Christian religion is out of step with the advances made in other educational areas in that Christian religion claims that most truths pertaining to religion were made manifest to the world 2000 - 5000 years ago. As far as I know, religion is the only area of knowledge that makes that claim. Today, we have world organizations, world wars, and we have local through world politics. Few of us know how to engage in religious thought to those areas. For example, how do we evaluate the exaggerated and even fake claims being made in political ads that being aired at this time, other than in very general terms. Yet, the people who are elected to office have vast influence on how to treat the needy, how to provide opportunities for unemployment, how to fairly impose taxes to name a few office responsibilities. Many of us generally fall back on the "keep it simple" idea and vote party lines and pay little or no attention to what the candidates say.
I close with the not too unrealistic joke of religious sect differences.
There is the story of a traveler in a southern town that saw two churches on opposite sides of a street of the same denomination. The traveler asked a villager "Why two churches?". "Well" said the local, "Thems that go to the church on this side of the street, they believes that Pharaoh's daughter found Moses in the bulrushes. And thems that go to the church on the other side of the street believes that that's what she say".
Hi Henry! Great to have you back! Discussion can’t happen with only one person and I was going to give up on this here blog if nobody participated again this week… but wait… what’s that?…is it a plane?… is it superman?… no… it’s Henry! He’s come to save the day! Three cheers for Henry!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I must contend! It seems your main points against religion…
(an aside, something on my mind, it really seems as though you do not like religion, so I’m just wondering what you personally believe, why you come to church and what view of the Bible you hold?)
…in the first paragraph are that religious claims are subject to private interpretation, that they can be geographically affected, that they may be used for personal gain and that there are so many of them it gets confusing and people numb out. Would you say it is a fair summary to say you are discouraged because religion is a subjective experience? If so, I sympathize with your disillusionment and hope and pray that you may find comfort and grounding in the very Presence of God’s Spirit within you… even though it is, indeed, something experienced only from within.
Here’s my view of religion:
I believe God is Spirit. This is simply a fundamental affirmation of faith saying that there exists, objectively and outside of anyone’s experience, a Supreme Spiritual Being Whom we will never fully understand or comprehend. Faith affirmation #2: When we believe in Jesus; we enter into a personal, inner relationship with God the Holy Spirit. This is not a theory or an idea that is thought. It is a reality that is experienced and lived. Whatever flows out of this inner relationship is religion.
Since religion is the outflow of a subjective inner experience, it does not surprise me (indeed it could not be otherwise) that there are different interpretations of the Bible, different forms and representations of faith, doctrinal disputes, disagreements, contradictions and so forth. It is not that God is incoherent or contradictory, but that all religion is merely a human attempt to express our inner experience of God.
Regarding the application of religious thought to politics; from what I understand, it really wasn’t until recently (say, the past 20 years or so) that anyone even thought a person should try to do such a dastardly thing. Faith affirmation #3: As individuals, God is essentially concerned with the sanctification of our spirits and perfecting of our hearts and will reward us in the hereafter according to our faithfulness in pursuing such things through attention and obedience to the promptings and teaching of the Holy Spirit within us. That is, God cares to see us grow in loving kindness and goodness, self-control, gentleness, etc… again, see Galatians 5:22-26… and the things of this world are merely tools and circumstances through which we are fashioned by the power of the Spirit into beings for God’s glory. Though I believe as the inspired Word of God, the Bible has supernatural power to effect spiritual change in those who approach and receive it’s words as spiritual (1Cor. 2:9-16), even it is a tool… as it says of itself in 2Tim. 3:16-17,
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12
Regarding religious sect differences,
ReplyDeleteGod, through Paul, in Ephesians 4, says...
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation by which ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in ONE hope of your calling;
5 ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism,
6 ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.