What God do you pray to? And are you sure the message is getting through?
I know, this is one of the 3 things you don't talk about. But hey, I never claimed to be polite!
Personal faith is just that, personal. I think every person should mold their on beliefs and follow those. However, from a very early age, we are ingrained with certain beliefs. As for me, my programmed beliefs were that of the Christian faith. I am comfortable with that, but these deep rooted beliefs would keep me from converting to any other religion, as deep down I just don't believe in any other theology. Well, in a general sense anyway.
Christianity is a strange thing. A whopping 32% of the worlds population is Christian, an astounding number especially when you consider Islam is second with 19%.
http://http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm . However, what basis was the church founded on?
Constantine, and emperor of Rome, saw that his lands were in turmoil. True to human nature, the one thing that is fought most fiercely over is religion. Three Crusades halfway across the globe when traveling wasn't easy will attest to that, as will the jihad of today. Regardless, he had to do something that would unify the religions and his people. He had the most powerful army ever to rule the planet, so he could enforce the religion on them, but to truly have them accept their new religion, he would have to take pieces of their old religions and incorporate them into the new, and thus Christianity was born.
God so loved us that he sacrificed his son to forgive us our sins. A son that was born to a virgin and ascended into heaven.
http://www.crystalinks.com/mithra.html , read this and come back....
It should not come as a shock. Most things we take as gospel are not as they seem, and that is why it is so important to have your own views. Let's take Wicca or "witchcraft" for example. Mother Nature created the world and everything on it. Thus all things come from that creator, making all nature sacred. You respect the environment and all living things, and thank those that gave their life to nourish you. Doesn't sound too pagan, does it. A lot of the same views as far as respect of life and such.
Most religions acknowledge a single entity as the creator and giver of all life. And those same religions have been spoiled by the men who were held holy and were the keepers of the faith. These men did what best served themselves and if the faith benefited, so be it. Take for instance that fact that a bunch of priests met and decided which books would be in the bible. The Canonization of these testaments were done by compiling the most commonly preached testaments and making them the only testaments. The people, already accustomed to these sermons, did not notice that these men could have very well edited out the gospels that did not serve their purpose. Very strange that there is no gospel of Jesus. Furthermore, for most of the youth of the church, the sermons and prayers were given in a language not spoken by the local people. Only the wealthy could read it or understand it, which leads me to my next point. Tell me why it is that Jesus died for us thus ending our need to sacrifice to appease God, yet some how we have to sacrifice the contents of our billfold to show our devotion. Is it not enough to lead a righteous life?
The churches do good things, however the gifts they brings are not without strings attached. Missions to developing countries offered their services in return for souls, even the church's today expect either your time or money, or both, in return for the propelled a sitting with God, which finally leads me to my point.
I walk through my yard, with my beautiful wife and children laughing and playing about me, and smell the flowers and see the birds and feel the warmth of the sun and feel closer to God than I do in church. Where better to experience and see proof of his existence than umong his creations? Miracles happen everyday, tree pump hundreds of gallons of water hundreds of feet everyday and don't make a sound. Cameleons change color, frog go from having gils to breathing air, babies are born... yet still we seek solice in doors to feel his presence? I admit I like the pomp and monkial (yes I made that up) circumstance of a good Passover service and nothing soothes and comforts more than a "Hail Mary", but I think that is missing the point. Why should we have to go to someone else's house and give thanks when everything we have to be thankful for is at home?
Maybe Jesus never thought that people took him seriously enough to write down his thoughts, maybe he did and they were lost, or hidden. Regardless, I think the point of worship it to be thankful and worthy and that should not necessitate me going to sit in front of a man who spends an hour convincing me of the existence of something I am already convinced of, otherwise I would not be there.
They say that when you are baptized you are admitted into the Church of God.
Church is the family of God,
church is a building, so if I am in his Church, would my house not be a house of God?
I do believe in God, and an thankful to him. But I also believe that more things are done in his name that ill-serve him than any one man could imagine. So, this Sunday as the church bells ring across the country side, and my absence in church goes unnoticed by anyone, I will say my thanks to God and enjoy his blessings.... At home. spell check was down, so get over it.
