Good Morning, Pastor Mark. I hope this letter finds you well.
Let me say that I have enjoyed our discussion both as as a challenge to my thoughts and beliefs about my faith but also as an exercise in intellectual debate among friends. Yes it seems that we are of kindred spirit in most things concerning Jesus. And, I feel, the things where we differ are small and I'm sure we could agree to disagree without jeopardizing our effectiveness in spreading the Word.
Concerning the Old Testament, I did not effectively state my position. Yes the Old Testament is important and needs to be read, studied and understood. It puts things into context. Jesus was, after all, a Jew who lived the life of a Jew in Palestine. This meant living by the laws of God as interrupted by the Jewish leaders and implemented in secular life. He was renowned for His knowledge of the scriptures. He also rebelled against the Jewish leadership, and therefore Jewish law, when he advocated allowing the pagans and Gentiles into the temple to worship. Jesus' teachings on the Mount and in the Beatitudes is also an example of his contrary view of Old Testament lessons. So, it is true that an understanding of the contents of the Old Testament is necessary to fully understand the dynamics of Jesus' mission as the Messiah. To fully comprehend Jesus as God, however, we must accept that He rejected what had come to be the practice of using scripture as a way to oppress, reject and exclude the people of the time from God's love and promise.
I believe that God works in mysterious ways. I also firmly believe that nothing happens in God's world by accident. God doesn't make mistakes. So, in that context, I offer that He is revealing new and controversial material for us to ponder, as we are able to deal with it. Does this new material connote a new testament? No. Does it mean that what we have learned thus far is invalid? No. All it does do is to provide us with a new chance to explore our faith based on some new knowledge. Is all of this new information true and accurate? No. Is it inspired by God? Well, I don't know, do I. Until that is revealed to me I can only assume that God put it out there for a reason. Is this new information the products of some who would like to have me deny God and destroy my faith? Maybe. But I would be remiss if I didn't read it. So often I see people who have some information and determine that that is all they need to know. It's sad, really, to see people so entrenched in a flawed system and so unwilling to seek a remedy in new awareness. (I'm afraid my early Catholic experiences are surfacing)
Because I read everything that I can find about Jesus, His life, and His teachings, I can better form my beliefs about Him and His divinity. Knowledge is never bad or wrong. And the search for new knowledge is always helpful. The works of Prophet, Hassain & Levi, Thiering, and Butler-Bass contradict each other on every page. Each are committed to their research and beliefs. And each offers an opportunity for me to fine tune my faith by challenging what I know to be true. So what if we determine that Jesus was in fact an Essene Jew, dedicated to a communistic lifestyle, popular in His day. So what if it is proven that Jesus traveled to the East and studied and taught before His mission in Palestine. It doesn't matter. None of that takes away one iota of truth of His ministry documented in the New Testament.
That brings up the concept of the devil. There is much written about the devil, the ultimate antagonist in the drama of the world. Did he exist? Does he exist today? Or has his usefulness diminished since the arrival of Jesus. If we need a face of evil to make sense of some of the events in our world then the devil serves that purpose. It's easier to point to the devil as the cause of the tragedy in Haiti than to believe that God allows such things. But, I can't have it both ways. If I believe, as I do, that God is in total control of the world and nothing happens in God's world by accident, then I must accept that God is in charge of what I identify as evil, not the devil. And it is not my place to try to comprehend God's purpose. To paraphrase another Big Book I read and rely upon, “acceptance is the key”.
SIN: Sin is a very personal issue between God and me. God is the final judge concerning sin. I believe that no one other than the individual can determine if a certain behavior is sinful. There are some pretty strong argument against certain behaviors and thoughts. And some things are just inherently wrong; sinful in every case. We humans have a seemingly unlimited ability to rationalize our actions. We can, and do, justify almost everything to make us less guilty of sin.
Killing another human being for any reason is a sin. IT'S ONE OF THE BIG 10. However, I have killed people and felt justified in doing so, at the time. It was war, after all, and by definition, warfare involves killing people. Did I sin? Of course, no question about it. Was I wrong in committing those sins? Yes. Was it necessary, at the time, to do so? Well, that's something I have lived with for 40 odd years and will do for the remainder of my life. I believe that I have been absolved of those sins. However, I'll find out later. I wait to see what weight God places on my behavior for when I meet Him.
Now for the news that is difficult for me to share. Although I would relish the chance to come to PEI and work with the immigrants, I can't. My wife is completely against moving to another country. She is adamant that the next move she makes will be back to the US, close to family. It could seem I have been selfish in using this as an opportunity to express my faith, I assure you that I did not intend this to be the case. But I will not deny that I have thoroughly enjoyed our dialogue. Best of luck finding the right person to fill this position. I wish it could be me. But, as always, my wife's needs come before mine.
My God bless you and guide you in your search. Bob
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Responses to concerns about my Christianity
What follows is a response to some concerns a Pastor has while considering me for an unpaid missionary position in Canada. I do not have permission to publish his questions so I won't. But they are directly related to essays and postings on this blog.
First, and most important, is the clear understanding that as an academic I separate "belief" and "faith", just as I distinguish between “truth” and “fact”.
What I, and you, and everyone else "believe" is based on our knowledge, experiences, and how we interpret all of this information. Many of us believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the three persons in one God. We further believe that Jesus the Nazarene is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. Many others believe something else, based on what they have learned and experienced. This does not make their beliefs "wrong". I believe that the path to redemption is through Jesus. And I believe that I have an obligation to bring this message to others. And the way to bring others to Jesus is to provide them with the Word and to have them experience the love and acceptance of our Christian community. Beliefs, therefore are intellectual, residing in the head, so to speak.
Faith, on the other hand, is spiritual, based in the heart, if you will. Faith can be shared but never taught. Faith must be felt deep in the core of one's being. Faith transcends knowledge, experiences, and beliefs. Faith is sometimes associated with trust. But it's more. Trust is of the world; I trust that the bank will give me back my money when I ask. Faith is that God will provide me with everything I need, even if what He provides is pain and suffering. Faith allows me to go on in the face of danger. I'm reminded of one time in Viet Nam when everything I knew and believed was useless and only my faith carried me through. Close combat does that.
So, yes, what we believe is true, at that time, based on our available information, our knowledge, and our experiences. I can't think of a more destructive way to gather people to Jesus than to tell them that everything they know about God is wrong. They must be offered Jesus at a personal level, first by experiencing Jesus' love through our actions and then through knowledge of his teachings in the New Testament. Because I believe that Jesus is the redeemer, I have an obligation to teach that to others. More importantly, I have the task of “showing” Jesus in my daily life choices. And I have faith that through my efforts on behalf of Jesus, more people will be saved. Yes, I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. However, I also believe that the Word has been mistranslated, misinterpreted, and therefore, misunderstood for thousands of years. Other than as a genealogical record and a collections of teaching stories, the Old Testament is of little relevance to Christians today. Jesus brought with Him a New Testament designed to replace the Old and offer a new way of living. Gone is the hateful, vengeful God and here now is the God of love and salvation. Gone are the days when only the elite got to worship in the temple and here are the days when everyone is welcome. We no longer need to fear God because we are taught that God is our father. We are encouraged to have a close personal relationship with God, through Jesus, and that God loves us.
I have absolutely no trust that what a pagan Roman Emperor decided 1700 years ago are the only writings to be considered divine after multiple committees debated for over a year and settled on what can only be described as the least common denominator of doctrines.
I look at my three study bibles and see three translations, each saying the same thing, differently. And each interpreting what is said in it's own way, based on what the authors want me to believe. The truth is no one really knows what the original gospels said. We are reasonably sure that what is included in the New Testament is only a small part of the available writings about Jesus and his ministry. And, God in His infinite wisdom is bringing some of these other writings to light in His good time. What these writings say and who wrote them is speculative, but must be explored.
In the meanwhile I have faith that the word of God is revealed to me exactly as God wants me to hear it.
Coincidently, I am currently reading THE LOST YEARS OF JESUS, Documentary Evidence of Jesus' 17 Year Journey To the East. I believe that each of us has an obligation to read everything available about Jesus and his life, no matter how incredible they seem. WHY? Because it is these writings that our detractors will use to discredit our faith. We must know what these writings say in order to be a competent witness of Jesus and his teachings. Knowledge is never a bad thing. However we must place that knowledge in context. I don't have a problem with someone providing evidence that Jesus traveled and studied in the East as an adolescent and young adult. I can see similarities in the teachings of Jesus and those of the Buddha. The more I learn about what others say about Jesus in the East, the more convinced I am that they have it backwards. Jesus was more a teacher in the East than a student. I don't have a problem with others believing that Jesus' message is based his teachings on Eastern philosophies. I don't take issue here because I believe that Jesus influenced Eastern thought and not the other way around. I don't have a problem wondering, as some have suggested, if God sent his Son to earth more than once. Perhaps the Buddha was, in fact, an earlier presence of God on Earth. No one really knows for sure. And who cares? It doesn't, in any way, change what we know of Jesus in Palestine, his life there, and his teachings and commandments to us, as his disciples. It doesn't shake my faith that Jesus is God, come to us in the form of a man to bring us to salvation.
Yes, we believe what we believe and have faith in God. However, we can never know the intent of God. But we must consider everything and put it into context. Someday, something may come to light that puts everything I believe in doubt. That is the day I look forward to. That is the day I can put everything I have learned to the test. On that day, what I believe will be challenged. But my faith will not be. My faith in God is not dependent upon anything worldly.
You are correct to question my statements about the absurdity of requiring others to have the same beliefs as do I. I think I have addressed this in a previous paragraph. May I simply say that I believe Jesus when he says, with authority, “I am the Way”.
At the risk of sounding trite, I was raised a Catholic, probably the least Christian of Christian religions. And, as a result, I am critical of what passes for Christianity today. It is my observation that most people who claim to be Christians aren't, that they are delinquent in their attempts to demonstrate a life based on the teachings and commandments of Jesus.
Jesus commands us to care for one another. That's pretty much it. Feed the hungry, treat the sick, shelter the homeless, comfort the weary and protect the children. And do all of this in our own neighborhoods. Jesus sent His disciples out to the people. He did not require the people to come to him. He never suggests that there are exceptions. He doesn't address any “why” questions about someone needing assistance. He doesn't say help only those you feel deserve it. He simply says to help those in need. To me that means helping those who's life choices I find repulsive, dangerous, and/or politically incorrect. And Jesus never said, nor do I believe He condones, withholding our assistance from anyone who rejects Him.
I also have contempt for any organized church that excludes others for any reason. I take issue with church buildings being empty 95% of the time. I question the practice of paid clergy. (I understand the need for it, but I sometimes wonder if salary and benefits gets in the way of a pastor confronting the members when required.) And I find it offensive to see mega churches, “feel good” auditoriums, which seem designed to be money generators and houses of glory to man, being promoted as the 'new Christianity'.
I hope these responses answer your questions. I have, in good faith, been as forthright as possible. My beliefs and faith are “out there” for anyone to read and scrutinize. And I will be posting these clarifications on the blog this afternoon, again for everyone to see.
Now I would like to learn more about you, your church, and it's mission. Do you have a web site? A published Statement of Faith for your ministry? Does your church welcome everyone, without exception. Do you, Mark, measure up to my expectation of a Christian as I have outlined here today? It is you, after all, that is asking for help.
I look forward to your response. Peace and love through Jesus.
First, and most important, is the clear understanding that as an academic I separate "belief" and "faith", just as I distinguish between “truth” and “fact”.
What I, and you, and everyone else "believe" is based on our knowledge, experiences, and how we interpret all of this information. Many of us believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the three persons in one God. We further believe that Jesus the Nazarene is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. Many others believe something else, based on what they have learned and experienced. This does not make their beliefs "wrong". I believe that the path to redemption is through Jesus. And I believe that I have an obligation to bring this message to others. And the way to bring others to Jesus is to provide them with the Word and to have them experience the love and acceptance of our Christian community. Beliefs, therefore are intellectual, residing in the head, so to speak.
Faith, on the other hand, is spiritual, based in the heart, if you will. Faith can be shared but never taught. Faith must be felt deep in the core of one's being. Faith transcends knowledge, experiences, and beliefs. Faith is sometimes associated with trust. But it's more. Trust is of the world; I trust that the bank will give me back my money when I ask. Faith is that God will provide me with everything I need, even if what He provides is pain and suffering. Faith allows me to go on in the face of danger. I'm reminded of one time in Viet Nam when everything I knew and believed was useless and only my faith carried me through. Close combat does that.
So, yes, what we believe is true, at that time, based on our available information, our knowledge, and our experiences. I can't think of a more destructive way to gather people to Jesus than to tell them that everything they know about God is wrong. They must be offered Jesus at a personal level, first by experiencing Jesus' love through our actions and then through knowledge of his teachings in the New Testament. Because I believe that Jesus is the redeemer, I have an obligation to teach that to others. More importantly, I have the task of “showing” Jesus in my daily life choices. And I have faith that through my efforts on behalf of Jesus, more people will be saved. Yes, I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. However, I also believe that the Word has been mistranslated, misinterpreted, and therefore, misunderstood for thousands of years. Other than as a genealogical record and a collections of teaching stories, the Old Testament is of little relevance to Christians today. Jesus brought with Him a New Testament designed to replace the Old and offer a new way of living. Gone is the hateful, vengeful God and here now is the God of love and salvation. Gone are the days when only the elite got to worship in the temple and here are the days when everyone is welcome. We no longer need to fear God because we are taught that God is our father. We are encouraged to have a close personal relationship with God, through Jesus, and that God loves us.
I have absolutely no trust that what a pagan Roman Emperor decided 1700 years ago are the only writings to be considered divine after multiple committees debated for over a year and settled on what can only be described as the least common denominator of doctrines.
I look at my three study bibles and see three translations, each saying the same thing, differently. And each interpreting what is said in it's own way, based on what the authors want me to believe. The truth is no one really knows what the original gospels said. We are reasonably sure that what is included in the New Testament is only a small part of the available writings about Jesus and his ministry. And, God in His infinite wisdom is bringing some of these other writings to light in His good time. What these writings say and who wrote them is speculative, but must be explored.
In the meanwhile I have faith that the word of God is revealed to me exactly as God wants me to hear it.
Coincidently, I am currently reading THE LOST YEARS OF JESUS, Documentary Evidence of Jesus' 17 Year Journey To the East. I believe that each of us has an obligation to read everything available about Jesus and his life, no matter how incredible they seem. WHY? Because it is these writings that our detractors will use to discredit our faith. We must know what these writings say in order to be a competent witness of Jesus and his teachings. Knowledge is never a bad thing. However we must place that knowledge in context. I don't have a problem with someone providing evidence that Jesus traveled and studied in the East as an adolescent and young adult. I can see similarities in the teachings of Jesus and those of the Buddha. The more I learn about what others say about Jesus in the East, the more convinced I am that they have it backwards. Jesus was more a teacher in the East than a student. I don't have a problem with others believing that Jesus' message is based his teachings on Eastern philosophies. I don't take issue here because I believe that Jesus influenced Eastern thought and not the other way around. I don't have a problem wondering, as some have suggested, if God sent his Son to earth more than once. Perhaps the Buddha was, in fact, an earlier presence of God on Earth. No one really knows for sure. And who cares? It doesn't, in any way, change what we know of Jesus in Palestine, his life there, and his teachings and commandments to us, as his disciples. It doesn't shake my faith that Jesus is God, come to us in the form of a man to bring us to salvation.
Yes, we believe what we believe and have faith in God. However, we can never know the intent of God. But we must consider everything and put it into context. Someday, something may come to light that puts everything I believe in doubt. That is the day I look forward to. That is the day I can put everything I have learned to the test. On that day, what I believe will be challenged. But my faith will not be. My faith in God is not dependent upon anything worldly.
You are correct to question my statements about the absurdity of requiring others to have the same beliefs as do I. I think I have addressed this in a previous paragraph. May I simply say that I believe Jesus when he says, with authority, “I am the Way”.
At the risk of sounding trite, I was raised a Catholic, probably the least Christian of Christian religions. And, as a result, I am critical of what passes for Christianity today. It is my observation that most people who claim to be Christians aren't, that they are delinquent in their attempts to demonstrate a life based on the teachings and commandments of Jesus.
Jesus commands us to care for one another. That's pretty much it. Feed the hungry, treat the sick, shelter the homeless, comfort the weary and protect the children. And do all of this in our own neighborhoods. Jesus sent His disciples out to the people. He did not require the people to come to him. He never suggests that there are exceptions. He doesn't address any “why” questions about someone needing assistance. He doesn't say help only those you feel deserve it. He simply says to help those in need. To me that means helping those who's life choices I find repulsive, dangerous, and/or politically incorrect. And Jesus never said, nor do I believe He condones, withholding our assistance from anyone who rejects Him.
I also have contempt for any organized church that excludes others for any reason. I take issue with church buildings being empty 95% of the time. I question the practice of paid clergy. (I understand the need for it, but I sometimes wonder if salary and benefits gets in the way of a pastor confronting the members when required.) And I find it offensive to see mega churches, “feel good” auditoriums, which seem designed to be money generators and houses of glory to man, being promoted as the 'new Christianity'.
I hope these responses answer your questions. I have, in good faith, been as forthright as possible. My beliefs and faith are “out there” for anyone to read and scrutinize. And I will be posting these clarifications on the blog this afternoon, again for everyone to see.
Now I would like to learn more about you, your church, and it's mission. Do you have a web site? A published Statement of Faith for your ministry? Does your church welcome everyone, without exception. Do you, Mark, measure up to my expectation of a Christian as I have outlined here today? It is you, after all, that is asking for help.
I look forward to your response. Peace and love through Jesus.
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