A Few Thoughts On Sin

On March 9, 2010, In Religion, By Bruce

Sin.

According to the Bible sin is transgression of the law.

Let the debate begin

Which law?

Old Testament?

New Testament?

Both?

Christianity teaches that sin separates us from God.

Sin is what sent Jesus to the cross.

We are all sinners,.

Born that way.

We sin because we are sinners.

Sin will ultimately land us in hell unless we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.

Sin is the problem and Jesus is the solution.

Our hearts are black but Jesus can make them white through his blood that he shed on the cross.

Without sin I wonder if Christianity would exist?

For those of us who are not Christians sin takes on a different meaning.

Since there is no God to offend, and no God to give an account to, sin does not carry the force that it does with the Christian.

The list of sins, according to the Bible, according to the pastor, according to each Christian, is quite long.

Every person has their own sin list.

No sin list is the same.

As an unbeliever my sin  list  is quite short.

And it gets shorter every day.

Since I reject the Bible as an objective standard of right and wrong how do I determine my morals and ethics?

Do I need a god, Church, or pastor to tell me what my morals and ethics should be?

Do I need a Bible to tell me what my morals and ethics should be?

According to the Bible all the law can be summed up in two commands:

  • Love God
  • Love your fellow human beings

My morals and ethics are based on the premise that I should love my neighbor as myself.

I should treat people like I would want to be treated.

I should not do things that would harm other people.

I should value my relationships with my family and my fellow human beings to such a degree that  I live in such a way that my actions cause them no harm.

God does not enter the picture. My only concern is the relationships I have with others. When I live in a selfish, unloving, unkind, unjust manner then I am “sinning” against my fellow human beings.

My sin does not bring the judgment of God. It does hurt the relationships I have with others. My sin causes personal loss and pain.

If what I do does not hurt others, if it does not damage my relationships with others then it is not “sin.” (I don’t even like using the word sin)

This makes life much simpler for me.

I am still a “sinner” but I am much less a “sinner” since I abandoned the Christian faith.

Losing God, the Bible, and the complex, never ending, sin list has allowed to realize, for the first time in many many years that it is OK to be human.

After living a lifetime of denying who I am I can now be free to be Bruce. I am still finding out who I really am. 

So much of my life was labeled as sin.

I suspect I will always have a Christian sin hangover. A lifetime of being beat over the head with an angry God, a dying Savior, and a rule book called the Bible, has left a lot of deep wounds.

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If Jesus Is

On March 9, 2010, In Religion, By Bruce

The Answer.

The solution to the problems of life.

The way, truth , and life.

The one who makes life worth living.

Redeemer.

Deliverer.

Savior.

If Jesus is the giver of new life.

If Jesus cleanses a person from sin.

If Jesus gives his followers new desires.

If Jesus gives his followers a new song.

If Jesus fills that empty void in a person’s heart.

If Jesus gives his followers everything they need pertaining to life and godliness.

If Jesus heals.

If Jesus sets the drunk and the junkie  free.

If Jesus cleanses the sinner from all unrighteousness.

If Jesus really is who and what Christians say he is….

Why are their lives no different than mine? No different than most agnostics or atheists I know?

It seems the only difference between me and thee is what we do on Sunday.

I am as moral and ethical, if not more so, as most Christians.

I live honestly and justly.

Yet, without Jesus.

If Jesus really is who and what Christians say he is….

Why are there so many Christian books written to deal with the messy, dysfunctional lives of the followers of Jesus?

I m trying real hard to understand what benefit there is to following Jesus. (judging only from what I see)

If I can live morally and ethically without Jesus then why join a social group that demands 10% of my income to be a member in good standing?

If Jesus is what you need I say good for you.

I hope you will say the same for people like me who have no need for Jesus. (or at least no need of the American, Western, Evangelical concept of Jesus)

Jesus may be the answer to your questions but he is not the answer to mine.

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Sarah Palin Compares Herself to God

On March 8, 2010, In Politics, Religion, By Bruce

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16

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Can A Preacher Be Two Places At One Time?

On March 8, 2010, In Religion, By Bruce

I was checking out the Christian channels on the satellite tonight. Can’t help it.  :) I find it amusing.

Two channels were having a live fund raiser, or so it seemed.

Both channels had the same TV preacher raising money for them at the same time.

An amazing feat…..two places at the same time. (the broadcasts were “fake” live)

I guess with God all things are possible.

I doubt that many people even notice such things.

I do.

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The Cult of Personality

On March 5, 2010, In Religion, By Bruce

false_god The Christian Church, from its earliest days had a problem with people becoming infatuated with leaders within the Church.

Paul wrote the following the Church at Corinth:

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  ! Corinthians 1:10-17

Within the Church at Corinth there were contentions over who to follow after. It seemed  everyone had their favorite preacher. Some liked Paul, others liked Apollos. Some thought Peter was the best preacher in town, and yet others thought Christ himself was. (ponder that for a moment)

Paul ends the first chapter of First Corinthians with these words:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

2000 years of Church history show very clearly that the early Christian Church did not listen to Paul. The Christian Church is hopelessly divided. Each sect believes they have the corner on the truth. Each sect believes their leaders are anointed and called by God. One sect, the Catholic Church, believes their leader is Christ on earth.

There is no unity in the Christian Church. Jesus prayed that his followers would be one. That’s one prayer that definitely went unanswered.

What happens when you take a hopelessly fractured Church and wed it with American style capitalism?

Welcome to the mega-church.

Churches aren’t known for what they believe or even the works they do. They are known for who their pastor is.

When asked where they go to Church a Christian will often say “I go to  Pastor Smith’s Church.”

The focus of everything is on the pastor. He is the mover and shaker. He is what powers the machine. Without him it all fails.

Christian TV, radio and publishing is all about the personalities within the Church. Name recognition is the name of the game.

Does anyone really believe Rod Parsley is a good writer? Yet, his books sell. Why? Name recognition.

Everything is focused on and culminates with the sermon and the preacher.

I had people drive 40 minutes to the Church I pastored in SE Ohio. They loved my preaching. They thought I was the greatest preacher since the last guy they thought was wonderful. Really? As much as I think that I am a pretty good public speaker, they had to drive past 40 Churches to get to the Church I pastored. Not one of those  Churches had a preacher that could preach competently? (well maybe not, after hearing more than a few preachers)  :)

What happens when the pastor leaves the Church? What happens when the personalities change, when a new preacher takes over? Strife. Division. People leave the Church. Why? Because Church became about the preacher rather than about Jesus and serving others.

Why is it the pastor’s name is on everything? The sign out front. The bulletin . Every piece of literature the Church produces.

If it is really is all about Jesus then why does it matter if anyone knows the pastor’s name?

Ah, but it does matter. Most Christians are good capitalists. (serving a socialist Jesus) They are consumers first and Christians second.  They know people are “attracted” (the attractional method) to the Church by the pastor, the programs, the building, etc.

They know the pastor becomes the face of their Church. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is, and quite frankly, it is the Church itself that must bear the blame for this.

They revel in the cult of personality. They love having a name brand preacher. They watch Christians TV and listen to Christian radio because  Pastor/Rev/Dr/Evangelist/Bishop/Apostle so-and so is on. Take away the names and it becomes as interesting as eating a no-name hamburger at a no-name restaurant surrounded by no-name people.

Christianity supposedly has a higher calling.  Supposedly Jesus is all that matters. Let him have the preeminence in all things the Bible says.  Supposedly the  Christian is to be counter-cultural. Against the world, not going along with it.

You see, out here in the real world. a world devoid of Jesus, and the Christian cult of personality we have our own cult of personality.

How dare  I criticize Christianity for the very same thing that I do and other worldlings like me do?

Here’s the difference. We don’t set ourselves up as a moral standard. We don’t say our way of  life is “the way, truth, and life.“ We don’t divide the world into those who are in and those who are out.

I  am quite willing to admit  I am a member of the cult of personality. Are you my Christian friend? Are you willing to admit that your cult worship is what Paul condemned in 1 Corinthians 1? Are you willing to admit that really you aren’t any different than us heathens? The only difference being where you spend time on Sunday?

I am a sports fan. What would sports be without personalities?

There are some authors and writers that I consider gods. I will drive to go hear them.

I worship at the feet of Jon Stewart. I am a member of the  Daily Show Church.I worship 4 nights a week.

Wendell Berry or Bart Ehrman come anywhere near here to speak, I ‘ll be in the front row.

Don’t even get me started on musicians I think are rock/pop/country/blues/ gods.

I even watch American Idol. How cultish is that? :)

My Christian friend, truth be told, you are just like the rest of us.

So, maybe you might want to choose better personalities to worship. Do you really want to keep worshipping the likes of Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Rick Warren, Ed Young, Rob Bell, and your local mega-church pastor?

Do you really want to keep telling yourself that your Church’s worship band really “rocks”, that they are “rock gods” when you could be listening to U2 or  Sugarland?

In the realm of the gods my gods are better than yours.  :)

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Coming Clean About the Past and Other Sundry Thoughts

On March 4, 2010, In Life, Religion, By Bruce

Crocus Backyard 3 2008

(crocus in our yard 2009)

We all have a past.

My past is littered with good and bad things that I have done. Between good and bad is where most of us live.Neither saint nor sinner, just human.

Few of us escape this life without having done some things that would be embarrassing to us if someone found out about them.

We have secrets.

We know where the bodies are buried.

Sometimes our minds are haunted with the indiscretions and missteps of the past.

Maybe you are different.

But  I doubt it.

We often bury the past but it has a nasty way of coming to the surface, often when we least expect it or can least afford it .

I have sat in countless counseling sessions with married couples. I have watched the past spring up out of the depths as couples seemingly talk about what their current troubles are. Bang…the past becomes the present.

I see a counselor on a regular basis. I am shocked at times when the distant past percolates to the surface.Even after a year of counseling I still have secrets.  I still have things that hide and fight being brought to light.

I have been married 31 years. I married a wonderful woman.  I love her more than she’ll ever know. Yet, even after all these years we still don’t know everything about each other. I am still learning about my wife, her past, her life.

Some married couples say they can talk about anything.  I want to believe that but I have my doubts…

My wife and I can talk about most everything, but not everything.

Take suicide.  I battle with depression. I have had suicidal thoughts on and off over the years. It is just a part of who  I am.  The Bruce roller coaster. A great ride but man can it be scary sometimes.  :)

My wife wants to be there fore me but on this one issue she can’t. I understand. So I don’t talk about it with her. When those dark times come I keep my suicidal thoughts and comments to myself. Such times are rare but they do happen. Polly’s there for me 99.9% of the time. That’s enough for me. I wish we could go that last .1% but we can’t.

Over the last several days I have been contacted by someone who knows a  preacher  friend of mine.  This person tells a sordid story about the past life of my preacher friend. Terrible sins. Debauchery. Sex with minors. Getting a 13yr old girl pregnant.

Granted, most of these things took place before my preacher friend became a Christian. The person who contacted me alleges that the sinning didn’t stop after the preacher became a Christian.  It is hard to believe, and  I am inclined to dismiss the person telling me this BUT they know too many specifics about my  preacher friend for this to be a coincidence.

The preacher preached many times at the Churches I pastored.  I know he held back things about his life. He had preached for us three times before I found out he had been divorced.

His defense?  It’s under the blood. Whatever happened before salvation is buried in the depths of God’s forgiveness. For him life began when he was saved.

I am not sure what I think of all this.

Preachers claim to be God’s man.  They claim to be called by God.  They claim to be a voice for moral and ethical living.  They claim to know the truth.

Yet, they often hide their past.

Oh, I know why.  Most Churches can’t handle the truth.  They don’t want fallible, frail, sinful pastors.  They want saints on white horses who live in glass houses. They want to be inspired.  They don’t want a pastor like them.

So pastors disappoint.

Pastors cheat, lie, and steal.

Pastors get divorced. They commit adultery. They commit murder. They abuse their children, their spouse.

They lose their temper. They curse. They look at porn.

They can sin with the best of humanity.

Imagine how inspiring it would be if the pastor was ever honest with how his life really was? Few Churches want such inspiration.

Pastors can do wonderful works too. Selfless. Kind. Compassionate. Giving. Loving. Patient.  A wonderful husband and father.

In other words pastors are just like everyone else.

I am uncertain as to how much information about the past we owe those we are close to. How much does a pastor owe a Church about his past? If it is “under the blood” one would think that full disclosure would be in order and that the Church would accept such a confession as past history. forgiven and forgotten.

Except…we are creatures of habit.  Our past often charts the course for present and future. It doesn’t have to but often it does.

Salvation doesn’t make you a new person, contrary to what a preacher might tell you.  Yes, people have had conversion experiences. Their lives have changed around the edges, but at the core they remain who they are.

I have made many changes in my life. Lots of them.  I have had many conversion experiences. Yet, at the foundational level I remain who I always have been.

I am a pessimistic, half glass empty kind of guy. I have a quick temper, Quick to rise, quick to subside.  I don’t bear grudges. I get over things quickly. I am passionate. I am likely to charge hell with an empty squirt gun. I am changeable. I am moody. I get depressed easily. I am a tenderhearted person that cries easily.  I bore easily. I hate having money and I spend it quickly.

That’s me, and for the most part I have been this way my entire life. Chip around the edges, scrape and repaint, I essentially remain what I have been my entire life.

There are certain things I don’t like about my wife and I am damn certain there are things my wife doesn’t like about me. But, we have come to realize we are who we are.  Love the good things about each other, and tolerate or ignore the things that irritate us. Attempts to change people most often end in failure and may bring unintended consequences.

I have a lot on my mind today.

This post is me talking out loud.

Thanks for listening.

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