No answers this post just questions.
I have been asking a lot of questions lately. I know that I associate with many people that would find these questions dangerous - maybe a crisis of faith. For me they are not. No matter what the answers are - I know there is a God, who loves me, and wants good for me.
WHY:
Why do we care that whether the earth is 4000 or 4 trillion years old. Why is it that so many people that know nothing about the history of the Torah and its authors and what Deuteronomistic history / or theory to believe want to say that without a doubt, the bible says the earth is 4000 and some odd years old.
Why do we squabble about what translation of the bible is best and which are wrong or even evil; but don't even research who choose what books would be included and why.
Why do we want to simplify the incredible mystery of God becoming man into a legal transaction (man has sin + God can't live with sin + Christs death = sin forgiven ; will you please work in the nursery next week)
Why is it that homosexuals are outcast's and heathens but divorcee's are an unfortunate product of our current culture (both of which are mentioned in the new testament, but only one with red letters - can you guess which one?)
Why is it that we think its important to get the religious right in power when Christ (much to the dismay of his disciples) was continuously apolitical.
This list doesn't even scratch the surface, but lets stop here and as always I'm hoping for more intellect from the comments than this drifter's keyboard.
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Lord, I was born a ramblin man, Tryin to make a livin and doin the best I can. ---------The Allman Brothers-
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7 comments:
I agree with your Y's and find myself having the same questions. The amazing thing for me is I'm also finding I don't need answers like I thought I once did.
Great questions, brother.
Dangerous questions are often asked by people of faith. Those questions are asked because the world doesn't quite fit so neatly into the black/white, heaven/hell dichotomy most churches like to live in.
I've often believed that the "big bang" would be one of the most God-like events in creation. "Let there be light," followed by a titanic explosion and creation seeded across the universe. It would be like one cosmic cue-shot sinking a hundred thousand trillion billiard balls sequentially into predetermined pockets. That's as "God-like" as it gets...
As I've said to many resistant evolutionists, a bicycle is a simple creation. But how many times do you have to throw the parts of a bicycle into the air randomly before they come down (by chance) as a bicycle?..
To your fourth "why," I'd expand on it thus: why would a loving, caring, creative God create some of his kids with all the gifts of the Spirit, yet place them beyond the pale? How is it that so many of "them" (read: folks just like me) can be blessed with powerful faith, if we are indeed abominations?
(Several have suggested that Acts 10 holds the answer to that. I'm working on a response.)
Just in my own experience: if anyone who claims to be faithful also claims never to have had a time of doubt or a crisis of faith, well, they will probably lie to you about something else, too.
Remember - if you think you're a heretic and a rabble-rouser, you are in good company...
Jesus of Nazareth
St. Joan of Arc
Galileo
Oscar Romero
Johannes Kepler
Meister Eckhardt
Copernicus
Tertullian
Martin Luther
...and me, if I can be so bold.
If that invitation still holds (now that you've gotten to know me, and who/what I am), I'll accept with pleasure, if I ever get out your way. I've driven farther on a whim, and for far lousier reasons than to study Scripture with faithful men...
Steve f. (im new to the blog world so I dont know how to answer, since you may not check back here)but thanks for the comments - And yes you would be welcome to join us any tue. evening that you found yourself in northeast ohio. last tue we watched the last temptation of Christ - and then spent some time discussing.
to steve f:
p.s. I love the - It would be like one cosmic cue-shot sinking a hundred thousand trillion billiard balls sequentially into predetermined pockets. That's as "God-like" as it gets... -
I'll probably rip that off if you don't mind.
I need to asscoiate with more people named Steve in the future. Good stuff, both of you.
Evolution happeneing is a proven scientific fact. While the monkey-to-man thing is hard to wrap my mind around, evolution is all around us in nature. But so many balk at the idea b/c their brains can only assimilate the evils of Darwinism and not the amazing artwork of God as he scuplts and reworks his creation.
Kind of like the people that think communism is a four letter word and an evil thing. No, Stalin was an evil man, communism is an amazing concept when in motion. Sorry, a bit off topic.
Sam-
When the post is .....WHY......
I don't think anything is offtopic.
Welcome to the blogosphere, brother. It's been a while since I've checked back - or posted anything on my own blog - so I apologize for the delay in answering.
First, how to answer someone who's commented: if you click on the commenter's ID, it will take you to their Blogger profile, where (if they're smart) their email ID is listed. (Non-Blogger sites usually have something similar, or a "contact me" link.) Or, you can just link to their blog, and leave a comment saying "Hey, you left a comment on my blog, and ...."
Second, we're usually going crazy on Tuesday's in my work. But if I ever get the chance, I'd be blessed and honored to stop by your group. It sounds like a cool thing.
Lastly, I'm going to post a couple links about "that topic" (YOU know which one...) - only because you seem like you might be able to hear me, and not have your head explode...Two years ago, I started a separate blog on "that topic," just to work it out in my own head.
This post is where I started telling friends that I was both Christian and "one of them." At the time, I was using this to tell my Christian friends in my old hometown, so my mental and emotional mindset was "Please, please listen and try not to hate me." As you might tell...
There is this post, where I was talking with some of my church folks about why to even bother admitting what I am.
This post is the response to a caring (if insensitive and unknowing) Christian who I truly believe wanted to "lead me to the light." I was pretty angry when I replied...I'm less so, now.
And then, to the question of, "How can you believe that you're Christian and still be 'like that,'" there is this posting which talks about two different ways about looking at GLBT folks - comparing homosexuality to alcoholism (a treatable disease) and to being Gentile (as in the biblical non-Jews).
I know it's a lot of reading. (An AWFUL lot, to be honest.) So don't think you don't have to swallow it all at once.
But I believe with all my heart that the only way we can bridge the enormous gap between "us" and "folks like you" (forgive the false dichotomy - we are ALL "us", after all) is to hear each other's stories, rather than just shout "You're WRONG!" across the divide.
And, to be fair, if you don't want to have these links on your site, drop me a line, and I'll tell you how to remove comments from your blog. (Or just click Blogger help, and search on deleting comments.)
Wishing you a blessed day from northwest Ohio...
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