And he thinks WE'RE going to hell? I recall Jesus saying something about knowing people by their works. In that case, I will follow those who preach love, rather than those who preach this.
If I have to read one more ridiculous piece of protestant hate-evangelism I'm afraid I'm going to have to erect a damn stake in my yard and start a friggin Inquisition. Okay, not really, but this is just getting stupid. If anyone ever said that loving those who hate you is easy I'd like to laugh in their face right now. It would be very easy for me to hate these people. Thankfully, I feel that I have a better handle on Jesus' message than they do...And I love them anyway.
Sometimes I wish there were no organized religion. It seems like it would be so much easier if no 'religion' would have sprang out of Jesus' teachings...and we could all just follow them as we felt best. I guess thats just not how people operate though. Considering that damn near every civilization has practiced some sort of religious ceremony, it appears that there is something hardwired. Something that drives us to organize our spiritual inclinations into formal worship and practice. We seem to need communal worship, it has been an integral part of developing community in the past and continues to shape cultures today.
Is this some sort of psychological safty-net? Couldn't we just replace churches with 12-step programs and support groups and the like? Why do we have to have these organizations that function like tribes of opposing barbarians? They are nearly at each others throats, when they are all supposed to be striving toward the same goals! Then they look around and wonder why they aren't taken more seriously, or why some have given up on them completely.
maybe they are not more than glorified AA meetings. maybe they are an important social institution, an adhesive for holding us together.
but maybe they are the vessels of God's message to the people. maybe they are sacred and holy. maybe they are God's great middle-man. If so, then where did they go wrong?
If I were ever to abandon the faith, I feel it would be the result of questions like these. The little problems that bug the shit out of me. The problems that seem far easier to give up on, than to solve.
I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are pouring into the Kingdom of
God ahead of you.
–Jesus Christ
If I have to read one more ridiculous piece of protestant hate-evangelism I'm afraid I'm going to have to erect a damn stake in my yard and start a friggin Inquisition. Okay, not really, but this is just getting stupid. If anyone ever said that loving those who hate you is easy I'd like to laugh in their face right now. It would be very easy for me to hate these people. Thankfully, I feel that I have a better handle on Jesus' message than they do...And I love them anyway.
Sometimes I wish there were no organized religion. It seems like it would be so much easier if no 'religion' would have sprang out of Jesus' teachings...and we could all just follow them as we felt best. I guess thats just not how people operate though. Considering that damn near every civilization has practiced some sort of religious ceremony, it appears that there is something hardwired. Something that drives us to organize our spiritual inclinations into formal worship and practice. We seem to need communal worship, it has been an integral part of developing community in the past and continues to shape cultures today.
Is this some sort of psychological safty-net? Couldn't we just replace churches with 12-step programs and support groups and the like? Why do we have to have these organizations that function like tribes of opposing barbarians? They are nearly at each others throats, when they are all supposed to be striving toward the same goals! Then they look around and wonder why they aren't taken more seriously, or why some have given up on them completely.
maybe they are not more than glorified AA meetings. maybe they are an important social institution, an adhesive for holding us together.
but maybe they are the vessels of God's message to the people. maybe they are sacred and holy. maybe they are God's great middle-man. If so, then where did they go wrong?
If I were ever to abandon the faith, I feel it would be the result of questions like these. The little problems that bug the shit out of me. The problems that seem far easier to give up on, than to solve.
I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are pouring into the Kingdom of
God ahead of you.
–Jesus Christ
0 Replies:
Post a Comment
<< Home