Church must be bold

Sir, – There is a serious theological gap in current Christian doctrine.

Through all the ages and in many lands there have been those who

spoke with the authority of their own experience on the fundamental questions of life.

For instance Krishna of India, Isaiah, Lao Tse of China, Confucius, Jesus of Nazareth and Mahomet.

In the case of Jesus’s teaching, the church hierarchy of the Sixth Century saw fit, inexcusably, to alter parts of his teaching for their own ends and personal aggrandisement.

At the Fifth Council of Constantinople in 553 AD, the Roman Emperor Justinian, his wife Theodora and the church hierarchy declared anathema a belief in the twin laws of reincarnation (the law of rebirth) and karma (the law of cause and effect).

The retention of the two laws did not suit the church fathers whose mantra of “here today, gone tomorrow, sins forgiven, up to heaven” was an easy way of recruiting and inducing subservience in their followers.

The removal of these two beliefs from Jesus’ teaching has left us with no idea why we’re here, of the purpose of life, what happens when we die, where do we go, do we come back, do we start again?

We have no idea at all. No wonder there are sceptics, agnostics and atheists.

To include these two beliefs would not be easy to accomplish, but to continue as we are today is to misguide almost half of the world’s population.

Some serious thinking and brave action needs to be undertaken by the Christian theological establishment.

Patrick Bryans. 12 Newtown, Ceres.