You know what we as Christians need to do stop doing so much?
We need to stop throwing around the phrase "but God made you this way on purpose".
When someone is crying over how weird-looking they are, or how stupid they are, or how useless they are, a lot of us like to say "you were wonderfully and beautifully made by God, just the way he wanted". Yeah, okay. I get that. So you're telling me that God made me fat on purpose. (And if they actually say that, please try to resist saying "no, that was the 300 donuts you've had in the last 12 months.")
It becomes an excuse, and frankly, say it enough and it loses all meaning. And it's bad too, because guess what? People will take it the wrong way.
They'll end up hating God.
Because somehow, "God wants you to be ugly" just ain't very comforting.
[edit] 4thMay2008, 7.29 p.m.
I don't think I wrote this post very well. Trying to be politically correct backfires when you end up making hugely ambiguous statements. Most people completely missed the point I was trying to make, but that's alright because it actually came up in the discussion in the comments box.
Yes, this post was a criticism, but I wasn't criticising God. We can't blame God for everything in our lives that doesn't go our way. We tend to attribute good things to God, but He isn't a thunder-stealer. In the same way, He isn't a scapegoat.
Mellymel and I thought of a very true, but very mean illustration that we shan't share on a public domain like this. But yeah, read the comments.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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15 comments:
There are many things Christians shouldn't say or do out of "smart-aleckness", and this is one of them.
sounds like something that i would find on stufffchristianslike, except not as funny.
there is beauty in everybody :) its just a matter of choosing whether or not you want to see it.
in explanation...
did not mean that anyone is ugly,stupid, or useless. meant that when they think they are.
did not mean that you are doing something wrong, if you do this. understand it is done with good intentions. means to say that not everybody takes it the way it is intended.
also was a bit annoyed at how every little thing tends to become from God. even when people sometimes make their own mistakes.
altogether, just too cynical.
kthxbai.
This is why I have chosen not to have any religion.
Religion becomes nothing but an emotional and psychological crutch for people who cannot take responsibility for their actions and choices.
I was once a Christian, and studied and lived almost every aspect of it, and I see a very big flaw in the religion.
People cannot be blamed (because God 'decided everything' and therefore cannot be credited with anything (because God 'planned everything'.
As far as I know, the Bible says that we are to be blamed for our actions and our choices. And not only are we responsible to others and to ourselves, we are also responsible to God.
In my mind, that's an incredibly heavy burden. All of a sudden, we are responsible to someone who seemingly knows every single little thing we do. God, can't you just leave us alone?!
Fortunately, He doesn't. He sees the little people and He thinks, they can't do anything RIGHT, but I love them so much. So He sends His son Jesus to be the sacrifice to wash away the sins that we're responsible for.
Then He says, ok guys and gals, I've taken responsibility of your thoughts, words, and deeds; but please, don't make me do that again, it hurts.
So in effect, we are responsible for our wrongs, God is responsible for our salvation, and we are responsible for not nailing Him on the cross all the time.
boy, this is longer than some of my blog posts >.<
have a nice day =)
lol. =) so true looners..so true. bout what u wrote and that bit bout it being longer than ur blog posts. =.=
sigh. okay, i realise that this post was really ambiguous about what i really wanted to say, and we've sort of expanded on it... quite a lot.
i agree with Loony. WE are responsible for our wrongs. we're flawed. deal with it. it's not God's fault, because we are ALWAYS given a choice. you can't blame your sins on predestination because like Tim said, God's plan IS dynamic and ever-changing, and he will never leave you, nor forsake you.
i'm really sorry to hear you've lost your faith, Jase, because you were one of the most passionate people i knew back in FGA. but when we take responsibility for our own actions, it doesn't mean that God is not playing a part in our lives. Quoting Loony: "we are responsible for our wrongs, God is responsible for our salvation". We sin, and God saves us time and time again. We just need to confess that it was our wrong, and come back to Him.
I haven't 'lost' faith. :) I've grown and thought enough to KNOW.
Guys, have you all ever just thought whether Jesus really had a hard life? He had the easiest life ever! We were born, not knowing what life has in store for us. But Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. Why was he betrayed? He wanted it. Why was he persecuted? He wanted it. Why? Because he had the reassurance of resurrection. :) Heck, if you assure me I will come back after three days, I'll go through anything. ;) Jesus/God wrote the script for his life; why can't we? :)
Here's a food for thought. All the values we give 'God' are all the values that we as humans (deeply) desire, whether you like it or not. :) Think about it. Don't be biased.
Guys, I am very glad you are all mature and open-minded about this. I lost a dear friend a few hours ago when she found out I have become agnostic. She said some.. very hurtful things. But it's all good.
Kimbo: I hope I didn't disappoint you too much. I know about sacrificing for God. I know about suffering for God. I know about persecution, trials, challenges. Hence, I know exactly what I am choosing to let go of. :) If I am really responsible for my choices and actions, then I cannot blame anyone for them. Which logically follows that no one can claim credit for them, bad or good. :)
I hope I didn't bore anyone.
First person to crucify me here gets a reward. :P
P.S.
"we are responsible for our wrongs, God is responsible for our salvation"
This is a very flawed sentence. :P
God seems to have made defective creations in this case. If the created displays flaws, why blame the created, when it was the creator who made it?
You do not reprimand a broken table.
You reprimand the carpenter. ;)
Jesus had the easiest life ever? He had a choice to stay up in heaven, in all His glory and splendor, doing whatever he wants, king of all kings.
Yet he chose to come and live among men so we may be saved. He lived poor, never had anything to himself, preaching all his life and eventually, getting flogged, vilified and crucified.
Would you choose to go to Iraq to be a missionary for 10 years, tortured, flogged, ostracised, possibly murdered and despised, let alone 33 years like Jesus did? Even if i promised you 1 million dollars at the end of it. Compare what He could have, to what he has done for us. He literally exchanged robes for rags. Easy life?
No, compared to what he could have had. He had whatever he wanted already. He just let go. For us.
I will let Cheng Loon defend his point cos i gotta go...
Knowing that you're going to die in the most horrible manner by the age of 33 and to be betrayed by one of your friends might not exactly bring a smile on your face, no xD? And not to mention that he was kinda stressed out about the whole crucifixion thing. He prayed that, God willing, he wouldn't have to go through it. But he chose to follow God's will to die. (Lets not talk about Jesus being God and the whole Trinity thing 'cos that makes my head spin.)
Then again, we're not sure how much Jesus KNEW about his future. It's kinda complicated he is still a man and also God.
Jesus had the assurance of resurrection, and because of that, WE now have the assurance of salvation AND ALSO the assurance of resurrection when the second coming comes. I think I'm right about the resurrection bit 'cos it's not something that's talked about a lot in churches, mostly due to various difficulties in theological understanding of it.
But mainly it's the assurance of salvation that drives Christians (the true blue ones) to live dangerously for God. Because they are assured of a place in heaven, they aren't afraid to risk their lives for God. And it's God's love for them and everyone else that drives them to make sure that others know of the salvation as well.
Regarding the values we desire in God... where do these desires come from? From God perhaps? I must say though that certain values that we place on God might have been given a human 'twist', such as God has to say yes to every single prayer.
Is free will and the choice to do right or wrong a flaw? Can we do right if we aren't able to do wrong? Can we be good if we aren't able to be bad? Questions questions questions xD
Should I blame the carpenter for making a hole in my table or should I thank him for making a cup holder in my table? Decisions decisions decisions xD
Good thing tables can't choose anything.
Jason can close and then we can give kim her blog back :)
I see both your points. :)
Of course, I am not trying to get anyone to follow what I have done. No sir.
To answer theboredvet, if I knew that I was going to definitely live again (immortally), then yeah, I would go through anything. Anyone would. There's a guarantee, plus you get to prove a point. :P
To answer chengaloony, that's my point. If man can choose to be genuinely making the right decisions, then is that not existentialism? And if he chooses genuinely good decisions, then where does God stand? :) Questions questions. :P
Since all of you are on pretty much one camp, and I on one, let us all agree to disagree. I have seen and experienced both sides of the great theological coin, but all of you are yet to. ;) I have no right to impose my beliefs/philosophy on anyone. :P
I will end this (brilliant) discussion with a food for thought for anyone willing to open their minds.
God seems to be used to compensate for the inadequacy of man. ALL the ideas we have of 'God' (any god) are what we THINK 'God' has. :)
Kim, you can have your blog back now, whatever that means. :) Thanks for being a medium of a very interesting discussion.
Much respect to the posters who presented clear and thought out arguments.
Thanks guys.
This has actually been really good for me :)
Thanks also for not creating World War IX in here.
Have a smile-y one, people :D
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