Diana's Enemy

Whenever Christianity is preached in any country, there arose many riots. Let us see one such story & learn to apply

Diana is the statue or a stone that the people in the city of Ephesus worshipped. It is thought to be a meteor which fell from the outer space (Acts of Apostles chapter 19 Verse 35). According to the Ephesians, Diana is a fertility god; just like Lingam or Yoni worshipped by Hindus. When Demetrius a craftsman who was making small statue & shrines of Diana got offended by Paul’s preaching

Reasons

1. Paul insisted gods made by hands or no God
2. Their Craft works are in danger of not being sold out because of Paul’s remarks
3. Diana the goddess they worship is despised because of Paul’s comments

In order to understand & apply this we need to know about our situation & people around us

Hinduism

1. The supreme God of the Hindus is Nirguna bramhan, who is the God of gods of the Hindu Vedas, all other gods they worship come under Nirguna brahman in different stages. He have no sex, no shape and no color and no one can know his character completely. No one can make a statue for Nirguna brahman. He created everything & He is a part of everything. (See Wikipedia)
2. Yet they made statues representing God, using their knowledge about God,  for example : God is wise, created the image of Saraswathi with white saree representing purity, God is to be feared by sinners,  they created the image of Khali, for fertility Lingam & Yoni.
3. The reason they created images is that they find it difficult to concentrate on God who is invisible, so by making statues of God’s characters they know about God. Though it is still not accepted in Christianity

Judaism, Christianity, Islam

1. All these three religions worship the same God except that Islam does not accept Jesus as Christ, and Jews are still waiting for Christ to be born. The God of Judaism, Christianity & Islam is similar to what the Hindus believe as Nirguna brahman. He created everything, he cannot be categorized by sex (Sorry for using masculine gender here, he is no male, no female, no transgender, no shemale, etc). He does not have shape, no one can find his size, etc
2. The Hebrew bible, Bible & Quran does not allow anyone to create an idol, that is something that can be equated to God, are treated equal to God, or something that can be worshipped.
3. There are few reasons I would like to list out as per my understanding
   • I cannot allow my Id-card to get all the benefits that I should be getting. For example, when I am hungry, if someone feeds my Id card which is my photograph certainly I will think that person has gone mad
   • My little finger or nail cannot become me. God created everything, there is nothing that was there before he created, everything is a part of God’s creation & He is everything in everything. You cannot take a part of what God created & say it is Him. In this case they worshipped a meteor Diana, which came from outer space.
   • Toy I created cannot create me in return. When God created everything, no one can create Him in return
   • God is not one dimensional. For example someone creates a statue of Jesus with merciful eyes. And a person who committed a great mistake and was not ready to repent goes before the statue of Jesus; still it will show God is merciful with this guy. In reality God would be angry with anyone who does not repent

So, what shall I concluded. There is no warfare going on in heaven to decide who is God.  If you think Jesus is standing with Machine gun on one side and Diana is standing with her laser gun on the other side, please change your view. It’s the matter of not clearly understanding each one’s own belief and others’ belief that creates riots. God is always God, there is no your God or my God.

Also every religion will have people whose business will be affected if they know the truth, like in our story Demetrius. They will always be fighting so that no one will learn the truth.

ACTS 19:23-41

23. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
24. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
25. Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27. So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
28. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
29. And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
30. And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
31. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
32. Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
33. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
34. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
35. And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
36. Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
37. For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
38. Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
39. But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
40. For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
41. And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.