The Third Jesus?

Another reason to be careful about the various new-age-esque 'Christian spirituality' books out there.

Excerpted from Deepak Chopra's latest book, The Third Jesus:

"...And finally, there is the third Jesus, the cosmic Christ, the spiritual guide whose teaching embraces all humanity, not just the church built in his name. He speaks to the individual who wants to find God as a personal experience, to attain what some might call grace, or God-consciousness, or enlightenment. "

Editorial Reviews:
"'God created man and woman in His image,'a biblical poet reminds us. Deepak Chopra has returned the compliment."

[WOWW, did he just say that?]

"Jesus can't be contained within stultifying Christian creeds and arid Church traditions that deify him. Yes, he is divine, for Chopra in the sense that he divines a way to Cosmic Consciousness. "

[ take what you like and toss the rest ]

"The message of Jesus was clear, simple and direct. But within a generation of his passion it was compromised in order to accommodate the widely conflicting views among those who claimed to follow him. "

[adjust, tweak, reform - everyone is happy]

"In contrast to a message originally intended to inspire people to the wonders of a world reborn in God, the emphasis nowadays makes it almost impossible to think of Jesus or even Christianity itself except in terms of the suffering savior who died to appease God's anger against us. The terrible toll this emphasis has exacted on the message is sensitively treated in a most compelling way in this very valuable new work."

[Collectors edition, shiny new special FX]

Why is the belief in Truth (yes, capital "T") so difficult for society to accept? Why is it deemed so radical and farfetched to claim Absolutes, yet so many EnlighteningNebulousEnergybalancediscoveringSoulseekingAstrologicallyfoundedKumbayaspiritsensingSecretsocietyCodebreakingEarthyorganic varieties of Religion are applauded and cheered on as Supreme forms of the purposeful life?

One of the things I have been struggling with lately is maintaining charity when I am relentlessly challenged by people who only want to argue for the sake of argument. I always find myself caught in a place where I would like to clear up misconceptions of Catholicism - if they are willing to listen - OR - I am trying my best to maintain composure (as they preface everything with "Well I know there's no God but..."). The problem I have is I get easily discouraged, as if I am losing the Battle for Souls, one fruitless argument at a time. I try to think about the words of St. Francis of Assisi: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, and use words if you have to." How can we fill others if we ourselves are not filled? St. Therese and her Little Way reminds me too that we can be witnessing every day in the simplest of deeds. Our lives are after all, composed primarily of many many little decisions and actions. If we can order every action firstly toward the glory of God, then to neighbor, and lastly toward ourselves, we will grow in holiness and realize where our Treasure lies (Fr. Altier - top ten 'say it as it is' Priests. I am slighly less intimidated by his frankness than I was a few months ago let's say -though I jokingly categorize confession with him as some kind of Mortification).

This Lenten ("Springtime") season, we should not be discouraged. This is a time for renewal - to emerge from the winter darkness of Sin, spiritually cleansed and refreshed.

Recommend:
Truth And Tolerance: Christian Belief And World Religions, Pope Benedict XVI
Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter
Lent and Easter Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton