On Religion
(Something on my mind, something I pulled from my personal journal. I've just been doing some thinking is all...)
My relationship with God is really a personal one. I think some people would be appalled at the way I pray. If anyone listened, they'd be like, "Who are you talking to?" I typically pray as though I'm talking to my best friend. Which is something that I think is a lovely thing and the way that it should be. For me, God is my best friend and my father and my savior. I pray to him mostly like, "Hey God. What's up? I've pretty much had a fantastic day, thank you very much!" etc. etc.
I also am a very firm supporter of gay rights. And to me, I can't understand why a God who loves his children would make his child gay and then condemn them to Hell. That's just something that I don't understand. I know gay people who have amazing relationships with God because they love him and know that he loves them too.
Here's my take on the Bible. God may have inspired people to write the Bible, but the truth of the matter is that man wrote the Bible. It's very possible that bias was a part of writing the Bible. I feel like there are some mistakes. It's like the story of the two people crucified with Jesus, and the conversation between them and Jesus. I love that story and it is overlooked by Mark and Matthew, who tell of Jesus's death in detail. Luke, on the other hand, discusses it. And the robber says, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (Luke 23:43) And this is what is said at the Stations of the Cross. But yet Mark and Matthew leave this story out. I think it's important...and just one example of how the Bible wavers. Plus there's that whole thing about the number of people who wrote for the Bible and the editor who had to pick and choose. That would be fun to research.
Which is something that the DaVinci code brings up. Trust me, I am completely aware that it's fictional. And I'm totally cool with that. But it talks and thinks like I do, and what made me laugh is the amount of people who attacked it. It's like, I can separate fact and fiction. But speculation is part of this whole thing. Wondering plays a role. I guess I don't see what the big deal is about Mary Magdalene? Why couldn't Jesus have had a wife? A child? I don't understand the big deal. Because we are allowed to be in love...God and Jesus understands all of our emotions. I feel like they know love too. And perhaps so on a very personal relationship. I'd like to believe that Jesus knows that love and that perhaps Mary Magdalene was a little bit edited. It's a possibility. I think.
I mean, why shouldn’t a man who is preaching God’s word be able to end his mass and go home to a wife and kids? He would be demonstrating the love of God. I feel like God deserves love-Jesus deserved to have that love. He was part human after all. Would God want his people to never feel love, other than His? I feel like that is being really selfish and I don’t think God would do that to people. “Here, teach my word that says you should love people and feel love and know love and yet you can only love me!” I don’t think He’d do that…
Next bit is simply that I've thought a bit about becoming Catholic. I thought about it when Danielle became Catholic. I've been thinking more about it recently because of Peter and I talking. And also us not talking...his example is a lot too. And here's some of my thoughts on being Catholic.
It's a little structured and I like that because I am intimidated by churches where people raise their hands and cry and stuff. But I don't like feeling like I'm in a cult either, which is something I've felt about Catholic services. You've got to repeat everything. My idea of going to church is someone talking, perhaps saying, "this passage may mean this, and look what we can learn from it." I like listening to people sing, but I don't need to learn the words...I am the sort who would love to sit in the back of church, practically unnoticed, and pray silently. To me, God and I are so close that I need to have that one on one thing, and a group is awesome, but I just need to be with Him like that.
I also am not such a fan of confession. Because of my relationship with God, I don't need a middle man. I talk with God all the time. I let God know I'm feeling horrible for my sins. I repent almost immediately. I've been making a huge effort to keep that in check, just as everyone else does. But like I said before, a middle man isn't necessary for me to confess. My knees are all I need for that. And I know God has told me that that is fine. So I guess I just don't feel like the Catholic church needs to tell me that I need to confess in the way they want me to.
It's like the idea of church too. I don't feel like I need to be in a church to worship my god. I feel God more when I'm in the woods. Like last night. I just feel God emanating from the trees, the ground, the sky, the moon. I can't believe that people don't feel that. It's just...I feel it in my hands. It's such an amazing feeling. And that's where my God and I are joined fully. That is where I worship best.
I guess I would probably love to have a community to be in. A community to raise my kids in when I start a family. I would love to and will raise my children to know my God. And I guess that's something I think about too. I never felt like my mother was someone who was hypocritical about her relationship. My mom was Catholic, but never raised us Catholic. I sort of wish that I'd been baptized, simply because I feel like I'm looked down upon...
Wait a minute. I don't, or I won't anymore, feel looked down upon. I've been baptized in God by giving myself twice to Him. I want to make it official at one point, and that'll be the third time. I just... God and I have talked about this and figured that at one point I will choose a denomination to be baptized under. And that's why I have these circular debates.
I've just been thinking about it all. I think that God has blessed me. I think about all the things that God has given me...the people, and the gifts as well. I can make such a difference in this world. And God has given me gifts: power, drive, passion, love, compassion, healing. I'm thankful for those right now. And I will know one day soon how to go about this. Until then, I'm praying and enjoying the life God's given me. We'll work the details out as we go.
(I'd love to know your thoughts.)
My relationship with God is really a personal one. I think some people would be appalled at the way I pray. If anyone listened, they'd be like, "Who are you talking to?" I typically pray as though I'm talking to my best friend. Which is something that I think is a lovely thing and the way that it should be. For me, God is my best friend and my father and my savior. I pray to him mostly like, "Hey God. What's up? I've pretty much had a fantastic day, thank you very much!" etc. etc.
I also am a very firm supporter of gay rights. And to me, I can't understand why a God who loves his children would make his child gay and then condemn them to Hell. That's just something that I don't understand. I know gay people who have amazing relationships with God because they love him and know that he loves them too.
Here's my take on the Bible. God may have inspired people to write the Bible, but the truth of the matter is that man wrote the Bible. It's very possible that bias was a part of writing the Bible. I feel like there are some mistakes. It's like the story of the two people crucified with Jesus, and the conversation between them and Jesus. I love that story and it is overlooked by Mark and Matthew, who tell of Jesus's death in detail. Luke, on the other hand, discusses it. And the robber says, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (Luke 23:43) And this is what is said at the Stations of the Cross. But yet Mark and Matthew leave this story out. I think it's important...and just one example of how the Bible wavers. Plus there's that whole thing about the number of people who wrote for the Bible and the editor who had to pick and choose. That would be fun to research.
Which is something that the DaVinci code brings up. Trust me, I am completely aware that it's fictional. And I'm totally cool with that. But it talks and thinks like I do, and what made me laugh is the amount of people who attacked it. It's like, I can separate fact and fiction. But speculation is part of this whole thing. Wondering plays a role. I guess I don't see what the big deal is about Mary Magdalene? Why couldn't Jesus have had a wife? A child? I don't understand the big deal. Because we are allowed to be in love...God and Jesus understands all of our emotions. I feel like they know love too. And perhaps so on a very personal relationship. I'd like to believe that Jesus knows that love and that perhaps Mary Magdalene was a little bit edited. It's a possibility. I think.
I mean, why shouldn’t a man who is preaching God’s word be able to end his mass and go home to a wife and kids? He would be demonstrating the love of God. I feel like God deserves love-Jesus deserved to have that love. He was part human after all. Would God want his people to never feel love, other than His? I feel like that is being really selfish and I don’t think God would do that to people. “Here, teach my word that says you should love people and feel love and know love and yet you can only love me!” I don’t think He’d do that…
Next bit is simply that I've thought a bit about becoming Catholic. I thought about it when Danielle became Catholic. I've been thinking more about it recently because of Peter and I talking. And also us not talking...his example is a lot too. And here's some of my thoughts on being Catholic.
It's a little structured and I like that because I am intimidated by churches where people raise their hands and cry and stuff. But I don't like feeling like I'm in a cult either, which is something I've felt about Catholic services. You've got to repeat everything. My idea of going to church is someone talking, perhaps saying, "this passage may mean this, and look what we can learn from it." I like listening to people sing, but I don't need to learn the words...I am the sort who would love to sit in the back of church, practically unnoticed, and pray silently. To me, God and I are so close that I need to have that one on one thing, and a group is awesome, but I just need to be with Him like that.
I also am not such a fan of confession. Because of my relationship with God, I don't need a middle man. I talk with God all the time. I let God know I'm feeling horrible for my sins. I repent almost immediately. I've been making a huge effort to keep that in check, just as everyone else does. But like I said before, a middle man isn't necessary for me to confess. My knees are all I need for that. And I know God has told me that that is fine. So I guess I just don't feel like the Catholic church needs to tell me that I need to confess in the way they want me to.
It's like the idea of church too. I don't feel like I need to be in a church to worship my god. I feel God more when I'm in the woods. Like last night. I just feel God emanating from the trees, the ground, the sky, the moon. I can't believe that people don't feel that. It's just...I feel it in my hands. It's such an amazing feeling. And that's where my God and I are joined fully. That is where I worship best.
I guess I would probably love to have a community to be in. A community to raise my kids in when I start a family. I would love to and will raise my children to know my God. And I guess that's something I think about too. I never felt like my mother was someone who was hypocritical about her relationship. My mom was Catholic, but never raised us Catholic. I sort of wish that I'd been baptized, simply because I feel like I'm looked down upon...
Wait a minute. I don't, or I won't anymore, feel looked down upon. I've been baptized in God by giving myself twice to Him. I want to make it official at one point, and that'll be the third time. I just... God and I have talked about this and figured that at one point I will choose a denomination to be baptized under. And that's why I have these circular debates.
I've just been thinking about it all. I think that God has blessed me. I think about all the things that God has given me...the people, and the gifts as well. I can make such a difference in this world. And God has given me gifts: power, drive, passion, love, compassion, healing. I'm thankful for those right now. And I will know one day soon how to go about this. Until then, I'm praying and enjoying the life God's given me. We'll work the details out as we go.
(I'd love to know your thoughts.)