GIVING CHRISTIANS A BAD NAME

   I, like a great deal of Americans, consider myself a follower of Christs teachings, thus, a Christian.

   However, just as there are a variety of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds in the U.S., there are also a variety of Christianities that abound here.

   Some people look at how the Muslim faith is divided between the Shiite and the Sunni sects, and are confounded that two groups who proclaim the same faith can be so hostile to each other.

   Well, they've got nothing on us, there are so many different angles on what a Christian is supposed to be, that it makes your head spin.

   Now the days of killing each other over our differences are mostly behind us, but there remains some ugly reminders of just why we factionalized in the first place.

   Since Christianity began there have been those that devined different interpretations of Christs words, and then acted on those interpretations.

   Most notably, the Roman Catholics, the Protestants, the Mormons, Jehovahs witnesses, etc., and the offshoots of them, all that feel that they are the ones that are right.

   Now days these groups tolerate each other, and generally respect the others right to believe what they want, but there is a group that exists that is giving a bad name to the term "Christian".

   Mostly they call themselves "fundamentalists".

   Now this group is nothing new, they have been around for awhile, and the term actually describes a broad number of believers. 

   But the ones that are the problem, are those that like to mix large amounts of politics with their faith

   The most obvious of these lately are the members calling themselves the Tea party. They are mostly southern whites whose main motives seem to be in destroying the U.S. government.

   Unable to garner any real political power, they instead choose to attempt dismantling the current government structure.

   Although they loudly demand freedom, that would be the last thing we would have if these bigots were in charge.

   Instead we would have a small group that would dictate every step of our lives, they love to tell people what they can and can't do, in Gods name of course.

   This band of zealots criticize sharia law, and the Taliban, when in reality, they are just like them, ready to control your life as they see fit.

   The fact that the demographics of America are rapidly changing in favor of non white people is scaring the hell out of this group, probably because they fear that they will get treated as poorly as they treated others.

   Regardless of the desperate and destructive acts they partake in, this group will never usurp power from the majority of Americans, those that believe we are all in this together, and that when we take care of one another, we are making America a much better nation, a nation that cares for all of its citizens, not just a chosen few.

   My guess is that the very narrow and self serving way these fundamentalists pick and choose the parts of the bible that best serves their needs would be looked upon rather poorly by Christ, so I wish they would call themselves something else, because they are giving the term "Christian", a bad name.


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STILL THANKING GOD FOR GOD

   I am writing this blog as basically a continuation of a previous posting titled, "Thank God for God". It is designed to hopefully enlighten others about the reality that our lives are important and we are here for a purpose. The following views of mine are an open and honest rendition of what I absolutely believe is the truth.

   Picture in your mind a $1 bill, now picture 10 $1 bills, now 100 $1 bills, now 1,000, now 10,000, now 100,000, and finally, picture in your mind 1,000,000 $1 bills. At what point were you unable to mentally visualize the $1 bills?

   Try this, think of our sky, how high does it reach? Now think what's beyond our sky, our solar system, how far does that reach? Now think what's beyond our solar system, our galaxy, how far does that reach? now think what's beyond our galaxy, the universe, how far does that reach?

   The point I'm making here is that the human brain is capable of  mentally visualizing things to a limited degree, we understand that those things contain vast amounts of material, but trying to conjure an image of those vast amounts is impossible after a certain point. So is the concept of God, God is far too complex for our limited thinking capability to decipher.

   Now, picture yourself sitting back watching your favorite television show, you get up and go outside for a breath of fresh air, as you walk around the same electronic signals that let you watch that television show are now swirling all around you, not only those signals but signals from all the television shows, and all radio broadcasts. You can't see them, you can't feel or taste them, but you know for a fact that they are there.

   The point here is that just because you can't see, hear, or taste something, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

   Scientists tell us that the Earth is aprox. 4.5 billion years old, and that some form of life has existed on it for roughly 3 billion of those years. We are told that through countless evolutionary occurrences and sporadic catastrophic anomalies that humans have come to be the dominating species on this planet.

   Human beings have existed on this planet for a blink of the eyes of Earths timeline, and yet we have managed to not only rule over every aspect of it, we have been able to send other humans to the Moon and back. Our science has allowed us to even send out probes into the universe to explore what else lies out there.

   I fully acknowledge my belief in evolution, I don't propose to put any constraints on the methods chosen by God to place his creations wherever he pleases, and by whatever means he chooses. I realize this belief is contrary to the classical teaching that the Earth is 5000 years old, but I think science has proven that to be slightly inaccurate, I don't recall Moses encountering any dinosaurs.

   I also believe that God has populated vast numbers of other planets with life of one kind or another, he is after all God and he can do what he wants.

   In my time spent on this planet I have experienced many aspects of being alive, like most people I have encountered great suffering along with great joy, but usually just day to day events with no particular fanfare.
I have been aware however that as I grow older and have more to reflect back on, that the wisdom taught to us by Jesus , although masked in parable form, has the simplicity of meaning that is undeniable.

   My straining to understand what God desired of me was the main block to my progress, I found that by simply trying to abide by his main teachings of loving your brothers and sisters and treating others as you would have them treat you, was proving to be the key to understanding that we are all the same, we are all Gods creatures and his love for us is unending. Without having to try at all things were revealed to me that brought peace and contentment to my soul. Every kind act I performed seemed to return to me ten fold.

   While I was struggling to be a good Christian, I had no idea what that was. When I finally started to listen to that inner voice and do what it told me was right, then the voice got louder and louder and before long it was easily recognized by me.

   This voice explained to me what I have told you, that if God wanted us to understand exactly what he is, then our minds would be capable of that understanding, and that we are all here on a journey, a journey that will eventually reunite us all with our creator. Once we are united once again we will want for nothing and bathe in everlasting love. And it is that pure love that is God.

   I attribute a large part of my misunderstanding Gods message to me due to being constantly told to fear God, do this or you will go to Hell, or if you don't act this way God will be angry with you. Fear was the motivator  used over and over. I was told he was a God of love and yet all I should do is be afraid of God.

   Fear is a good control mechanism for a while, but it will lose its effect eventually. I came to see that religions depended on fear to control people, and I convinced myself that God hates religion.

   Once I was no longer fearing God his message came through, God made us, he knows us better than we know ourselves. God realizes we screw up, he sent his only son Jesus Christ to redeem us from sinful damnation. That is how much he loves us, he wants us to love him and to have him in your life. If God wanted robots he would have made robots, he didn't, he wanted us, and still does.

   I once thought that being a Christian meant not doing anything fun, just boring times and lots of church, but I discovered that having God in my heart and knowing that no matter what happens, when it's all said and done, that eternal love awaits us, all our questions will be answered and all our pain taken away.

   And the price for all of this?  $0.00, not a dime, Our salvation has been paid for in full, it's free for the asking.

   I don't subscribe to any organized religious organizations, I listen to the voice from my heart, and though I still screw up regularly, I always come back to the place I am loved and forgiven.There is one message that is the key to what God wants of us, and if we adhere to it, then all the blessings and peace of the lord will be ours, that message is," DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE OTHERS DO UNTO YOU"

   Keep following the words of that message and I promise you that you will truly find God very quickly.

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Thank God For God part 1

   Let me begin this posting by making one thing perfectly clear. I personally have accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. Furthermore, I believe God has had a plan for us since the beginning of time and that plan is not, in my opinion, defined anywhere in writing to be deciphered.

   I struggled for many, many years trying to understand what God was and what He wanted from me. For a long time I just fooled myself into thinking that I understood. But, I was wrong. Due to the inner frustrations I harbored between doing the so-called "right" thing and the things that I desired to do, I more and more would choose the things I wanted to do.

   After some years, any voice which God had been using to talk to me through, got more and more faint. I always thought of myself as a Christian, but I doubt anyone else would recognize me that way. I'm not saying I was evil and created chaos wherever I went, but I didn't leave too many commandments intact.

   I'm now 55 years old, and suffice it to say that I've been around the block enough times to be familiar with all the neighbors. Some of those times have been good, some bad, and some I truly would not wish upon anyone. Through the haze has come good, however. That's what I want to share and I believe with my entire being, what I say is true.

   The secret to understanding God is the realization that we do not possess the ability to understand him.

    You need to think of God as you would the universe; it is impossible to conceive the size of this universe. It's too large. This is why we can't logically picture God. He's too complex.

   At the moment I accepted that fact, I began understanding. I have read the Bible cover to cover more than once, but that's all I did: read. I did not experience.

    My rational, logical thinking would be challenged by unbelievable stories contained throughout the Old and New Testament, and my skepticism would attenuate my faith in the truth. When I realized where God's words were truly written, it opened my eyes at once. For the first time in my life, I knew there truly was a God and He loved me and had a plan for me.

   As simple as it sounds, I found God's words written in my heart. I know this sounds goofy and some people will say, 'of course they're written on your heart,' but the simplicity of my description belies the fact that it took a half century for me to see the truth. I'm not just saying that I know the truth now. I can feel every bit of God's love and grace in every part of my life.

   Outwardly, I probably don't appear much different to those who know me. But, inside me, God has shown me that I need to rely on His strength and wisdom. The key to this all is that God loves us so much, that he wants to nurture us, to protect us and to keep us near him.

   We are the ones that keep rejecting Him. I don't purport to be able to describe God to anyone else. Like I said, I'm comfortable that if we were meant to understand God , the our brains would be able to do that.


    Throughout my blogging career, I will rant and rave about many subjects. Many of them political and many with what, I believe, are diabolical intentions at their root. I'll yell at people to wake up and see what's going on, and I will expose unjust behavior that shouldn't be happening.

   But, regardless of my ratings and ravings, I can promise you this: I know that in the end, our heavenly Father has a place set for us where there will be no wars, no pain and no injustice. A place filled only with His love.

   With the way today's world is and the leadership we're supposed to trust to see us through, I am ever-more thankful for God's unending grace.

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