My take on Christianity...

I think that I am going to start a series on the concepts of Christianity.  I say series because it would be impossible for you to read it all in one setting.  It will be long enough as it is...  I have been doing a lot of thinking and some people's grasp on what Christianity is all about is weird. Because this is a series...I won't be able to get all my thoughts within one post.  So...if you will hear me out through all of them...you will have a more balanced understanding of where I am coming from.

First let me say...  If you are basing your relationship with Jesus, or the lack thereof...because of the way Christians act, than you are basing it on the wrong thing.  Bottom line...people who say that Christians shouldn't ever get angry; doesn't have a clue what the Bible says.

The Bible never says to not get angry.  Jesus got angry.  People seem to have this crazy concept that once you become a Christian then you never make mistakes, get angry, make bad choices, make bad decisions and so on.  As long as we are on this earth...those things are going to continue to happen.  Yes...as we get older and a little wiser, hopefully we will learn from those mistakes and do them less often...but we are still going to do them nonetheless.

Anyone can read what they want to in the words and actions that people say and do.  Because Christians voice their opinions in public, doesn't make them bad, horrible Christians.  Sometimes people who do things in secret, end up causing more damage to relationships than the ones who do things in public.  God even says that everything done in secret will one day be brought to the light.  That is why when you gossip about someone behind close doors, private emails... they will eventually find out about it.  That is why I do everything in public.

The fact that people want to dig up the dirt on someone makes them just as guilty, as the parties who committed the faults.  Why are we humans so curious as to have to know who did what, when???  Now...I realize there are some legit reasons why some people feel that they have a need to know the particulars of a situation.  But just to know something, so you can go tell someone off and give them your critical opinion...is not a good enough excuse to get involved.

Out of all the rants that I have ever read...NOT ONE TIME...did I ever go to that person who made the rant and asked them who they were speaking about, because I have learned that when people are hurting, they need to get their pain out and ranting is the way some people do it.  It's when people have to keep on digging and searching for all the dirt on someone, getting all the juicy gossip...that keeps the mess going.  Not the rant.

Most rants are usually over and done with in a matter of minutes or hours, if people will just let them ride and take their course.  But some people feel the need to step in and be "Holy Ghost" junior and they will keep searching and talking...days, weeks and even months after the incident has passed and that is what ends up causing the real damage.  Not the rant.  Some people act like they are the only ones who have never had a bad day, ranted or even gotten angry.  But we all know different.  So...I wonder what those same folks would do, if someone did to them...what they do to others?  How would they feel?

It seems the Bible is definitely right about one thing...we are so busy looking at the speck in someone else's eye that we don't see the log that is in our own.  People and even other Christians for that matter, who judge Christians for being angry are oftentimes the very people who have tantrums and anger fits themselves from time to time.  And in some cases, worse than the folks they judge.  Maybe not in public...but they have them nonetheless.

Why do people act like Christians aren't suppose to be flawed?  Even some Christians act that way.  They are those pharisee Christians that drove Jesus nuts!  Those types of Christians go around and tell other believers that "I am glad that I am not like one of you."  Those were Jesus words not mine.  So don't get mad at me.  When people do this...  Are they feeling guilty about something?  Or is it just an excuse to give them a reason to not accept the doctrines and concepts of Christianity?

If it makes somone happy to condemn people for their failures, then so be it.  When Jesus got mad, he didn't go around gossiping and whispering, (sending emails if there had been computers during His time) when something or someone upset Him.  No...He voiced it.  He let everyone know He was pissed!  In fact...He got so mad...He threw a rage, and turned tables over!  In the house of God...of all places!  Now I bet that burst a few of your religious bubbles. Eh???  He never said, not to get angry.  He said not to let the sun go down on your anger.  He knows things are going to hurt you and make your angry.  In fact...  He is the one that gave you those emotions in the first place.  He wants you to get it out.  Talk about it.  Let the pain go. It's the only way you are going to get past things.  In some strange way...it is actually healthy for you.

Obviously...some people must think they don't make any mistakes, or they wouldn't be so inclined to point out the mistakes of others.  Right???  Wrong!!!  If the truth be told, I don't think that this is the case at all.  People who judge others, usually do it because they don't like the person they see in the mirror day in and day out.  A truly happy person will not accuse others of being horrible people, because happy people really have a desire for those around them to be happy as well. So when we critcize others, we are revealing that we too are hurting.  Because hurting people, hurt people.

I know that I can't say that I have never made mistakes.  I make a TON of mistakes and will do so for the rest of my life!  But I will promise you one thing.  If you ever have a rant and you will...whether you want to believe it or not, you will.  I will not write you a letter and condemn you the way many of you have with me.  I may respond to your criticisms.  I might even ask you about something I don't understand.  But I won't send you an email making false accusations towards you, saying that "I know what you are thinking" and calling you a fake friend, having wrong motives and so on. That is not me and I will NEVER do it!  I don't know what's going on in your head and neither do you know what is going on in mine.

Here is the interesting part to this whole situation.  Some folks who claim that they are trying to get to the bottom of things, are actually trying to convince themselves that they want to keep things fair.  Oh really?  All that ever becomes of stuff like this is them passing their criticisms onto others and nothing more.  Nothing good ever comes out of it.  Someone should only get involved in an incident, if their goals is to have a positive result take place for both parties. Getting the dirt, just so you can pass judgement, doesn't accomplish anything for anyone.

Folks who go to the opposing team to hear their side.  Have continuous jargon with them, trying to understand where they were coming from and does not offer the same consideration for the person who wrote the rant; are not showing the same respect to the person who wrote the rant as they do for the opposing parties.  Most of the time, those same people WILL NOT go to the person ranting and say..."Hey listen...I read your post, can you give me a better understanding why you feel the way you do?"  Of course not.  They just take a giant leap and dive right in...leave a condemning message within their comment posts, and give their side (whether they want to believe it or not) of how they thought things should have been handled correctly.  Passing judgement on others is the easy part.  Taking the high road to understand where someone is coming from so you can appreciate their differences is something all together different.

If the ranters were given the same fair treatment that the others are given, then equality would exist.  Just because you read something, doesn't mean you understand what that person is trying to convey.  I find it odd...that people will just jump to conclusions without getting clarity as to why someone said or did something.  Then they want to convince themselves that they are remaining unbiased in their opinions.  No...if you were unbiased...you would have sought clarity on both sides, not just the one.  You would desire to understand where the ranters were coming from and what they meant by what they said as well.

Bottom line...people who don't take sides...don't say anything.  They just don't have an opinion. People who remain neutral in their decisions will not get involved period.  As soon as someone voices an opinion, they have already taken sides, whether they want to believe they have or not.  You can try to convince yourself until you turn "blue"...that you haven't taken sides...but giving an opinion has already negated any neutral stances on an issue that you claim to have.

If people would let Christians rant and get their pain out, most of the pain would heal on it's own.  The funny thing is, that most people who criticise Christians for not being perfect, don't see that they are not only just judging the Christians, but Jesus as well.

Please don't put Jesus and people on the same level.  Because they are not.  As you are well aware of...  People have faults and people have attitudes.  We all do.  But I unlike some, aren't going to send you a list of your faults and failures.  I won't do it.  I refuse to do it.  Asking questions for clarity, is not the same as listing your faults and failures and passing judgement on them.  That is a whole other ball game on it's own.

And yeah...I want to do this post, but from another perspective.  As mentioned, I will probably make it a series.  These incidences have given me a lot to think about...

As for Jesus.  Listen...  Here's some good advice.  Don't use people's flaws as a reason not to get to know Jesus.  Okay???  Because when you stand before Him, He isn't going to say...  Oh I understand why you couldn't follow me or believe in me, because you were upset that Christians were flawed, made mistakes, made bad decisions and so you had a right not to believe in me.  No...  We all...including myself will have to give an account for what we have done and said.  But it is His grace and forgiveness that get's us through those failures, or none of us would ever make it.

I'm not going to preach to you about Jesus.  I don't have to...  You already know about Him.  But instead at looking at His perfected, loving being as an example to base your choices, you are looking at people's flaws to make your decision.  People will fail you, disappoint you and make you angry.  Jesus will not.  I refuse to use Jesus as a crutch to condemn you or anyone.

Voicing that someone hurt you is not condemning them.  People seem to have a lot of tunnel vision, including other Christians for that matter.  As I mentioned before...  We read and see what we want to hear in what people say and do, without giving them an opportunity to explain themselves in a proper way.  That is why I try to understand things.  That is why I ask so many questions.  Yet in doing so, I get judged by other folk with statements that "they know how I feel" and what is going on inside my heart and head.  No they don't.  Only God knows.  And unless you ask me and the other folks why they did and said what they did...you have no earthly idea or clue what is going on in their lives and you have completely and unfairly passed judgement on them.  Just like some will pass judgement on me for writing this post.  It's going to happen, because we are all flawed people.

Again...  People and even other Christians have really weird concepts of what Christianity is all about.  Christians aren't perfect...just forgiven.  They still have tantrums, fits, failures, anger, wrong motives, jealousies and so on...  You can become a Christian today and you know what???  You will still make the same mistakes you have always made, even though you try not to.  You will still get angry, even though you would rather not.  You will still make bad decisions from to time, even though you would like to make good ones.  Your bad habits won't go away overnight and here is the clincher...it may take you the rest of your life to get past them... because everyone's weaknesses are not the same and so some people can get over certain things easier than others.  That is why we need each other.  Where one is strong the other is weak and visa versa.

Think about this...  If Jesus allowed all of us to be perfect, we would have no need of Him...a loving Savior, to help us in our time of need.  He deliberately allows us to remain flawed so we will depend on Him.  Otherwise we would all go our own separate ways and not give Jesus another thought.  That is just the way human nature is...

People who use flawed people to determine their relationship with Jesus, or the lack thereof, will ultimately end up being disappointed for the rest of their lives.  I guarantee you.  If you ever truly had an experience with Jesus and you understand that He loves you even when you have a bad day, when you curse, when you make bad decisions, when you fail...it will make you want to love Him more because of His awesome grace towards you.

People and even other Christians who say "I hope" God forgives you.  Doesn't truly understand God's forgiveness.  Because if they did...they would never say that...  Because if someone is truly sorry for what they have done, God is faithful and just to forgive all.

People are only hurting themselves and not proving anything if they want to use flawed Christians as a basis to determine their relationship with Jesus.  Because in the end, when it's all said and done and it's time for us to leave this earth...He is the only person we will truly have to answer to...