I was raised by my parents in the Lutheran faith. From grades K-8th, I attended Lutheran school nearly every year, participating in chapel services, church, religious studies, catechism, communion.. the works. I know about the bible and its message better than many, and have wrestled with my beliefs on more than one occasion. Those questions have led me to be labeled a "New Christian" and other things mostly because I did not have blind faith and often questioned things. Ultimately, I decided that following a number of interactions with people who professed faith, but did not live by their own proclaimed doctrine, that I could no longer consider myself of any particular religion. During my life I have been the subject of abuse by various people who have had leadership in the churches I attended. People are fallible and the church is run by people. Not too long ago I attended an event as part of a school assignment and found myself having a theological discussion with someone who was trying to convert me and get me "back to church".. as part of a promotion they were doing. Apparently, if I just had a 2 minute chat with them, they would give me a free drink that was apparently significant to the culture I was studying. I felt sick to my stomach, disrespected, gas-lit and annoyed because of the tactics employed in that conversation. When I got home, I opened my tattered bible looking for justifications for this man's tactics and behaviors. I did not find any to support his views, but did find some pretty important passages. So now, I will explain why I don’t think I NEED to be a Christian to have God’s blessings.. Matthew Ch 5-7 says that God (and I paraphrase here) is not impressed by those who say and do things in a way that is about show and not about connection. This chapter set says that my relationship in a quiet, secluded place outside of church walls is enough for him. The writer speaks of the Lord's Prayer, about the karmic nature of judgement, and of which command was most important. He said that there were two of equal value, so set beside one another: Love God in all you do, and love your neighbor as yourself. The Bible describes love as a verb. Love is an action. Love is not words and pomp and circumstances. Jesus agreed that both his disciples and the Pharisees were good teachers in God’s law, but that there are no magic words or wave of a hand that can save you and hiding behind a religious mask is dangerous. In conclusion, we are here to love. If my actions are not loving, I will look at that. But, I will not entertain the belief that because I do not ascribe to a particular man-made religion, I am less lovable by God, the creator that you believe is the source of all of life and love. We all have the choice to our religious beliefs. I believe that man at the cultural event saw his actions as justified, and I do not doubt that he has been successful in getting people to his church. But I cannot help but wonder if they did so because they truly believed that God, the one who supposedly loves the humans he created so much wanted them there, of if they felt guilted, shamed, and bullied into being there. There are many people in my life whom I love dearly and have strong religious beliefs. We continue to have a strong relationship because of the fact that we both believe that to love someone is to love them fully and without a dollop of bull or the veil of judgement. We do not sit around pointing at the speck in one another's eye, instead we talk about the ways in which we are working to remove the log from our own eyes and sharing the experiences of being a human. That is what this blog is about for me.. sharing what it is to be in my skin, living with the issues I face, and how I am working to overcome those things in the most loving way I can. I am grateful for all of you that come along on the journey!
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AuthorI'm Michelle, and I've got a full plate! As a full-time dietetics student, step-mom, wife, study coach, and tutor in my late 30's, some days I'm barely scraping by. But, no matter what is on my plate, it's always gluten free! Categories
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