theclemsonkid
Member
Faith (n.) – 1. Belief that is not based on proof. 2. Belief in God or the teachings or doctrines of religion.
***Disclaimer*** If you are a firm believer in Christ, or Muhammad, or whomever your chosen deity is; this post may be offensive to you. I apologize in advance, as I have just become increasingly frustrated with where I am in my spiritual life, and this is just me getting it on paper. Maybe you have something you can add, or say, or suggest, that will help me find a more firm footing, because right now, I feel like It’s shaky at best. ***
Just last night, my sister and dad got back from a trip to Japan and China. I started looking at a few of the early pictures she had posted, and it was just amazing how different two places on earth can be. Buildings dating back thousands of years, most of them either built for protection; or to worship a leader or a God.
You go a few thousand miles west, and you are in India where there are thousands of shrines to Buddha. Keep going, and you’ll run into tens of thousands of mosques and synagogues, head north and you get into the Orthodox churches, head south and west further, and you get into tribal Africa. Cross the pond into North and South America, and you’ll find a catholic or protestant church on every corner.
Every church wants their followers to believe that whatever story they tell about creation, is the be all, end all of the story of life. And because of that, it’s been estimated a little over 800 million people have died over the past couple thousand years fighting for their respective beliefs. Read that again, over 800 million people have died fighting for religion.
Every single day, you hear another story of some guy in the middle east who walks into a cafe in a suicide vest and makes the decision to end his life, all in the name of religion. Not only does he kill himself, but he kills innocent others who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. As I have understood it throughout my life, religion in essence is supposed to be “good”. An institution that encourages people to do the right thing, help others, and live a life that loosely follows what society considers to be “moral”. What the middle east considers to be normal versus what we here in America view to be normal can be very different on the surface, but seem to be the same at the root of both Christianity and Islam.
This whole post stems from the sermon at church last Sunday. It was the last part of a series entitled “The 3 lies we tend to believe”. It started with Matthew 4:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
I’m not trying to sound cynical here. But, if the devil, who just so happens to be your number one enemy in Christianity, swings by and says something like “Hey bro, if you are really Jesus, then take the rocks and turn them into bread.” Instead of doing so, he says “You don’t just live on bread, you live on Gods words”. Uhh, ok. Next we take a trip where the Devil wants to toss Jesus off a cliff and have the angels save him as is written, but Jesus tells him not to test God. Seems like it would have been easier to just show him what’s up, but alas he doesn’t. And lastly the devil basically says he will offer Jesus anything and everything if he worships him, but instead Jesus says you worship and serve the Lord, and Lord only. At this point, the devil bounces and the angels meet up with Jesus and all is well.
I think back to Jesus’ first recorded miracle. He was at a wedding, and at this wedding, they had run out of wine. Wine at the time was a huge part of a marriage celebration. These celebrations didn’t last hours, they lasted days. It looked very poorly upon the host if there was no wine. So Jesus, told the servants to go fill two large containers with water, and he would do the rest. Sure enough he turned that water into wine and everyone was happy. So… Jesus has no trouble turning water into wine for a wedding, but when his number one foe asks him to prove himself, he basically skirts around his omnipotence with words. I find that odd.
I feel that if I was Jesus, and I could squash any and all doubt about who and what I am, then I would. This comes back to the common answer I always hear, and that is “you have to have faith”.
Later in the sermon, there is a quote that basically says “All things are gifts from God, including money; therefore you should give money to the church first, then to help others, and then for yourself.” Look, I know I am very fortunate in my life, and I have no problem helping others. I just feel like the church is looking out for the church by saying you damn well better give money to us first or face eternal damnation. I don’t want to say it’s using fear as a tactic, but… It’s the same as my Baptist grandparents. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “If you do (insert bad thing here) you will burn in Hell! That includes things as simple as having a drink, spending money, having sex, buying a nice car, etc. If you are scared to death to do anything, that’s a pretty good early psychological barrier you have to cross in order to think for yourself. I was lucky enough to never go to a church like that, but I know plenty who have.
What this fails to mention, is that there are a ton of people who don’t get gifts from God, but curses. Whether that be from a lack of a job, a terrible disease, a tragic accident, an abusive relationship, an untimely death, etc. Every time something bad happens, you hear the “it’s all part of God’s plan”.
I think this is the single biggest thing about Christianity that I cannot, and will not ever understand. If you are an all powerful, all knowing, and all being God, why would you want to do that to anyone? A little girl died at our church a few years ago. I believe she was five when she passed. From the beginning of her short life, she did nothing but suffer. And for what reason? Even if this was part of “God’s plan”, and her death did something for someone else, why did she have to suffer? That poor girl isn’t Jesus, and nowhere did I read about a little girl suffering for our sins.
The same could be said for the countless individuals who are killed by drunk drivers, in wars, in gangs, in senseless domestic violence. Someone please explain to me, in any way other than “its gods plan”, or “you just have to have faith”, why these things happen. The only thing I can do at this point is hope that there is in fact a God, and he has granted us all free will. So if you happen to be sitting in a cafe in Kabul and someone walks in and ends your life, it’s nothing more than bad luck. The same if you’re driving home from dinner and a drunk driver plows into you head on. Because honestly, if the God I believe in purposely allows terrible things to happen, all in the name of “his plan”, I’m not sure I want to believe in him, because that doesn’t seem like an all powerful, all merciful God. Unless he is just a jerk, in which case thanks for stopping by, but I’m good…
***Disclaimer*** If you are a firm believer in Christ, or Muhammad, or whomever your chosen deity is; this post may be offensive to you. I apologize in advance, as I have just become increasingly frustrated with where I am in my spiritual life, and this is just me getting it on paper. Maybe you have something you can add, or say, or suggest, that will help me find a more firm footing, because right now, I feel like It’s shaky at best. ***
Just last night, my sister and dad got back from a trip to Japan and China. I started looking at a few of the early pictures she had posted, and it was just amazing how different two places on earth can be. Buildings dating back thousands of years, most of them either built for protection; or to worship a leader or a God.
You go a few thousand miles west, and you are in India where there are thousands of shrines to Buddha. Keep going, and you’ll run into tens of thousands of mosques and synagogues, head north and you get into the Orthodox churches, head south and west further, and you get into tribal Africa. Cross the pond into North and South America, and you’ll find a catholic or protestant church on every corner.
Every church wants their followers to believe that whatever story they tell about creation, is the be all, end all of the story of life. And because of that, it’s been estimated a little over 800 million people have died over the past couple thousand years fighting for their respective beliefs. Read that again, over 800 million people have died fighting for religion.
Every single day, you hear another story of some guy in the middle east who walks into a cafe in a suicide vest and makes the decision to end his life, all in the name of religion. Not only does he kill himself, but he kills innocent others who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. As I have understood it throughout my life, religion in essence is supposed to be “good”. An institution that encourages people to do the right thing, help others, and live a life that loosely follows what society considers to be “moral”. What the middle east considers to be normal versus what we here in America view to be normal can be very different on the surface, but seem to be the same at the root of both Christianity and Islam.
This whole post stems from the sermon at church last Sunday. It was the last part of a series entitled “The 3 lies we tend to believe”. It started with Matthew 4:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
I’m not trying to sound cynical here. But, if the devil, who just so happens to be your number one enemy in Christianity, swings by and says something like “Hey bro, if you are really Jesus, then take the rocks and turn them into bread.” Instead of doing so, he says “You don’t just live on bread, you live on Gods words”. Uhh, ok. Next we take a trip where the Devil wants to toss Jesus off a cliff and have the angels save him as is written, but Jesus tells him not to test God. Seems like it would have been easier to just show him what’s up, but alas he doesn’t. And lastly the devil basically says he will offer Jesus anything and everything if he worships him, but instead Jesus says you worship and serve the Lord, and Lord only. At this point, the devil bounces and the angels meet up with Jesus and all is well.
I think back to Jesus’ first recorded miracle. He was at a wedding, and at this wedding, they had run out of wine. Wine at the time was a huge part of a marriage celebration. These celebrations didn’t last hours, they lasted days. It looked very poorly upon the host if there was no wine. So Jesus, told the servants to go fill two large containers with water, and he would do the rest. Sure enough he turned that water into wine and everyone was happy. So… Jesus has no trouble turning water into wine for a wedding, but when his number one foe asks him to prove himself, he basically skirts around his omnipotence with words. I find that odd.
I feel that if I was Jesus, and I could squash any and all doubt about who and what I am, then I would. This comes back to the common answer I always hear, and that is “you have to have faith”.
Later in the sermon, there is a quote that basically says “All things are gifts from God, including money; therefore you should give money to the church first, then to help others, and then for yourself.” Look, I know I am very fortunate in my life, and I have no problem helping others. I just feel like the church is looking out for the church by saying you damn well better give money to us first or face eternal damnation. I don’t want to say it’s using fear as a tactic, but… It’s the same as my Baptist grandparents. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “If you do (insert bad thing here) you will burn in Hell! That includes things as simple as having a drink, spending money, having sex, buying a nice car, etc. If you are scared to death to do anything, that’s a pretty good early psychological barrier you have to cross in order to think for yourself. I was lucky enough to never go to a church like that, but I know plenty who have.
What this fails to mention, is that there are a ton of people who don’t get gifts from God, but curses. Whether that be from a lack of a job, a terrible disease, a tragic accident, an abusive relationship, an untimely death, etc. Every time something bad happens, you hear the “it’s all part of God’s plan”.
I think this is the single biggest thing about Christianity that I cannot, and will not ever understand. If you are an all powerful, all knowing, and all being God, why would you want to do that to anyone? A little girl died at our church a few years ago. I believe she was five when she passed. From the beginning of her short life, she did nothing but suffer. And for what reason? Even if this was part of “God’s plan”, and her death did something for someone else, why did she have to suffer? That poor girl isn’t Jesus, and nowhere did I read about a little girl suffering for our sins.
The same could be said for the countless individuals who are killed by drunk drivers, in wars, in gangs, in senseless domestic violence. Someone please explain to me, in any way other than “its gods plan”, or “you just have to have faith”, why these things happen. The only thing I can do at this point is hope that there is in fact a God, and he has granted us all free will. So if you happen to be sitting in a cafe in Kabul and someone walks in and ends your life, it’s nothing more than bad luck. The same if you’re driving home from dinner and a drunk driver plows into you head on. Because honestly, if the God I believe in purposely allows terrible things to happen, all in the name of “his plan”, I’m not sure I want to believe in him, because that doesn’t seem like an all powerful, all merciful God. Unless he is just a jerk, in which case thanks for stopping by, but I’m good…
