I’ve been standing at this crossroads for some time now. In the past, every time I start to take a small step, something stops me. But for the past several months I’ve been walking along this new path, I’m comfortable on it and I think I’m ready now to share it.
I can longer align myself with any organized Christian church. I’ve felt this way for years, but I’m now ready to admit it. I’ve always loved attending church. I like the rituals of singing hymns, listening to a sermon that starts my week off on a good note, I enjoy the company of others who are there for the same things. What turns me off is the politics of it all. Bringing in secular politics and opinions. Spewing them from the pulpit and dominating the conversations afterwards.
It seems that every time I log on to the internet there are so many groups that label themselves as “Christian” spewing hatred, condemnation, and intolerance. Forwarded emails from well intended family and friends filling my email box with the same rhetoric. It has turned me away.
While standing at this crossroad, I’ve also come to another conclusion. If the teachings in the Bible are suppose to be true as they are being presented in this day and age, then I can no longer accept those teaching either.
I guess what I’m saying is that I have come to the decision that I am agnostic. If this offends you, I sincerely apologize. That is not my intention. I could explain to you in detail how I came to this decision. But a lot of it is based on opinions and other things that I have read and researched. I’m not here to convince any one to believe any differently than they do. I respect everyone’s right to believe or follow what ever teaching they chose.
If you are one of the hate spewing, intolerant, condemning Christians that are so popular these days, I would hope you would just quietly delete me from your friends list and refuse to read my blog. If you want to pray for me that’s your right to do so. But believe me I have prayed on this for months and this is where I am.
Despite the years and miles seperating us, we seem to be on the same road. Funny how that works.
I stood at that crossroads, that is where I sold my soul to be the best blues guitarist in the world. (Sorry, wrong story.) I stopped being a Baptist a long time ago, being better than everyone else takes a lot out of you. And I started to study various religions. I decided there was 1 God, no matter what you call him. And that Jesus taught Love and tolerance, and Christianity lacked both. Plus, I think Jesus was a Buddhist. The Bible may have been the true word of God, until it fell into the hands of men. In my journey, I didn't become agnostic, however, I became a gnostic. I am still seaking the truth. And "The Truth is Out There."
I find it very thought provoking that 3 people actually deleted me as a friend on facebook after posting this blog. I guess instead of asking themselves "What would Jesus do?" they decided to label themselves as a "hate spewing, intolerant, condemning Christian" and deleted themselves as my friend. I hope they remember that they gave themselves that label and not me.On the other hand I'm happy to know that all of my other Christian facebook friends could see what I was trying to say or at least realized that I'm entitled to my opinion.