If Christianity Doesn’t Matter Why Do You Bother With It?

On February 11, 2010, In Politics, Religion, By Bruce

christia_nation

Good question.

On one hand Christianity doesn’t matter. The Bible doesn’t matter. Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God, the Church….it all simply doesn’t matter.

If you want to worship the Christian God….I am fine with it.  I subscribe to the “live and let live” school of thought. Each to their own. May Jesus be with you. May the force be with you. May nothing be with you. I don’t care.

However…..

I do care about the influence Christianity has on our culture and government. I do care about the damage done to society in the name of the Christian God. I do care when people are hurt, and sometimes destroyed in the name of the Christian God.

When Christians want to make our country into a theocracy….It matters.

When Christians want their religion to have preference over any and all others…..It matters.

When Christians demand that atheists and agnostics be treated as  Satan’s pawns….It matters.

When Christians attempt to teach religious dogma as scientific fact in our public schools….It matters.

When Christians attempt to force their religious moral code on everyone….It matters.

When Christians attempt to stand in the way of my pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness….It matters.

When Christians abuse and molest children in the name of their God….It matters.

When Christians wage war thousands of miles away in  the name of their God….It matters.

When Christians mentally abuse people….It matters.

When Christian expect preferential treatment because of their God….It matters.

As long as Christians continue to force themselves on others and as long as they attack and demean anyone who is not a Christian….It matters.

As long as pastors and Churches get preferential tax code treatment….It matters.

That said….

As to whom you worship and where? It doesn’t matter.

As to what sacred text you use? It doesn’t matter.

I want every Christian to have the absolute freedom to worship their God.

And….

I want that same freedom to NOT worship any God or another God….

And as long as that courtesy is not extended to me, to every human being on the earth….

It matters.

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Certainty

On January 4, 2010, In Agnosticism, Life, Religion, By Bruce

n., pl., -ties.

  1. The fact, quality, or state of being certain: the certainty of death.
  2. Something that is clearly established or assured.

SYNONYMS certainty, certitude, assurance, conviction. These nouns mean freedom from doubt. Certainty implies a thorough consideration of evidence: "the emphasis of a certainty that is not impaired by any shade of doubt" (Mark Twain). Certitude is based more on personal belief than on objective facts: "Certitude is not the test of certainty" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.). Assurance is a feeling of confidence resulting from subjective experience: "There is no such thing as absolute certainty, but there is assurance sufficient for the purposes of human life" (John Stuart Mill). Conviction arises from the vanquishing of doubt: "His religion . . . was substantial and concrete, made up of good, hard convictions and opinions. (Willa Cather).

certainty Ah yes, Certainty.

One of linchpins of Christianity is Certainty.

I KNOW in who I have believed, said the Apostle Paul.

I have a KNOW-SO salvation, is a line often heard on Sunday Morning.

Doubt is of the Devil.

Saved or Lost.

Heaven or Hell.

Truth or Error.

Infallibility.

Inerrancy.

A supernatural God who has a supernatural book which tells us of a supernatural salvation.

You can know for sure_______

If you died today would you go to heaven?

If there is one error in the Bible then none of it is true.

Yet, for all the Christian-speak about certainty real life suggests that certainty is a myth.

We live in a world of chance, ambiguity, and doubt.

Will I die today?

Will I have a job tomorrow?

Will I be able to walk a year from now?

What does the future hold for my spouse, children, and grandchildren?

Climate change?

War?

Environmental degradation?

Pandemics?

Who will win the Super Bowl?

Will my garden flourish?

Will I get lucky tonight?

Life is anything but certain. Certainty is an illusion. Perhaps that is why Christianity is so attractive.

Christianity offloads the uncertainties of this life to  a certain future in Heaven with Jesus. No matter how uncertain the present is, we can, with great certainty, KNOW that  Heaven awaits us.

One problem though…

No one KNOWS for sure there is a Heaven.

No one has been to Heaven and returned to earth to give us a travel report.

In fact the Heaven that most Christians believe in isn’t even found in the Bible. Most Christians have a mystic, fanciful, non-Biblical view about Heaven.

Grandma really isn’t in Heaven right now running around praising Jesus. According to the Bible Grandma is in the grave awaiting the Resurrection of the dead.

I don’t know if there is a Heaven. That’s why I am an agnostic. I don’t, I can’t KNOW.

I have my doubts. lots of doubts.

We want to believe life matters.

We want to believe there is more to life than what we now have.

We want to believe there will be a world someday where there is no pain, suffering or death.

Personally I hope there is an after-life, a Heaven, a world without pain, suffering or death.

But, what is there is not?

What if this is it?

What is we truly only have hope in this life?

Should we not make the most of what we have NOW?

Should we take seriously the Bible admonition not to boast about tomorrow because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring?

Heaven will wait. Live.

You and I are given one life. It indeed will soon be past.

Live.

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