By James Wilhelm ~
We are all part of the same universe – every one of us – like it or not. Religion, Jesus, or a misguided belief in heaven and hell won’t change this.
One of the larger problems with Christianity is that it won’t acknowledge this idea. In fact, this viewpoint is considered evil – inspired by the devil – because the Bible tells us so. As believers raise their hands to the Lord and listen to the Holy Spirit, they convince themselves they’re OK – saved by Jesus – but they are not so sure about you (especially if you're an unbeliever.) "I’m going to heaven – you’re going to hell." We all hear Christian leaders preach with this or similar condescending attitudes. Where I live a well-known Christian minister recently reminded his congregation to avoid certain people “because you don’t know what demons they carry around with them."
In Europe in the 1600's Christians were burning people to death because they were smart enough to figure out the earth wasn’t the center of the universe as the Bible describes. And on the American continent Christians were hanging their young women because their leaders determined these people were in league with Satan – because supposedly Jesus told them so. The faithful would still be committing these kinds of atrocities – and justifying it – if it were not for man-made laws to prevent it.
Making decisions based on a mythological belief is problematic. Religious vantage points (and religious vantage points can be quite diverse and numerous) dictate whom you should reject and whom you should accept. I’d rather accept or reject a person based on behavior and character or what the person has accomplished instead of his or her arcane religious beliefs. Unfortunately, most believers reject any kind of educated logic, choosing instead to cling to the emotional feeling that their religious beliefs somehow promote them to an eternal superior plane while those who reject those beliefs are condemned to eternal damnation.
Getting along with others is difficult enough. People have enough reasons to hate each other. They certainly don’t need religion to add to the division.
Bless you all and Amen.
One of the larger problems with Christianity is that it won’t acknowledge this idea. In fact, this viewpoint is considered evil – inspired by the devil – because the Bible tells us so. As believers raise their hands to the Lord and listen to the Holy Spirit, they convince themselves they’re OK – saved by Jesus – but they are not so sure about you (especially if you're an unbeliever.) "I’m going to heaven – you’re going to hell." We all hear Christian leaders preach with this or similar condescending attitudes. Where I live a well-known Christian minister recently reminded his congregation to avoid certain people “because you don’t know what demons they carry around with them."
In Europe in the 1600's Christians were burning people to death because they were smart enough to figure out the earth wasn’t the center of the universe as the Bible describes. And on the American continent Christians were hanging their young women because their leaders determined these people were in league with Satan – because supposedly Jesus told them so. The faithful would still be committing these kinds of atrocities – and justifying it – if it were not for man-made laws to prevent it.
Making decisions based on a mythological belief is problematic. Religious vantage points (and religious vantage points can be quite diverse and numerous) dictate whom you should reject and whom you should accept. I’d rather accept or reject a person based on behavior and character or what the person has accomplished instead of his or her arcane religious beliefs. Unfortunately, most believers reject any kind of educated logic, choosing instead to cling to the emotional feeling that their religious beliefs somehow promote them to an eternal superior plane while those who reject those beliefs are condemned to eternal damnation.
Getting along with others is difficult enough. People have enough reasons to hate each other. They certainly don’t need religion to add to the division.
Bless you all and Amen.
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