Having Faith In The Power Of Love

Bob Schieffer On The Greatest Of All Truths That All Religions Share

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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For most of us, our religion - like our politics - is inherited. We generally grow up to be what our parents were.

My mother was a Baptist, so we went to the Baptist church ... that is until she got mad at the preacher - and then we became Presbyterians.

I remember adults arguing over the details, but it didn't seem all that different to me, or to one of my grandmothers who approved of neither denomination.

Had my mother been of a different faith, I am sure I would have been raised to be whatever she was - Christian, Jewish, perhaps Muslim. Reason enough for those of us of one faith to have respect for those of other faiths.

I thought about that when I saw the picture of President Obama and his Christian family holding a Passover Seder with their Jewish friends at the White House, but I thought of something else as well.

What a fine way to help his children understand that whatever our faith, all religions share the same great truths.

Yet, so often we forget. Families have been torn apart, wars have been fought, millions have died in the arguments over religion's details.

It's been said in another context that the devil is in the details, but in no case is it truer than in the case of religion - nor in any case more regretful.

We can take comfort in this season in the greatest of all truths that religions share, that love is more powerful than hate. But may we also remember as well: only if we allow it to be.

[jhnosko]

Mr. Shieffer,

Let me start off by saying that I really enjoy your show on Sunday mornings. I have been watching since my wife and I started attending our church?s Saturday evening services.

Your final thoughts this last Easter Sunday morning were provocative to say the least. I have never written to you before and feel now is a good time.

I agree that love, especially love as defined in the person and work of Jesus, is a truly powerful thing. Love is what Easter is all about.

This love is not, however, the warm, fuzzy, tolerant love that our culture idealizes. On the contrary, the love of Easter is the most offensive love in the universe.

Easter is about a risen Savior. And why would a Savior be offensive to us? Because most of us believe that we are basically good people not sinners who are spiritually dead.

Yet, while we were His enemies, our great God and Savior Jesus Christ stepped down into human history, took our sins upon Himself, bearing the full fury of God?s just wrath for us.

In return He offers us, the spiritually dead, new life in His name and His righteousness credited to our account if we will believe His word and trust in Him for salvation.

Easter is not about religion, what we do or do not do, but about what Jesus Christ has done for us. Our response is important, since we must live in the light of the truth of the gospel and in obedience to Jesus Christ or in defiance of them both.

If Easter is about religion, and if all religions share the same great truths, then let us not take all of this too seriously. I wonder what Jesus thinks of that.

[juwboy]

reslif:

I`m going to ask you some questions and presumptuously provide most of your answers.

Is God all-powerful?

Yes.

Did God create everything and everybody?

Yes.

Does God know everything?

Yes.

Does God love everyone?

Yes.

Can God see into the future?

Yes.

Can you enter the kingdom of heaven if you haven`t accepted Jesus as your savior?

No.

So, why did this omnipotent, omniscient, clairvoyant, unconditionally-loving Christian God create two-thirds of the world`s population knowing ahead of time that they`re going to burn in he11 for all eternity?

[sly_64]

Religions are the biggest evil on earth.

[honestabe8]

"All gods are manmade, except mine" - Standard Theist Argument

[honestabe8]

Only in the Christian faith does the one true God demonstrate true love. Sending his one and only son to die for the sins of mankind-res4lif

Yet he demanded a blood sacrifice when he could have just forgiven. Sounds like a petty, vituperative being to me

[McCooke]

DEar Bob Schieffer , Idon't want to write a philosophical,theological treatise re your Easter Sunday morning program, but simply say thank you for your most appropriate and inspiring words. Also, to add that your minute sermon every Sunday mroning is something I always look forward to hearing. Your wise words should be listened to by all of us. I can't say tHank you enough from a viewer from small town main street. May your kind floruish!! Peace and love to you.

[walt1944]

On this Easter Sunday, I wonder how many people have sat down and actually read something out of the New Testament, instead of falling asleep through it in church this morning.

I agree with Scheiffer that love is more powerful than hate. In my version and in most "normal" versions of the New Testament, I don't ever remember reading that Jesus picked up an AK-47 and blasted away at the Romans with it. Maybe it's in the Neocon Fascist Nazi Republican version of the New Testament, but not mine!

The GREATEST men in history advocated love towards ALL human beings and NON-VIOLENCE! Jesus, Budhha, Ghandi, Martin Luthor King, all demonstrated that love and non-violence were GREATER and STRONGER than any weapon invented.

Hate, on the other hand, consumes and destroys everything it touches. If you want examples, lets mention Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, etc.,etc. Each one of these evil men promised a great utopia on earth, arrived at through fear, hate, terror, blind ambition, and GGRREEDD; and the "utopias they promised brought death, suffering, and disaster for the human race.

History regards these men as the worst examples of mankind, although to the Neocon Fascist Nazi Republicans, these evil men are "saints"!

On this Easter, its the message of LOVE that wins out and will ALWAYS WIN, despite what the Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Reillys, and Micheal Savages of the world vomit out!!!!

HAIL OBAMA!!!

[hamoncan]

Thank you for your take Bob. I consider it priceless. Those were the thoughs which coursed through my mind when now near 50 years ago. It is nice to finally see them being shared on national TV. by you, Most of us who have come feel this way, and choose to help transmute the past into a present, Which is presently still wrapped up in nuff Red Tape, of all those who got stuck making laws at life's not working for them and so in need of order, it seemed be their only chance to advance, through the meaning of life, I now see as others feeling their right to lord over you and have you kowtow the line, when you'd rather dance like the leaves on the trees. . ever notice how each of us picks up where the universe is at. . All it has revealed to humanity to the presentations of our spirit speak. We no think twice bout picking up on its informing us we're hungry or we got to fly to the moon, when it comes to cleaning up our back yards and turning earth into the magical . . yes, may all the world be turned into a heritage park / disney land of cultures and customs, with each a celebration of their language, music, traditions and innovations . . this no longer about working for a living, this about having life come work for us, this a happen when you listen to your spirit speak, and turn to ourchids ( combo of ourchids and our kids for reminding us of both, their fragility and reSILLYance. Time., to turn the humanrace into the HumAN'Dance as mums have done since since their babby's heavenly playscenta turned inside out for being gifted with life on earth.
All creation has journeyed through up to then is instilled in each of every one of us with all the gene strings wove through time, with all picking up on all, to the varying degrees of availability and humanity, like a plant going into bud after all these years. with electrifying speed many hands made light work of all as they fabricate all the goods to have life be this dream of an awesome ride through life . . then we begin run on empty, to me? a granny who gave up driving 2 years this spring, hey, skid in the ditch on an icy road and lose the keys of your car in front of the bus station. Hint hint, from time Al Gore Park his inconvenient truth in our lap. and with 200 $ senior buspass, I've gone loonie bringing home all we's pick up on our travels well as turn them in our favour. ah ,will have to spost some blogs about our SKIdTzenFROLIC Funkle Fest, which I's sure will be known for the Curious Canadian CureALL . . . with music that pass the Canada GooseBump Test and Peace Keepers 7 lessons all sum up in Sandbox Philosophy 101 , be deaf to trouble and make nuff music to remind them it time for a treat, pray tell, what would the world be like if as off tomorrow if we had kept up mamma's basic training . . handing us a rattle for the most wondrous journey of awakening, riding the cosmos potential, every step of the way, we pick up on all the cosmos virbrations through which the mind threads its sense of reality , through all that leaves the memoryes dance.
like the buds on the tree, the very essence of all that tree has ever journeyed through well as all it is a seed of , this how youth comes into life, our copyrights? they don't fit in with natures way of letting all be a free be . .

[ra14830606]

Only someone who knows nothing about religion and the history of religion would say all religions share the same great truths. Where did Bob Schieffer come up with this silly notion? Is he giving opinions on topics he knows nothing about? How then can we trust his comments on politics or any other subject matter? Also, why was his family led by his mother on spiritual matters? Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all patriarchical. Where was his father in these vital decisions? When his family switched from the Baptist religion to the Presbyterian, was it just eeny meeny miny moe? How can anyone be so superficial about aspirations to divine salvation?

It is beyond disappointing to once again listen to a journalist make personal pronouncements on religion as though dealing with fact. If Bob Schieffer is to be believed, then during the Spanish Inquistion both the torturers and those tortured had a great deal in common religiously. The Muslims that killed thousands of vanquished during their conquests, just as Mohammed commanded, are the same as the Christians who laid down their lives rather than kill, just as Jesus did. The Hindus with hundreds of gods are on par with the monotheistic religions. Etcetera ad infinitum.

Bob Schieffer is simply being absurd.

[ubrew12]

The Obama administration is engaged in covering up Wall Street banker shenanigans that make Berny Madoffs ponzi scheme look like childs play. According to William K. Black, who helped clean up after the Savings & Loan Scandal of the 1980s, the CEO's of these banks KNEW they were selling fraudulent securities. Why no jail for these CEOs? Says Mr. Black, "We don't want to change the bankers, because if we do, if we put honest people in, who didn't cause the problem, their first job would be to find the scope of the problem. And that would destroy the cover-up." When asked if he was alleging that Timothy F. Geithner and others in the administration, and the banks, are engaged in a cover-up to keep us from knowing what went wrong, Mr. Black said, "Absolutely."

We voted for change. This is not the change we voted for. This is just what the Japanese did: cover up bank losses by lying about them, inject money into failed banks, and hope a compliant public never catches on. Japan lost an entire decade of economic growth as, essentially, the Japanese people were held hostage by their Yakusa (Japanese mafia)-owned banking sector. And thats just what is happening here. And the problem is: if we let it happen here and now, it'll happen again, and again, ...

Speaking of cover-up, CBS is running no stories today related to the biggest financial scandal in 100 years. Instead, we get puppy dogs and Obama's critical search for a church. Obviously, CBS is complicit in this coverup. Have a Happy Easter, but don't let the MSM kill this story. We should demand more out of a trillion dollar bailout.

[res4lif]

Mr. Schieffer once again demonstrates the media's blind spot when it comes to religion. On this Easter morning it amazes me that commentators, like Bob, who seemingly are educated people don't have a clue when it comes to distinguishing between religions. Bob, Baptist and Presbyterians are not different religions but different denominations of the Christian Faith. The comment that all religion has a common theme is ludicrous. Muslim clerics are screaming for the death of Jews and Christians. Where is the love in that. Convert or die is still the call of the Muslim religious leaders. The Hindu faith promotes a caste system that keeps a group of people as untouchables.

Only in the Christian faith does the one true God demonstrate true love. Sending his one and only son to die for the sins of mankind. What a gift he has given to us. Don't confuse the "gods" that man has created for himself with the God who created the universe. God has made a way for man to come to Him, the other "faiths" of this world are all man's attempts to reach a god they don't know. It is only through the Christian principles that this counrty was founded on does democracy work. Unfortunately the media, such as Bob, don't get it and doing all they can to push God out the USA.
On this Easter day remember that Jesus was crucified for our sins and then rose again, the truest example of love.

[dlarryb17]

Bob's general statement falls short of specific truth. All religions may commonly share the term, ?God,? but their definitions of ?God? differ and irresolvably conflict. Even their definitions of ?love? are often at odds.

We may plea for tolerance and peace, to live and let live amid our differences, but we must never deceive nor be deceived. All religions do not worship the same ?God.?

And if the God of the Bible is the one true God, then following some other faith, religion or none at all has fearful eternal consequences.

[katerbecker]

Bob, it is in the spirit of love I must disagree with the "universal truth" you are putting forth. Love is more powerful than hate, whether we believe it or not. We get closer to God when we believe in the power of love over hate, but if we are counting on ourselves, counting on whether or not humans believe this, in order for it to be true, then we must be doomed.
The world is a broken place; we cannot fix it, it is not by the power of our own deeds that it can be fixed. When we give up our pride and allow God to be in the driver's seat, when we submit to Him as our Lord and as our Savior, however imperfect we have been and will be, then we are fulfilling our purpose and then we can truly find peace.
But don't be discouraged; you are in good company in putting forth a presumably well intentioned caveat. The most famous, oft-quoted but nevertheless wrong statement about God is that "God helps those who help themselves." The opposite is true, God helps us when we submit to his will, see our frailty as human beings and humbly ask for His help. That famous statement, often wrongly attributed to the Bible, was made, I believe, by Ben Franklin.
Have a Blessed Easter.