I have to ask you a rather rhetorical question. I know that it's rhetorical because I really already know the answer to the question or at least for some of you what your answer is likely to be, but once I ask the question I only ask you to do one thing and that's seriously look at the question and then seriously look at yourself before you consider the answer. First a bit of an explanation.
This post was originally going to be an answering of many questions that have come up from some of you and perhaps a defense against those that would suggest that I am somehow "godless" because I believe differently from you. But after writing a rather long explanation and sort of rebuttal, I have come to the conclusion that no matter what it is that I write you won't be able to get past our differences of opinion as to the divinity of Jesus.
You would start quoting from the Greek NT and I would quote from the Hebrew OT and the battle of the ages would continue to be a standstill. We would essentially accomplish nothing.
So my question to myself then ,and to you as well, is what can I say that might make some sort of sense and cause you to think outside the box ? Note I didn't say to convert you to my way of thinking or to try and convince you that you are wrong, but simply what can I say that will make you stop and think.
Now as a general rule I am not rattled by name calling or accusations. In fact, as some of you know, I will even defend your right to disagree with me and call me all the names that you wish, I am a huge fan of the right to free speech, but I guess there does come a point where you have to speak up a bit in your own defense and question the sanity of some people who not only call you names, but would even call into question your moral compass simply based on a difference in religious beliefs.
I recently read an article by a man claiming that he was a Christian pastor who said that if you didn't believe in Jesus as the son of G-D , then you were essentially blind to all the moral decay and was not capable of discerning the difference between what was evil and what was good. If this was the only time I had read something like that I would just pass him off as being some freak of nature, but he's not. Time and time again I run across articles like that claiming to come from one Christian pastor or another stating that because they believe in a man-god that this somehow makes them morally superior to others. Funny how some of those morally superior people let a lot of hatred pass through their lips.
So what is it that makes you somehow morally superior to others? I read the news, I see the evil that is all around us, I detest it and I fight against it in my own way. What is it that I am missing? I see the corruption in the government and in the governments of the world. I see the moral corruption that attacks our children and our women turning them into nothing but sexual objects. I see the pain of drugs and suicide amongst our teenagers. I see this evil for what it is.I pray for the people and ,where ever possible, I try to help end the suffering.
I once saw a video that included a bunch of people from various churches who went out to help homeless people out on the streets in cold weather. What I found interesting was that they all put their religious differences aside for the purpose of helping out those in need. It was a beautiful thing to behold. They weren't trying to get anyone to follow their particular brand of religion, instead they were simply helping them out. The Love of G-D was shown that day. Not only to those that were being helped ,but by those that were serving and those of us who saw it.
In Deut. 6:4 , which in the Jewish world is called the Shema, it says " Hear O Israel the L-rd our G-D, The L-rd is One. You shall love the L-rd you G-D with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.
That is the greatest commandment, in my humble opinion, and all others lead you to that one command.
Even Jesus, whom most of you believe in, called it the greatest commandment.Of course he would he was Jewish after all, but he added something that is very true as well, when he said that the second greatest would be to love your neighbors as yourself and that you could sum up all the commandments in those two. If any of you have ever taken the time to read all 613 laws you will find that they come down to loving G-D and serving Him and how to treat your family and neighbors,strangers and even enemies.
Now just imagine if all of us actually did those two things just how different a place this world would be.
Instead, we would rather argue over who is morally superior to whom and call others names when they don't agree with us.
There are days when I wish that G-D would do as he did in the book of Job. After Jobs "friends" basically accuse him of being a sinful man, G-D speaks to him and essentially tells him that they haven't a clue on the things of G-D. Job's response was simply to say that he thought he knew who G-D was before but now that he has seen Him, he was going to remain silent. There is a lesson here for all of us.We simply don't know all that there is to know about Him.in fact,like Job, we only know a little.
So finally I come to my rhetorical question ; Do you really think that it matters to G-D what our personal dogmas and beliefs are? Do you really think it matters to Him what it is that you think you know?
If someone who doesn't believe as you do, loves G-D in their own way and is doing acts of kindness, following the greatest commands ever given, fighting against those proverbial forces of evil, do you think G-D is going to just cast them aside because they don't believe the way that you do?
If you believe that way then I would suggest going back and looking at the things G-D said to Job.
My humble belief is that we only have a small inkling of an idea of who G-D is and what he wants. We know what is right and wrong. We have the choice to follow the good or follow the evil. He has told us what he wants from us but I still don't believe that we have a clue as to the whole picture.
The day will come when we will, the prophets make that very clear, but until that day comes we need to stop all this senseless arguing and bickering with each other. You don't like what I believe? Fine, that's OK with me, but let's set that aside and try to do some good in this world.
Shalom,
Ignacio
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