Gandhi's going to hell?

[figurethis]

I just had one quick question. Is Gandhi going to hell? After all, he was
not a christian.

[shiny tyler]

Thats entirely up to God. This is a good topic of discussion, because
so many people today believe that if one is not saved, one will not go
to heaven. I guess it all depends on how each person understands the
Bible. From my upbringing in the Bruderhof, I never heard anything
about salvation, it was all about serving the fellow man. You can ask
the same question with Mother Theresa. If God is truly a loving God,
why would he let anyone go to hell?

[mf...@juno.com]

We were not taught a "saved/unsaved" mentality, were we? The Bruderhof
asserts that God is at work in ALL human beings. The tree is supposed
to be judged by its fruit and not by appearance.So then, consider the
fruit of Ghandi's life.

I applaud the lack of "saved/unsaved" language in our communal
background. Even so, we were critical of others, weren't we? And,
unfortunately, in doing so we were like those who speak the
"saved/unsaved" language, for we were taught (believed??) that only in
community could one claim the genuine Christian Life.

I prefer to think of salvation as a present and ongoing process; not as
a distant "reward".
Mel

[emailha...@yahoo.com]

Yes, the Bruderhof has a very limited take on the whole
hellfire/damnation thing. The only time I ever heard them use such
heavy words of judgment it was in relation to people who had broken
their vows to the community.

You could be a satan worshipping child rapist in the world and the
Bruderhof would not pass a damning judgment on you. Because with God
"all things are possible". But raise concerns about the direction of
the Brotherhood and get put out of the community... Then, short of
church discipline and reacceptance, you are assured a place in the lake
of fire.

I was personally told, point blank by an elderly Witness Brother, on my
last-ever return trip to the Hof, that I was guaranteed a place in hell
at the end of my life if I failed to "repent" and rejoin the fold.

But I don't fault them for this belief. I think it stands to reason, if
they are "the Church" that this would be their attitude. The problem
is, it's illogical to say, "We represent the Church to you, but not to
everyone." The Church is the Church (if it's the Church of God). If one
never gets "in" they remain outside of it, just as much as the one who
got "in" and then got put "out". If the Church is a type of the Ark (as
16th century Hutterianism maintained) then everyone not on board drowns
in the judgment of the Almighty.

For the Bruderhof, it's just convenient PR, whether or not it was
intentionally formulated as such. Scare the beejeezus out of the
membership to keep them in line, but make it clear to the outside world
that you are open to validating all of their expressions of God and
spirituality, or, for that matter, their agnosticism and atheism. This
is why the Bruderhof remains highly spoken of and respected by
virtually every individual and organization in the wider society.

The clearest exceptions, of course, are their own former members.

I think it goes without saying that if the wider society was made to
feel as condemned, worthless and godforsaken by the Bruderhof as are
it's ex-members, the Bruderhof's name would be dirt in the outside
world and they would be ostracized and marginalized to the point of
extinction.

John

[Hargrett Spires]

If blind allegiance to an organization gets you points at the pearly
gates,
most brotherhood members are a shoo in. Things are not always as
rosy as the media and history books tell us.
The bruderhof doesn"t have openly racist views toward blacks like
Gandhi, and Mother Teresa doesn"t really help poor people she just
opens
another convent with the money everyone donates.

[figurethis]

"If blind allegiance to an organization gets you points at the pearly

gates,most brotherhood members are a shoo in. Things are not always as

rosy as the media and history books tell us. The bruderhof doesn"t have
openly racist views toward blacks like Gandhi, and Mother Teresa doesn"t
really help poor people she just opens another convent with the money
everyone donates."

Was Gandhi black? Are you so sure that Mother Teresa doesn't really help
poor people? Are you sure that the media and history books portray things
as 'rosy'? Isn't 'faith' also blind allegiance? I am just trying to
understand what you are talking about here.

[mf...@juno.com]

There are those who claim Ghandi did not do enough to speak against the
Indian caste system. I am not aware he had racist views.
There are those who claim Mother Teresa's work did not make a
significant difference. She replied that she was called to be obedient.
Is faith "blind allegiance"? I hope not!

I think it's fair to say that even a "good" tree will have an
occasional, bug-infested fruit.

Intersting dsicussion...
Mel