Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Oneness Stole

I thought I had seen everything, but the "Oneness Stole" proves the old adage that the universe is stranger than we can imagine. You can see it by clicking here. On it are the following symbols:

The Christian Cross
 Star of David - Judaism
 Triple Treasure - Buddhism
 Yin/Yang - Taoism
 Star/Crescent - Islam
 Om - Hinduism
 The Oneness Symbol

Dad always said, "No tool designed for multiple functions can preform as well as a single tool designed for a specific job."

Needless to say, his workshop had a whole lot of single use tools.

I guess this "onenes stole" would be the perfect gift for a minister who is trying to cover all the bases, or one concerned with the unique claims of the faiths symbolized in this "all in one" accessory? Instead of illustrating that all religions point to a universal truth (which is what I think the stole is trying to do), doesn't it it make a mockery of their individual beliefs by forcing them into a false unity?

There really is only one tool designed for oneness that we must have in our workshop.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).

 And if you don't want to shell out $177.75 for the stole, you can get the oneness car magnet for $4.00.

 May the stole be with you.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:14 AM

    Good grief.

    I know of a Lutheran pastor who was an Army Chaplin at Nuremburg during and after the war. He ministered to the war criminals who were sentenced to death. He said that some were obviously trying to cover "all the bases" and he refused to take part in that sort of travesty because he felt such would betray is Christian calling. Too bad such an attitude is being lost.

    Happy Thanksgiving, btw.

    Cheers.

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  2. Anonymous1:33 AM

    CJ had it on his blog in July 2009. http://badvestments.blogspot.com/2009/07/indecision-and-it-feels-so-good.html

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  3. What I said on Facebook:

    I won't be snarky. I understand the desire to find unifying peace among very different traditions. But wouldn't one have to be pretty pompous to wear this item? I wouldn't dare represent myself as a teacher of a faith in which I was not immersed. A wise thing I heard from an American Imam was, "Maybe all paths do lead to the top of the mountain, but you must stay on one to get there." I would imagine that all traditions have at least some teachings on how to behave in a neighborly and charitable way toward those who are different. Those can be emphasized, ethically, without compromising core beliefs by asserting unity that does not exist. That's just repression, which always has unintended consequences.

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  4. Fidela5:38 AM

    Shouldn't there be a question mark on there somewhere?

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  5. Randall,

    I am not sure how I would handle a war criminal if he asked for a pastoral visit, but I probably would go and hear him.

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  6. Anon,

    Yeah, I must have forgot.

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  7. Tim+,

    Good point. You can't have a foot in all the rivers that flow to the same ocean either.

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  8. Fidela,

    I am sure a "?" could be worked in there.

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