Conversations with a Christian (Part 2)

December 31, 2008, 8:47 am by dc-agape.

From recent experience, I realize that I have forgotten a very important Biblical topic.  I am not really ready to tackle the concept of being a Disciple of Jesus; it is very complex and different than being a “Christian”.  I believe that it is time to bring up the topic of changing the Bible.

Numerous verses are involved and numerous examples of the punishment are given in the Word.  What is odd is that none of the punishments have occurred to those who have changed the Bible. For example Dante Alighieri ‘s Divine Comedy may not have been the source of the Christian Hell, but we know that the Bible is also not the source of the concept.  Hell will be a Biblical Topic in future posts.  Another example is the fruit of knowledge has been changed into an apple.  The Seven Deadly Sins is the greatest addition to the Christian faith that has no foundation in the Bible. 

If the Bible and the Christian faith cannot be trusted to show humanity the “Truth” about “God” where does this leave us poor, helpless mortals?  If an unchanging “God” has allowed the Word of God and the Church to change, even due to human sin, where does this leave us unenlightened heathens?  With little consensus between denominations and translations of the Word, how can we “find” this unknowable all-powerful creator?  How can there even be more than one denomination or one translation of the Word of God if there is only one God, one Son, and one Holy Spirit? 

These questions must be answered.  And” just have faith” is not an acceptable answer.  Using that phrase is different from Blind Faith, it is ignorant faith based on sloth.  That type of faith is the sloth of not demanding an answer, the sloth of not looking for an answer.  Blind Faith is trust that what you know about “God” is true and is based on study and experience.  Blind Faith is a bias, and it can still hinder learning the “Truth”, but Slothful Faith is unacceptable. 

If humans have anything hard wired into them it is the sense of curiosity and exploration.  When Faith, either Blind or Slothful, inhibits curiosity or the desire to explore we cease to be human.  We become herd animals that can be controlled by anyone in authority.  The numerous scandals in the Church, in government, and in public schools are proof of this.  We must stop being herded like cattle to the slaughter!  

We must be free to search for answers.  We must throw off the chains of religious tradition to search for the “Truth”.  At this point in time, Christians are no better than the Pharisees of Jesus’ time.  They believe that they have the “Truth” and nothing will change their minds.  Yet it is obvious, looking in from the outside, that the Christian faith is just tradition,

Mark 7:5-8 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the traditions of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”  He replied, “Isaiah was when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:  “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

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