and Shaivism traditions of Hinduism. In Hinduism, what is an avatar? Was Jesus an avatar? Let’s take a look: A Hindu avatar is the earthly incarnation of a god as man. Hindus believe a god can appear on earth as a person, or in parts in many people. This combines pantheism (belief that god is all) and polytheism (belief in many gods). The Hindu concept of avatars is somewhat similar to the heresy that arose in early Christianity known as Docetism. Docetism holds that Jesus only appeared to be human but remained a completely spiritual being, unable to suffer pain. Some teachings in Islam similarly believe that Jesus didn’t suffer on the cross but was rescued spiritually from such a fate. Hindus believe that an avatar can appear to the worshiper in any form, including as Mohammed, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, or some other personal god.

Some Hindus believe Jesus is an avatar, and more specifically the reincarnation of Krishna. It is important to realize and believe that Jesus was not reincarnated. He was resurrected—He had the same body He had as He died and proved it by showing Thomas and others His wounds (John 20:24–29). Jesus is not an avatar. He is both fully human and fully God. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and was bodily raised to life on the third day. He ascended back to heaven and will one day return. In Hinduism, an avatarrestores righteousness, or dharma, to the cosmic or social order, including duty, ritual, law, morality, ethics, good deeds, and such. Jesus’ mission was higher—He came to restore a relationship between God and people (John 3:16–18). The right living, the behavior and the morals, are a result of that relationship being made right (Ephesians 2:8–10).

Unlike Hinduism, Christianity teaches that there is only one way to have a healthy relationship with God—that is through Jesus Christ (John 3:18; 14:6; Luke 13:3). Paul recognizes the Thessalonians’ understanding of this in 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10: “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

So, in answer to your question, No! Do not use an avatar in any sense! Christians cannot attribute anything unholy or demonic into something that is sacred.

Nothing can take the place of Jesus, and nothing can replace you! God made you who you are; skin, eyes, hair color. We are all unique! Always carefully look into something with which the world seeks to entertain us: what’s behind it? Is it Godly? Will it help others? Does it glorify God? Exodus 20:1-6: And God spake all these words, saying, “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

Reader, if you need help in this area, please write to me in confidence with your concerns.

This is God’s Truth! The Spirit of Truth!

Rev. MMD

HE’S ALIVE Christian News & Views Published the 10th of Each Month