Now this post won't seem as exciting as others I have posted, but you will see as it all plays out why I did this the way I did.
To come out with it plainly, I would like to take this oppurtunity to ask the readers here what their beliefs about Jesus of Nazareth are. I am sure all of our views are different. This could make some of you uncomfortable. I know that there are non-Christians reading this, so remember that this is to be a respectable discussion, in order to move forward we must learn from one another. We Christians seem to be the most judgmental when it comes to this.
So, what do you believe about Jesus? What does he teach you? What is his significance? More importantly, I find that the "So What?" question is the most important. That question means... so, you believe all these things about Jesus...... So what? So what does that do for you? So what does that change about your life? So what does that mean for everything, and so what is the point?
I have made a few posts now which have gotten a few responses, I have been hoping for more activity. I decided to ask questions first, and then give what I would have written if I hadn't asked questions first. I am hoping this gets some of you readers to get involved and have fun. Don't worry, the responses can be as short or as long as you want. It can be as detailed and explained or as broad and unclear as you want, anything you say could spark a thought in someone's mind (I am however not looking for Sunday School Answers to this post, I am looking for real responses, which you really believe and which really affect your lives.)
Ill probably give the readers a couple of days to respond before I post mine. Meanwhile I am also going to post a separate post about something else that is on my mind which some of you may enjoy.
To come out with it plainly, I would like to take this oppurtunity to ask the readers here what their beliefs about Jesus of Nazareth are. I am sure all of our views are different. This could make some of you uncomfortable. I know that there are non-Christians reading this, so remember that this is to be a respectable discussion, in order to move forward we must learn from one another. We Christians seem to be the most judgmental when it comes to this.
So, what do you believe about Jesus? What does he teach you? What is his significance? More importantly, I find that the "So What?" question is the most important. That question means... so, you believe all these things about Jesus...... So what? So what does that do for you? So what does that change about your life? So what does that mean for everything, and so what is the point?
I have made a few posts now which have gotten a few responses, I have been hoping for more activity. I decided to ask questions first, and then give what I would have written if I hadn't asked questions first. I am hoping this gets some of you readers to get involved and have fun. Don't worry, the responses can be as short or as long as you want. It can be as detailed and explained or as broad and unclear as you want, anything you say could spark a thought in someone's mind (I am however not looking for Sunday School Answers to this post, I am looking for real responses, which you really believe and which really affect your lives.)
Ill probably give the readers a couple of days to respond before I post mine. Meanwhile I am also going to post a separate post about something else that is on my mind which some of you may enjoy.
Alright, this is something which will be a negative revelation to some but a personal one to me so I ask that EVERYONE does please respect it and see where I am coming from. I am not asking for anyone to minister to me because I am a person who believes that everyone has their opinion and I will respect yours as long as you do mine. I cannot say I am practicing but I am now an anti-christian. I know some of you will be like oh how sad for him, that's what you believe. I believe in things that are good and wholesome and Christianity as a whole has never really been that.
ReplyDeleteI really have came to the point in my life where I have looked for my own answers, and when it comes to Jesus, I look at it in two ways. One, he could have been the son of God (which I do still believe in God) but here is my alternate theory which anyone who believes in reality could see some truth to.
Jesus could have been a man who was "insane" and by that I mean just about like any other cult leader. Look at history, the story of God and Jesus has been told before, and before Jesus did it. Is it possible that, it is the very thing that happened. I haven never called God and he gave me the scoop. I guess I am more atheist than anything. But that is my feeling, why should I trust a text that is 2000 years old when I can't trust my neighbor not to let his dog poop on my lawn. Jesus was a man and I cannot believe he was perfect. I think that people need to look at the fact most of his life is not in the Bible. And realize that maybe there is God but there isnt a certain religion who is right, what makes Christians right, if you got that memo let me know but last time I checked I didnt. This is more of a face to face convorsation to have.
I really would appreciate your comments on my posting to this and I really hope I didnt offend anyone, but this is how I live my life. I am not asking you to live the way I do.
Thanks to Steve for this blog! I must really say this is the only time my brain gets exercise and I cant wait to see him again!
I miss you too Harry! Thanks for being honest with us. I will give you something to think about when I post my response to my own question.
ReplyDelete(For now though I thought I would just say that: please don't let the failure of we humans in carrying the real Christian message in the past deter you from at least seeking truth beyond how it is presented by other people. I know you are intelligent, and I also know you respond to things in a way that truly reflects how you feel. So thanks.) Actually Harry, a response to a writing like this deserves a new post!!! You have inspired me! Hopefully we will see a post soon talking about Christians rejecting Christianity for an array of reasons.
When I put my response to the Jesus...... post, Harry I would like you to respond again with more thoughts.
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ReplyDeleteOkay...honestly as a little girl I had my doubts about there being a God. I always questioned they whys and what ifs. Why I was raped, sent to foster homes, moved and sent here and there, everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAs I got older I still asked the question why and started find answers else where. I found answers in God and my prayers. I found answers I never thought of and It made me a better person.
Believing in God and Jesus as one I got stronger and started to believe in myself as well. I would ask questions in prayers and have them answered. Some right away and others took longer. I would have day's of weakness and days of strength. Asking that God test me and guide me everyday, and put me on the right path.
I admit that there were still times I questioned if I was putting to much into the thought and belief of God but that never lasted. God would remind me and show me that he is and always will be. During the pregnancy with Alexandria I found myself thanking God everyday, every few hours for the blessing that was inside me. Watching movies and reading books to get ready for the ride of pregnancy, and motherhood. The items I read in books and the images I saw in movies. The growth and movement of Alex was amazing and made me believe beyond no end. I started to tell others as well of the blessings of being pregnant and shared every detail.
I do believe that there is a God and that he will guide us. We will be tested in our beliefs and we must stand strong and hold on. To fight for all that we believe in. For all we know and love. We just need to be patient and wait for the word or God, share the word or God and believe in the word of God.
Thank you all for your posts. I figure that it has been a few days since I posted this, So I should put my answer down. Ill post what I was thinking about earlier in a post some other time. (It is Inventory time at work which means Thursday will be my 12th day of work in a row, working between 12 and 13 hours a day..... Im pretty tired.)
ReplyDeleteSo, my answer will be a new post. it will be Jesus....... 2
I understand that everyone has reasons for believing as they do. I am not saying that their isn't God. I basically have lost faith in Christianity and organized religion itself. It seems to me (and this is MY OPINION and if I offend anyone I am sorry)that it is really just a clique. Who is to say another religion isn't correct? Who was told by "God" that you can call and ask? I understand it is all about faith, but isn't every religion?
ReplyDeleteAlso, when looked at by an outsider how can you honestly believe solely in a faith that has so many denominations? It seems fractured, and who is to say not only Christianity correct but your denomination is correct... It's is kind of like comparing sports... (Once again I wouldnt like to offend anyone this is just one persons thought) You are the person who thinks football is the best sport... what makes it the best sport? the fact that you like it... because I am pretty sure someone who likes baseball can make their case. Now beyond the fact that you have chosen football as your sport, who says that (laughingly) the Buffalo Bills are the best team there is? I am pretty sure their is a Steelers fan who would disagree. Now, you could make the arguement that when it comes down to it... everyone who likes football is a football fan, but there will always be that rivalry... and you could always say that the basketball and football fan have the common unity in sports but look at Isreal, thats like an American football fan calling an English football fan (soccer) a field fairy. Its a fight. I hope I haven't lost anyone!
Anyways, I base my views on certainty and until there is a religion that fits me and I fit it, I am going to remain that way. It's also proposterous to think that if their is God that he has only created Earth and that's it with life. Also I don't like the idea that I am a puppet. If you have the heart and strength to I urge you to check out a documentary called "Religulous" it will probably offend some and others infuriate but you have to see that as one persons opinion. Bill Maher makes some great points which you will have to choose what to take in but I urge everyone to keep an open mind as do I. I am not saying that I will never be religious again I am just saying that who I am today is not a religious person and I really have no reason to be. I am posting a link to where you can watch the video for free if you feel like it! Thank you and I will be reading and writing again as I am as well on a path!
http://missedashow.net/media/3141/Religulous_2008/
You make some good points Harry. It seems as though you are portraying yourself as a modernist thinker, meaning that you think that truth can be found and until it is found you will not believe to be true anything that isn't proven.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Modernist Philosophy was based on total use of Reason? Reason however failed modern philosophers. Remember a guy named Descartes. He decided to take everything and not believe it until he could prove it. He couldnt even prove to himself or prove that something like a table even existed. Think about it, if I were to look at a table, and you were to look at the same table, then we would without a doubt see completely different tables. Angles, shadows, different corners, we would see it from different heights, and our eyes focus differently so the focus would be different, not to mention that we cant even determine that we see the same color that the table is, the shine from the light in the room cannot even be the same from any two points that the table is looked at. So just because we see a table, and just because we can touch a table..... according to reason since through logic and deduction.... can you prove to me that there is the table that you see, can you use real reason to prove to me that there is a table there? Anyway the same argument is used to disprove God.... and no one can say that it isnt. Harry you just used the same argument against the table to say that there is no God or that it doesnt make since. Just because there are many different denominations, and many different religions.... doesnt mean there is no God. Just because you can't prove to me that there is a table (since vision and experience is not a conclusive part of reason; sensory organs are mostly not allowed.) doesn't mean there isnt a table, obviously there is a table, just because we see different table, or if I was blind, just because we experience different tables doesnt mean that there is no table. That is where postmodernism comes in..... it allows for sensory organs to help with reason, it allows faith to work along side of reason. Because of the work of modernism, philosophers have figured out that all knowledge is founded about an understanding that at some point faith or trust is needed to have a basis for reason (this is not technically faith as in religious faith, but faith as in something that is not founded on reason alone.) Reason and faith HAVE TO work together in order to have any REASON at all. We have to have faith that we can trust in our vision, trust in what we feel, and trust in our experiences, in order to be able to prove anything, that is what postmodernism is (so for all of you Christians who think that postmodernism is against you...... think again. It actually supports you because it allows for faith to play a role in deciding what truth is.)
Ok now that the is said, Go to next response....
I have seen Bill' Documentary "Religulous". Here are the notes I took, haha I know I am a nerd.
ReplyDelete"Bill Maher-
movie, has an agenda yet at the same time is mostly asking questions. the people he interviews are idiots, truckers, money loving pastors conservatives crazies.
Why are there such differences in stories in the gospels?
Lot giving his sister up to rape. Jesus never said anything about homosexuality.
The founding fathers knew there was a difference between being american and being a christian."
So, although these notes are short, you can see a few points. obviously Bill has an agenda, which in the case of making a documentary technically makes it something like a videotaped fallacy right off the bat. The smartest guy on the whole thing was the old vatican guy who pretty much said a lot that made sense, but at the same time seemed to be working for the church and not being a part of the church.
Bill in this documentary used very little solid fact, and only asks questions. However he asks questions to "christians" (which you will see what I mean by that in my next post which answers the questions I asked.) that are not very intelligent, in fact pretty conservative and closed minded, who have no understanding of what it means to use faith and reason together in order to live their lives as a Christian (which again I will explain in my post answering my questions.)Bill hates Christianity, and obviously wanted to slander it in this film, if he asked a Christian philosophy, someone who has worked out for himself the real reason why he believes what he believes in a reasonable manner. Bill would have had no qualms with that persons answer, except that it wasn't the answer that seemed right to him. Again Bill focuses too much on modern philosophy and forgets that philosophy has moved on from reason and now used faith and reason to understand truth!!
Anyway Harry, being religious has nothing to do with what I am talking about here on this blog. I am talking about something very different. I think you understand why I say this. I have talked about the church on this site, and I have talked about many things on this site that show that "religion" persay is not what I am about. I am about life, and love, and truth, and seeking truth, and trying to find out how to live. Religion is a predetermined way to live out every aspect of your life.... that is not what the Bible teaches, the Bible is a tool to help you make CHOICES. We are free from the law, and we are free to choose life, and I feel that a lot of what we see as religion is not life but is death. anyway, good luck on your path Harry and Liz, I hope you both live well and I hope Harry that you find real Truth.