The other day, another Gather citizen posted an article stating that she was a born again Christian. I posted a comment congratulating her, but also stating that I'm not 100% sold on the idea (I attempted to go back and find my exact comment but I'm guessing the post was deleted). Well, another Gatherite saw this comment as an apparent need for salvation and emailed me yesterday inviting me to join a Christian women's website. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a great idea . . . Just for someone else.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Before you get out your pitchforks and Bibles, hear me out. I consider myself a Christian in the full sense of the word. Just not 100%. Perhaps you could use a bit of my background to understand . . .
I was baptized an Episcopalian and continue to go to church to this day (well --- on and off when I can). I went to a Catholic elementary school where I was all for everything religious (except confession - I'm claustrophobic). I was taken out of elementary school in the 6th grade and put up for educational adoption. I was taken in by a predominantly Southern Baptist high school. It was there that my questions began to raise. Questions that seemed simple enough, yet could not receive a logical answer. Just, "because the Bible says so." Well, wasn't the Bible originally written in Hebrew? I've taken 8yrs of French and still mess up my translations now and then, so couldn't it be possible that the translation of the original writing has become so diluted throughout the years??? My teachers hated me. I even brought up the question, "Couldn't the Bible have been originally written by someone so strung out on drugs so he dreamed all the miracles and such up?" at one point. I never got my answers. It was then that I began questioning the whole "Christianity" deal. The concept seemed simple enough, but if you've never been in an establishment full of "people touched by the Spirit" then you won't know what I am talking about at all. I was basically yelled into religious submission and forced to pray. Who forces someone to pray?! After my journey in Baptistland, I opted to go to a Methodist college. Not because the denomination is similar to my own beliefs, but because it was a private liberal arts university . . . and "art" is my middle name!
It took nearly 18yrs before I figured out my true religious calling . . . I am a Christislajudahindubuddhist. My religious enlightenment did not come from any of the religion courses I took throughout my many years of schooling. Oh no! It came from Art. Art alone opened my eyes to the other main religions that the "Christian" teachers I'd been forced to listen to for so long were trying to beat out of me and convince me were going to send me straight to Hell. I took a course in Art history that focused on the art of the major religions: Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity and made me appreciate the teachings of each one in it's own right. Each one teaches similar principles only in different ways. We even visited a Hindu temple on a field trip where I spoke one-on-one with the guru residing there. He told me what I wanted to hear, "If you are a good Christian; then you are a good Hindu." And vice versa.
I'm not saying my religion is going to make sense to anyone other than me, but it is what seems to get me through my day. Everyone is entitled to believing what he or she believes is right. My personal opinion, if you are genuinely a good individual: don't lie, steal, cheat, etc. then there are bigger and better things for you in the next lifetime.
We just can't be sure what that next lifetime consists of yet!!!
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Comments: 144
I go to church but my hubby doesn't. He doesn't shove what he believes down my throat and I don't shove what I believe down his throat. Sometimes people have to agree to disagree on things. Plain and Simple!
Ok, that was my moment of religion on here.
:-P
:P
The basis of everything for me is love and respect.
Great post girlie!
If Jesus meant for us to judge others....his messages would have been different...
Just my two cents !!
No one knows for sure . . .
I, for one, am a bit of a Philosopher . . . meaning I think for myself and raise questions accordingly instead of believing everything handed to me. Yes, I believe there is a God. I believe he/she has great plans for me in this life and the next. I also believe that Buddha was a great man with a lot of wisdom that he spread throughout the world. I believe that Hindu, Islam, and Judaism offer valuable teachings as well, ergo, I do not condemn them for their beliefs. I even dated a Muslim at one point and attend his services and can honestly say that many people are completely misguided in their conceptions that Muslim = Terrorist and get offended when I hear people being so narrow minded and feel sorry for them daily. I believe there is tangible evidence that dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago which debunks the Book of Genesis in the Bible. I raise the question all the time why the theory of Darwin is so far fetched because of this to some. I believe that Darwin's Theory can link to the Bible in a sense.
I've read on Gather that some hear have been expressing harsh words about murderers, adulterers, homosexuals, etc. yet they preach that there is a forgiving God. Our sins can be forgiving so . . . Why not theirs too? I'm not saying what they did was right, I'm saying that people should practice what they preach. God knows who we are and who we will be even before conception.
I am not bashing anyone for being strong in their faith. I think it's great to be passionate about something so strongly. Just don't tell me something is wrong if no one knows!
I will share with you one day. But I do know that if you wanna findout then you must pray and seek God to show you and He will.
But again it's going to have to be you.
I hope you were not being overwhelmed with all your comments.
Have a great day kell dog I need to go to bed it's 3:09! in the morning!
Yea I need to stop drinking coffe so late.
WE must be soul sisters because this is one of the best articles about religion or whatever you call it that I have read in a long time. My madonna sits one tree over from my buddha...and I collect crosses - I do good deeds and I recognize a kindred spirit! Right on !! I'm sure you'll have lots of so-called Christians praying for you - (as they do for me) after this article - lol...Salud
Amen...Salud
Also, I also have a close friend that is in seminary/theological school. She, too, questions.
Hugs
One of the things that really turned me off against Christianity was all of the hypocrisy. I know that I live my life much better than most people who claim to be Christian.
Have a great evening, Kelldogg! Salud
So, on behalf of all the Christians who did you wrong, SORRY!!!
First a little back story. I grew up in a very non-religious family, with my dad and sister. My dad always talked trash about religious people and in general people different from himself. I never realized until I reached about 16, that I had been going around criticizing people's faith not knowing anything about it, but only doing so because it's what my dad lead me to believe was truth. I am now 23, about to turn 24, I know what ignorance is. I learned it through religious views. Too many people believe in God because they think it makes them a good person, yet know nothing except what they were told to believe. Faith is good, knowing what your faith is and why you believe it is better, being a good person to the best of your ability and accepting people, that is finite and infallible. Right now I can only think of "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" Religion doesn't make you a good person, being a good person makes you a good person.
I lied, it was a little lengthy, but I think now I will write an article of my own.
Thank you kell for writing this, you are obviously a talented muse.
Well, Christians seem to think they can.
As a child, sitting in church next to my family, I would sit there and think how impossible all of it was. (I was always an analytical child). Luckily for me (and my siblings), my parents let us kids make our own decisions regarding religion/spirituality/church.
I have never been able to suspend belief (have faith?) enough to think such things as god, allah, heaven, hell, etc. could possibly exist.
Thanks for stopping by! Everyone is entitled to his or her opinions here! I'm not saying anyone is really right or wrong! Nobody knows which in turns leads to faith . . . I have faith that there is something greater out there whether it is God or not. I am a Christian. I am a Buddhist. I am a Hindu. I am a Jew. I refuse to say one religion is greater than the other. No one of this Earth knows. As Chas so eloquently stated, "Spirituality brings people together, while religion divides them apart!" True statement.
Luke 12:51-53 " Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;
52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and
two against three.
53 "They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." NASU
You can become familiar with every religion in the world but all that means is you have sat under many people giving their own opinion. What good is that. Humanism does teach that all religions lead to God.
Christ says no religion leads to God. Very big difference kelldogg. Only the Creator of the universe knows truth. Not other men. Not even you. Or me :)
He knew teaching a narrow truth would cause people to gnash their teeth in anger. He did it anyway.
Believers are plain people like everyone else. They just have a Savior. Many of us don't handle life or other people very well. But in defense, let me say this; the word of God promises that we will KNOW we are His. He said only after He came into us could we understand the majority of truths in the Bible. Those that are mature believers in Christ are 100% sure that HE is real. It may make us sound arrogant, but we know the Christ that died and rose again is living inside us. We must acknowledge Him before men even if it causes them to reject us. It is embarrassing to know how divisive we sound but we must obey God rather than man. So we say Jesus is the only way.
You are a very sweet woman, and I can tell you are sincere. My word of encouragement is to quit following other men and call out to God for yourself. He will respond.
Sorry I'm so late to the party. By the time I noticed the date I was so interested in the article and all the responses I couldn't stop. Now I'll go back and comment on your response to 'Paintin.' :)
I don't think those that believe 100% with all their hearts that God is real are arrogant at all. As long as one is educated on the other religions before they go around bashing others who believe otherwise. That is when I get really irritated. Just like in a debate, there can be two sides to the argument. Just stating repeating that your opponent is wrong all the time (I actually have a close friend that is like this) does not make one's position right. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions which makes this country so great!
You seem to have a great head on your shoulders and I really respect your standpoint on the subject! I appreciate that you've stopped by!