Last week on Facebook I read this status update;
“I am a Christian and not ashamed to say it!! Let’s see how many people on FB aren’t afraid to show their love for God and accept Jesus as our Savior! Each time you see this on someone’s status, say a quick prayer for that person!! Let’s get God back in this country like He should be!!! If you agree, post this in your…”
I decided to re-write it, but didn’t post it for fear of offending the small handful of friend who also put in on their status update.
I grew up in the church. A liberal Christian Church. So liberal that in high school after getting involved in a religious group at school I got annoyed with church. It was too casual. I struggled with the cute light stories told in an effort to help everyone understand the stories in the bible. I wanted to study the bible. I wanted to know what this guy up front knew about that book, that the more I read the less I understood. I wanted to know what the bible said, what it meant for that time. I’m not the smartest person in the room ever, but I felt like I was being talked down to and it annoyed me. This didn’t seem like casual stories or times and demanded a more serious dialogue.
So I went off to college and stopped going to church. No real reason, I just didn’t go. I don’t think my thinking or thoughts on religion changed in either direction. I just wasn’t interested.
As the years passed I read about a lot of different religions. I can’t say today that I participate in any sort of organized religious events. I’ve read about and looked at Judaism, Sufism; I read and studied A Course In Miracles and Buddhism. I like reading Elaine Pagels, Karen Armstrong and recently Joan Chittister. I started reading Chittister, a former Nun because of what she said on Bill Moyers.
“The fact of the matter is that they’re all in contention with something else which is also a moral value and also equally important unless you put it completely out of your mind or your heart. For instance, let’s look at the abortion question. I’m opposed to abortion.
But I do not believe that just because you’re opposed to abortion that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking. If all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed and why would I think that you don’t? Because you don’t want any tax money to go there. That’s not pro-life. That’s pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is.“ NOW 11.12.04
“That’s not pro-life. That’s pro-birth.” Exactly!
But I’m getting off topic. Big surprise!
I like the history of the bible as history, real or otherwise. It doesn’t really matter to me which. Because it was written so long ago for so many reasons that NO one will ever know. Try as they might, I just don’t see how anyone can have any idea of the intentions of someone that long ago.
So I don’t have any particular religious or spiritual traditions. But I do read a lot of Pema Chodron. My thoughts and ideas tend to align with Buddhism and I’ve often thought of serious study of this religion.
Anyway, I re-wrote that Facebook status and hope that if any of you reading are the ones who put this on your status that you are not offended. It’s just my take, and in no way is meant to devalue your beliefs.
I am a human and not ashamed to say it!! Let’s see how many people on FB aren’t afraid to show their love for humans and accept each and everyone as they are! Each time you see this on someone’s status, think of all the goodness that exists!! Let’s get compassion in this country like it should be!!! If you agree, post this in your status update – Charter For Compassion , just copy and paste.