Mary and I had a few emails back and forth and she had a very loving way of explaining her beliefs and encouraging me to explore an individual relationship with God as opposed to through any particular religion. Hopefully you will find both our statements informative (sorry, it got kinda long).
Mary said:
Well, we have had a VERY busy time here the last week or so, but all the kids are back in Madison and Chicago and the dishes and tables are again put away after feeding 26 for the thanksgiving feast. Joe lead the charge in the kitchen assisted by Nick, Bill, George and brother Tom. They had a great time, calling for the "scullery maids" to clean up the dishes multiple times through out their preparations. The food was wonderful and they will have to decide what recipes to keep for next year and which ones to change. Joe LOVES to head up the big adventure. You will have to join sometime with the "boy" chef time!!
Anyway... I really would like to respond to your comment about the possibility of being more than one way to heaven. Scripture teaches that there is only one way to heaven and that is through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says in the gospel that He is The Way and no one will come to the Father except through Him. I am created by God, for God and belief in any other gospel will get me into the group of people turned away on judgement day because I do not know God. My name will not be written in the Lambs Book of Life (Jesus book of the names of believers). Jesus is the Lamb of God ( the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin) Scripture never says he is one of the Lambs. Other belief systems may relieve sickness etc for a while, but they will never satisfy my need for a savior of my sin. I tried "religion" through my following the rules etc of Catholicism and came up empty when I needed a reason to live. I had 2 little children at the time and a husband ..... All the things the world said should satisfy, but was very much struggling with a reason to live. No religion will ever satisfy ... only a relationship with the creator of it all. I finally found my reason for living.... it was giving my whole heart to Him. To empty myself of rules and righteousness, and ask Jesus to live in my heart and serve Him alone. In all that I do, every word I speak, I do it all for my Lord Jesus Christ. It is not about me and what I know etc, it is about what He has done for me in paying for my sins. All other systems are about me and what I have done. They are all systems of legalism and rules. Only Christianity is about serving a risen savior. The others have dead leaders. Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God waiting for his "church" (the believers) to sit with him in heaven at the second coming. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the old testament. He brings a new commandment.... being the Lamb of God. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. He directs my life through His Word, teaching me to rely more and more on Him. I am not a robot, but am in a relationship with Him. I made this transition when I committed my life to Him Dec 4, 1984. As I prayed that day I no longer was searching for a reason to live, and had a desire to read the bible. I understood what the words said for the first time ever. Before that day I had all your same concerns and issues with God and the bible.... but no more. Scripture teaches about the road to eternal life being narrow because Jesus is the only Way. Many will say "but I cast out demons etc" but all the good works will never replace the need to have a relationship with Jesus. Heritage, religion, good works, race, status, any man made system will always come short of the ability to qualify me for eternal life. God created me to give Glory to Him only. Serving any other master (self, children, job, idle,....) will get me sent away on judgment day. I am a flawed human for sure, but forgiven through faith in Jesus payment through the work done on Calvary. I have never gone back to suicide, because I now have a purpose to live. My kids weren't even enough to keep me living. The biggest reason I never took my life is I was worried about who would care for Eliz and Nick. Joe was working long hours (still does) and I did not want to send them to daycare for 50 hours or more each week. But I still struggled with how to put me out of my pain and suffering..... until I realized I was missing the most important thing in my life. I was trying to work out my own life through religion, and came up very depressed. It was without purpose.... Then I found Jesus!! He continues to change me from the inside out. I did not add him to any other system but let Him be my only way. He died for me, cares for me, forgives my sins, teaches me, corrects me, and loves me (warts and all!!) After over 20 years of serving Him, I only see more clearly the consistency in scripture. I am confident I am not wrong... and have nothing to lose if I am wrong. I no longer consider suicide, and have a song in my heart and smile on my face.
For today.... I must run. I know Mom worries about us talking about faith, and it interfering with our relationship, but I believe in unconditional love and trust you do too. If I got to heaven and God lets me in (which is what I believe will happen) and I am correct with my belief of through Christ alone I get to enter heaven.... I will never be able to forgive myself that I did not share the truth about The Way because I did not think you would want to hear me. No matter what you choose to do with your faith, I will always love you as my big brother. And because you are my brother, I will continue to pray that you choose to follow Jesus Christ as your personal savior.
May God richly bless you as you consider my beliefs and thoughts!!
Love, Mary
Michael replied:
Hi, Mary.
Sorry to be slow, but biz gets in the way at times.
First I want to thank you for your loving way that you explain your beliefs and how they have saved you from self inflicted harm. I am glad it works for you. I don't mind discussing these issues or being encouraged to read the bible, etc., as long as it is not in such a dogmatic way it just turns people off. I think you expressed your views wonderfully and I know that you (and others) feel the need, obligation even, to try to spread your beliefs to others since your beliefs have helped you, and your faith directs you to help others, also.
I have off and on over the years investigated the bible and I just don't agree w/ you re its consistency (not that I am the greatest bible scholar of all time....but I do read). I basically started my doubting way back in high school and had pretty much become non-religious by college. I felt guilty about it for a while, and sometimes over the years felt I "should" try to get some sort of spirituality going again, but even investigations of other religions or philosophies have not caused me to feel enlightened or that I need to join up.
OTOH, I do not get depressed, do not feel the need to search for God, guardian angels, etc., and am generally quite happy and fulfilled. I find purpose in life all over the place, in loving family, in helping others, enjoying nature, being w/ friends, and satisfying work. I have had feelings of some sort of spiritual connection when praying (years ago) or meditating (should do it more) but can feel just as "at one" in nature, w/ Phyllis (and certain good friends), during a good workout, and when all is going well w/ a business deal.
I believe in science, logic, reason, but acknowledge we cannot understand everything (yet) that way. But we learn more every day. Once in the past the sun was a god because people didn't understand how it worked. Now we do. There were gods for rain and volcanoes but now we see those are just part of nature. Once we thought the sun and moon revolved around us while we lived on a flat surface, now we know we are a small part of a large universe and are not at the center of it.
There are healings, mental connections (ESP?), communication (maybe) w/ people who have died, entangled subatomic particles that appear in two places at once, and lots of other things that we don't understand yet, but probably will some day. I don't have to see it to believe it, but it does have to be based in reason, repeatable experiments, multiple observations, and verified by other scientists.
I know science will never have all the answers because each new answer generates more questions. Ethics of technology will be discussed and fought over as new technologies were in the past. When Drs. started doing dissections 500 yrs. ago to see how the body worked people thought that was a sin (and a crime). 100 yrs. ago blood transfusions were "playing god", but now they are an accepted part of modern medicine. Transplanting organs was denounced (still is by some) even though it saved lives. Now we are on the threshold of being able to control genetics, inheritability, avoid disease starting in the first place, and many are denouncing that as unethical, against God's law, etc.
Maybe there is an afterlife: Maybe our energy (soul) does survive in some form, but maybe it is just a physical fact, a law of nature that some day we will understand just like we understand why the sun rises in the east. That is why I am not concerned. Either there is no after life and when we die that's it. Or there is and when we die we go there. Or even reincarnate to a bodily life again as some believe (and there is as much anecdotal evidence of that as there is for "miracles"). If so, we'll all be in heaven-after life together. That's just the way it works. I see no evidence (outside of holy books) that one must believe a certain way or follow a certain behavior to have an after life if one exists. I see many religions, books, and leaders that say they are the one and only path. They can't all be right. And I don't see the bible as being any more "right" than the others. Most seem to contain some good advice mixed w/ some history but also w/ plenty of mistakes, historical fiction, bad science, and antiquated rules.
But like you, Mary, I love you and all the family. We may have widely differing opinions and beliefs on religion - which leads to different beliefs re politics, but so long as we care for each other we will be tight in this world and the next if there is one. I'd much rather be open about these differences than slink around trying to avoid conflict.
So, much love to you, and see you in a few days!!!
Michael.
Mary refining things a bit for Michael
Hi Michael
It is fine with me to put all our conversations on the blog. I am soooo computer illiterate I would not even know how!! Ali has always done things for me on the computer, and now she up and got married and moved out.... the nerve of that girl (haha)!!
Just one more comment before signing off.... The word "Christianity" today is quite often misused. It is often used to describe anyone who is not Jewish. I do not believe I am religious because I am a Christian. Religions are all created by people and full of flaws because of this. Belief in Jesus Christ as my personal savior makes me a Christian. I do not belong to any religion, but to Christ. I am therefore a Christ-ian. I am clarifying this because I do not want to be identified with any one religion. I don’t really like "religion" because it identifies me with an incomplete system of legalism and rules that depend on me doing something to prove I am good enough. Belonging to Christ totally changes my identity. I am now relying on what He did for me, not what I might do for him. I need to do nothing because it was already done for me. I used to trust religion and it only fed into my depression. I do choose to worship with a body of believers, but the church title does not matter. I worship with others who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. When you talk about religion being inconsistent etc I totally agree with you. I am not at all about religion, but rather having a relationship with Christ. Hopefully this makes sense. Let me know if it came out clear as mud!!! (This is foundational to how I see my faith not being one of religion)
Anyway... Go ahead and put our conversations on the blog. Its "date night" so I must be off to get cleaned up. Joe and I are looking forward to seeing you next week. I will check with mom and her calendar but we are thinking maybe Fri. for dinner....
Love, Mary
Michael’s final comment.
Dear Mary,
Yes, I understand that you are not tied to any brand of religion or name on the door of the church, and I agree that is a good thing. Cut out the middle man and go direct to your source then surround yourself with people you like who have similar beliefs (or at least who don’t challenge your beliefs) so you can have the human community we all seem to need.
And a PS to Terry:
I am not downplaying your attempts to do the same thing as Mary as far as educating me as to the bible and encouraging me to get back in the fold of believers in some way. I acknowledge that your outreach is just as loving and well intended and understand you must continue to try to persuade me so I won’t be “lost” and I am not going to criticize anyone for that. I try to convince people to do what I think is “right” at times, too. Not everyone agrees….
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4 comments:
Hi Michael & Mary;
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who can get a little long winded on here. I had created another long research letter in response to the post concerning "Bible inconsistacy", but I clicked the wrong button at the wrong time, and it vaporized. I don't plan to re-write it at this point (everyone can now breathe a sigh of relief) because Mary has covered most of the points very well. I completely agree with her, her understanding of a relationship with a true and living God, and her belief that there are no "inconsistancies" in the Bible...only misunderstandings by the readers, and in some cases, a distortion of what it says with a purpose of trying to tear it down.
One thing that I had tried to point out in my now "lost in cyberspace" post is this...before you take a stance on a particular issue, you really should get all of the facts, and do at least some research with an open mind. This would be true of religions as well as in politics.
Here's an example: One of the "questions" that was raised in Michaels' post was an alleged conflict between Gen 1 & Gen 2 regarding the creation. The origional article author read these passages and decided that one (Gen 1) listed earth first, and then man was created. Then he points out that in Gen 2 it is the other way around, therefore - Conflict - therefore, it can't be true. Obviously, he didn't do enough research to study what was actually being said, and what the context was trying to point out before he came to his conclusion.
Michael had a link to this article, and there were other links as well. If the other links and articles had been read, it would be very clear why there appears to be conflict in the two chapters, when there really is none. These other links were either not read, or, the author already had his mind made up, and he wasn't about to get confused by the facts.
Politically, I see a lot of the same thing happening. Example: The troop surge in Iraq. We are to believe (as told by the media, the congress, move on, and the "left" side of politics, etc.) that Iraq is a failed policy, we are losing, and the troop surge is foolish and won't work. Despite that fact that there are (and have been) countless good things happening over there, they remain steadfast in this belief, and would not even consider that this might be the right thing to be doing, and that it could work. Well...(shock & amazement!) even some of the democratic leadership in Washington are starting to have to admit that it IS working, and even with all of their efforts to try to make it fail (because that is what they wanted to have happen to try to disgrace this administration), it's not going to. The facts are getting too obvious now to be able to ignore them or cover them up.
I too lost my faith during my college years. I also questioned the Bible, the church, our years with Dad & Mom at home, etc. I've had the opportunity to see life from many different angles (some very dark - some "fun" - some apathetically - some optomistically - etc.). At family gatherings, we all laugh about me being the "black sheep" of the Keenans, but it's funny now because it's true. I've been there, done that, and came back!Those of you who know me, know that I am not easily convinced to do anything until I decide that I want to do it, and it's good for me. My faith (and my choice to become a Christian - as Mary has described it) was certainly no exception to this process that I tend to follow before taking a firm stance on anything - I checked it out pretty good!
Politically speaking, I'm the same way. 30 years ago I was a "rootin tootin" democrat after my fathers' heart. I don't belive that I have changed that much. I didn't leave the democratic party and the philosophy of old, but they left me! Kennedy was my kind of guy (politically, not moraly), but he would have to be a republican today.
So what's my point? I HAVE listened to both sides, and I have made (what I belive to be an educated choice) a decision to reject the socialist policies, imoral practices, anti-God teachings, and self destructive attitudes of the current democratic party. Do the republicans have it all correct. Of course not, but they are talking about possible solutions to our country's problems that are a lot more in line with what I believe than the dems. Where is the next Regan when you need him? Ironically, I didn't vote for him the first time.
"Let's discuss politics & religion" - I guess I got them both into this thread. Most families would cringe at the thought of doing this, but I think it is refreshing, and would agree that we might as well "get it out there".
Thanks to both of you for some thought inspiring posts. I hope that those who are out there reading these posts will throw their "two cents" in as well.
I'm not going to chance another "poof" by doing a spell check - deal with the typos - this is going directly to publishing.
Love to ALL - Terry
Terry - Good coverage - you DID get both politics and religion in the same comment. It does seem these these days that you can't cover one without the other. They seem quite entangled. Like electrons.
Hey, I thought I was the black sheep! We must all be vying for that title. We all feel like the outsiders I guess.
1Cor 13:2: "...and although I have all faith... and have not charity, I am nothing."
1Cor 13:13: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity."
Matthew 25:40: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Matthew 10:42: "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."
John 3:16 (paraphrased): "For Michael so loved his family that he gave them this Blog, that they could further their loving understanding of one another's views by discussing their religious and political differences in cyberspace, rather than around the dining table."
Happy Hanukkah!
I continue to be awed by the amount of love for one another in the Keenan clan, despite profound differences in the most personal parts of their lives, and the loving way in which opinions are presented. From what I've seen so far, all the bloggers seem to agree on two things: A rejection of organized religion (a falling away from Catholicism) and hope for Michael's salvation, which may or may not be threatened by his exclusive reliance on "works." It is such an honor to be included in this discussion, and I hope my sharing in his skepticism is not taken as disrespect for the beliefs of those family members who have such a beautiful outlook. I admire and envy that kind of faith. Life is fragile and thus scary. It is comforting to have not only a "visible means of support" but also an "INvisible means." Praying is a comfort.
Since I have been honored to be invited to this blog, let me plunge into the current discussion of faith and works. But first, I would like to thank Michael for mentioning my South Dakota roots, the happiest state in the union, according to a new report from Mental Health America. Based on studies of mental depression in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, South Dakotans were found to be even happier than residents of Hawaii, which is Number Two. Minnesota ranks 6th on the happiness scale, which is pretty good, but you have to factor in the number of South Dakotans, brimming with happiness, who have swum across the Big Sioux River to find work and now live in Minnesota. Joan, the Iowa Icon, hails from the Fourth-happiest Hawkeye State. California ranks 15th. The least happy state is Utah.
Also, Joan and I are both honored that Michael brought up his participation for three years in our Catholic youth group, called "Contact," when he was in high school, in the mid-sixties. It now comes to light (according to Michael's last blog) that he basically started his doubting "way back in high school," when he was under our religious tutelage! Some job we must have been doing! We thus have a vested interest in getting him into heaven, by whatever means, or suffer the consequences for ourselves.
But perhaps to shed some small amount of light on where Michael is coming from, let me explain about his involvement with "Contact." The program was begun in the mid-Sixties, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-Vietnam War protests and the "new springtime" in the Church resulting from Vatican II reforms. Vatican II was intended to enhance the power of the laity--the "people in the pews"--while providing less emphasis on guilt and damnation and more on love and forgiveness. In 1962, Pope John XXIII launched the Second Vatican Council, saying, "I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in." The era of ecumenism was upon us, with John XXIII inviting other Christian Churches to send observers to the Council. Acceptances came from both Protestant and Orthodox Churches. The Council held that while the Catholic Church is still "the sole Church of Christ," it immediately added: "Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines." The Council also took the Jews off the hook for killing Christ. Mel Gibson notwithstanding, the Council said that the Jews at the time of Christ, taken indiscriminately, and all the Jews today, are no more responsible for the death of Christ than Christians.
This new freedom kind of backfired on the Church. Post-Vatican II saw a wholesale departure of young priests and nuns from the Catholic Church, including the very priest who got Joan and me started as "Contact" leaders. He left to marry a nun. One of my cousins also jumped over the wall to marry a young woman with whom he worked as a divorce counselor for the archdiocese of Des Moines. The interesting part is that after he quit the priesthood and they got married, they continued with their divorce counseling, but now as private consultants. A major act of rebellion among the younger Catholic laity was the rejection of the prohibition on artificial birth control, a challenge to the whole "natural law" theology.
With 14 years of Catholic education under her belt, Joan began to throw out some tough challenges to our young pastor, such as asking why the Church taught that pre-marital sex was dirty, and then it suddenly became beautiful on the wedding night, when hitherto repressed brides were expected to really plunge into things. This issue became food for thought for the young priest, because I can remember him quoting Joan more than once. She also once asked the priest, "Isn't 'Secular Humanism' better than no 'Humanism' at all?"
There is some debate that Vatican II was interpreted to be much more liberating than it was, but many traditionalist Catholics held, then and now, that the Second Vatican Council moved the Church away from its important principles, including the following:
--the belief that the Catholic Church is the one and only true Christian church founded by Jesus Christ;
--the belief that the modern idea of religious liberty is to be condemned;
--an appropriate emphasis on the "Four Last Things" (Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell);
--the belief that the books of the Bible are historically inerrant;
--a devotion to scholastic theology and
--an organically grown apostolic Roman liturgy, as they define the Tridentine Mass (Latin Mass).
Such traditionalist Catholic critics see the Council not only as a major cause of the tremendous decline in vocations, but also the erosion of Catholic belief and the influence of the Church in the Western world. They further argue that it changed the focus of the Church from seeking the salvation of souls to improving mankind's earthly situation (Liberation theology). ("Wikipedia").
But for pre-Sixties Catholics, Vatican II did seem like fresh air to us and held out hope for positive changes in the future. Through ecumenism, the Church had opened its doors to other faiths. Catholics were told that instead of abstaining from meat on Friday, they should be positive about it and do something good or repentant. The Mass was in English, with guitars and folk songs. Balloons fell from the ceilings of some Churches on Easter Sunday (some conservatives responded sarcastically that for congregations that liked the Easter balloon descensions, tongues of fire should be rained down upon them on Pentecost Sunday). The communion railing was removed and the priest turned around and faced the faithful, and you could understand what was going on at Mass. In the wake of Vatican II, Confession became "Reconciliation," which Boomers thought reduced the stakes: If priests rarely talked about going to Hell anymore, why not just confess your sins directly to God in prayer? Vatican II led to a lot of questioning, especially among young people.
Many young priests coming out of seminaries became imbued with the social gospel rather than a legalistic approach to Christianity. They put less emphasis on the "shalt nots" of the Ten Commandments and more on the "love thy neighbor" of the Gospels.
Now enter one, James Michael Keenan, into this brave new world of Catholicism, and the Contact program. In Sauk Centre, Contact replaced the traditional Catholic Youth Organization, or CYO. But there was one big difference. CYO featured spiritual issues and Church dogma. Contact had its share of these topics, but was built mostly around Matthew 25:40: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Joan and I were privileged to be among the volunteer "Contact" couples. Instead of using the old CYO discussion booklet, the "Contact Kids" picked their own discussion topics, which gave them a lot of freedom to think for themselves and veer away from Catholic orthodoxy. I remember that at the Contact meeting on our very first week, when Joan and I were still swimming in our traditional Catholic upbringing, and attendant fear, we gulped when one of the Contact Kids suggested that we discuss, "Is there a God?" When I was growing up, that was a question you just didn't even dare think about, let alone discuss, and if you did, you would have to confess it. But that question became our first Contact discussion. At that moment, Joan and I realized that we were swimming in a new religious pool.
Besides the weekly discussions, the students were required to choose some kind of charitable act ("works") that they could perform in the community, such as visiting a nursing home. Our biggest program was the "adoption" of a residence at the local youth correctional facility (Home School for Girls). The group visited the cottage monthly and did some kind of fun activity, such as a party or rollerskating. Our second group of Contact students sought involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, but on a local level. We attended a rally in St. Cloud that featured civil rights activist John Lewis, then chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, or "Snick") and now a U.S. Representative for Georgia. The students also went door-to-door selling "Brotherhood Buttons," with the proceeds going to support the Black voter registration drives in the South (we were a little nervous about what the local reaction might be to the Contact Kids collecting money for a cause a thousand miles away. It turned out wonderfully. We learned that there was a lot of tolerance in the community. The Sauk Centre mayor was photographed by the Sauk Centre Herald buying the first button. There was a moment of concern when a woman came to the door and sternly asked the student where he was from. When he said "Sauk Centre," she promptly gave him some money for a button. In Sauk Centre, being local trumps intolerance every time). We even gathered in the Holy Family School basement, locked hands and sang "We Shall Overcome." It was a different time, folks.
Our second Contact group also put us on the spot by wanting to see the most controversial movie of the day, "The Graduate." Now a classic movie and pretty tame by today's standards, it was then X-rated, and X-rated movies were a huge no-no for Catholics, who were annually required to take a pledge during Mass to abstain from movies banned by the Catholic church, as listed by the "Legion of Decency." Our priest okayed the project and we obtained parental permission for their children to attend. We all went to see the movie and then came back to our house to discuss it, over pizza.
So that's the kind of liberal religious milieu in which Michael spent his formative years. But that wasn't his only influence. The Baby Boomers were the Civil Rights-Antiwar-Kennedyesque-Great Society-Vatican II generation who seemed to give hope for the future of the world. In 1970, a book was published called "The Greening of America" by Charles Reich, a 42-year-old Supreme Court clerk and an Ivy League professor. The book was an immediate sensation, going through 20 printings. The New Yorker published it as an essay that filled the entire September 26 issue. "Greening of America" wasn't about the environment. Or an Irish takeover. It was about a shift in consciousness that was supposedly underway in America. The author maintained that the idealism of the young people of the Sixties--the kids, the hippies, the radical students, the drop-outs, the rock-and-rollers--and their great Baby Boom numbers would carry forward in a linear fashion to a bright new world free of war and racial discrimination. It didn't happen, as we all know now. Reich had it all wrong. The ending of the draft all but ended the antiwar protests. Progress was made in Civil Rights, but racism and anti-Gay sentiment still smolder beneath the surface. And Vatican II? The Church went into regression from that hopeful document. As for "The Greening of America," you never hear about it today, except as a curiosity.
And now, to the issue at hand: Michael's hope of heaven. One thing I think we can all agree on: Michael is a good guy. He deserves Heaven. I liked Michael's simple rationale for his salvation: "A loving God would not keep people out who were basically good people but who for some reason did not have the level of belief that most of you have." This seems to be the loving God of the New Testament, who was all about forgiveness.
To underscore the point, I would like to ask that if good works are just "tattered and filthy efforts" and "filthy rags", then what about Mother Teresa and Adolph Hitler, the "good" and "evil" icons of our era? It came to light this summer that Mother Teresa didn't believe in God during the last 40 years of her life ("faith"), but continued to help the poor ("works"). Being hypothetical for a moment, what if Hitler had accepted Jesus as his saviour on his death bed? Does that mean Hitler would go to Heaven and Mother Teresa wouldn't? This doesn't make any sense. But isn't trying to follow in Jesus's footsteps, if not in his name, a form of faith?
If faith is a gift, and God has not seen fit to present it to Michael, then it seems to me that he has chosen the more difficult path. Turning the other cheek and loving your enemies ain't easy. He's trying, but in some circles, it apparently won't buy Michael a ticket to Heaven.
I just can't believe that God could be so insecure about this. He's the almighty one. We are told in the Bible to forgive. If He sends Michael to Hell, then God is not following His own forgiveness precept. And here's poor Michael, struggling along, trying to make a better world, all for naught. God is just, so why should He be so upset if Michael hasn't been gifted a faith in Jesus?
Please do not construe anything I've said as doubting the good intentions of Michael's siblings or anything but a loving desire to bring about Michael's salvation. Your family just doesn't work that way. I see these blog exchanges not as polarizing, but as a way of achieving understanding for one another that actually brings the family closer together.
May the Lord bring you peace!
Dakota Bill
P.S.: Briefly back to politics:
1. On "bombing Iran": Suddenly, and surprisingly, the whole foreign policy debate on Iran has been altered. The Administration has been citing Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons as the rationale for an aggressive foreign policy. Not long ago Bush regarded it as an attempt to head off World War III. Now, the Administration has its hands on a classified document that undercuts much of the foundation for that approach. The National Intelligence Estimate has concluded that Iran had halted a military nuclear program in 2003, though it continues to enrich uranium, ostensibly for peaceful uses. Of course, the president, at his press conference today, is still playing the fear card. But it looks like the urgency of attacking Iran, or knocking out its facilities, has been removed. Let's hope this opens the door now to talks with Iran.
2. On Bush's conservatism: I can't see how a conservative can support the Bush Administration. If the conservative ideal remains one of less government intrusion and less government spending, then Bush is not the man. Bush has threatened our most basic Constitutional guarantees by making torture legal, legalizing wiretapping, abolishing Habeas Corpus, allowing discrimination against gays and blurring the lines between church and state. His "compassionate conservatives" have poured the nation's resources into a useless war and tax cuts for the very wealthy, at the expense of health care, education, the Middle Class, the "working poor" and the environment. Barry Goldwater, the founder of the modern conservative movement, gradually found his ideals eroded by Republicans. He abhorred Ronald Reagan's moralist social policy, writing of "the nuts" who travel under the guise of conservatism, i.e., religious figures like Jerry Falwell. Goldwater admired Bill Clinton and feared George W. Bush's approach to power. Dwight D. Eisenhower, another conservative icon, warned of the "military-industrial complex" as being as big a threat to our freedom as unbridaled governmental power, a concept that seems to be lost on George W. Bush, who embraces all three types of institution. Hillary Clinton is now among Goldwater's biggest fans. Something must have happened within the conservative movement that does not bode well for its future. I'm a tax-and-spend Democrat, but I want my taxes spent compassionately, not for the benefit of the elite.
okay... my attempt to put some things in a different light....
First, 1cor. 13 speaks of love, not charity. Webster defines love as an attitude while charity is only action. Love is unselfish concern for the good of another. Charity is kindness and helpfulness to the needy. It speaks nothing of the attitude of the heart. Love is much deeper and requires me to be all about others and not pick and choose who I want to love.
Religion is an organization that tells me how to do things. A relationship with Jesus is 24/7 reality in who I trust to direct my life. It requires me to be in commuication with my maker. There is no middle man to tell me how to think. Any form of religion will never get me into heaven. Only a personal relationship with my maker will give me the citizenship required to enter.
Jesus GAVE his life for the payment for sin... the Jews did not take it. The people who nailed him to the cross were mostly Jews, but they were confused and did not accept him to be their promised messiah. No one is to be blamed for killing Jesus.
God teaches in His word, that sex is a gift given to man and women to be used in marriage to express intamacy and bind together. It is never said to be dirty or bad, but it is said to be saved for the bonding and unifying of a man and woman in marriage.
No religion of any name was founded by Jesus. There is no mention of any religion in the bible. Jesus founded the start of christianity. They are to be followers of christ... "little christ like ones"... so called christ-ians. The Roman Church took the start of the christian church and made it into Roman Catholicism, mandating that all citizens must take part. They added things from pagan faiths etc to make sure all people would feel included. Was the first religion probably cathotic?? Most likely yes. Later, the protesters saw the poluting of the original church and tried to take it back to pure faith and belief in Jesus Christ, becoming the protestant church. They disagreed on various rules and regulations and split to become many different denominations. Religion is mans answer to faith. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and savior is Gods answer to faith.
Because of our human finite minds, we are confused sheep without a shepherd. We will always try different things to satisify our need to find absolute truth to follow. We need a shepherd to lead us. God offers the free gift of salvation to everyone. The problem is not everyone chooses to accept the gift offered. Some of us try to work our way through life making up our own rules and doing lots of good things. All admirable, but not what is necessary to get to heaven. We must each have citizenship in heaven to get in. We must each choose to accept Gods gift and then no longer hope to do enough good (having no knowledge as to how much is enough)but know we will go to heaven when life here on earth is finished. No one deserves heaven, because God can not be in the presence of sin and we all sin. Therefore no one can go to heaven unless we have accepted Christ finished work on the cross to cover all my sin."All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" 1 cor 1 27-29 explains how God choose things the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise. .. therefore, we can never have a brag fest if you will, in heaven because "no one can ever boast in the presence of God"
God is forgiving and loving. He offers a way to know we can see him in heaven and have a relationship with him here on earth, but we must ask. All that is required is faith the size of a mustart seed. It is not the size of my faith that gets me to heaven. It is the fact that I have choosen to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Because I am thankful for what He has done for me I choose to do "good works" if you will, but it has nothing to do with working for my salvation. And yes, God forgives even those who make death bed requests. He forgave the theif on the cross and said he would see him is heaven. I cannot judge anyone elses heart. Only God sees the heart. Is Mother Theresa or Hitler in heaven? I do not know because I never knew them. I guess I will find out when I get there. From what I know historically, I kind of doubt Hitler chose to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and savior even at his death. I never heard Mother Theresa speak of a personal relationship either, so really do not know if she is in heaven. Besides, it is not up to me to judge another. I have plenty of growing to do to mature in knowledge and wisdom, that I do not need to concern myself with others who are dead. They have already made their choice as to if they would serve self or Jesus.
Summary?? It is not about me and what I do.... It is all about Jesus and what he did to pay for my salvation. Religions are man made and flawed. Christianity is founded on Jesus Christ... the perfect Lamb of God.. no flaws or defects. He died once for all and we no longer need to work our way. The old testament shows us we can not keep the law perfectly so need a savior. The curtain separating the holy of holies and the people was destroyed upon Jesus death. We no longer need a middleman to get to God. Jesus said "it is finished" and that is that. Salvation is paid in full.... now we each need to choose to accept or reject. It is offered.... you decide.
Gotta go... None of this is meant to be judgemental. I am passionate about what I believe and who I serve. It truely is all about HIM!!
God Bless you all...MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Christ is what it is all about.
Love, Mary
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