Sam Harris, dammit! wrote:Growing up, I could not understand the behavior of those members of my family (and their acquaintances) who called themselves Christian. These were some of the most hostile, proud gossip-mongers I'd ever come across. And I started thinking this way at age 8.
Ain't much changed. There are still fundies out there who swear up and down that THEIR version of the Gospel (and there are many, but that doesn't deter the legalists) is the right one, but usually their strictures have nothing to do with love, forgiveness, compassion, mercy. Instead, they have everything to do with creating division, shaming people, and pointing out faults. I've never come to see Christ in this light, though I can understand why some who have dealt with legalists come away with such a bile-like taste in their mouth. It sickens me at times.
In one of my term papers I made a point that my teacher liked. The one thing that many Christians fail to do in dealing with the world today is something that they once used as a catch-slogan. "What would Jesus do?"
I think that many do not ask this question because they know that they'd have to change their ways, and be a little less lordly over others...and that probably doesn't sit well with them.
I was thinking today how many people need to be validated in this life, and they often look to other people to validate them. Within the community of religious groups, at work (crazy bosses and co-workers), at home, people look to see if they're approved of. I can't say whether or not this is a good thing, I'm still thinking on it. But it bothers me when someone needs to be validated so much that they push everyone else out of the boat.
Why is it that the scriptures on love and compassion are hardly ever quoted these days? And those who do are called weak by the legalists, you're doing it the wrong way, the legalists say, you need to be walking this way (insert dogma here).
All I know is that for a long time I hated myself. In my search for validation (which only brought me pain, which I why I question the need for it at all), I fell into a group that only led me to hate myself more because of their emphasis on perfection which I do not posess. I took a long journey into the wilderness, spent some time alone with God, and came out with a healthy dose of love for myself and a great heap of love for my Creator.
My past is my past. I do my best each day, and when I stumble, I ask for help to get up again if needed. I refuse to try to be perfect, for what can you learn from in perfection?
Every day is a test of faith, especially now. I have no idea what the next few weeks will bring for me. Had I believed in the legalistic God espoused by (blessedly) a few here, I'd be thinking right now that I did something to deserve what I'm going through, instead of believing that perhaps the storm had to blow some debris out of my life to make room for something better.
The God I worship gives me hope. But at the same time He does not give me condemnation. My pastor said that you know you're saved when the old things you used to do that you know you shouldn't make you think twice when they are presented to you again. Or, in case you slip, you feel your conscience speaking to you. I guess in judging others not worthy of God (while preening yourself in your own spiritual mirror), there is no guilt.
Makes me wonder though...how folks can quote all this scripture about how depraved others are, and yet look at their own selves in the mirror and not see a speck of judgement.
Ye are gods...
Once again!!!!!
Sam Harris wrote:One thing I have never understood is man's need to pervert what is good within faith by creating dogmatic divisions. The need to be "God's chosen", or be right, is the root of evil in the name of religion, in my opinion.
Why is it that people focus more on being right in relation to others than they do on being right within? Why is it that we need name-brand religion in the form of true churches and christian country clubs? Are human being so insecure?
I'm hoping that those who feel the need to be spiritually above others will cease to preach and just simply answer the question of why they feel the need to be right, so that others may understand.
I'm also hoping that this thread will get a few replies from various types of beliefs here. To me, they're all valuable.
Homework people, homework. Though I wouldn't expect that from at least one of you, because her initial posts to me were about how I was illogical for speaking about my personal experiences with TBMs...she then called me mentally challenged. Uh-huh.
Sam Harris wrote:The Dichotomy of Religion
Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:22 pm
[ Mood: Distorted ]
[ Currently: Falling Asleep! ]
Like I mentioned in the rant about my mercurial mother (who just walked in and gave me bus change to get to work because she knows I have nothing....aaaaaack!!!! WTF??? you gonna be mad at me because you had to give me money tomorrow? *sigh* YES, I'm grateful), I accompanied my grandmother to church this past Sabbath.
It was quite nostalgic in the beginning, the familiar rituals, seeing people I'd grown up with, elders who treated me like the "polished young woman" that they saw me to be (quite a change from what most see me as, I tell you). It's always nice to see the members of my grandmother's church. And it's interesting to see how black people add to whatever faiths they adopt, because our faith is Jewish, but there's a great deal of African-American culture influencing the way things go around there.
The Jewish New Year begins, and that was the subject this past Sabbath. For the first time ever that I can remember, I heard prayers in Hebrew. We don't speak Hebrew, though some do have the option of going to "Canaan Land" (Bellville, VA where church headquarters is located) to learn. It was quite interesting, and touching. I've always wanted to hear Hebrew in those services, it added a bit of authenticity to it for me.
They made me sing, how lovely. When I was little, I used to sing the same song, hoping they'd get tired of me singing it and make me stop. They didn't. They didn't even make me stop after singing "Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley", go figure(though I think a few feathers were ruffled).
Well, what I'm getting at is this: there's a 17-year-old young man among a few there named Reggie. The 16th tabernacle is rebuilding, and Reggie has been apprenticing himself over the summer. Apparently Reggie has carried himself so well that the owner of the firm that is in charge of the renovations has asked him to come work whenever he can, and has promised not only to teach him about construction but about engineering as well.
17 years old. In an age when MTV and reality TV, not to mention video games and accumulating as much as possible seems to be the activities for many of our youth. My younger brother is 17, and we can't get him to keep a job.
Reggie is the way he is because of the influence of his faith. Not only that, but the faith of my grandmother, the man who started this faith, and those who came after him have empowered a group of black people all across this country, in South Africa, and the Carribbean who all are strong, motivated, and determined to break the stereotypes that are often seen in the media about us, and perpetuated by those of us who are too lazy to think about the repercussions of their actions.
I've seen a lot of folks damning religion on here, but I looked out over a group of successful black people this past saturday, among them YOUNG PEOPLE who haven't even graduated from high school, who had more respect for themselves and others than I'd seen in ages, and I had to just shake my head at all the rants. I tell you...
And yet...
At the same time...
I can still understand some of the issues.
My grandmother's version of Judaism is definitely unorthodox. I call them the "Mormons of the Jewish Tradition". Their church is definitely set up similar, but without all the extra books and weird sexual practices. Still, they rely too much on a mere mortal. They "rejoice when they think of him", sing songs about him.
And that is when the spark died for me. I can't have a middle man between me and God, I can't have someone determining my path for me. I am proud of my Jewish heritage, but I could never go back, even though my grandmother begs me. The Church of God and Saints of Christ (they use the term Christ much differently than the average Christian, they simply mean "annointed one", not actually Jesus himself) did a lot for me as a child, but I do not agree or align myself with all of their precepts. It's the base of my faith, but that's all.
Many thoughts were in my head after church this saturday...
When I can find it (and I will go through all 1,000+ posts) I will post what I wrote up here last year as a statement of my belief. Since I'm playing around.
*sick*