"Ya see....here's the thing...."

So a snake handler died from a snake bite, after refusing appropriate medical treatment...and this is news?

Yes, there are still snake handling Christians in the US. They usually drink poison too. These people are Christians, and very devout, I might add. They also tend to have some fun music going on in church too. They get into it! Are these Christians the "norm"? Ehhhh.....no.

Then there's the folks at Westboro Baptist Church, following Fred Phelps. These people are being mislead down a hateful path. There's no other words to describe it. Just "hateful". This congregation calls themselves Christians. In their minds, they are. To most Christians, they are not.

I'm a Christian. That fact seems to confuse many who know me. I was recently asked how long I've been a "Bible thumper". Just to set the facts straight, I don't believe I've ever "thumped" any book, religious or secular. I do have a tendency to strongly suggest that friends read David Sedaris and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...but no one ever seems to get upset about that. I usually only reference The Bible when in a discussion that warrants it...and usually only with someone I feel wants to hear about it or could benefit from it. I think I'm more like most Christians in this way.

As for the snake handlers and such out there...hey, do your own thing. If you seriously believe that God is telling you to chug some strychnine while dancing around with a handful of timber rattlers, have at it. Just remember, when you get bit...and chances are, you will...God brought you the people who invented anti-venom. He also brought you a lot of the medicine in the world. In many primitive tribes, "medicine men" and "healers" are part of their religion. Therefore, to save a life using these cures is not against God's will. I won't speak for Him...but I don't think I'm wrong either. (Nope....no lightning bolt. I'm safe...for now)

When we hear or read about the Westboro Baptist folks, or the "creationists", or pretty much anyone who is screaming from the mountain tops that they're doing "God's will"...chances are, these folks don't know what they're talking about. OR...if they do know, they know that they're using scripture to their own advantage. They're cherry picking. Sure, Leviticus alludes to homosexuality (from my understanding, the original word was pederasty, but that's a discussion for another time)...but it also says not to eat shellfish. I'm sure that many fine Christians have eaten at Red Lobster or dined upon some delicious shrimp scampi. I don't believe God is quite so worried about our diets, or else he would have smited the good folks at Hostess long ago.

Whenever these sorts of people take to telling you that they know God's will...please remember these words. Feel free to reference them. They come from the Bible. From the Book of Matthew.

Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Did you read that? The Westboro folks and their creationist buddies, as well as the politicians that claim God told them to run for election, and do everything but offer bathroom blowjobs to get the Christian vote, are acting against their own beliefs. Matthew has more to say about the subject...

Matthew 5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."

I think we all know what hypocrites are, right?

Matthew 7 "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."

Matthew 8 "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

The Bible says not to do these things, yet these folks keep on doing it. Doesn't sound horribly Christian, now does it? Yet these are the people most non-Christians equate with being Christian! Why? Simple. There are powerful people in this world that understand "divide and conquer". If they can polarize the peoples' viewpoints...black or white...up or down...left or right...this or that...they can separate us and control us. If you step back and take a look, and ask the question "Who does this benefit?" you're likely to find a clear answer.

And what about the Atheists? When did they become so militant? Hey, if you don't subscribe to a religion, that's cool with me. I just don't see the need to get so dang uppetty about it. You're not asking any questions that Christians and non-Christians alike have asked for over 2000 years. And you still don't have concrete answers either. This is why it's called "faith". I have faith that if I throw a donut in the air, it is going to come back down. Mind you, the neighbor's dog might jump up and get it before it hits the ground...but it will be heading towards the ground when Fido gets it. I have faith that there is a God. I could go into a long story about WHY I believe that, but again, a discussion for another time (but feel free to ask and I will happily tell you). I wasn't always a Christian. I used to call myself atheist and agnostic. Suffice to say, I know what I know and how it relates to MY life and MY existence. It won't necessarily mean anything to you or anyone else...but it does to ME. And guess what...it's MY Constitutional right to believe. If you don't, that's fine...but when you question me, put me down, and make fun of my religion, YOU'RE the one being an ass. YOU'RE the one attempting to deny me MY rights. YOU'RE the one who likes to believe that you're progressive yet can't accept that I have faith in a 2000+ year old religion. What scares you so much?

Hey, what if the Christians are wrong? What if there is no God? Well, we'll all find that out one day. And if there is no God...who am I hurting by believing in Him anyway? Who am I hurting by trying to do good in His name? MOST Christians are just good, every day people. We're not handling snakes, or carrying picket signs at funerals, or telling anyone what to believe. We just live our lives as best we can and try to do the right thing. We understand Matthew 6-8. We understand that the Bible was written a long time ago and has been translated, edited, interpreted and re-interpreted more times than anyone will ever know. We know and understand this. But the wisdom in the book, THAT is God's word. It's not a rule book, per se...it's a book of lessons and philosophies. Don't let it scare you.

You're probably wondering why I left out Matthew 6:6. I didn't. I just saved it for last. Matthew 6:6 tells us (us Christians...not anyone else) how to pray.

6 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

This is followed by The Lord's Prayer. If you know it, you know it. If you don't, it doesn't upset me in the least. If you want to look it up, now you know where to look. Or not. Doesn't matter to me. I'm just a musician/writer/average guy. Just a quick FYI: we don't believe God is a lottery ticket. When most of us pray, we pray for things like strength to get through another day, or some peace of mind. That's our reward on earth.

Be smart. Don't allow the world's people to be so easily divided. Sit down and talk with someone you think is different. I'll wager that you're not as different as you think. Who knows...maybe talking with someone outside of your comfort zone will open your eyes and theirs. It could be the first steps in creating a more perfect world.