Poltical and Religious post
I saw this on facebook today.
“Let’s see how many people on fb aren’t ashamed to show their love for God and admit that Jesus is their Savior… We need to get God back in America… If you’re not ashamed, copy and paste this in your status.”
And the thing that got me the most is that this really 2 things. I have no problem professing the fact that I am a Christian, I believe in Christ and the resurrection. However I do have a problem with 2 specific items in statements like the one above.
The first is that this is perhaps the most hallow way to express ANY Christian value. The whole philosophy of Christianity is that it is a lifestyle. A decision to follow Christ is a lifelong struggle of self improvement, devotion, and sacrifice. Statements on facebook that try to find “1,000,000 believers!” or see if people are ashamed of their faith, too me, are vain attempts by people who think they are taking a stand for their faith, but really are not even being challenged. To be challenged would require REAL sacrifice.
Matthew 19:23-24
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
To me, that verse, from the very lips of Jesus states volumes about our society. HOW INCREDIBLY RICH ARE WE COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD? How dare we call ourselves a Christian Nation not challenge ourselves, we sit with incredible luxuries, nearly all of us have full stomachs (Something nearly 1/6 of the entire world cannot enjoy) and, while this may apply to only my part of the country, nearly everyone considers it a RIGHT to own a car (I am going to keep this as my part of the country tends to be the part that professes “Christian values and that is is God’s Country”). The idea of the above verse is rather simple, Christianity is HARD for people who live comfortably, it is not meant to have you live a life of status quo! From that verse ALONE if we want to consider ourselves a “Christian Nation” (and enter the Kingdom of Heaven) we need to make some changes. Such as…. oh you know… taking care of the poor and sick… for starters. How does putting a blurb on a website profess your faith and make you a stronger Christian? How is that a CHALLENGE OF YOUR FAITH? I feel that empty expressions similar to this (such as all those chain mails people send) allow people to feel like they did something when all they did was a hallow gesture.
Secondly, on the issue of “getting God back in America” (and this is a much more simple thought) KEEP YOUR GOVERNMENT OUT OF MY RELIGION.
If America is the greatest nation God gave mankind, ever, then I am not sure I want to follow a God that thought Africans were 3/5ths of a person, that The Klu Klux Klan was “justice”, that waging war with a country based on a premise of lies was acceptable… My God, is a God who believes in redemption, forgiveness, charity, and compassion. Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors and was publicly called out for hanging out with shady characters. My God does not see nations. He only sees people. He sees his creation.
Do NOT taint my faith with patriotic propaganda. I don’t want church and state to be separate because I fear the church will take over. I want separation because I do not want the state in my church.And don’t you dare say I am bashing America, I love this country, and I absolutely refuse to believe it is perfect. Only God is perfect, and so far God is not America.
We need to get America out of God.
If more Christians were like you, mayberry, I might still be one.
Attn Hipincognito:
Since I’m technologically challenged enough to not know how to setup a comments section, I’m posting my email address in my ‘about me’ section for anything you want to say. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Hell yes.
Dear soupsoup:
Through your Tumblr posts, it seems as though you’re making some sort of trip to restaraunts that Diners, Dine-ins, and Drives has visited. If this is the case, then I cannot recommend enough that on your way out of Texas, you detour through central Oklahoma to a little town called Okarche in order to visit Eischen’s bar.
Eischen’s is the oldest bar in Oklahoma and is semi-famous for it’s delicious fried chicken and okra. It’s also recently been on DDD on September 7th of this year. There’s not a whole lot else to do around the area, but I promise that you won’t be disappointed if you go.
Sincerely,
raritsjeff
As seen on facebook:
A STATUS: insert passive aggressive comment here.
COMMENT TO STATUS: I prefer to be aggressively passive...Go on, try to make me care!
I liked this so much I had to like it AND reblog it. And point out how much I like it.
Cynics are, in the end, only idealists with awkwardly high standards.
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| — | (From heycharlemagne.) Alain de Botton (via hipincognito) |
