The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore by Deepak Chopra
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Book Reviews of The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore
Book Review: This had so much potential....
Summary: 2 Stars
I have been a Deepak Chopra reader for over 20 years. I was looking forward to this book- and was disappointed.
Some of the statements he makes spark your interest, or make you begin to think-- then he just suddenly changes the topic. I don't expect to be spoon fed information or philosophy, but expanding on some of these concepts, or even giving more direct examples of "why" this is a valid philosophy would be helpful. He often will state an opinion, then not give any supporting evidence.
At this point, I feel like after reading his stuff for this long, once you've read one, you've read them all. At least this was not as disappointing as the Buddha book he wrote.
Book Review: Boooooring!!!!..... Geeze what a waste of money. Nothing new here.
Summary: 2 Stars
I got the audiobook and boy was it boring!!!! His other books are way better. Dont buy it..check it out at your local library or buy my copy! =pBook Review: How come Chopra is so cruel??
Summary: 1 Stars
Chopra dedicates his book to the Irish Christian brothers who taught him at school. Those men gave up their homes, gave up food they were used to, gave up their families and friends, gave up the chance to marry and have children, in order to go to another country and spend their lives helping and teaching others. It was a breathtaking act of love and selflessness.
And how has Chopra paid them back? By writing a book that mocks their religion. How can anyone be so cruel?
He writes: "The Catholic church has been adding to scripture since the beginning" (p 223). This is a lie. It was the Catholic church that decided the canon, the pope who approved it, and no Catholic has ever added a single extra word to the bible once the canon was decided upon.
"Jesus...was created by the church to fulfill its agenda" (p 8) he sneers.
Chopra feels free to write hurtful things about a religion he does not believe in, but he gives not one small shred of evidence to back these accusations up.
What proof is there that the earliest Christianity in any way changed or altered Jesus' words? Two of the most famous scholars of the last few decades, Larry Hurtado in "Lord Jesus Christ" and Martin Hengel, in "Paul Between Damascus and Antioch", have investigated the first three decades after Jesus' death and found overwhelming proof that there was no alternations at all.
On the other hand, Chopra is eager to heap praise on the Gnostics. Although there were many philosophical schools under the broad umbrella term of "Gnostics" most were highly anti-female, anti-earth, and pro-death. A memorable quote from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas: "Women do not deserve to live".
Chopra says of the four Christian gospels, that, "The writers of the gospels set out not to tell the facts of a life but to convert nonbelievers ...they...exaggerated events, invented miracles, and put words into Jesus' mouth." More cruel and hurtful accusations with not a shred of evidence to try and back them up.
On the other hand, he goes on, "other (Gnostic) documents may be as old as the four gospels" (p 133). Untrue. As Preterment shows in "A Separate God", considered the definitive work on the Gnostics, every single one of the Gnostic gospels was written at least 100 years after Christ died. The Gospel of Thomas, which he mentions, has been proven to have been written in about 180 AD, as Nicholas Perrin showed.
Chopra's insists that, "Absolute truth is blind truth" (p 229). Apparently we can forget about anything being right or wrong now that Chopra has imperiously decided that everything is a shade of gray. Is it wrong that the communists slaughtered over 100 million people? Are there really no absolute truths? If that is what Chopra believes, then I wouldn't turn my back on him.
While Chopra feels free to throw hurtful and untrue accusations against Christians, he never mentions people like Mother Theresa of Calcutta gave her life to help the poorest of the poor. Thousands of nuns follow in her path all over the world. This is real love, real selflessness, as opposed to the self-worship Chopra prefers.
"Jesus spoke of the necessity to believe in him as the road to salvation, but those words were put into his mouth by followers writing decades later" (p 11), he states, with, again, nothing to back it up.
Suppose Chopra's wrong? Suppose your chance of everlasting life in heaven depends on what you do and believe here? How can Chopra be so uncaring, and so absolutely sure of himself, that he is willing to take heaven away from other people?
Book Review: Another Warped View
Summary: 1 Stars
It never fails to amaze me how an author can take bits and pieces of what Jesus said to make a point on one hand and then completely ignore other points that do not fit the purpose which they intend to state.
Deepak Chopra like so many others has missed the core of the message of Jesus and leads readers down a path to nowhere. Of course we can't live up to his teachings, that is why we all have a bigger issue that needs to be dealt with in regards to our relationship with God. Only by seeing Jesus for who he truly is can this issue be dealt with. It's a gift of God through belief in the one who paid the price.
Hey Deepak, Jesus said a little more than I and the father are one. Maybe you should keep reading and share a little more of the truth.
Jesus Christ stated,
John 8:58 "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM"
John 10:30 "I and the Father are one"
John 14:9 "If you have seen me, then you have seen the Father"
John 14:6 "No one comes to the father but through me".
John 6:30-40 "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. "But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
After Jesus died on the cross, eight days had passed.
John 20:26-29
26After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
27Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing."
28Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
29Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."
Jesus was either telling the whole truth or he was a liar. You can't have it both ways.
Book Review: Not really about Jesus. Faddist tripe, unless you're a Hindu gnostic.
Summary: 1 Stars
If you are a self styled new age hindu...ok. A rationalist gnostic with some affection for some of the Jesus message, ok. If that is what you are, then check out Paramhansa Yogananda, who has done the better work along these lines, and takes it to, well, almost Christian conclusions. If you believe that Jesus was all of who he says he was, then you will not dig this book, as it doesn't tell much of Jesus as God. If you just believe Jesus was a man of high "spiritual" (whatever spiritual means) awareness, and nothing more, then you will perhaps enjoy this. I admire many religions, but I wouldn't use this as an introduction, interpretation, or a sourcebook for Jesus. Better to just get a Study Bible and go from there.
Many Christian theologians (including Calvin and Augustine) have remarked that we humans like to twist and dilute the truth to suit our limited mental and moral capability. Ponder it as you will.