It seems that everywhere in the World Christians always complain about being victims of intolerance. I just had a conversation with a woman who claims that it is common in a certain West African country for Christians to be despised and looked down on. Now, I am no expert on this country but I have been there on occasion and retain close ties to it. I am certain that there is at least some intolerance towards Christians there as no country is immune to these types of attitudes (not just towards Christians from non-Christians). But in my first-hand experience and second-hand information from knowledgeable sources I am certain that it is not the norm. This country is about 95% Muslim and if they wanted to treat the Christians as second-class citizens or worse the Christians would be way outnumbered. Yet if they were so anti-Christian why would they celebrate Christmas? Why would they have a huge church in the middle of their capitol city? Why would Christians be protected by their constitution? Christians have for far too long cried victim. The days of Rome are over...shit, they own Rome now! Yes, there are places in the World where Christians are jailed and killed simply for being openly Christian. But this is true of every group of people in one place or another...Christians have no special claim to this. In fact, Christians have the most followers of any religion World wide! And in many places where they claim to be victims, especially here in the USA, they more or less run the country and have done so since the beginning. Christians historically have been intolerant of other faiths and although it ain't right, a lot of the intolerance towards Christians now is a reaction to that! This woman mentioned that when people that she knew (or heard about) in this country converted to Christianity it put a strain on the families and they were often times kicked out of the home...now I was not there so I can not say that this was the situation but I can completely imagine, based on the Born Agains I know here, they were probably constantly trying to convert the rest of the family, telling them that their beliefs were wrong and that they all would perish in Hell if they did not accept Jesus into their hearts and that is what probably caused the strain...not their conversion to Christianity but their constant disrespect for the other family members beliefs.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Re: Good Old Christian Terrorism
This is a response to a blog...actually it is more of a response to the responses of that blog...Click title above for original blog...
I follow Abrahamic scripture. I am not Jewish, Christian or Muslim yet at the same time, in a sense, I am all three. I know, sounds contradictory, but it works for me.
With that said, it astonishes me how so many of the faithful from any religion can claim to be so tolerant and yet in actions and words prove that they are not?
It amazes me how when someone from one’s own religion commits a heinous act that somehow they must not be true believers of that religion…yet when someone from another religion commits a heinous act that is just proof of what the other religion is really about?
It is a false belief that any one religion is about peace or violence. When it comes to the Abrahamic faiths it is both about peace and violence. It is obvious from the Torah, Bible and Qur’an that God states there is time for peace and time for violence. Destroying whole towns? Soddom & Gomorah? That was terrorism right there! Right and wrong is a human invention separate from God. Yahweh/Allah is a God of peace and violence as it serves His purposes.
As I have stated, I believe in the God of Abraham but I do not believe that my way is the only way and I derive this belief from scripture…the same scriptures that many that believe in the same God as I seem to miss. God works in mysterious ways so who am I to question?
At one time I was an agnostic with atheist leanings…I did not appreciate back then when the religious would try to convert me. As now as a religious person I still do not appreciate it…you see, no matter how religious you are, even if you are of the same basic belief system as them they will still try to convert you to their exact way of believing. I do not try to convert others so do not try to convert me…I am open to sharing and if what you have to say is truly the one and only way then your attempts at conversion would not be necessary…I would be compelled to believe, wouldn’t I?
Monday, November 19, 2007
Eye For An Eye...
DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU!
Exodus 21:22 - Exodus 21:25
If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Leviticus 24:17 - Leviticus 24:21
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast. And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
Deuteronomy 19:16 - Deuteronomy 19:21
If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Matthew 5:38 - Matthew 5:39
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
_________
These are passages from the books of the Bible but these are universal truths...We are within our rights to deliver equal justice to those that have wronged us. "An eye for an eye", This literally means that if one was to damage our eye that it is our right to damage thiers in return...but this is also meant to be taken figuratively, as in if one was to take our eye then we have the right to collect equal compensation for that eye in the form of either money, material possession or service. The latter is obviously a more "civilized" approach. But the MOST civilized approach of all, as stated in the last chapter, is to turn the other cheek...
A RIGHT man will take an eye for an eye...but a RIGHTEOUS man will turn the other cheek...me, I am not a righteous man, I will reciprocate any unjust action taken against me. So do unto me as you would have me do unto you! If I am in the wrong then turn your other cheek and I will reply in kind and turn mine. I will do unto you as you have done unto me...If you have treated me with respect and compassion I will treat you the same.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A Message to My Christian Brothers & Sisters
Something I found along the way...
A Message to My Christian Brothers & Sisters
I am not anti-Christian I just feel sorry for the 85% of Christians who are too deaf, dumb & blind to do anything but to just sit, listen and believe what the other 10% of Christians tell them...wait, there's still 5% left you say? Well those are the one's who know and accept the truth of so-called "Christianity" and do not lie to the people yet they go unheard...your so-called "Jesus" is coming back to bring His people to the kingdom of Heaven but more than likely you're not going with Him...
The answers are right in front of you, they are not hidden, they are in plain sight within the Holy Scriptures yet you refuse to look...sure, you read the Bible every Sunday but you fail to comprehend...you let your pastor, deacon, preacher, priest or pope interpret the meaning for you. God's word is simple, you do NOT need an intermediary, if you are of average intelligence and read with an open mind the meaning will become crystal clear! The Bible is not a book - it is a collection of books. The Bible you hold in your hand today is incomplete. Certain truths and historical facts have been purposefully left out so that certain concepts will remain unclear or even unknown except by the few...the 10% and the 5% of which I spoke of earlier.
You can become of the 5% and hopefully someday the 5% will grow into the 100%. There will no longer be a separation of Christians, Muslims and Jews. Each of these faiths are the same...they all believe in the Messiah. I offer you no proof here for it is time for you to stand up and shake the shackles of your church leaders from your person. For you to grow in Spirit you must first know the Spirit on your own terms and not on the terms of those who wish to keep the Spirit within you subdued. The funny thing is that Truth is universal...sure we all have our own opinions and often times even the "facts" do not agree but as we seek and dig deeper we find that we all come closer to the same Truth...even those of us who begin on opposite sides of the spectrum. It's as if a person on one side of the World begins to dig into the Earth as another begins to dig on the opposite side...they will both eventually make it to the center or the "Truth". Now I know many of you reading this might be saying to yourselves that it is impossible to dig to the center of the Earth, well in essence, that's the point! At our current level of technology it is impossible as it is impossible for the majority of the population to reach the absolute Truth until they can remove these obstacles and defilements that clutter the mind which does not allow them to be truly "thinking" and fully sentient beings rather than robots who are programmed with only the information their masters wish them to have. You say you are no robot and you are fully capable to make up your own mind and form your own opinions??? This may be true, however, more than likely you are making up your own mind and forming your own opinions off of incomplete or altogether false information. It's not that the information is hidden or under lock and key it is for the most part easily accessible but like with most things in life you have to put forth at least a minimal amount of effort to retrieve it! Do you hear something or read something and automatically believe it or disbelieve it based on the author or the subject matter without first trying to gather more information from alternate sources or even sitting back and opening your mind and meditate on the answer before coming to your conclusions? Be honest with yourself now. This is what I mean by digging deeper.
Your religion is not wrong. Your so-called "Christ" is real. God is real. Salvation is real...it is all real. It's just that the meanings of these things have been blurred by the need for money, power, lust and fame. Do not rely on your religious leaders to show you the Truth it is up to you to find the Truth for yourself. We were made in 'His' image so 'He' is within Us...the knowledge is already there...you just need to dig deeper to find it.
In conclusion it is not my intent to sway you from your religious leaders as many of them are just like you...they have been misguided as well, and even though many of them are very knowledgeable on these matters, what they say must be taken with a grain of salt...these people are meant to be guides not authorities...only you are the authority of your own knowledge and understanding. At the end of the day it is what you believe that counts and not those of others no matter what kind of accreditation they may have.
May peace be with you all...
- signed, "A Son of Abraham".
