This is a true tale of two very different responses to the same statement. I write this because I was expecting the first response but was not really expecting the second and it pleasantly surprised me. Names will not be used because regardless of the responses or lack thereof ,as you shall come to see, I care greatly for all involved and I would never go out of my way to embarrass anyone if I can help it.
As most of you may know, who have read this blog for any length of time, that I have publicly stated that I do not believe that Jesus was or is the son of G-D and that at best he was a good Rabbi and at worst he was misrepresented by others to be something that he never intended, but I have stated very clearly that I do not believe that he was ever any kind of deity. Having said that to a great many people both on and off this blog kind of started everything from crying to stone cold silence. I have had arguments and heated discussions over Hebrew words and there usage to various books trying to disprove my beliefs by using what I consider to be material that already had a predetermined outcome... the list goes on, none of which changed my mind.
Interestingly enough , what I do believe is not all that dissimilar to Christianity, I follow what is known as the Laws of Noah which are the 7 laws that were given to Noah after the flood and are considered to be binding on all of humanity no matter if you are Jew or Gentile. These Laws can be summed up simply by Saying love G-D with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. There is more to it then that but you could sum it up that simply. According to the writers Jesus preached these very things and their are even some Jews who believe that Jesus and Paul's real mission was to point Gentiles back to those Noahide laws and to remind the Jewish people that they are to be the light to the nations and teach those nations, granted this is pure educated speculation but I find it interesting...
So why tell you that? Well up until this weekend no one had ever asked me what I DO believe in. I heard all sorts of arguments as to why I was wrong by people that have my utmost respect, but not a single person even began to ask what it is that we believe and or why. I heard all sorts of stuff, quickly alluded to in the above paragraphs, but it seems that the basic assumption that I got from everyone was that we have left G-D and are on our way to hell. Until this past weekend.
This past weekend we had some good friends come to see us for the 4Th and in the course of doing up BBQ and talking , I told them that we had left Christianity and why and without even a pause his first words were; "Well then , what do you believe?"
Imagine that! No tears, no "your going to hell" not the silent treatment. Just a simple question and I gave him my answer. His response? "Nothing has really changed then, you still believe in G-D, you still study the scriptures and you believe in doing good to others, so not much has changed."
For the record that family is Christian and not only were they accepting of it, we are all planning our trip to their neck of the woods soon, and no I didn't get them to convert to my beliefs. They are what I consider to be true followers of G-d, they ask the question I gave my answer and we went on from there looking at the common ground rather then where we differ.
Two very different perspectives on the same issue.
I don't know where you find yourself in your beliefs or in your opinions of others beliefs but I can tell you if more people were accepting of others their would be a lot less fighting and a whole lot more loving going on.
Enough said,Shalom,
Ignacio
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