A New Attack on Christianity

I was scanning news articles and came upon this one. It seems that in England you can no longer be a foster parent if you are a Christian. Regulating what you can teach your children is a form of tyranny that has a long history. In America it was illegal to teach slaves to read and write, in Ireland (under English rule) it was illegal to teach Gaelic (the Irish language).

In the end this is not just an attack upon Christianity, it is an attack upon privacy and on parenthood, it is the state determining what you can and cannot teach your children. It is particularly ironic that it is happening in England as the monarchy has historically believed and promoted the idea that they were appointed by God to lead the nation. If you wish to read something interesting try this article on the coronation stone.

The coronation ceremony itself is a religious ceremony where the new monarch is presented with a bible and promises that it will be the source of the law for the country. I guess they don't really mean it. It is important to remember that the Prince of Wales is the head of the church of England. Prince Charles recently said that Christians should be more like Muslims (I posted on that previously). Where then does their "right" to rule come from?

Here is where the real confusion begins. If England is no longer a "Christian" nation; but, is instead now a multicultural nation, how do the non-Christians support the monarchy at all, by what logic? Many people are under the misunderstanding that the monarchy no longer has political authority; however, it was the monarchy that closed down the Canadian Parliament about a year ago.

As I have said before, Christianity in Europe is quickly dying and has been for decades. It is dying in the United States also. It is not dying because there is no prayer in schools or because schools teach creationism, it is dying because those who call themselves "Christians" do not exhibit christian virtues. Polls constantly show that Christians live and act just like non-Christians.

When the divorce rate for Christians and the adultery rates are the same as for non-Christians then you have a problem. The problem comes from what is being taught in churches. I know people that attend church and bring their children; but, they don't believe in God. They like the morals taught and want their children to know them; but, they ignore the parts about God. What is not taught is the importance of faith (belief that one lives by and relies on, trust, not simple belief).

With organized religion being attacked and quelled, what are Christians to do? I believe the answer is simple, go back to the basics and don't worry, have faith. Live an honest life of integrity in everything you do, you will make mistakes; but, it is better to go out fighting the good fight than succeed in fighting for lies and greed.

God is the sentience of the universe and we all have a part of that, we know it inside ourselves, we are self aware, a part of the universe of self awareness. We can know God at any given second; but, we choose not to. If one accepts the fact that God knows every thought you have it can be a little intimidating because we are so happy to lie to ourselves, justifying our actions that we know are wrong.

To any Christians that may read this, hang tight, it only gets harder. That is the promise in the New Testament, become a Christian and live the life and things just get harder. The problem people have with true Christianity is that it says we are to love one another and live by forgiving. The problem government has with Christianity is that it puts God above the state and the state does not like competition (read the first linked article again).

The New Testament makes it very clear that we are not supposed to shove Christianity down anyone's throats or force others to live a "Christian" life. There is no such thing as a "Christian" nation and nowhere in the bible does it say that we should have one, it says we should have a community of believers (that is the church).

Anyone who tells you that God wants you to be wealthy is a liar. Anyone who tells you that if you are a Christian you will a easy life is a liar. "Pastors" that focus on getting cookies are liars. Churches that focus on actions or sin are perverting the real message and leading the sheep astray. Actions do not lead to faith, faith leads to changed actions, if it does not then it is not true faith.

Some people ask how there can be a God that allows all of the horrible things in the world to occur, try reading the book, it says things get ever worse, he didn't hide it and said it would be bad. Where your treasures are, there is your true heart. If you treasure cookies (be they round things or shiny things) then you miss out on the real treasure, doing the right thing for the right reason and upsetting everyone. It is not about the other people doing the right thing, it is about you and me doing the right thing.

Faith is not about stopping sin, that is not possible, it is about spreading good and the world can use some of that. I often tell people that there is no point in me lying, we already have plenty of liars and the world does not need one more. We don't need anymore selfish people, crooks, pedophiles or jerks, we have plenty of all of those. Be well and have a great day.

UPDATE

I should be editing a report and will; but, I came across this article and it was relevant to what I had just written. A married Pastor in New Jersey was apparently having an affair with another single pastor. She apparently broke it off so he stabbed her in the face. Another pastor in commenting on the situation mentioned how the stabber was a pillar of the community and said he didn't know what God wanted people to make of it. Huh? Lets start with the simple.

Neither of them should have been pastors in the first place. The bible says pastors are to be the husband of one wife, that is what it says. There are other requirements and I don't meet them all. In fact, many of the people in the bible don't meet them. Heck, Noah didn't meet them all; but, he wasn't a pastor. Different jobs have different purposes and different requirements. How can you claim to believe in the bible when you disagree with what it says? If the teachers live like non-Christians then this is what you get.

The stabber had been previously married, he certainly was not the husband of one wife. He was also apparently having an affair with another pastor, neither was a good example. We are forgiven for our sins and we make mistakes, all of us. You just have to stop trying to justify them and see them for what they are. Organized religion has and is eliminating the bible's requirements for being a teacher and as a consequence, they teach lies.

The Catholic religion (and I grew up in that church) does not allow priests to marry; but, the bible says that they are to be the husband of no more than one wife, which indicates to me that married teachers are okay. That is one extreme. Other churches now allow homosexuals, previously married people and women to be teachers. These churches do not understand that the role of teacher is not just about understanding and being able to explain the bible, it is about following it and being an example.

I drink wine, I have been married and plan to again someday, I do not qualify to be a pastor. That does not mean that I cannot talk about or write about what I believe; but, I do not do it from a position of authority, I am not an example of the things that are required. How can a preacher teach people that promiscuity is wrong and that we can have successful marriages if the preacher fails, you cannot teach what you do not know yourself.

Nobody deserves to be stabbed in the face, nobody has the right to attack another because they have been spurned. I pray for her recovery and that he comes to seek true forgiveness and change his heart. Neither should ever be allowed to be a preacher again and should not have in the first place. They should tell their story so that others can learn from it, that is their testimony and we are all called upon to give ours here and in heaven. What will you say? Most of mine is on this blog.

In England neither of these pastors would be allowed to be foster parents; but, they would be allowed to be pastors and people support that. What can you learn from a pastor who can tell you what they did wrong; but, not how to do things right? Christianity is dying because the leadership does not live by it. If you want to find a preacher, start by insisting that they meet the requirements. Then, make sure they are teaching faith that leads to changed lives, not changed lives that lead to faith.

I detest churches that focus their flock on gay marriage or getting things, it is anti-Christian. The church is there to teach faith and show others how they can live a more moral life. It is not supposed to be about government, laws or attacking non-Christians for their lifestyle. It is about leading by example. The same failing we see in government, business and the church, we allow leaders who are bad examples.

Sorry, while I was writing this I received a call that caused me to lose my train of thought. Someone I love insists upon making the same mistake time and time again and does not wish to accept that they will continue to get the same results. Maybe that is the point, let go of the cookies.

UPDATE 2

I came across another article that seems on point. The article talks about how the New American Bible is updating some language. Instead of using the word cereal, it will use the word grain. Instead of using the word booty, it will say the "spoils of war" and instead of saying virgin, it will say "young woman". Wait a second, every young woman is not a virgin. Why would they change that?

Everywhere I find corruption, I find sexual immorality. Eating, breathing and sex are basic functions. Learning to control those urges helps us to make mature choices in other areas. If we cannot manage those urges then we tend to not do as well in other areas.