The Tale of the Tiger

"I have brought this on myself. I have a lot of work to do and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of this for me is Buddhism. It teaches that craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security, it teaches me to stop following every impulse and practice restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and therapy. In therapy I have learned the importance of keeping spiritual life and professional life balanced. I need to regain my balance."

As the premiere bazillionaire athlete said those words during a thirteen-minute confession of serial adultery, millions stopped to hear all about it first-hand.  It was the tale of the Tiger written in large letters so broadcast-big that the world heard it. In addition to those watching around the world, the Tiger told his tale to a room filled with hand-picked and sympathetic ears, two of which were his mother's, the one who raised him in the way of the Buddha. The above words were most certainly aimed at her ears; her son was coming "home." 

His choices shattered what we now know to be a carefully crafted image which did not square with reality.  Sin's price tag was much higher than he ever thought he'd have to pay.  What he did in secret came crashing into the public square bringing with it it's usual sidekick for celebrities--worldwide humiliation for him and his family, all broadcast and sliced and diced in living color.  That's what it was, televised humiliation over the air, via satellite, and cable.  He spoke, and natty analysts microscoped every word.  Humiliation dog-piling on more humiliation.  The wages of sin are always higher than we're prepared to be paid.

It was a mea culpa with Tiger-sized promises to try harder, to do and to get better.  Tiger-sized promises each with a heaping-helping of "I."  Typical.  That's the way we think--"I shall overcome.  I, by my efforts, will do what needs to be done; all of it, every last bit of it. It is I who'll climb the mountain and attain the eternal heights."  And the way Tiger is making the climb is by religion, Buddhism.  All religions have that common thread--"I will do the doing.  I may enlist the help of others, but I will get it done."

Looking at the teachings of the Buddha, we see that it's a religion of omission, and with each omission dominoes fall.  There is no Creator, the Buddha taught; the world keeps going by natural power.  A personal God?  Buddhism teaches there is none; it's stone cold "natural power." Then other dominoes begin to topple--if there's no personal God, there's no ultimate accountability on our part.  Another domino falls: if there's no God, there's no such thing as sin. No sin?  How can that be when we look at man and the world?  Buddhism, embedded in the tale of the Tiger, speaks not of sin, but of "cravings for things outside ourselves."  The Tiger said that what was needed was the "practice of restraint."

And in that statement is the crux of the matter--if there is no personal God, and if there is no sin, and if what I need to do is to "practice restraint," then there is no Savior and no need of one. All the dominoes have fallen.  Is the Buddha the savior?  No, he's merely the shower of the way to enlightenment.

How different is Christianity from all the world's religions! Jesus never claimed to be one who showed the way; He says He is the way (as well as the truth and the life).  Jesus never said He was a mere shower; He says He's God.  Jesus never gave us a sin salve; He said He came to die for our sins and that payment would be finished and enough for us.  Where's the Buddha? He died a long, long time ago. Jesus said that He would lay down His life and take it up again.  He did exactly that after three days.  He rose from the dead.  It is He and He alone who can forgive serial adultery (and any other sins). Christ died for the first sin Tiger Woods committed and the last sin he'll ever commit and all those in between, just as He did for you.

But the receiving of this forgiveness and eternal life is not automatic.  It comes when a person believes that Jesus is the God-man who died for his sins, rose from the dead, and trusts Him and Him only for eternal life.  Tiger believes that he has to climb the mountain of self-restraint to get the deed done. But there is no forgiveness and no eternal life for you if you think that you can earn it or earn it by doing part of what needs to be done by trying to be good, keeping the Commandments or the Golden Rule.  Forgiveness and eternal life do not come because of what you do plus what Jesus did.  It comes by faith only in Him only.

The tale of the Tiger is a tale told of religion, doing, performing, works, and trying. The tale of the Tiger is a false gospel and a false gospel has never saved anyone yet and will never do so.

You?  Are you trying?  Are you working away at trying to be good?  If that's the case, then you don't believe that Jesus' work was finished on the cross; you're adding to it.  A bit of the Ten Commandments here and a little of the Golden Rule there. That's not THE way. Jesus is THE way.  Jesus only.

There's nothing amazing about Buddhism. It's the same old same old--works, works, works. There is something amazing about Christ--amazing grace!

Dr. Mike Halsey, Pastor