I am a Christian. A lot of people may not believe me; even question me on it, so I’ve decided to take the time to blog about it. Why? Because I can and that is reason enough. See, I think that a lot of people today frown on Christianity. Not because they don’t believe in God, not because they don’t want to someday go to Heaven. I think it may have to do with the hypocrisy and negativity that many (what I call extremists) self-proclaimed “Christians” have spawned into our society today. Our media shows these extremists picketing abortion clinics, carrying signs with mean slogans, screaming at woman as they walk by and some even going as far as to throw things (and lets not forget blowing up a clinic)……..and they say they are doing this in the name of God. Really? How about the so-called “Christians” standing outside a gay rights rally carrying signs that read “God Hates Fags” or “Gays will burn in Hell”. Again, I say “really”? I’m not sure what “God” they are referring to, but my God doesn’t hate anyone! My God would not condone anyone hurting (physically or verbally) another human being in his name! My God says not to Judge!
So, here is my take on the two most controversial subjects related to Christianity today. First Abortion, let me say that I am Anti-Abortion, but pro-choice. How can that be, some will ask. Well, I personally would never be able to do it. I don’t believe in it (for me). However, I don’t walk in anyone’s shoes but my own. I don’t know what leads a person to make that decision; I don’t know the circumstances behind it. It’s not my place to decide what is best for someone else and it is definitely not my place to look down on someone for doing differently than I would. The fact is, abortion is here and history has proven that if you take the “choice” away, it will still be done…..only two lives may now be lost instead of one.
Next, I will share my thoughts on the very controversial subject of Homosexuality. Ten years ago, if you had asked me my beliefs about homosexuality, I would’ve said that I thought it was a “lifestyle choice”. My thoughts are much different now. I won’t pretend to understand homosexuality, I couldn’t possibly because I’m not gay, but I can say that I no longer believe that it is a “lifestyle choice” (at least not by the majority, anyway). I do believe that majority of gay people are born that way and I also believe that sometimes a traumatic experience can lead to a person becoming gay, but very (and I mean VERY few) choose to be. Modern medicine has actually been diligently proving this fact over and over again. For the longest time, “Christians” denied this fact (stating that God does not make mistakes…..and they are right, he doesn’t) but when it could no longer be denied, we started hearing that being born gay is a test from God. It is a test of your obedience and your ability to fight the “sinful” temptation. I think there is some validity to this test theory, but not like you might think. What if it is a test? What if the test is not geared at the person who is gay, but geared at the rest of society? What if it is geared at us “Christians”? What if it is to test OUR obedience in not judging, to love our neighbors, to treat others with love, caring and compassion? Too many of us are acting self-righteous, judgmental, arrogant, and hypocritical……all while saying we are “walking with God”. To many “Christians” are flooding our airwaves with hate filled messages, all in the name of Jesus. Shoot, the KKK hides behind Christianity to try and justify their views and hatred of all other “races”. Some of these people go to church weekly, read there bibles weekly, yet walk around with a heart full of hatred….again, in the name of Jesus. They fail to realize that just because they are going to church, doesn’t make them a true “Christian” just like not going to church makes you any less of a believer or Christian.
For those people who read this and think I must not read my bible and want to throw scripture at me, let me just say that I do read my bible.
I’ve read Leviticus 20:13 (NIV) 13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
Many would say that this is justification for their distian against homosexuals. I say that as the times have changed, so too, has the use of scripture for many situations. Let’s look at a few, shall we?
DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21 (NIV)
13 If a man takes a wife and, after sleeping with her, dislikes her 14 and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” 15 then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring to the town elders at the gate proof that she was a virgin. 16 Her father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. 17 Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, 18 and the elders shall take the man and punish him. 19 They shall fine him a hundred shekels[a] of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
According to this passage, if a woman is not a virgin at the time of marriage, she shall be stoned to death. Moving on…..
MARK 10:1-12
1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. 2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied. 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” 5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
This states that divorce and remarrying is considered adultery and in Deuteronomy it states that adultery is punished by death.
I could quote all day; instead I will say that maybe people should take the time to read it for themselves and try to apply some of it today. Would they work in today’s time? Start with these few things….. In the Bible we see Polygamy (more than one wife) as being acceptable, we read about king's having many concubines (Solomon had 1,000 concubines.) We read about slavery, sex with slaves, incest and marriage of girls as young as the age of 11.The treatment of women as property are accepted practices in the Scriptures. In MARK it is said that if a man dies before he has children then it is the wives responsibility to lay with his brothers until she bears a child.
Are these scriptures to be still in effect in today’s day and age? Don’t get me wrong, I am not questioning the validity of the bible one iota. What I am saying is you cannot apply all scripture to all “times”. The world has evolved, times have changed and God does want us to use the Bible as life guide. However, I think some people are missing the real lessons and try to use the Bible as a means to justify THEIR beliefs. Me personally, I believe this the scripture below to be of the utmost importance......
Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
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