This is a subject I have wanted to avoid simply because it can be very hard to make people understand your point of view without them feeling a bit insulted. So I will start with this statement: I understand that everyone has their own beliefs and I am not trying in this posting to change anyone's beliefs. What I am aiming for is to just give everyone my point of view...
Growing up I was forced to go to church every Sunday Morning. My parents were Catholics and back then the Catholic religion was very strict and set down many rules for their followers to follow. If you were unfortunate enough to make a mistake it would bring on a swift and "deserving" punishment...Now as a Grown up I find myself not adhering to a religion but more to the Bible and the teachings of the Lord... I find that through the years the Religions have changed so much that the basics have been completely lost...
Now that said I have to point out my experiences and why this question has plagued me...
Experience one was when I was a teenager...we had gone to church as usual on Sunday morning then a short while later that same day a person who claimed to be a devoted Christian decided that a 15 yr old made a good punching bag and that they were just making me a good Christian by punishing me for my sins(Although I was not sure what sin I had committed)...And understanding that spanking a child is necessary at times I could not see my Lord condoning beating one black and blue...
Experience two was when I was a young adult I had lost my way(after and abusive husband and other family members turning their back on me in my time of need) and was looking to find the path back to the Lord when I went into A church and sat through the sermon which was a very good sermon but then when we were all leaving I was shunned and told that my manner of dress was not appropriate for the Lord's house(at this time my only transportation was a Motorcycle so I was dressed in boots new Jeans and a new shirt with Jacket over it)... There were several of these experiences in several different churches of several different denominations over the following 10 years...needless to say this made my search to find my Lord much harder along with totally confusing me about what a true Christian was for I had seen so many sit and worship the Lord in church and then turn around at the end of that worship and degrade, insult, accuse, and discourage the fellow members of their congregation...this type of behavior made me really start doubting my faith I was not sure I wanted to be a Christian if it meant I had to practice this kind of Hypocrisy and show so much hatred to those who did not match the accepted look and lifestyle of the church...you see to me Christianity was loving all creatures of the earth and Treating my fellow man with love, understanding and tolerance just as Jesus had done....Nowhere I looked could I find this kind of Christianity around me...Then just as I was about to give up The Lord placed in my path someone who had nothing to do with the churches but everything to do with Jesus...He found me beaten and broken just putting one foot in front of the other walking through my life full of doubt and confusion wondering if I would ever find a true Christian to share my beliefs and worship with...we came together and the Lord immediately blessed me with warmth and understanding...this person taught me more about the Lord than any church ever had...He walked a path that led to the Lord it was not an accepted path according to those who go to Services on the Sabbath and walk out of the sermon and turn their backs on the Lord's teachings but more a lifestyle that copied that of Jesus...Teaching loving, and caring not just about those who came to the sermon but about all men, women, and children...together we traveled and we talked to the people... We helped where we could and where we couldn't we put them in touch with someone who could help them...We lived off the land and shared all that we had with those around us...to this day my friend's influence is strong in my heart and Jesus is in my soul...I no longer travel but I do help where needed and share what little I have with those around me...I try hard to share the knowledge the Lord has blessed me with and know that I am not perfect and sometimes need to be pointed back in the right direction but I have compassion, love, and respect for all around me...I always forgive those who have done me wrong and thank the Lord every day for the Blessings he has bestowed upon me...I know in my heart that I am Now a true Christian and living for The Lord is my life's goal...I have found Happiness and peace in my life now and am truly sure that the behavior I experienced from those who wished to conform me has done just that...It has pushed me To my Lords ways and I do not condemn their behavior for it did in fact help me to travel along that path but the question I started this post with still plagues me day in and day out for it is now a question I silently ask of everyone who "Preaches" the word of the Lord or proclaims to be a Christian...for if you are truly a Christian we can travel our path together and if you are Hypocrite I need to gently show you a better path to follow...
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