Inquiry7.com
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My other personal websites - http://www.facebook.com/people/ http://inquiry7.com/blog/ -I should probably cancel this one. I never post to it.
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Rejection of Christianity: why I no longer rejectIn my early years I spent much of my life in Georgia, USA, though we did travel some since my Dad was in the army. My primary 'religious' influence was the predominant Baptist population along with televangelist and street preachers. It is unfortunate that all people who proclaim to be Christians become the image of Christianity to an un-Christian, even if they are not really Christian or they are seriously confused. Strange rituals, strange languages and men in robes were also something I wanted no part of as a young person. I did occasionally (a few dozen times probably) attend Baptist churches. Though in our family we were supposed to 'say we were Christian', I would not say we had a 'Christian upbringing'. I had no dominant Christian influence in my rearing. This is not a rejection of my parents. We were also not reared as Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Chiromancy any other particular religion or ideology. My parents did teach me 'right from wrong' with generalized Christian principles. Anyone who tried to 'push' Christianity seemed weird to me, and the 'Hell preachers' seemed angry and irrational. I figured there was probably a God-creator but my feeling was: What had he done for me lately? And why should I follow some arbitrary God since many religions claim to know God or Gods. I saw no real difference in those claiming to know God and those claiming there was no God. He seemed somewhat irrelevant". Why I reject the Baptist denomination:From my earliest recollection I never understood why Baptist supposedly didn't drink alcohol or dance. I knew something about a verse something about Jesus turning water into wine, therefore why was wine bad to drink. It seemed that Baptist made up a few things (amendments) to the bible. Everyone seemed to indicate that the bible was the word of God. If this was so why was the tradition of men somehow a better amendment to the word. Understand I am not a dancer and I never drank alcohol of any type until around age 25 when I decided I liked to drink a couple rolling rock beers after a long day working at a computer. Recently (yr 2007) I had a discussion with a Baptist preacher concerning how the 'alcohol and dance' thing was a 'stumbling block' for me and I therefore would always be 'nondenominational'. He explained that the wine in the bible was really grape juice. Unfortunately this nice fellows intentions may be good but he is incorrect in his interpretation of scripture. Here is how I know... For one, he would be quickly mocked for turning water into water with a twist of grape (grapejuice). Maybe that is why we put a twist of lime into our beer even today. If I have incorrectly understood the Denominations interpretation of Doctrine then I was seriously mislead as a young person. I do understand how certain behaviors may lead one to do sinful things however Denominational rules and biblical doctrine should be clearly discerned. Here is one verse
Want to avoid the appearance of evil? Then hang out with only Christians and reject your non-christian friends. How will you be a light in a dark world? How much grape juice were they carrying with them. There are scriptures forbidding the drinking of too much wine. In fact excesses of many types are forbidden. This makes perfect sense and is no stumbling block to any reasonable person. There are many things in life that should be avoided, especially if it cause one to 'sin'.
Why I no longer reject:I supposed as an unbelieving child I could have found any reason to reject Christianity. As a child resists the teachings of his parents we also resist the teachings of God. I believe humans have an innate understanding of 'good and evil' (see Genesis 2:17) or should I say we do now. I became a Christian around yr 2000. I did not become a Christian over night. I was at a very low point in my life and so I sought Him.
It was a slow transition for me. Obviously I am reform protestant in my perspective. I come to where I am by reading scripture. I can't condemn any denomination or person claiming to be christian. It is not my job. Here is a scripture that should put to rest some of the problems between denominations. There are many who will not like the following scripture because it condemns the condemner:
Romans 14
I believe only silly men condemn others for what they drink or eat. They don't understand that God wishes to have a relationship with us and is not concerned with our food unless it is our food that causes us to sin. (I finally figured out why SIN is so important to understand. I used to think that 'the fear of sin' was just a way for Christians to control people. This is not so. Sin controls people. The less sin in a mans' live the freer he is. Sin.. click here Whenever a man (and only a man he is) condemns other truly Christian denominations and proclaims they are the only true church, I can assure you that that is a church run by men whom I cannot trust, because they do not know scripture. If my pastor ever condemns those who do not attend his church but attends others, I will leave that church and never return. He will have proclaimed himself 'the way, the truth, and the life'. I only know one way to salvation and that is through Jesus Christ, and no other.
I say I am a Christian. As I study the Word I pray to become more like Christ (a goal of a Christian - follower of Christ). I accept Christ as my savior, redeemer, who's death on the cross was a payment (the perfect sacrifice) for my sins. If not paying my dues at the denomination that proclaims to be the one true church condemns me to hell then to hell I will go. They can wave to me across that great gulf.
It is only the Word that I have, enabled by the Holy Spirit, to achieve understanding. If it is not possible by these means to become saved, then I will not be saved and my perception of Salvation is folly. I don't worry about denominational differences too much now days (Though I supposed I will be condemned in the mind of those with great Knowledge for this statement)...Although, I believe as scripture states that there is only one way to the Father, I believe that each denomination may have its own interpretations and legalisms to help (hopefully not hinder) the follower . I encourage people of all denominations to read scripture for themselves never putting complete faith in any man. Shouldn't it become apparent now in every denomination that evil exist even without our church walls. Although I heard a christian woman on the local radio say "there's evil in there them eyes", I doubt any of us can know the heart of another completely. I'll read scripture and let God judge others in that regard. SinAnother reason I became a Christian was sin. I began to consider the source of all my problems and the source of the problems of others. I did a lot of talking to people who perceived their lives to be in shambles. I talked to distraught people, sad people, whatever. Their problems were usually caused by poor decisions they or someone close to them had made. Usually these decisions were based upon immediate gratification, greed, jealousy, envy, adultery, lying, .. and whatever sin you can think of.
It seemed there was no escaping the penalty of sin. It seems to me that sin is a direct assault on the soul. The assault is on ourself and those closest to us. The consequence of the assault is often long lasting. Generally it can affect the perception of trust and love between individuals. Sin against others illustrates a lack of love.
Ironically these are just my ideas but are biblical. I think people reject this truth because they hate facing their own sin. To face ones own sin and to confess it (admit it is a problem to oneself and to God) is more than we care to do. I suspect the reason is primarily because to admit a problem means we should do something about it. We (as nonbelievers) see no way out of sin and we don't want to 'go around worrying about sin as do those crazy Christians'. Sin happens first in the mind before any action can take place.
Is their an escape from the bonds of sin?? Many people try to alter their mind and perceptions through self-trickery, meditations, etc. This does not remove sin but rather tries to disconnect sin from the conscience. Christianity removes the wounds of sin. Much of the 'new age' thought and techniques helps remove the sting of sin in one's own life. The wound is still there, it is just not perceived as painful.
When a person becomes a Christian a radical transformation of the mind occurs. Our whole perspective of life changes. If a person claims to be a Christian but has never perceived this transformation of the mind then they are probably (I think very likely not) a Christian. The transformation of the mind is immediate (as a seed germinates) but the Christian mind is also developed more fully with time (into a mature plant). The Christian mind must be fed the Word to become mature and fruitful.
This is a work in progress.. more text to come later. ....
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And let us pray that we not be like the one-year-old who, when
daddy points at the flower, looks at his daddy’s finger instead.-