Why deny Jesus?

In Spiritual,  Integral and Philosophical circles Jesus is  hardly mentioned.  When he is noticed it is mostly  in a glossed over manner, almost as if we know all about him and can safely move on to more interesting subjects. It's funny, the Buddha is treated with much more respect in the same gatherings, even though the participants has as little to do with Buddhism as with Christianity.

Hmm… I wonder why? Why is it that Jesus is always treated as a has-been, not really up to date for 21'st century living? While the Buddha is still spoken of as a giant to be respected and whose teachings still carry weight.

Why, when Jesus is recognized as someone who did something the world never have seen in a short period of 3 and half years, still is sidestepped when intellectuals, spiritual aspirants, integral thinkers come together to try to make sense out of our world and of our lives?

Is it maybe our Western conditioned mind that keeps him at a safe distance? He is too much, too big, too demanding, for our small inquires, for our self serving quests?

It's strange when we consider that we claim to want to know the truth. If that is true there is no reason to avoid Jesus. Face it full on, don't compartmentalize him in a niche in your spiritual bookcase. Dare to meet him fully within his own agenda. Don't make him fit your mold, of what you think makes sense.

Do you not think it is curious to see how even Ken Wilber treats him with a distant interest? Since undeniably Jesus is one of the greatest spiritual lights the world has ever seen. How come the Buddha is invited in but not Jesus, into our nice social Integral, Spiritual club?

I have a sneaky suspicion it might have to do with the simplicity of Jesus message and that he actually carried it out for the salvation of all mankind, reaching all who would dare to believe and understand. Of course, all further exploration of religion and of an integral understanding only confirms and helps in our understanding of Jesus (as it does with our understanding of the Buddha).

Now, we all could do with a little more study in order to take it all in, but in all fairness, the message is clear and simple. Honor truth wherever it arises.

Re: Why deny Jesus?

This thread really took off on the I-I pod. Have a look here;
http://pods.zaadz.com/ii/discussions/view/168780

Bjorn

Re: Why deny Jesus?

Why is it that Jesus is always treated as a has-been, not really up to date for 21'st century living? While the Buddha is still spoken of as a giant to be respected and whose teachings still carry weight.

My first inclining over this point is that Buddhism -especially that of Zen- is adaptable to any culture of climate where it sees fit to manifest itself.  It is hard to explain what I feel about this question, but another way I see it, is that if we had ourselves a Christism rather than a Christianity, things might have gone better.  The human mind is a funny old thing after all.  I have more thoughts on this but I shall not bore you with them all.

Note:  My comments may be taken as biased as I am a Zen Buddhist, but I am an integral Zen Buddhist who has never shunned or made light of the teachings of Jesus.  They are, after-all, deeply similar and rooted in the same source as the Buddha's.  They were simply treated differently by the peoples whom recieved them at the time.