Religion can be harmful!

Religion can be harmful!

Religion can be dangerous because it is usually run by men. Religion usually ends up in the hands of a few men that determine the interpretation of God’s words for us; they make all the rules and traditions that we are to follow. Religion is often fueled by fear and it is anchored in our conscious. Our conscious can be right or wrong. Our conscious has generally been shaped by some type of religion, a religion that we have been taught by men. We tend to listen more to men of the church than the Holy Spirit. Religious followers tend to turn to men of the church rather than God when in doubt.

There are usually a group of dedicated followers that are dependent on a group of men to understand where they stand with God. These men determine who will go to hell and heaven by how they interpret God’s words.

Jesus did not come to improve or extend the legalistic temple model of religion.  Jesus came to start something new. I have only recently realized this during a serious bout of bad health that kept me in bed for approximately six weeks. I once believe Jesus did not come to establish a new religion (Christianity), but to improve the Jewish religion. I no longer believe that.

I now believe Jesus came to establish something entirely new. Something without thousands of rules and traditions made by man, but one simple commandment LOVE! One simple law LOVE! One simple rule LOVE! This one law is what all our decisions should be based on.  When we are not sure what we are to do we should ask ourselves what love requires of us?

Jesus did not come to establish a place (a House of the Lord).  Jesus came to establish a new movement of people. Jesus came to establish a movement that was for all people for all times. It was a movement that was to be focused on people (one another) not the temple or a church building.

Jesus did not want the old mixed with the new, but unfortunately man has mixed the old temple ways with the new Jesus movement and they have ruined what Jesus came to establish. The only thing that counts is faith expressed through love, love expressed for other people. Too many are trying to express love through a denomination (a church building) a denomination or building created by man not Christ.

Our bodies are TEMPLES, our bodies are sacred, and no building or denomination is more sacred than we are. Our bodies are holy and contain the Spirit of God.

The early Christians had only one thing and that was an extraordinary love for one another. They had no Bible not even the Old Testament.  They followed one law LOVE ONE ANOTHER! They put the person next to them ahead of themselves.

Constantine, an emperor, built the first churches.  He passed a law churches did not have to pay taxes so all the rich people started turning their property into churches to avoid taxes.  They would take in orphans and overnight Christianity became inseparable from the empire.  Christianity became more empire than Christianity. Men then began to determine how God’s word would be interpreted by all.

The Nicene Creed was the results of a political issue. Some believed Christ received his Divinity as a reward for what He accomplished on earth and other believed He was born with his Divinity. Constantine did not want the debate to continue. Constantine who was not a theologian put out an edict all material relating to Jesus not being born Devine should be destroyed and if not destroyed the person holding it will be put to death. Thereafter believing the wrong thing was a crime. Christians arrested Christians for believing the wrong thing. Man became the gate keeper to heaven and hell and in many instances it remains that way in 2016.

We Christians talk about the Crusaders killing pagans, but few know we also killed Jewish men, women and children for crucifying Christ and taking all their possessions. Hitler was not the first to take revenge on the Jews. This all followed the Council of Trent. It was all done in the name of God.

1517 Martin Luther wanted to reform the Church not destroy it. Scripture not the Church became the authority and the Protestant movement began. We began to move back to the command to love, but we have never really returned to the original movement Christ came to establish among people. In my opinion denomination is still more important to many than love and we see this in the denominations anti-gay movement just as the church was pro-slavery and segregation. The Church denominations still use the Bible as weapon instead of an instrument of love. Protestants and Catholics continue to beat people over the head with their interpretations of the Bible today.

What we see as sin has been shaped by man. Some feel guiltier about missing Mass or church services than mistreating others. Some fear over the eternal life of their child who dies and was not baptized because of the interpretation of men and not God. Putting water on the head of anyone does not determine if they go to heaven or not.  Does other people’s failure make you feel superior instead of making you sad if it does you do not love as Christ commanded us to?

If everyone got up thinking God is fine with me and now I must make myself fine with others the world would be what Jesus Christ wanted it to be filled with LOVE? If you truly love others you are in line with the Gospel. If you love like Christ commanded you will love God. Love will be the basis for your interpretation of God’s word.

When we begin to live by God’s command and not man the people of the world will know we are Christians by our love.

STUDY-PRAY-READ-LISTEN TO ALL SIDES-TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT IS BEST FOR OTHERS- THEN THINK FOR YOURSELF.

Did Jesus teach us to pray "Lead us not into temptation"?

Did Jesus teach us to pray “lead us not into temptation” or is there a problem in the translation or a problem in the construction of the sentence?   We know from James 1:13 that God does not tempt us to sin.  If He did, He would be acting contrary to His holy nature, against His desire for us to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16), and against all other commandments in Scripture that tell us to avoid sin and flee temptation.

Some people will say the phrase must be understood in the sense of "permitting."  Do not "allow" us, or "permit" us, to be tempted to sin.  This implies God has control to save us from temptation if we call upon Him.  I believe whole heartily God is in control of everything, but is it better to try and fix a scripture in the Bible in order for that scripture to makes sense to us or just admit it could be some kind of error and we do not know for sure.

It is possible that the Greek, which has three, rather than two, degrees of active/passive voice suffered from a misinterpretation of the Aramaic and that what Christ said actually meant "do not let us be led into temptation".

I like the petition offered by David in Psalm 141:4: "Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with the workers of iniquity."  Regardless of either petition we must remember God is our deliverer and we are to pray to Him as such.  It is never God's desire for us to be led into sin.  If we resist the devil, we are promised that he will flee from us.  James 4:7 states, "Submit your selves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  

God doesn't tempt us, but He allows us to be put into situations where our faith is tested and strengthened.  God always provides a way out of or around temptation.  It is also important to remember that we are unable to resist temptation without God's grace.  I believe it is not the temptation itself that leads us to sin, but the lack of resistance and trust in the Lord for deliverance from the temptation.  As Christians, we are in a constant fight with the desires born of our sinful natures - should I please myself or God?  We are in constant need of God's guidance so that our needs and desires are kept in proper balance. 

Do not throw out the entire Lord’s Prayer because of the confusion you may have with one line or simply because the English interpretation of the line may be an incorrect translation of what Christ actually said.  If you feel a need to then substitute, “Help me not be led into temptation". 

St. James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything," (James 1:3-5).  Perhaps we do not want to avoid temptation all together, but instead not give into temptation. 

Do not allow theological questions; despite the enormous debate and trouble they may cause becomes a barrier to your faith.  I try not to get hung up on such small questions.  I would rather not be tempted and I have no problem asking God not to tempt me or not to let me be tempted.  He knows that I am trying to pray in the way I was told Christ taught us to pray.  When you say the line "lead us not into temptation", God understands that you are praying not to sin and that you are worried that you might give in to temptation.  You don't have to have a Ph.D. in theology to be a good Christian. 

If you are praying with a sincere heart God knows what you mean.  He knows you are asking for help to resist temptation and that is what really matters.

Is there a purgatory?

The Bible does not mention the exact word “purgatory,” but instead it makes reference to a place which one could understand to be what Catholics refer to as purgatory.  To claim that just because the word purgatory does not exist in the Bible does not necessarily mean such a place does not exist at all. 

The word “Trinity” is never found in the Bible and some wonder whether this is a Biblical doctrine or not, but the absence of a term used to describe a doctrine does not necessarily mean the term is not Biblical. The issue is does the term accurately reflect what the Scripture teaches? 

Protestant churches teach the doctrine of the Trinity, as well as Catholics.  If other denominations teach the concept of Trinity then why do other denominations immediately reply there is no purgatory simply because the word purgatory is not found in the Bible?  Why do they deem one word valid and the other not based on the word appearing in the Bible?  Purgatory or Trinity both are words not found in the Bible.

The Bible contains references to many other Christian doctrines, but fails to call them out by name. One might as well deny that there is something called the Bible because no such name is found in the Bible.  If we are going to use the basis for validity of a doctrine on the word used to describe that doctrine being found in the Bible then we might as well deny incarnation because the exact word is not found in the Bible. 

The name does not make the place; the place must exist first, then we give it a name.  Catholics call this place “purgatory” because it means “a cleansing place.” Catholics believe that purgatory is the place that souls are purged of small sins, which prevent their immediate entrance into Heaven. 

Catholics will tell you in Matthew 5:26 and Luke 12:59 Christ is condemning sin and speaks of liberation only after expiation (death), “Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” Now we know that no last penny needs to be paid in Heaven and from Hell there is no liberation at all; therefore, they say the reference must apply to a third place.

Catholics would also say in Matthew 12:32 it states, “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”   Here Jesus speaks of sin against the Holy Spirit.  The implication is that some sins can be forgiven in the world to come.  We know that in Hell there is no liberation and in Heaven nothing imperfect can enter.  Sin is not forgiven when a soul reaches its final destination because in heaven there is no need for forgiveness of sin and in hell the choice to go there is already made.

Catholics would go on to say in Revelation 21:27 “…but nothing unclean will enter it, or anyone who does abominable things or tells lies.”  The place that is to be entered (the place to which this passage refers) is heaven (read the text around it for context). 

It is hard for me to state beyond a shadow of doubt there is no purgatory when the Bible clearly implies a place for an purification after we die in the many passages which tell that God will reward or punish according to a person’s life.

It was explained to me, “After shouting at the neighbor about their dog, the angry and stress filled man walks into his house, had a heart attack, and died having just committed a small sin in the final moments of his life.  Remember, this man is Christian and justified by the Lord, yet he committed a sin and died before he could repent.  Does he go to heaven or does he go to hell or does he go to purgatory?  Are all sins created equal?  No, all sins are not equal and justified men of the Lord can make mistakes and sin”.  I believe God is just and would not send anyone to hell in a case like this, therefore I do not agree with the premise of purgatory.  

Catholics most likely would say that it is foolish for me to believe that Christ on the cross covered all my sins, past, present and future, but that is exactly what I believe.  If that is not the case then why did Christ go to the cross in the first place?   I do not believe Christ and the cross relieves me of my responsibility to not sin and I think it is foolish for anyone to think that it does.  Christ on the cross gives no one a license to sin.  I simply have a hard time believing purgatory is part of Gods plan for justice. 

I do not believe gifts or services rendered to the church, prayers by the priests, and masses provided by relatives or friends on behalf of the deceased can shorten, alleviate or eliminate any journey of the soul to a place called purgatory.  I take responsibility for my sins and I believe everyone else must do the same.  God’s judgment of me is only about me and no human being can fix my past after I am dead or before I die.  For me to believe any different seems to me to mean I have a misunderstanding of the atonement of Christ and adds insult to the finished work of the cross. 

I believe the suffering of Christ on the cross paid for all believers’ sins and I do not believe we need to make another suffering sacrifice.  On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished,” (John 19:30).  In the Greek, this was an accounting term which meant a debt was paid in full.  If the payment for our sins was paid in full on the cross, then how could purgatory be a reality?  Hebrew 9:27, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

I personally do not believe in purgatory, but I will admit there are hints of such a place in the Bible and there are more than hints in the Bible that there is not.  I do not believe anyone is going to go to hell based on what they believe about purgatory, therefore I doubt if the subject is worth debating.  It is just one of the differences Catholics and Protestants have that we will argue about until the end of time, instead of focusing on the beliefs we have in common.

In closing I will confess I taught the doctrine of purgatory for many years because that was what I was taught and I believed at the time.  Now that I am retired and have far more time to study scripture on my own and have more freedom  I have come to doubt the need for a purgatory.

Why pray for the dead?

The question of purgatory and praying for the dead was a major issue between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th century. The Council of Trent in 1563 reaffirmed the existence of purgatory and the usefulness of prayers for the dead, yet it cautioned against superstition concerning it.

The Catholic teaching regarding prayers for the dead has nothing to do with buying the dead out of purgatory, but unfortunately that is what most non-Catholics believe?  The Catholic Church’s teaching about purgatory (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1030-32) says that all sin has a life of its own and may have bad effects even after the sinner repents.  Repentance includes a desire to repair the damage done by one’s sins, but repentance may not be complete before the person dies, therefore Catholics pray for completion of repentance.  I do not agree totally with that teaching.

I will say this in defence of the Catholic doctrine on purgatory I would not say beyond a doubt that no type of purgatory exists.   I want to believe our loved ones go straight to heaven, but the truth is I do not know that for a fact.  The Bible provides evidence that there can be no imperfections in heaven.   According to the Catechism, most of us who don’t merit hell still need purification before we can enter heaven. 

I believe if there is any type of purgatory it would have nothing to do with punishment of sin.  It would only be a place to put the final touch on our perfection or holiness.  I will go further to say I do not believe it has anything to do with suffering or paying a sin debt.  Christ paid in full all our past, present and future sin debt. 

I do not believe anything we do after a person dies will affect the deceased relationship with God or their status in heaven.  I believe our salvation is determined on earth prior to death, therefore heaven or hell is determined before death.    

Christians and non-Christians alike have both heard the Bible verse ‘to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord’ (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Plus 9), but what does those verses really mean?  Does it really mean as soon as we breathe our last breath we are face to face with God?  I think those verses have a much deeper meaning.  Is Paul saying - if we are in our earthly bodies we are away from the Lord.  Yes, the Lord is always with us, but not where we can stand face to face with Him and that makes the difference.   I question that Paul was talking about a time line in those verses, but instead was assuring us that when we die we will come face to face with God.  Will that happen immediately, one day later, two days later or upon Christ coming again.  I do not know for sure.  I do know for sure it will happen and believers will come face to face with God. 

Protestants believe Hebrews 9:27 when it affirms that..."it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment."  Protestants feel that prayers for the dead are useless.  They believe once you die judgment follows immediately.  They believe there is no state in between death and judgment called purgatory.   I am comfortable with that teaching.  But, I also find some aspects of Catholicism appealing due to its historicity and great respect for traditions, authority, and the early Church Fathers.

 I guess in the end it is up to each Christian to decide this issue, since there is no definitive answer in the Bible.  Catholics believe in Scriptures authority and its traditions.  Protestants believe in the sole authority of Scripture alone. There are many things in Scripture that remain a mystery to me and will remain a mystery until I am face to face with God.  These mysteries do not create a faith problem for me.  I think some scriptures remain a mystery for all, but some do not want to admit that they do not have it all figured out and are not in control.

Some may be scratching their head and saying I still do not have an answer.  I still do not know what he believes about praying for the dead.  Sorry, I am not sure I know.   I came to believe over fifty years ago that God did not call me to think for you or to tell you what to think.  I sincerely believe God called me to challenge you and provoke you to study scripture not just read it.  Pray over scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to a conclusion.  

The practice of praying for the dead in my mind naturally implies that we can influence the present state of those who are dead and I do not believe we can.  I do believe we are justified by faith in Christ, and we stand or fall based on our faith at the time of our death.  I believe our righteousness comes from the righteousness of Christ and that makes it hard for me to believe a place like purgatory would need to exist.  I do believe regardless of what you believe about praying for the dead it will not affect where you will spend eternity.   I hope that somewhat clears up my beliefs, but what I believe should not be a defining factor in your deciding what you believe. 

God wanted and wants us to be in unity.  He gave us the church and man was not satisfied.  God then allowed us to have Plan B - denominations.  We were not and are not yet mature enough to come together on the things we have in common and allow our difference to teach us and allow us to grow.  When we surround ourselves with only likeminded people we stifle our growth, but it seems we are more comfortable with likeminded people.