Let's piss some people off...

Okay, I haven't said anything that controversial yet. I'd love to go on a rant about work today, as today sucked monkey balls. I will refrain, though, and touch on a subject that came up in my comments section, and would probably piss some people off if anyone was reading this: religion.

Let's start by saying that I consider myself a Christian. I was raised southern baptist, with more than a sprinkle of nazarene in there. I attended church twice a week, went to vacation bible school every year, and have an entire set of bookcases devoted to books about all different types of religion. I believe that Christ was God's son, and came to Earth to die for our sins. I believe that there is a heaven of some sort. I consider myself spiritual, but not religious.

How can this be? I've become very disenchanted with organized religion. A bunch of people saying 'this is right' and 'this is wrong', 'this group is going to hell', and telling me what the bible means. I believe that the bible was divinely INSPIRED, yes. It's the Word of God, in a general sense. But it was written by men, and men have screwed around with it since then, just like religion. I think the message is still there, but the details, well, might not be as reliable.

Here's my thoughts. Jesus was born a man, and had a PROFOUND impact on the world. His message was simple...believe in me, and love each other. Even if you don't believe in his divinity (I do, but it's a hurdle for some), those facts have to be agreed upon. I think if Jesus was to come today, he'd sit, have a beer with you, and tell you the same thing. I think he's appalled at everything that's been done in his name.

What I don't believe is that God puts forth challenges for us to overcome, and I don't believe that he's going to overcome them for me. I tend to think of his as what he is: a father. I don't break things so my son will learn to overcome them, and I don't do things for him. I'm there for him, I'll listen to him, I'll support him...but for the most part, he's on his own. I try to teach him what he needs to know, and he'll do with it what he will. I hope that he makes the right decisions, but I'm not there to force him to make them. And I can't make them for him. I believe God works the same way...he'll listen to me, he'll support me, and he hopes I'll make the right decisions. But I don't believe he tests me, and I think he wants ME to deal with my life. It was his gift to me, and he's there for me to lean on. The decisions are mine, though, as are the challenges. He's not there to toughen me up, nor is he there to shoulder my burden. Gifts aren't usually free, and the price of this gift is that I have to deal with the bad things in order to enjoy the good things.

Maybe I'll find out differently when I meet him. Or maybe I'll find out that He doesn't exist at all, that it's just a bunch of stories. Or, maybe I'll find out that someone had it right, just not the people I was listening to. Hard to say. I believe what I do because I have faith in a few things...there was a Jesus, he had a profound impact on the world, and despite any other inconsistencies, his message of love comes through in all of them. That's good enough for me, and is enough for me. The preachers and all the rest certainly mean well, no doubt...but a lot of times, I think they've missed the boat on what this gift is really about.