I wrote an Easter Children's play called - Reason to Believe. Fairly self explanatory I think.
As i'm standing outside my soon to be ex office though, watching black birds fly overhead, I am reminded WHY people don't believe.
Imagine a story where a prophet is fed by ravens day after day. I told the blackbirds to fetch me money... that's not going to happen [I've done it before you see].
Oh, here's one: a prophet goes into a room, prays for a dead child and he wakes. Or how about the Apostles - whose shadows alone had the power to heal the sick.
Now, let's not forget, these acts were done through God, with God's help to DEMONSTRATE the power of the Living God... it's just funny to me that we don't seem to see that kind of thing happen anymore. Or maybe i'm blind to the obvious manifestations.
Oh but those are just stories meant to inspire good and strength. Clearly you haven't visited the Church. These are real. These things actually happened on the Earth. When i was younger I wanted that kind of power, but i realised, maybe i just wanted to show off. TWICE i tried to call back someone from death. Didn't work.
Next comes the obvious fail safe: We cannot expect the same things that happened all those years ago to happen now. You're right, I expect more. That's actually in your scriptures "greater things than these..." If what we read is true, why shouldn't a dead teenage girl be told - "Arise in Jesus' name" and it is so?
Sidebar: There are ACTUAL Theists who say that [re: "can't expect the same...].
The same one who agree that The Word is alive today.
Well we don't know what God's plans are. He has a reason. Funny how that works. Christians [especially Full Gospel ones] appropriate the scriptures strangely. On the one hand, when praying for the sick, they/we remind each other to "Come boldly before the Throne of Grace" but when someone dies - hands go up. How about we start with, "God, whatever Thy will is... let it be done."
The really fun part begins when the Theist starts questioning - what went wrong, Lord? Like my mom.
We spent a great deal of cash fixing the kitchen [again, contractors have a place in Hell] and was TWICE shafted. At one point she thought, it was because we spent the money wrong. Should've put more in Tithes or something [non-theists wouldn't understand]. Of course, it has been MY experience that to NOT do something means equal stress. No magical contractor comes to my family; if we don't scream and pout and actively go out and do things... it rarely happens. So the wonderful logic that it just happens is flawed.
One time, I heard of a woman who set her table and food showed up. I did that once...
Now to be fair, there was the odd and OPPORTUNE time when my second mother Joan Martin showed up or my uncle or the BEST ONE - a lady from Church who had the feeling to bring food for us for a couple weeks now... but she hesitated. We stayed hungry because she hesitated. CHRISTIANS ARE THE BEST YOU KNOW! I believe that God provides opportunities for us to grow/make things happen. That doesn't mean I don't believe in miracles.
Sidebar: It's not Catholics and Christians eh. More on that in other post...
Let me tip the boat a second here: So we don't believe in abortion [by the way, who ELSE BUT those already born, should talk about Abortion Laws?]; let's say a girl makes a mistake or is abused and gets pregnant; she doesn't want the child BUT a well adjusted, financially secure, tax paying gay couple wants it... what's your position? And that's just ONE issue. It's like how we LOVE science... until it conflicts.
You see, we say things like: "man loves darkness because his deeds are evil" and "What in the dark must come to the light" but when it comes to the light... scream it back into the darkness. That's progressive.
I saw a headline that a lot of people don't want to be tied to the title of Christian because of all the baggage. That's a scary notion, for that is what we are. And Christians are supposed to be innovative and original, not... this.
Admittedly, this isn't the post i was going to do. I had questions. LOTS of questions that I'd just post for you all to answer. But if I've learned anything is, never expect a Theist to answer a question. And i know this confirms it for my brother - that I'm a closet Atheist - not true. I don't know anything at this point. I once thought I could be a bridge [between Theists and Atheists; straights and gays; Christians and everybody] but that's not my role. I just hope the next version of Christianity is not a disappointment to its followers or its GOD.
Pax
As i'm standing outside my soon to be ex office though, watching black birds fly overhead, I am reminded WHY people don't believe.
Imagine a story where a prophet is fed by ravens day after day. I told the blackbirds to fetch me money... that's not going to happen [I've done it before you see].
Oh, here's one: a prophet goes into a room, prays for a dead child and he wakes. Or how about the Apostles - whose shadows alone had the power to heal the sick.
Now, let's not forget, these acts were done through God, with God's help to DEMONSTRATE the power of the Living God... it's just funny to me that we don't seem to see that kind of thing happen anymore. Or maybe i'm blind to the obvious manifestations.
Oh but those are just stories meant to inspire good and strength. Clearly you haven't visited the Church. These are real. These things actually happened on the Earth. When i was younger I wanted that kind of power, but i realised, maybe i just wanted to show off. TWICE i tried to call back someone from death. Didn't work.
Next comes the obvious fail safe: We cannot expect the same things that happened all those years ago to happen now. You're right, I expect more. That's actually in your scriptures "greater things than these..." If what we read is true, why shouldn't a dead teenage girl be told - "Arise in Jesus' name" and it is so?
Sidebar: There are ACTUAL Theists who say that [re: "can't expect the same...].
The same one who agree that The Word is alive today.
Well we don't know what God's plans are. He has a reason. Funny how that works. Christians [especially Full Gospel ones] appropriate the scriptures strangely. On the one hand, when praying for the sick, they/we remind each other to "Come boldly before the Throne of Grace" but when someone dies - hands go up. How about we start with, "God, whatever Thy will is... let it be done."
The really fun part begins when the Theist starts questioning - what went wrong, Lord? Like my mom.
We spent a great deal of cash fixing the kitchen [again, contractors have a place in Hell] and was TWICE shafted. At one point she thought, it was because we spent the money wrong. Should've put more in Tithes or something [non-theists wouldn't understand]. Of course, it has been MY experience that to NOT do something means equal stress. No magical contractor comes to my family; if we don't scream and pout and actively go out and do things... it rarely happens. So the wonderful logic that it just happens is flawed.
One time, I heard of a woman who set her table and food showed up. I did that once...
Now to be fair, there was the odd and OPPORTUNE time when my second mother Joan Martin showed up or my uncle or the BEST ONE - a lady from Church who had the feeling to bring food for us for a couple weeks now... but she hesitated. We stayed hungry because she hesitated. CHRISTIANS ARE THE BEST YOU KNOW! I believe that God provides opportunities for us to grow/make things happen. That doesn't mean I don't believe in miracles.
Sidebar: It's not Catholics and Christians eh. More on that in other post...
Let me tip the boat a second here: So we don't believe in abortion [by the way, who ELSE BUT those already born, should talk about Abortion Laws?]; let's say a girl makes a mistake or is abused and gets pregnant; she doesn't want the child BUT a well adjusted, financially secure, tax paying gay couple wants it... what's your position? And that's just ONE issue. It's like how we LOVE science... until it conflicts.
You see, we say things like: "man loves darkness because his deeds are evil" and "What in the dark must come to the light" but when it comes to the light... scream it back into the darkness. That's progressive.
I saw a headline that a lot of people don't want to be tied to the title of Christian because of all the baggage. That's a scary notion, for that is what we are. And Christians are supposed to be innovative and original, not... this.
Admittedly, this isn't the post i was going to do. I had questions. LOTS of questions that I'd just post for you all to answer. But if I've learned anything is, never expect a Theist to answer a question. And i know this confirms it for my brother - that I'm a closet Atheist - not true. I don't know anything at this point. I once thought I could be a bridge [between Theists and Atheists; straights and gays; Christians and everybody] but that's not my role. I just hope the next version of Christianity is not a disappointment to its followers or its GOD.
Pax
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