Sunday, September 2, 2012

Oh, God, save me from your followers.

Did you know that I am apparently a bad Christian?  No, I don't sit on my butt and wait for God to hand me everything--but that's not being a good Christian; that's being lazy.  No, I don't assume that God has a path for me, and sit back and wait for that to be made clear--that's not being a good Christian; that's being lazy.  No, I don't assume everything in my life is a blessing that doesn't belong to me, so I don't do anything with it--that's not being a good Christian; that's burying my talents instead of investing them.

I don't believe God wants us to passively sit back and accept life as it happens.  I think He expects us to do what we can with what we have.

I also have a hard time believing that He would be happy with followers that do nothing with their lives but exist, pray formal prayers four or five times a day, read their Bible, and turn their nose up at those who aren't as "devout."  I have a hard time believing that He would be happy with followers that nag others to shoe-horn into a one-size-fits-all relationship with Him.  I have a hard time believing that He is happy with followers who define people by their weaknesses and/or "sins."

I am absolutely certain that He dislikes those who think they're better than others because of the nature of their relationship with God.

11 comments:

  1. Congrats, you just very loosely, IMHO, described the Pharisses in the first 4 books of the new testament.

    These are the folks that give religion a bad name

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    1. I described my family's behavior. I had a bit of an argument with my mother yesterday about the way she thinks I should behave, and how she thinks I should teach my kids.

      Oh, and she keeps implying that my children and I will be going to hell because we had them baptized.

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    2. Sorry you're having issues in that area, but in any regard you did a good job with that description. I definately had a few certain individuals in my life in mind.

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  2. Next time, quote "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these."

    I seem to remember some biblical figure saying that, and it is the basis for the Catholic and Orthodox practice of Infant Baptism.

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    1. She's a believer in the age of accountability. I hate to tell her this, but I don't think she comprehends what sin is any more than I do (and I don't--I just try to follow the rules laid out in the bible, and by my own intellect). I love my mother very much, but...well, she doesn't see how her own behavior is kind of biblically contraindicated.

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    2. So is some of my own behavior. I'm praying and working to stop it. I haven't met a perfect Christian yet.

      Pray for her. Sometimes, it's the only thing you can do.

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    3. I know what you mean, and I do. It just gets really hard for me to reign in my temper when someone tells me my kids will be going to hell because of when they were baptized.

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  3. You and Matt should get a hotel room and read the bible together.

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