Primitive Christianity
Church is a subject that more and more people are sneering at nowadays. Indeed, many people are looking at church with skeptical eyes. They ask themselves, "How can church be truth when what it says is proven utterly false by science?" And they've got a good point, and I agree. A lot of religion is contradicted by science, and science is the more reliable pick for truth.
And yet, two thousand years ago a man came along who healed tons of people from their diseases, reformed and restored the hearts of sinners, and even raised people from the dead. His demonstrations of God's power to heal were plentiful enough to prove that his healing work was more than just coincidence. There was truth in what he was doing.
If what he was doing was true, and modern science is also true, then there must be some common ground, somewhere, to unite such seemingly totally opposed views. And science is more than just a view or opinion--it IS truth and should be counted as such. GLOBAL WARMING IS A FACT. EVOLUTION IS A FACT. Is it possible that there is some religious philosophy out there that is also truth, that doesn't contradict this science but goes hand in hand with science? Right now, popular religion doesn't seem to offer this. And yet, thousands of years ago truth from a religious standpoint was being demonstrated. One might ask, "where did religion go wrong?"
Jesus' Christianity was very different from the popular Christianity practiced today. His Christianity was known as a cult, as the Jesus Cult. It's followers were few and they were heavily persecuted and even killed for what they believed. They didn't have church services in big fancy buildings, and often when they did have church it was with just a few people gathered around the fire discussing what spirituality was and how they could be better healers. There was no formal service planned out. Jesus' definiton of church was a place "where two or three are gathered together in my name..." This is not modern popular Christianity, where one goes to a fancy church and listens to some man (or woman, now with the Episcopalians--hooray!) instruct you on how to live your life, even though his opinion is really only a personal opinion.
Maybe if Christianity were to return to its roots, genuine truth would be found. Maybe the link between science and religion would be established. God would be understood for what He truly is, and he would be understood in the light of both religion and science.
Perhaps the common ground between science and religion has something to do with the simple power of love.
Science says, "GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING, PEOPLE!!!" At heart, this warning is love being expressed. If we pay attention to science and follow its teachings, we lessen and avoid suffering. If we realize that global warming is a fact, then we can prevent global warming from causing more damage and eventually causing death (if it hasn't already). Science is love. If we obey science, we live in greater safety.
Original Christianity was also all about love. In fact, God is described AS love. John writes, "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." The motive behind Jesus' healings was to make this love be manifested to mankind. He was preventing suffering. His mission sounds a lot like the mission of science; both strive to let love govern our lives. One could argue that Jesus was a scientist.
I've been thinking about these things a lot this summer, since I am working for a church. And I'm working for a church whose mission is to "...reinstate primitive Christianity, and its lost element of healing." With a mission like that, it's no wonder this topic has been on my mind. For me, (and my saying this isn't trying to sell anything; I really dislike it when people try to sell their religion) what I've realized is that Christian Science is the way of truth, which relieves from all suffering. It is Jesus' religion. Its method of healing seems to be the same method he practiced, and Christian Science has been effectively healing lots of people for over a century. After this summer, I have been totally floored time and again by the church I belong to.
If you were to walk inside a Christian Science church, you would probably notice the presence of a quotation, which reads, "God is Love." This quotation is not actually in EVERY Christian Science church, but it is in about 99% of them, I'd say. That's a fairly simple idea. It's also extremely profound. That idea, to me, is the ultimate truth. It is what science is slowly affirming God to be. It is what Jesus knew as God. He relied on a God who was infinite Love to bring healing. That idea, that God is Love, is at the heart and soul of primitive Christianity, of science, of life, and of the universe. And realizing this truth brings healing and ends suffering, at least it has for me.
And yet, two thousand years ago a man came along who healed tons of people from their diseases, reformed and restored the hearts of sinners, and even raised people from the dead. His demonstrations of God's power to heal were plentiful enough to prove that his healing work was more than just coincidence. There was truth in what he was doing.
If what he was doing was true, and modern science is also true, then there must be some common ground, somewhere, to unite such seemingly totally opposed views. And science is more than just a view or opinion--it IS truth and should be counted as such. GLOBAL WARMING IS A FACT. EVOLUTION IS A FACT. Is it possible that there is some religious philosophy out there that is also truth, that doesn't contradict this science but goes hand in hand with science? Right now, popular religion doesn't seem to offer this. And yet, thousands of years ago truth from a religious standpoint was being demonstrated. One might ask, "where did religion go wrong?"
Jesus' Christianity was very different from the popular Christianity practiced today. His Christianity was known as a cult, as the Jesus Cult. It's followers were few and they were heavily persecuted and even killed for what they believed. They didn't have church services in big fancy buildings, and often when they did have church it was with just a few people gathered around the fire discussing what spirituality was and how they could be better healers. There was no formal service planned out. Jesus' definiton of church was a place "where two or three are gathered together in my name..." This is not modern popular Christianity, where one goes to a fancy church and listens to some man (or woman, now with the Episcopalians--hooray!) instruct you on how to live your life, even though his opinion is really only a personal opinion.
Maybe if Christianity were to return to its roots, genuine truth would be found. Maybe the link between science and religion would be established. God would be understood for what He truly is, and he would be understood in the light of both religion and science.
Perhaps the common ground between science and religion has something to do with the simple power of love.
Science says, "GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING, PEOPLE!!!" At heart, this warning is love being expressed. If we pay attention to science and follow its teachings, we lessen and avoid suffering. If we realize that global warming is a fact, then we can prevent global warming from causing more damage and eventually causing death (if it hasn't already). Science is love. If we obey science, we live in greater safety.
Original Christianity was also all about love. In fact, God is described AS love. John writes, "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." The motive behind Jesus' healings was to make this love be manifested to mankind. He was preventing suffering. His mission sounds a lot like the mission of science; both strive to let love govern our lives. One could argue that Jesus was a scientist.
I've been thinking about these things a lot this summer, since I am working for a church. And I'm working for a church whose mission is to "...reinstate primitive Christianity, and its lost element of healing." With a mission like that, it's no wonder this topic has been on my mind. For me, (and my saying this isn't trying to sell anything; I really dislike it when people try to sell their religion) what I've realized is that Christian Science is the way of truth, which relieves from all suffering. It is Jesus' religion. Its method of healing seems to be the same method he practiced, and Christian Science has been effectively healing lots of people for over a century. After this summer, I have been totally floored time and again by the church I belong to.
If you were to walk inside a Christian Science church, you would probably notice the presence of a quotation, which reads, "God is Love." This quotation is not actually in EVERY Christian Science church, but it is in about 99% of them, I'd say. That's a fairly simple idea. It's also extremely profound. That idea, to me, is the ultimate truth. It is what science is slowly affirming God to be. It is what Jesus knew as God. He relied on a God who was infinite Love to bring healing. That idea, that God is Love, is at the heart and soul of primitive Christianity, of science, of life, and of the universe. And realizing this truth brings healing and ends suffering, at least it has for me.