There are widely advertised religious meetings being held in Chattanooga right now. 'Message of Mercy' sang for one such event last night. It went quite well and I was blessed by the Christ-centered focus of the message. However, I heard that last week there were some protesters standing out on the street-corner wearing signs saying that certain beliefs are a farce and that the religion represented by the meetings is a "cult". In all honesty, I would have to agree that certain factions of the church ARE indeed a cult. I know because I lived it!
The protesters weren't present last night. "So what happened to them?" I asked. A Pastor told me that after one of the meetings last week, a whole group of believers filed out onto the street, surrounded the two guys who were holding the signs and began a shouting match. The mayhem became SO great that security had to ask the Pastors to go out into the street and appeal to the angry "Saints" to break it up or they would have to call police.
So, I ask- which is worse? Having an opinion and standing in silent protest of the meetings, or being a Christian who behaves so rudely?? We live in a time of unbelief- why were these Christians so shocked & indignant that someone would dare disagree with them? What did they hope to gain by intimidating the protesters?? Did they think acting ugly & waving little red books in the faces of the opposed would ever change their minds??? Nope. Those men were only further turned off by the ugly behavior of people who claim to be "the last remnant people".
Jesus taught, "Love your enemies, do good to those that curse you.... turn the other cheek... forgive those who tresspass against you..."
This outrage is proof once again that defense of church doctrine has taken priority over human kindness in many hearts. If we as Christians do not STUDY the person of Jesus Christ, (He is peaceful, meek, gentle, lowly in heart, not harsh & arrogant) let Him change us into His likeness, perhaps we should stop wearing the cloak of Christianity before bringing further dishonor to His name.
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YUP, once again I ask people "What church exactly did Christ belong to."
Religions are opinions plain and simple, Jehovah's Witnesses saying that children will have the same reward as their parents ( i.e. if the parents die forever then so will the children ) SDA still celibrating the Sabath when the Mosaic law was done away with, or eating only "clean foods" when Paul plainly said that no food was unclean. Catholics using idols, I could go on and on. None of those religions upholding Paul's commands on womens hair length.
For the sake of this conversation the bible is written ( or rather inspired ) by "GOD" who is infallable so it is infallable, religion is made by man who is only fallable so his creations are fallable. Religion is fallable, organized religion is a control mechanisim.
I was openly critisized for being a "free thinker". What a shame.
One of the definitions of a cult is that there is a central authority figure that cannot be questioned. If you disagree with the dogma of any religion you cannot be a part of that religion. CULT
I am definitely in a questioning phase of my life. I am finally brave enough to think for myself instead of being dictated to by any religion. The God I am finding in the Word is vastly different than how I was raised to believe He is. Being a bonified member of any church will not save anyone. I have to agree that organized religion often feels very threatened by those who seek God for themselves. Sad.
Funny how we never seem to be able to take the log out of our own eyes. Let's just judge, judge and judge without looking at our own faults.
Christ himself warned against this in the Sermon on the Mount. And Paul expands on this in Galatians 6.
Where is the love? Clearly lacking in so many churches where judgement is the rule of the day.
People are people. sometime we get engrossed in our distinctions and points of view, that we missed the central idea/objective of unity and togetherness.
Oh, i remember those days. My husband used to "debate" with protesters outside of large gatherings. He never got into a shouting match, but he was trying to reason with people who don't have faith in Christ, or who have faith in a false Christ. So they weren't on even ground. He's realized since then that he should have handles things differently, thank God!!! I used to shrink away and pretend I had important business to take care of because I didn't want to be seen with him. Anyway, he became one of those "free thinkers" and has been ridiculed and ostracized because of it. I guess the ole church leaders would have preferred his rude antics over the alternative.
Andy you have very correctly pointed out. Prejedice, and judgemental attitude has dismanteled families, and undermined efforts of understanding, compromise and compassion - the ideas that most humans always agreed upon.
Sin and good deeds are two categories created by God in complete, all encompassing wisdom. Only He is the True, and Best Judge of matters of sin or goodness. His principle(s) and scale of Judgement is Fair, Merciful, and Compassionate, and is the same for all human (for all times).
If we ourselves acquire the knowledge of what and how God revealed regarding what is Sinful and what is goodness; what is right way of conduct and what is week, we will no longer condition ourselves to be subject to other's scale of judgement.
Wow- great insights everyone!! I very much enjoy reading your perspectives. :o) To be a Christian, means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and His teachings. More and more I view myself merely as a Christian and not as a denomination. This is unsettling as I am then somewhat an outcast. I can identify with certain parts of many different faiths- including Muslim & Baha'i. Though I see many benefits to organized religion, there are also many pitfalls- including politics, hypocrisy and people digressing into sponges that merely absorb and accept information they are told instead of thinking, praying and studying for themselves to find what truth is. I'm growing away from BIG church mentality- as I find God working in simple ways more and more. We don't need bigger churches, we need bigger hearts!! Anything legitimate can withstand questioning. So why are these churches so upset if we question? Luther, Wesley and Kalvin questioned...
Any religion that upholds legal, works-oriented religion is false in my book, because it's all about relationship with Almighty God and those around us. As Brian so clearly stated, "It's about loving fellow travelers as if they were our own flesh and blood." So true!
Christ called us to follow and obey, and to obey and follow. We cannot have one without the other, because to ONLY obey means legalism, while ONLY to follow means we don't obey the His teachings. Too many seem to do one or the other.
But putting it together - it becomes a beautiful synergy of the personal relationship in Christ and the obedience that comes knowing that He is working in your life.
Too many of our churches teach one without the other.
every Prophet did that .. forgave, forgave and forgave .. and we just don't see it .. it gets ignored when that was the main idea behind everything that they did .. how can it go ignored today?
Folks, let not forget that Jesus often reproved His disciples. He couldn't have made those hard men so dedicated to God if He hadn't spoken with authority to them. But that isn't all He did. He also spoke softly when He could. He could use both approaches with them and the people and the religious leaders, because He loved them all and had a burden on His heart to reach them all.
The church, religion, will not move forward until the people seek the kind of love that is gentle and kind to the damaged and sensitive soul, and also forthright and fearless to the proud and arogant soul. When we get it right, that kind of love will move the world. But so far, none of us are really moving the world.
Nehemiah said he would "lay his hands" on the people selling goods to the Jews on the Sabbath. He wasn't speaking of a religious service, either. Jesus did the same in the temple, cleaning out the sacreligious moneymakers. God boomed down from Mt. Sinai, and throughtout the Bible, Old and new Testament alike, punishment was authorized.
None of this was tit-for-tat or vengeful or argumentative debating. It was love--love that is a principle. Pure love, from a God who will fight to stay in charge of us, because He is jealous for our eternal safety.
I'm sorry those people did what they did, but let's not throw out religion because of the faultiness of some extremist religious diehards. Let's remember we have logs in our eyes too, and seek the balance Jesus had.
Happy Sabbath everyone! I appreciate what everyone said.:)
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