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Originally Posted by Aura_KitKatting  I mean ~~~ I've noticed a LOT of Christians who spout off about other people's lives... but then don't follow what their own holy book says in terms of lifestyle choices, etc. You know, they just do what everyone else does - drink, eat crap, watch tv all day, and only care about themselves - while professing to believe in Christ. But these things are really incongruous. And I think on people's death beds... that's where the truth of their lives really hits them. And with other people, while it may manifest as, you know, just regret... I think with Christians there's a tendency for it to be a reaaaly scary time. Because if we're not completely right with God, we fry! Not a really pleasant thought.
That's honestly been THE SINGLE hardest part of the Christian faith for me... although I really feel that God is leading me back (and back and back) into His loving arms... I really struggle with the whole heaven / hell concept.  |
AK - I've spent a lifetime studying about religions, interpretations of god, the bible, in fact I was even an ordained minister for a brief while. Been in and out of the church many times.
Finally I had to face the truth that the bible is contrived for the most part. However . . . Jesus was a true master, that part is true. But most of the doom and gloom the church contrived was to control the masses and bring the pagans into the fold. Most of the bible stories are 'borrowed' from even more ancient beliefs. The whole creation story dates much further back to another civilization and was brought along with the christians.
Christs teachings and parables were his way of telling us that we can all have the same power as himself, if only we believed and had faith. He actually denounced the churches and took to the fields to teach, urging us to do greater things than even he had done.
But the famous - you can't get to heaven unless you accept me as your savior - now, do you really think that sounds like something Christ would demand? He had no ego - why would he make such a demand?
If you listen carefully to the words of Jesus Christ, you will maybe be able to discern where the truth leaves off and the lies take over. That is man's ego, twisting the truth to control the people. From before the first de Medici pope, it was about the money - and bringing it to the church.
You might try studying outside of the church, about the church, the history of the bible, the dead sea scrolls, the hamadi scrolls and the gnostic sect, the essenes. Then maybe have a look at ancient belief systems and compare that to the book reputed to be "The Word of God".
The bible is the history of people, full of object lessons, much like Aesop's fables.