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How Hinduism Differs from Christianity

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  Hinduism and Christianity both seek union with the Divine, yet they imagine that union in profoundly different ways. One sees God as personal and incarnate; the other as infinite and manifold. Both traditions ask the same question — What is ultimate reality? — but answer it through distinct visions of the sacred. 1. The Nature of God Christianity teaches one God — personal, eternal, and revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Hinduism speaks of the Brahman , the infinite, formless reality underlying all existence. Within Hinduism, God can appear as many deities — Vishnu, Shiva, Devi — each expressing aspects of the one divine source. Christianity insists on one divine personhood; Hinduism embraces divine multiplicity within unity. 2. Creation and the World Christianity sees creation as a deliberate act of God — the world is distinct from its Creator. Hinduism sees creation as an emanation of Brahman — the world is not separate from the Divine but a manifestation of it. In ...

May/Mental Health Month: Healing Compassion (Guest post from Dr. Dennis Ortman)

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“My grace is enough for you, For in weakness power reaches perfection.” --St. Paul   I’m in the business of compassionate healing. As a psychologist, my patients come to me in emotional and mental pain. They feel broken and want to be whole. They want relief from their suffering--their depression, anxiety, tempers, compulsions, and disturbing obsessions. Coming to me, they ask me to witness their suffering and bring them relief. Two questions often haunt them: “Why is this happening to me? How can I fix it?” In their desperation, they look for answers from me, whom they consider “the expert.” Contrary to their expectations, I direct those questions back to themselves and assure them, “You have the answers, but don’t know it yet.” I invite them to pay close attention to their own experience, to listen to the subtle voices speaking within, and to engage in open and honest dialogue with themselves. For many, that is a new experience. These voices have been drowned out by the...

God's Grace and God's Forgiveness: A Living Cycle of Mercy

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  God’s grace and God’s forgiveness are inseparable in Catholic theology because they are two movements of the same divine action: God restoring a broken relationship. Grace is God giving Himself; forgiveness is God removing what blocks that gift. You cannot have one without the other. God’s Forgiveness as the Opening of the Relationship Catholic teaching begins with a simple but profound truth: sin ruptures communion with God , and only God can repair that rupture. Forgiveness is God’s act of clearing away the barrier so that divine life can flow again. Two core teachings shape this: Forgiveness removes sin, which the Church calls the “obstacle” to grace. Grace is the very life of God shared with the soul, so forgiveness is what makes room for that life to enter. This is why the Church insists that forgiveness is not merely a legal pardon. It is a relational restoration. God forgives so that He can give Himself. Grace as God’s Self‑Gift Catholic theology defines grace a...