The Supreme Court's ruling in the Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby Stores upset me more than anything in a long time. It was the first step on a very slippery slope towards a neo-Christian, hate-filled, judgemental theocracy. An American Taliban, if you will.
You might think I'm overreacting, but I assure you, I'm not. This legal precedent will open the doors for all sorts of nonsense. It's only a matter of time before corporations will claim their religious rights, and then what next? The right to only hire people of a certain ____? Give this some serious, serious thought people.
I was so upset on Monday, that I nearly renounced my ordination. I felt ashamed of what Christianity in America has become. It's become just another tool...a dividing wedge between 'us and them'. Here it is, two days later and I'm still upset...but my thinking has cleared. I've done a lot of prayer and meditation on this subject, and the same things keep coming to my heart and mind.
If you are a Christian, leave your so-called church. The Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ tell you that belonging to a fancy, social group that meets in a dedicated building is not how one prays or lives a Christian life. Sure, some folks feel the need to belong to something...but your community should be enough. If you need to belong to something larger, remember, you're also a part of your town/city, county, state, country, and most of all....a part of the human race. We all have but this one world. We all need to live together.
Many people are confused about the need to belong to a church. In Matthew 16:18-19 it reads
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus wasn't telling Peter he was going to build a church on top of a rock and then hand him the keys to the building. The 'rock' is the earth. The whole planet.
One has to be very careful with the scriptures. They have been translated and re-translated more times than anyone will ever know. They have also been severely edited. Why? For control. Example, in Hebrews 13:17 it reads "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." I can tell you, this bit has been edited and transformed into a tool of control. Who are these leaders? Who has chosen them? Are these leaders your ministers, priests, deacons, etc? If that's the case, then listen to me. I just might be the one person not asking anything of you. I've never asked for a dime or a donation, I've never asked for tax-exempt status. I just share the gospels (which means 'good news', for those who confuse it with meaning 'truth') with those who ask and those that can benefit from them. Guess what...that is not everyone nor all of the time. A lot of folks are doing just fine, most of the time. I found my calling in extending a hand to those in the most dire of need. Why? Because I've been there.
Yes, leave your church. Too many of these so-called houses of worship have become dens of hatred, evil, control, confusion, judgement, and downright sin. They have become businesses. Holy corporations, if you will. And they LOVE your money. They LOVE that tax exempt status. They feel that they are better and above everyone...and no, they are not. They are simply buildings, built by humans and run by humans...humans who call themselves Christian but have lost their way. When the media portrays a so-called Christian waving a sign saying that God Hates _______, these people are not spreading the gospels. These people are spreading hate and fear...and this is wrong. It is wrong of the media to give these people attention while not giving equal attention to the good that is done, daily, by people of all faiths. And yes...there are many faiths...I'll get to that in a moment.*
Do not perceive these hate-mongers as Christians. They are not. A true Christian will not judge his/her fellow human. At least, we try not to. These people will twist the scripture to validate their own hatred and fears. It's an old trick. In fact, what you know as Christianity has been based on this. When the Emperor accepted Christianity and then edited the gospels, in order to control the masses, this was the first example of such behavior. Not much has changed since then....except for the words in the Bible. These seem to change every generation. Why? People put things into a context that they can understand and as it pertains to their daily world.
Our daily world is changing, and at a blinding pace. But, love is still love. That is the root of Christ's teachings. Love your neighbor. Love yourself. Love God. Easier said than done, for sure. When reading the every-changing scriptures, remember...this isn't a rule book, or a copy of How To Be A Christian For Dummies. The gospels were written a long, long time ago, and written in a different language (Ancient Greek, mostly) than the narrators spoke (Aramaic, mostly). Since then, they've been translated, interpreted, edited, and revised. So what we're left with is the gist of the meaning. Try to pare it down to it's basic meanings. Love is love. Love is good. Hate is bad.
I'll say it again, leave your church. Demand that churches pay taxes, just like the rest of us. You'll see a lot of them disappear...because many are in it for the money. Sad but true. Let me say this, most preachers are NOT getting rich...but someone is. That money is going somewhere. In the case of Hobby Lobby (who, while not a church, claim deep Christian conviction), they invest their money, it's been reported, in companies that manufacture the exact products they complained about, namely contraception. Do you see the hypocrisy here?
OK, when/if you leave your church...what do you do? It's simple. You keep on living a Christian life and showing love to the world. But what about prayer? Where do you pray? Again...simple. The Bible already told you that in Matthew 6:5-13:
"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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. ’"
Don't forget your "Amen" at the end. It's a nice touch.
Remember too, 1 Chronicles 16:11, "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually." Continue in your good, honest works, and you will find your reward.
Remember, no one is perfect. No one is better than anyone else or above anyone else. These so-called Christians who believe they are special must not have got the memo! James 5:16 reads, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." It takes a strong person to admit their faults. A weak person points fingers instead.
OK, I stated earlier that there are many faiths. While not claiming to know the mind of God, I understand this contextually. When you break most faiths down to the basic components, they all say the same things: Love, peace, wisdom, understanding. Sure, the stories vary as do the characters...but who's to say that's not by design? If God created this world, he also created the many cultures. He gave His word in ways that His many children can understand. That said, it's not a matter of "This is right and that is wrong". Good is good, and bad is bad. I think most of us, inherently, know the difference. You'll feel it in your gut when you do one or the other. Sure, you can try to ignore it...but either will eventually come back to your own life.
Yes, again I will ask you to leave your church. Pray at home, with your family and/or friends. You don't need to put on your Sunday best and go to some building and listen to an old windbag like me ramble on for 90 minutes. If that preacher/priest/minister is worth his/her salt, they could be doing something more productive with their time...like comforting the sick, organizing food and shelter for the poor and homeless, etc. It takes a lot of time to write a weekly sermon. Then there's the day to day business operations of a so-called church. Really, these preachers could be doing something more productive, and Christian, with their time. So can you.
Leave your church. You can do more Christian good on your own and in your own community. As the noted theologian Sir Thomas Browne stated, "Charity begins at home." It's time to show the world what REAL Christians are like, and not let everyone believe that we are the same as the hateful, war-mongering, sign-waving whackadoos.
OK...I'll stop my rambling. If you've made it this far, THANK YOU for reading.
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