Growing up, I always got into trouble if I invoked the word "God" anywhere but in prayer. Never mind that, in my mind, when I say "Oh, God," I'm usually intending it in a "What the hell are you doing, and why hasn't anybody stopped you? I'll pray for your safety" type of way.
I never once felt I was taking His name in vain. No, there were people all around me that I saw doing that.
"Did you know that when you do that/don't do that, you make Jesus cry?" I heard that one from my grandmother a lot. It was an attempt to guilt trip me into behaving myself. I'm pretty sure that she made Jesus cry taking His name in vain like that.
"God is on our side!" No, he isn't. He is on the side of those who are on His side, and it's pretty demonstrable that most people claiming that He is on theirs are not on His, solely by their actions.
"God hates fags." No, he doesn't. The Bible pretty clearly says that He loves everyone, even those who sin against Him. There's even two or three parables where the return of the lost sinner to the fold of the faithful is cause for celebration.
"If you don't go to our church, you're not hearing God's word, and He's gonna send you to hell." Um...see above. All of the above. People who go to churches that think this are definitely taking His name in vain.
Considering that almost every church I've ever visited thinks this, even if they don't outright say it, that's sad.
"God loves you, but everyone else thinks you're a jerk." I can't really say anything about that. It's probably true in a lot of cases. I know it definitely can be said accurately a lot of the time in mine.
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I once told someone that one of the most cruel punishments God could give, would be to give those that do evil things a conscience.
ReplyDeleteThey gave me a strange look.
I wonder if that's not part of Hell...that, and a sense of shame.
DeleteWhoops. I came by and left a couple of comments as "Muley Graves." I had just come from a restricted access blog my brothers and I use to keep in touch, and that's my "persona" there. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteNo worries--I like comments, and I recognized it as probably you from the profile pic used and the word choice/tone in the comment.
DeleteI always kind of liked: "Jesus loves you, and....(sigh) I'm trying."
ReplyDeleteBut you are right on the "there are people in the churches taking God's name in vain" thing
Heh. Hadn't heard that one. That made me smile.
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