The contradictions of what the Bible teaches .vs what actually happens or is said and done is glaringly marked. Not just today, but always has been.
The modern Americanized Christian probably wouldn’t care for Jesus. He is after all a homeless man by earthly standards. Unshaven, dirty. Enjoys wine. Has standards. Accountable. And, he’s God which means he has the last word and it’s not a conspiracy. Plus… he probably wasn’t a “white man or western European looking guy”. But does that matter?
Christians are notorious for their abhorrent lack of grace. But, is that a Christian trait? Or is that just “sinners gonna sin”?
“You will burn in hell if you don’t accept Christ as your Lord and Savior” says the adamant in-your-face faith driven evangelist. No where in the Bible is there a reference stating that if you don’t “believe”, the alternative is to burn for all eternity. Yet, the southern Baptist, or say “Bible Belt” version believer will have you on your knees, proclaiming themselves as a “profit”. Wow. I’ll just leave this right here:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Matthew 7:15
As a matter of fact, Hell or Heaven isn’t a concept in the Old Testament. More precisely the Old Testament is clear that upon death, there is no believed existence if one does not worship God. Heaven wasn’t reachable or a “place”. Rather, we all went to a place to be with God where our sin didn’t spread. Sinners were not allowed in the Fathers house and well… everyone is a dirty sinner. For many, the belief was as soon as your breath ceases, so does your soul if you do not worship God.
I know. That’s crazy. Right? But, it is what it is. I’ll say to friends with incredulous looks on their faces “If God is real, we are in deep, deep trouble. Fortunately, there is an offramp to avoid exposure to a catastrophic eternity or just death is all you get when the party is over”.
I think, most people have this sense of eternity placed on their hearts. We are keenly aware that life ends, but it’s not the end of existence or consciousness. To say such an end is the destiny is to deny all of existence, ourselves, our very purpose. As the famous Billy Preston song goes “Nothin from nothin leaves nothin. You gotta have somethin’ if you want to be with me”.
And maybe you don’t want to be with me. Thanks for that. But somebody long before you chose to have “somethin’”. And that’s the reason you are reading this. Of course there was a creator. I just can’t prove out “who” or “what” that being is, but there’s a reason this 3,000 year old book still persists and it’s really worth the effort to just understand it. It’s message is love. That’s it. But you have to know the whole story.
Any way, the Old Testament portrays God as having an aversion to man and especially the sin of man. Man’s turning away. Eternity with God is talked about but heaven isn’t a concept. The New Testament reveals God as loving, forgiving and not the warlord of the Old Testament. Salvation and eternity become optional. The option of entering heaven is released. Ahh.. it’s like .v 2.0 of “Saints and Sinners”.
Is hell a real place? Does God send people to hell?
Hell is introduced as a place by Jesus in the *New Testament. Jesus describes the consequences of sin, depicting Hell as painful fire and “outer darkness” (Matthew 25:30;)
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says, “Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
So, hell is most definitely a place. Jesus referred to “Gehenna”, a dump outside of Jerusalem, as ones destination, a consequence of sin. A place where fires burned trash all day. Full of corpses of those who died that didn’t have family or afflicted with decease. A place full of maggots that never die. (Matthew 5:22; 18:8-9;)
Hell is both a metaphor and a place. It is the opposite of good. No worse place to be.
Satan is presented as a real individual. Jesus was tempted after being Baptized in the Jordan river in the book of Luke. It reads:
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Luke 4:1-4;
Jesus’ answer is such a great response on an intellectual level to the worldly pursuit where proof of “God” is demanded. No amount of proof will convince a non-believer.
A pandemic just ran through our very existence and most of the world, and specifically 50% of Americans, in-spite of glaring “proof”, called it a hoax.
Hell can be experienced here on earth as much as it can be a destination for eternity. Whether one interprets hell as a metaphor or as a place of flames and eternal suffering, it is a place that is without the Grace of God. Per the French Proverb dating back to 1509 “you’ve made your bed now you have to lay in it”
God does not reveal himself as one who will cast “you” into the eternal flames of hell. Judgement in terms of duration and severity is not defined. It’s simply up to God and not a Bible thumping Christian.
I’m not sure what God’s judgement will be, but Jesus was clear when he said “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24;)
The true mission of being a Christian, or rather simply a “believer” is to live in Grace. And that takes courage. Not easy. We are not supposed to judge. But, we can evoke the teachings of scripture to protect us from the darkness that not only destroys the physical being, but the very soul.
In this life it is far easier to live an atheistic philosophy rather than endure persecution, constant studying and the doubt (I have doubts that drive me to explore scripture, the meaning of scripture and also better understand those who wrote scripture. Scripture came before the Christianity we know today. Scripture inspired Christianity but was not written by would be modern Christians.)
Christianity, like any faith based belief system attracts all kinds of people who like you and me, are imperfect. We are mired in all kinds of psychological issues, physical issues, depression, psychosis, greed, pettiness, abuse, regret. We lie, we manage an addiction. We go to church and for a moment, we feel elevated only to forget starting Monday where we yield to the same-old hum-drum burden of acceptance, political correctness and really, what we really want, and that is autonomy and our own version of knowledge.
So, it’s not that Christians are jerks but rather jerks become Christians. Why?
Maybe the power of the Bible is used as a lever in projecting some sense of false elevation upon others. And you believe it. Dare I say for most… It’s not God we are interested in at church but rather the celebrity pastor.
Real Christians are far fewer than one accepts as status quo. Donald Trump may very well claim he is a Christian. He once performed in front of St. Johns Church, holding a Bible, as a way to connect with his constituency. None of it had anything to do with Jesus but rather being in the spirit of the “money changer” he is. But hey, he was holding a Bible so he is a God fearing man right? But I digress.
The faith-based liar takes advantage of you, by imposing his or her skewed interpretations of scripture to not share the Holy Spirit with you but rather feel some sense of grandiosity at your expense.
This kind of “cultish” cultivation of a following happens not only with churches, but in government, gyms, various clubs, hobbies and of course fringe belief groups (Like Jim Jones or Marshal Applewhite).
I find it unfair to blame Christianity itself for the actions of all too many who just so happened to land in a “religious” venue that allows them to present their Sunday performance.
If it wasn’t for the power of the Bible and more performantly the power of Evil, then the “jerks” would simply conjure up another concept, another venue allowing them to project their own flawed character onto others. Projection actually being a way to bring others down into their own dark pit of covert shame.
The people who have hurt me the most in life all did it under the guise of being a “Christian”. They weren’t Christian. They said they were to trick me. They told me what they wanted me to hear. They were not, are not Christians.
One who practices the Christian faith can be hard to identify unless you understand what it means to live as a Christian.
Who is a Christian?
Aside from the explaining the formality of assuming Christianity as a spiritual guide and lifestyle, Christians are generally happy, healthy people. Not always. We all struggle. Addiction can befell us. We can be homeless. But we are ultimately committed to courage, character and integrity. Some of us failed. We ended up in prison. Through suffering, we found Jesus. We don’t care that you are gay, straight or trans, tall or short, fat, skinny, walk on your hands only. Just as long as we can agree to be respectful and accept Jesus as the way and the light in a confusing world. What we do know is we are all sinners. We don’t judge another but rather stay within the freedom Grace provides. We are humble and not really attached to worldly things, but some of us may own a ski-boat, a Mercedes, a nice home. Things we can afford but not at the unfair expense of others. We tithe 10% of our income to supporting the faith. We are from all walks of life. We are not far right wing or far left wing by definition. We live by the laws of Jesus who really taught us that “this world” is not all that important. It’s salvation and the choice Jesus provided that matters.
Note: (Jesus never condemned sinners. Nor did he condemn or even mention child molesters or rapists. That’s not to say such monsters are innocent of disrespecting the sanctity of life. For murderers, vengeance is God’s. So, he left a lot of mans perversions out of the list. Rape is forbidden as the women must be protected at all times, punishable by death in the Old Testament. When it comes to the question of one’s sexual orientation, the New Testament, being the modern benchmark, does not establish homosexuality as a sin. Jesus is not a homophobe. But church leaders call homosexuality a practice or part of our fallen nature, a sin that is washed away by Christ’s sacrifice. I for one cannot pretend to imitate the drive one man would have for another or say a woman loving another woman. It’s not a “pretend” thing and certainly not a phase or practice. Not defined solely by a sexual act but more of ones very being. I often hear authority say things like “many struggle with homosexual behavior”… I have news for you: I’ve known many gay men throughout my life. None struggled with who they are. Not one. However they did struggled with the false perception of a society that establishes them as perverts. Any behavior that damages another is wrong. If homosexuality was ever frowned upon by God, it was washed away as sin in 1 Corinthians 6:11. Although scripture drives home the importance of the union between a man woman, we have to realize that at the time, homosexuality was punishable by death. Writing of it’s acceptance would lead to less than desirable results. Let it stand that Jesus, if he felt it to be so, would have condemned the gay community. He did not because there is nothing wrong with being a homosexual. Besides, the Old Testament was written by leaders who had to uphold very specific roles and proprieties that forbade sexual behavior or limited their interaction to producing children. There is much controversy in the Old Testament that was simply reconciled by Jesus Christ, yet those who are critical of the Bible bring up Old Testament doctrine that is not applicable when paired with the New Testament. Now, the Old Testament or version there of exists as the Tora and with respect to my Jewish/Hebrew brethren, I must respectfully look to them for clarity and authority before I get myself in deeper trouble. )
Going to heaven or rather living for eternity with God, with Jesus is a choice. That’s all. Simple. It’s not the law of the land. You are not required to accept the truth Jesus is God. That’s cool. I honestly do not want you to feel burdened by faith and put on the spot. I really believe some of you just won’t like it in heaven. Jesus says in Matthew 19:11 “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given”. Essentially saying, once you are made aware of truth, it’s up to you to accept it. Not everyone will. For me, I know of no proven alternatives. The resurrection being an event only God could pull off. If this physical assent did not happen, then nothing in history, the Bible included, is credible or should be trusted. Nothing. The Bible being a valid historically accurate document. Our world is defined by good and evil. Just like the Bible says.
If my faith makes you feel uncomfortable. Then maybe you should give yourself more distance. No offense. We all have boundaries. I don’t agree with those who say our faith must shared with an imposed style. I believe in the freedom of religion, but your religion can only guide your actions as long as your actions do not unfairly infringe on another’s freedoms. One’s faith in Christ will make them a better politician, but ones drive to impose faith based restrictions means the argument of cutting off heads of non-believers is also up for debate. Religion has no place in politics. God is not interested in who’s going to be president. Or win a war let alone a football game.
Faith is stigmatized
Faith in Christ has been highly stigmatized. By those who want control over you or rather are in fear of accountability. I for one am not affected or triggered by ones beliefs. Nor would Jesus himself be. That’s not the point of the basis of Christianity. The basis being forgiveness and salvation. To live forever, avoid death and willingly serve God everyday. To me, that is pure freedom. I am not beholden to you, or this world. But, I look forward to all the gifts this world provides. And that means the challenge of understanding differences and the compromise required to live in peace.
How I came to believe is a long story. Fraught with my own battle with myself, with evil, science and a misunderstanding of who God is .vs who others told me God is or isn’t.
In my travels, I hear those of you who claim to be Atheists. Or describe the Bible as a book of “Shit”. I am certain of one thing… the Bible is a preeminent work on doing good in this life, not evil. Its message is 100% trustworthy. No other work reveals mans search for meaning, for doing “good” and the consequences of choosing evil. The Bible defines right and wrong on many levels. The Bible reveals how we are all flawed. But counters our doubts with proven methods that allow us to find strength when weakness, fear have a grip on us.
It’s not Christians or Christianity that is the problem. It’s more about reading comprehension, understanding biblical chronology and its meaning. Takes time. the Bible is a miraculous work.
Everyone I have ever talked to who hates God, or doesn’t believe in God, doesn’t know the God of the Bible. I don’t doubt their hate and disbelief. I understand. But it’s a opposition 100% of the time that has a God involved I do not recognize.
You do not have to accept the truth of Christ. You are not restricted in this life by your faith. Even an atheist worships a God of some kind. Every human being is designed to learn and seek meaning more or less. We all worship something or someone. Might be money, a car, perfect body, online dating… there are unlimited avenues to self represent. That alone makes us amazingly different amidst all living creatures on this small marble in the middle of the infinite.
God is there. There’s a reason why he doesn’t just come down and solve all your problems. Just like a parent won’t. And for the parent who does, what does that make you? What? Spoiled? Yep. A spoiled little brat.
God is your Father. Sometimes, after a life of being away, it takes some time to get to know each other again. Let it happen. Take some time each week to learn about God of the Bible. You’ll question, doubt, be amazed. But .. really really important to understand the Old Testament … super important in understanding exactly how incredible Jesus is.
* The New Testament is the second 1/2 of the Bible as a complete work. 1st is the Old Testament chronicling creation, Man’s fall from God’s Grace. A time where heaven did not exist. Rather fear of God and enduring God’s wrath. The New Testament users in the fulfillment of prophecy, a savior, who will save God’s people from death.
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