The redemption of Tiger Woods

Just this last Sunday on Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume, who is a senior political analyst for Fox News and a regular on Fox New Sunday, had some fatherly advice for golfing champ, Tiger Woods, whose sexual escapades have been in the headlines for some time.

“The extent to which he can recover, it seems to me, depends on his faith.  He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So, my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.’”

On the first reading of Hume's advice any Buddhist would be offended by Hume's remarks.  But then when you consider that this is coming from Fox News, a right-wing news organization that is soft on fundamentalist Christianity—well, it is not that surprising.  But there is more.

If you carefully consider what Hume said he merely pointed out that the Buddhist faith and the Christian faith are different (no big surprise there).  Buddhism, in other words, has a different kind of forgiveness and redemption than does Christianity.  Buddhism’s notion of redemption, here somewhat simplified, involves mind’s deliverance from its own self-inflicted suffering.  By comparison Christians, like Hume, believe that Jesus Christ has the power to release his followers from a state of sin which I add, is the essence of Christian redemption.   

But Brit Hume’s fatherly advice misses something important.  Belief in forgiveness and redemption are ineffective in nipping sin and error in the bud.  The issue of forgiveness and redemption only comes after the fact.  But what about before, isn’t that important?  Shouldn’t we ask how does one control their sexual desires so they don’t cause harm?

It may be noted too, that Tiger Woods also has a very shallow opinion of Buddhism.  He once said, “I believe in Buddhism—not every aspect, but most of it. So I take bits and pieces.”  Evidently, Tiger sees Buddhism to be something like a buffet in a restaurant.  Everyone is free to help themselves to certain elements of Buddhism while ignoring the rest, for example, karma and rebirth.  But such a shallow view of Buddhism also misses the main goal of Buddhism which is mind's deliverance from suffering which requires a lot of study and practice.

Thinking more about what Hume said, it dawned on me that his advice seemed to suggest that Christianity is for the weak among us who either can’t control their passions or wish not to, instead, relying on a Redeemer to take care of their sins which, to my mind, is really a veiled form of immorality.

Comments

[Frank]

I've been a "romantic" most of my life, but now, not having had a date for YEARS, I'm the most content and peaceful I've ever been. Attractive women are very alluring, but the karma one reaps from getting attached to them seems to be really horrible in most cases.
"Tiger" married a model; the model married a walking wallet. There is a greater lonliness than being "alone."

[minx]

Anyone sane and with a clear view on the american status quo, can easily deduce that we are all living a pimps dream inexorably leading to a pimpocracy, where stealing from the poor and giving to the rich is considered acceptable as long as such a deed is sanctionaed by the powers that be. Following this unfortunate chain of thought one might say, that applying a harmful religion, like christianity or similar patriarch based religions in the collective mind of people is equally right, because when asking yourself "que bono", we are left with the answer; it is those whom like hungry ghosts/demonic coprophagists feed on the produced energy from a collective ignorance that breeds confusion. After all, confusion is the best friend of a thief or a trickster.

You cannot offer the dharma to a nation slowly burning to the ground. It is much like trying to convince a frog caught in the water of a increasingly heated saucepan to jump before it becomes boiled to death.

This is a nation heading towards self destruction, either through war with other nations, or civil war due to vast corruption and cases of injustice. It gradually dawns to most americans that their christian religion is an ancient archetype, created by evil powers with a need to control the masses. This awakening might take some more years to full frutition. Inevitably though its stands to good reason that when people loose everything they tend, to loose it completely.

Whom dares to stand in the way of such an enraged crowd? I can easily forsee a revolution which will make the french one look like a soft summer breeze.

[Marcus]

Hi,

A veiled form of immorality? or Compassion?

I'm weak. I have a hard time controlling my attachments and desires, if I had to get to Enlightenment all by myself - forget it!

Thank goodness that sometimes we can be carried. Maybe no all the way, I don't know, but I know I'm the recipient of so much help.

Namu Amitabul,

Marcus