An Indifferent God?

There’s never been a time in my life that I questioned the existence of God. Although as a child I was taught not to question anything I was told about God and the word, I find myself with more and more inquiries. I have, and still do, question the logic and truthfulness of some of the things in the Bible. And even though I practice Christianity I feel that all religions have their validity.

The latest in my list of religious rhetorical questions: what if God is just indifferent to our lives? Like the little day to day minutia of it all. The things we pray about but never seem to get anywhere with. What if it all is just a matter of luck? Or a matter of what you do to make things happen?

The thing that got me thinking about this today was reading about a young woman who started a cosmetic company that has been picked up by Macy’s. How did she get her startup money? She just happened to be in the audience the day Oprah gave everyone a brand new car. (Y’all remember: “You get a car! And you get a car! Everyone gets a new caaaarrrr!” *in my Oprah voice*) Since she had a car, she sold that one and had the money to pursue her dream.

Her story is absolute awesome sauce, the stuff that dreams are made of. But my question is why are some people recipients of such amazing fortune and others are left to scuffle to make ends meet? Why are some people blessed with great families and some with those plagued by abuse or addiction or poverty? Why do some folks have a string of bad luck and others seemingly are cruising down Easy Street?

I’ve heard preachers proselytizing that to be blessed you have to be living according to the Bible. Just yesterday the preacher mentioned how John said that he received everything he asked from God, and that if we aren’t receiving everything we ask then apparently something is wrong with us. But how does that explain the folks who are living good and never asked God for anything because they don’t even believe in Him? Or the millionaires and billionaires who attained their riches by cheating others? How does that explain folks who are living the best that they can and try to follow the scriptures but still struggle financially, physically, emotionally, etc. all throughout life? I can’t reconcile that idea of how good you are equates to how good you live when reality is showing me a completely different story.

So I’m thinking maybe God really just doesn’t care. Sure, He cares about the stuff like your soul, but whether or not you recover from that tumor that’s causing indescribably painful headaches or ever find someone who truly loves you or recover from a traumatic incident… Well, maybe that’s on his clutter list. I’m thinking He’s left it all up to us and fate to make something happened.

Greek Week Quickie: Christian and Greek--It's Possible!

Okay, so I keep seeing these groups and websites and reading blogs, etc from former Greeks who have renounced their various orgs in the name of religion. I'm not hating on that. If they feel they have to separate themselves in order to live holy, so be it. But why must they blame the organization and imply that it's impossible to love God and be a member of a BGLO. That is just stupid. I know numerous preachers, evangelists, teachers, etc. that are Greek-affiliated. I've seen real-life examples of those who are Greek but are exemplary Christians. So why do some feel the need to tear these orgs down? It's one thing to admit that they were not strong enough to live right while in an environment where it is easy to do wrong. But that does not mean that BGLOs are evil! It's upsetting to me because what they say diminishes the good things that Greeks do, and is misleading for those that do not have that much exposure to Greek life. And I'm in no way saying that I'm a perfect Christian--I'm far from it. But even I know that this whole notion of having to give up one for the other is preposterous. I love God, I love Zeta. It is possible!

 

*oldie FB note from Dec. 2006*

Education and Salvation

We are having revival at my church this week, and something was said last night that made me lose focus on the entire message. The preacher said, "We've gotten too smart. I believe that when we were ignorant we were more saved." He then went on to say that when people couldn't read the word for themselves and had to listen to the preacher, they were more "on fire" for God, but nowadays "the preacher can't tell us nothing."

Ummm... WHAT?!

That is by far one of the dumbest things I've heard coming from anyone in the pulpit. It absolutely burned me up hearing that mess. So many things wrong with that statement... Where to begin?

First I'll take it from a biblical perspective. I guess we're just supposed to ignore the scripture about "Study to show yourself approved to God...rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15) And the one about “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” (Prov 4:7) Forget the verse about "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6) And Paul's statement that "I would not have you to be ignorant" (1 Thes 4:13) was a typo, I suppose.

Yeah... there is plenty of evidence in the Bible that we are to be knowledgeable about the Word. And to avoid sounding preachy (eww, never my intent) just look at it from a logical perspective. Wouldn't you need to know and understand the Bible if you're going to try to live by it? And what would even be the point of having a written document that is supposedly inspired by God Himself, saying that it's fundamental to your faith, but expecting people to not be able to read it and seek understanding for themselves? That begs the question, what would one gain from having ignorant followers? Plenty of preachers have been exploiting ignorant congregation members (whether they are willfully ignorant and won't read for themselves or simply can't) in various ways over the centuries: monetarily, sexually, emotionally, mentally. A lack of knowledge plus zeal to do right and "live saved" is a dangerous combination in the wrong hands.

Bottom line is this: Your level of education or comprehension does not affect your relationship with God. Period, point-blank. Anyone who purports this is a charlatan. People--especially black people--should be encouraged to seek God and education (or, as my old-school pastor says, "while you get your learnin' don't forget your burnin'"). Statements like the one made last night are damaging. After all, education is one way to reduce the risk of so many ills that we end up praying for deliverance from. People must be able to arm themselves against the enemy--even the one standing behind the pulpit.

 

Jesus Can Work It Out... But So Can You

Yesterday at church we sang a song that we sing fairly often, "Jesus Can Work It Out," but it affected me in a way that it never had before. In the ad lib it says,

"How you gonna pay your rent/ All your money spent/ Telephone disconnect[ed]/ Waiting on your next paycheck/ Baby need a pair of shoes..."

In the middle of our refrain of "Work it out!" I stopped to ask myself "Why is all the money spend before the rent is paid? Is God really supposed to step in and "work out" an avoidable mess that we got ourselves into?" It got me to thinking further: while we admonish the congregation to trust that Jesus can work out our problems, what is the church's responsibility to equip the people with certain tools to avoid the pitfalls from which we ask for divine rescue?

It strikes me that many churches, especially Black churches, only focus on the religious aspect of life and neglect the everyday issues that have nothing to do with the devil. What happened to "first natural, then spiritual" (I Cor 15:46)? IMO, if a church wants to be effective, it should address the whole man with practical, real-world solutions as well as Biblical application. Money management, conflict resolution, developing skills to give an advantage when job hunting, helping kids deal with bullying, monitoring your health. These are just a few of the things that should and could be addressed through the church. And not just by someone who has an opinion on the matter, but those with experience and (preferably) professional training in dealing with these issues.

I think that religious leaders must realize that there is more to the people who fill the pews every Sunday than needing to pay tithes and hear about Heaven. After the shouting is done, people have to leave those four walls and deal with life. The Gospel (good news) needs to not be limited to words in a book about things that happened thousands of years ago. The message should be that we all have the power to overcome, with education and examples that make it a reality.

Omnism.... Or Baha'i?

I've finally found a name for what I believe in. I think...

A few posts ago I talked about the fact that even though I still identify as Christian, I don't necessarily believe that Christianity is the only way. For the longest, my Facebook religious preference said "All religions hold some validity."

In my search to find how to put my beliefs into exact words, I came across this simple, beautiful word that sounds like something I would've just pulled out of the air if I'd tried to name it myself: Omnism. Of course! The definition of omnism varies a little, depending on who you talk to, since it's not really an organized religion itself. For some, it means belief "in a single transcendent purpose or cause uniting all things or people". Others (like me) believe that all religions contain varying elements of a common truth, or place omnism in opposition to dogmatism, in that omnists are open to potential truths from all religions.

Great, I've got it. I know what to call my belief system now.

Or so I thought.

I'm perusing the Facebook Omnism group and see a comment from someone saying that they think all religions are really worshiping the same God. That kind of correlates to my other thought on religion: ever religion and culture, no matter what name or how many gods they worship, are all actually referring to the same deity. However, someone responded saying this belief was not actually omnism, but rather ideology of the Baha'i faith.

According to Baha'i teaching, there is really only one religion and One Divine Being, regardless of the man-made designation. From bahai.org:

The Bahá'í belief in one God means that the universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural Being. This Being, Whom we call God, has absolute control over His creation (omnipotence) as well as perfect and complete knowledge of it (omniscience). Although we may have different concepts of God's nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and call Him by different names--Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma--nevertheless, we are speaking about the same unique Being.

I'm still studying both of these schools of thought, so I make no claims of knowing exactly how, or if, they correspond. But if omnism is believing that all religions hold some truth, that would include Baha'i, would it not? I probably won't ever find something that is an exact match to what I believe, but these are probably as close as I'll get.

Anyway, if you're interested, here are a few links with resources concerning Omnism & Baha'i.
http://www.bahai.org/
http://old.ecauldron.net/omnism.php
http://omnism.com/om/home.htm
http://www.bahai.us/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm

courtesy of religioustolerance.org

Randomness: I visited a new church Sunday...

Well not exactly new. I attended school there up until 5th grade. I just haven't been back in forever.

Service was pretty good. A lot different from the more...uuuuuh rambunctious spirited service I'm used to, replete with a full concert, multiple offerings and amped up preachers. This service was quieter, but didn't feel dead.

A few minutes after I got in, the pastor did altar call & said he felt an unusual spirit of heaviness. He began talking about carrying the weight of the world and how God wants to relieve us of our burdens and whatnot... I sat there and cried from that point until the end of service. I didn't go to the altar though. I probably should have. The things he was saying... I felt like he was talking directly to me, but something stopped me from going and letting someone pray with me. After all, I didn't know these people. Who's to say that their prayers are any more effective than mine?

So yeah, that was that. It was refreshing to go to a service that didn't leave me feeling beaten across the head for not singing or having to cringe as someone was coerced into joining the church when their expression clearly said that's not what they wanted. Did feel a little odd being at a predominantly white church, but the atmosphere and the people were welcoming enough that it wasn't really an issue. I may have to visit again some day.

"Christian with a side of..."

For quite a while now I've been pondering this post but wasn't sure whether I should share it or keep my thoughts to myself. I've been bolstered by the fact that I'm starting to read more and more people who are somewhat on the same wavelength. Maybe people are starting to open up some when it comes to religion. I am.

I was raised in a Christian home and from an early age I've known the Bible. I pretty much accepted what I was taught as being it. When I became a teenager, I began to question some things but was discouraged from voicing those questions because it was"wrong" to do so. Now I'm coming to accept the fact that my beliefs do not completely line up with traditional Christian thinking.

I believe that regardless of what religion one identifies with, we are all worshiping the same entity. Even those religions that have multiple deities, in my opinion, represent the same God with each deity being one of the many aspects of God. That being said, clearly I  don't necessarily subscribe to the idea of salvation exclusively to Christianity. Spirituality should bring us closer to each other and closer to a higher power, regardless of the differences in how we worship. I believe that the aim of all religions is to improve the quality of life for its believers, and many religions have the same or similar teachings in regards to morality.
I feel like there are too many holes in the Christian dogma to blindly accept everything and interpret them literally. I mean, parts of the Bible were possibly removed (look up Council of Nicaea); other things have been lost in translation and so has been bastardized from the original meaning. So instead of depending just on what a preacher or teacher tells me a passage means, I trust my spirit; when I feel convicted about something, that is "the God in me" steering me back to the right path.


But, as you can tell from the title, I still identify with Christianity. I still attend my church and love it (most of the time). Why? Well the details are a bit complex, but the broad view is very simple: this is the way that I have experienced God. Although I believe in the validity of other faiths and incorporate some of their teaching and beliefs into my life, I know this works for me. Besides, how will there ever be open dialog and enlightenment if everyone who sees things differently runs away? Change has to start from within. Of course I don't think that I'm going to change the entire Christian way of thinking. However, I want to encourage the thought that we can all coexist and that one way of thinking isn't inherently bad just because it differs from our beliefs.

Sky Cake

One of the funniest commentaries on religion by an Atheist I've ever heard:

"My Religion is Better than Your Religion!"

This is the image in my head when I hear/read religious "debate."

I'm a little late, but Happy Easter to my Christian readers and happy Sunday to the rest. This morning while I should have been getting ready for church, I was on Twitter and the back & forth was ridiculous! I do not understand why people want to turn a religious holiday into a debate about who has the better religion and why other people are dumb for choosing to believe something different.

I know it's human nature to want to feel superior to others, to think that we are smarter and make better decisions. But can anyone tell me what satisfaction one gets from belittling someone else's beliefs? If my choice of who/what/how to worship does not directly and adversely affect you, why take it upon yourself to criticize what I do?

Even when trying to change people's minds in the name of converting them, condemning what they believe rarely produces positive results. Think about it. Many of us adhere to whatever religious upbringing we had. Those who choose to follow a different path probably did so through much thought, meditation, found something they could connect with or were majorly influenced by someone/something. Do you really think insulting that is going to "show them the light" and make them change? Trust me, coming at people like that will turn them off quicker than anything.

So if anyone can explain this to me, please do. What do you get from condemning my beliefs? Is it just a thing to make you feel good about yourself, or is it a genuine yet misguided attempt at "helping" others? Let a sista know!

I'm not giving up anything for Lent.

And that's okay.

 

That plus the drinking, fornicating, profanity, anger issues, etc. probably makes me a "bad Christian." But I just don't get the point of it.

Am I supposed to be closer to God if I give up drinking coke? Will I be spiritually stronger if I give up Twitter? Why can't I give up work for Lent?

 

 

I understand fasting, denying yourself in order to attain a type of oneness with the Almighty, but I don't think it makes a difference if I'm still doing all the other things that are supposedly wrong. And if I'm giving up "bad" things, does it matter that I did it when I go right back to it? For instance, if I gave up sex it would be kinda pointless, because I'm gonna go get some the day after Easter. And since, according to the Bible, I'm not supposed to be doing that anyway, I dunno if that sacrifice (and OMG that would definitely be a sacrifice) even counts. It's all for naught. And if I'm just giving up something because it's tradition, what good does that do me? I'd rather feel an unction from the spirit to do something of this nature than to feel like I have to do it because everyone else around me is.

 

 

*shrugs* But I'm not right anyway, so what do I know?

 

Just pray for me :)

"On Atheists"

For about a week or so I've had a post drafted on this subject, trying to get together exactly what I wanted to say. Then today I'm looking through my blogroll & find that Z over at Purple Lace Gloves has already said everything I wanted to say (and in a much nicer, clearer, and more succinct way). Since I have nothing to add to what she has stated, give it a read:

Sometimes, they piss me off.

I've come across too many incidences of atheists trying to make it out like believers are fugging idiots. That you must be unbelievably stupid to believe in a God you can't see, when there's evil in the world, et cetera. Let's point fingers and poke fun at these backwards fools who have faith in their lives.

That pisses me off. See, to me, it's not a war of whose beliefs are right or wrong.

You're atheist? Fine. I'm not, but I don't feel the need to try and belittle you because of what you do or don't believe in. I don't mock you for your views. I'm not even trying to preach to you or convert you, because frankly speaking, your faith or lack of it is not my concern.

I don't attack you. Why do you feel the need to mock what I believe in?

I understand that there are plenty of Christians who do express how they feel about atheists strongly and in less than kind ways, but then again, there are plenty of Christians who I wish would find another label and just quit associating themselves with Christ.

Also, reacting against hate and ignorance with hate and ignorance just makes you...well....hateful and ignorant. And for every Christian who despises an atheist, I can guarantee you that there's another Christian (like me) who isn't bothered by what you believe in and doesn't get the fuss. When you attack all Christians because you think they're all up in arms about your atheism, well, that's pretty ignorant of you. We come in all shapes and sizes and identities. That's a post for another day- how Christians are viewed in this country.

In the same vein, I know there are atheists who don't give a fugg that I'm Christian and don't feel the need to react unpleasantly to my faith. Thanks be.

Anyway, all I'm saying is, I don't see why each group would feel so threatened by the other. I believe in God- what does that have to do with you? You don't believe in God- what does that have to do with me?

My Qualm with Christians

I had to rename this post. At first it was "My Qualm with Christianity," but then I realized that it's not the institution of Christianity itself that I take issue with. I must say that I am not on of those people who are anti-Christianity. I am not trying to convert anyone to anything else, nor am I pondering another religion myself. I'm not downing anyone's beliefs, nor am I condemning or making fun of Christians. Shoot, I am a Christian (by belief more so than lifestyle)! But there are some things that so-called Christians do that baffle, disgust and embarrass me. So here are my top three.

1. Not admitting that some stuff just doesn't add up.
One thing I learned from my finance professor last semester (the only thing, actually) is that it's okay to say "I don't know." But for some reason, a lot of Christians seem to not accept this. I mean, let's be real. There is quite a bit of stuff in the Bible that contradicts itself. And considering the fact that A) it was all written by men, despite being divinely inspired, B) it was written by many people over the course of many years, and C) we may not have every book that was intended to be in the Bible, it's not hard to understand why. But it's better to admit that you don't understand some things than to try to explain things to others and let them trip you up (or even worse, tripping yourself up). Even according to the Bible, right now we only see things as "through a glass, darkly," (I Corinthians 13:12) meaning we don't have full understanding. And it's okay to admit that, I promise.

2. Christians are too quick to condemn others.
Different religion? Going to hell. Gay? Going to hell. Greek? Hell. Listen to anything other than gospel or Christian music? You, too, will burn. It seems as if so many "Christians" are focused on condemning those that are not like them or those that they don't understand, that they fail to actually exemplify the love that is supposed to draw others to Christ. I'm not saying that nothing should be taught about hell. After all, if we truly believe that it's the consequence for not following the right path, then by all means we should warn against it. But there is a huge difference in warning against hell and dooming everyone & everything you don't like to hell without even offering a better way to them. If you've already made it seem like there's no help for me, like your God can't save me, why should I come to you or Him for help? A lot of Christians don't see that their attitudes and actions are more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to drawing people.

3. Intolerance, intolerance, intolerance
This kinda ties in to the second point. I know Christians are taught to believe that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. I don't disagree with that at all; that's what I've been taught and that's what I believe. However, that doesn't mean that other religions are without merit. For example, I've heard people argue up and down that the idea of Karma, at its core, is the same as the Golden Rule. Although they both deal with the fact that what someone does to others will come back to him/her, some Christians will say that it's pointless or even evil because it is a part of Hinduism. And amazingly, Christianity is one of the few religions that I've found, to be so absolute in its rigidity. While many others encourage enlightenment and doesn't condemn one for learning about and incorporating elements of other faiths, Christians feel that religion is very cut and dry. It's a very "my way or the highway" type of mindset. But what about the passage in the Bible that says, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16) I've heard this scripture in reference to different Christian denominations, but who is to say that this doesn't extend to other religions as well?

I don't know, maybe right now I'm having a slight conflict with my faith. The older people in my church would say I've gotten too smart for my own good since I now question and disagree with certain things I see and hear. But it's not just thinking I'm too smart for this, or rebellion, or anything of that nature. I just don't understand a lot of things within Christianity, and especially with Christians themselves. I want to understand. After all, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)

I like your Christ. It's your Christians that I disagree with. Your Christians
are so unlike your Christ.-Ghandi

*Note: Although I reference other religions and make some broad comparisons, I do not claim to be an expert in religion. I've done rudimentary studies into other religions for my personal enjoyment, but I could very well be wrong about some things. If you have an opposing view or can clear up anything I may have muddled up, feel free to comment. I always welcome more knowledge!