"I love meeting up with my Christian friends every Sunday and Wednesday. We have such a great fellowship, discussing the wonderful nuances of God's word and teasing each other about our favorite sports teams.
"We've got a great set of pastors too. Sure, sometimes the sermons are as exciting as bran flakes, or as common and worn as my sneakers, but other times, it's just, it's just remarkable how great I feel after a good sermon. Like everything is right in the world, you know? Despite all of the problems, everything is right in the world, because God is in control, and He is working it all for His good.
"My wife, my sweet wife Charlotte, she is the epitome of Christian womanhood; dare I say the epitome of God's design for women. In step with the Song of Solomon, she keeps herself beautiful and a healthy weight to keep my eye drawn to her. And she is submissive to my will in love and respect to me. Don't get me wrong, she is not afraid to share her opinion when we are discussing our family's plans, but she always gives me the final word. Our relationship works so well that way.
"My parents raised me up in solid Christian principles, thank God! Thank God for them! You know, they are still together after 47 years of marriage, thanks be to God! They do sleep in separate beds though. My father had, well, a regrettable moment of weakness, like we all do at times. We're only human, and not yet perfected. He had an inappropriate relationship with a woman from work. When he could no longer contain his building guilt, it spilled out and my father confessed in shame to my mom. They stayed together, because that's what Christians do. What God has joined, let no man (or woman) tear asunder. You stay together, and you make it work.
"Like my parents raised me, so I am raising my own two children; walking hand in hand with God. My son, Matthew, my oldest at six years old, he is really starting to thrive in the church's youth program, and he loves Upwards soccer. Upwards and I are working for a common goal to strengthen Matthew's faith in Christ. My daughter, Ruth, well, I am just so proud of her! At only four years old, she is praying to God with such genuine spirit! She's well beyond repeating 'Now I lay me down to sleep,' now instead asking God to care for orphans and the homeless we see in town. What a special little girl I have been blessed with!
"So what's in it for me? Why should I doubt? Why should I lay aside the motivation I get from a good sermon? Why should I insult my parents and break the fellowship of my closest friends? Why should I unequally yoke with my adoring wife? Why should I tell my kids that this is all make believe, and that I have been lying to them, albeit unintentionally, since they were born?
"For what? For the 'truth?' What will it profit me to lose my whole world in exchange for knowing this 'truth?' And an empty truth at that. No life after death. No God to make everything right. No hope for heaven. No reward for being good or punishment for those who do wrong? All of that, and I have to expend considerable effort to get to this 'truth?'
"Yeah, no thank you. I have the truth. God's word is the truth, and my life if based on that truth. My life isn't a lie. It can't be. I've come too far in it to not know whether or not it is true. It is true, I know it.
"And the truth is I have got about 30 minutes to get the kids cleaned and presentable and to the church, so I've got to get moving."
"So what's in it for me? Why should I doubt? Why should I lay aside the motivation I get from a good sermon? Why should I insult my parents and break the fellowship of my closest friends? Why should I unequally yoke with my adoring wife? Why should I tell my kids that this is all make believe, and that I have been lying to them, albeit unintentionally, since they were born?
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think this was the biggest one to overcome, but at you are pointing out with all of these quotes religion for most people isn't about God at all. It's about what individuals get out of deferring to that God. Friends, spouses, children, admiration, nobility all come when you 'fervently' believe. It's hard to give all that up.
You hit the nail right on the head, D'ma! That is exactly what I was going for with this piece. I think there are very real, and very human reasons for the perpetuation of faith. Although I sometimes forget, many people have good reasons just to accept the Bible story which is handed to them.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much I like what you've written here. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI will always remember a conversation I had with a Catholic woman many years ago. I was asking her if she would even consider leaving the Catholic church if I could somehow convince her that some of her fundamental beliefs were wrong. She responded that even if God himself told her to leave the Catholic church, she wouldn't do it, because it would upset her parents too much. At that moment I understood what Jesus was saying in this very controversial statement:
"If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison--your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26 (New Living Translation)
Should someone who puts her parents above God be considered a Christian? That's up for debate, but either way, it's daunting to consider that this is the mentality that both you and I have to contend with as we attempt--for altogether different reasons, of course--to get American "Christians" out of their comfort zone.
What D'Ma said perfectly summarizes the problem: "...religion for most people isn't about God at all. It's about what individuals get out of deferring to that God." That's so very, and so tragically, true.
Thanks Mr. Wallflower! You may like it even more now that I corrected that loose/lose typo. That one keeps snagging me for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with you, and I don't think it's daunting to consider that we're on different sides of the same coin. Sure, we fundamentally disagree on the premise of this all being real or imagined. ;-) However, in an honest reading of the Scripture assuming the words of Jesus to be accurate, I think it should be clear to both sides that the American brand of Christianity as it stands today is not at all what Jesus had intended to set in motion.
In that spirit, let me extend my hand to you, and say "I've got your back." ;-)