In the inaugural message, Lord Bo Tien said, "Remember though that every prophet considers the
times, the circumstances and the prevailing mentality of the people before his
public sermons. he therefore preaches doctrines that are best suited to such
conditions." The Inaugural Message
During the lifetimes of the prophets, it was the social problems where they were that often decided how they the prophets delivered their doctrines.
The over dominance of the Roman Empire and the over bearing nature of Jewish culture made it difficult for Lord Jesus to speak forth views that were not according to the over all mainstream and the flow. He had an uphill task and had to go against the flow.
His human family were not anywhere near him when he started his ministry and sermons. Strong words were used that He was the Son of God and no one then would enter Heaven if they did not depart from the norms of that era and time. All these would be needed to drive home the point and to break psychological barriers then to take on beliefs that were otherwise considered really that unthinkable.
There were fears in the men then and Lord Jesus had to speak more forcefully and strongly to break them from the prevailing fears and the oppression. Lord Jesus succeeded. In reality he was a gentle and divine person ever empathic and trying his best to be compassionate.
He had no ill will towards those who held the predominant beliefs then and which he wanted the people then not to go along. When he spoke out against the wrong practices and beliefs, he had to be forceful so as to help the people then to overcome the fear of oppression and dominance.
He feared not the authorities but did not openly oppose them. In fact, he said that men should give to Caesar what was due to Caesar and to God what was due to God. He had done well then and beyond. Indeed too, Jesus is a Messiah for many a modern man in 2012 to let them be liberated from fear.
But unlike the men during his lifetime on earth who were oppressed and subdued, the men in Christ in 2012 were not oppressed or dominated. On the contrary, they are pervading, respectable and influential as well as much loved. They carry the torch that is very bright and over powering to get the attention of non-believers.
They have been effective and able to win over many men but at the same time, their messages do tend to be seemingly overpowering to point of creating fear for non believers and fear is considered good and needful to win more to believe in the Lord Jesus. This approach in year 2012 is based on good intentions but to some, it may be somewhat like the approach of gloom and doom.
The Buddhists in modern times too have at times over stress the need to give up the worldly life and the body so that men may reach enlightenment. Prince Gautama in his life was appalled by the great suffering of the commoners outside his palace - many dying on the street, many in dire ill-health.
This scenario is not as bad now and in fact men in the year 2012 are much better off. But to preach message of doom and gloom that men must give up the worldly life and forgo the bodily and worldly needs or face suffering is a bit odd and inappropriate, more like the gross ascetism in the lifetime of the Buddha.
The message that all are suffering and to rid themselves of the suffering life as man, all must be monks or renounce all vestiges of worldly living to be saved is bordering on gloom and doom when in reality men in 2012 are many fold better off than in the times of Guatama.
Men of religion must consider the times and not package and deliver the messages of their religions in the same way as during the days of their founders or prophets, otherwise they may give the impression that they are prophets of doom and gloom, and end up tarnishing the divine intention of their founders.
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