“Spiritual practice always involves going beyond simply finding out who one is to a level of finding out what needs to do in the world” – Gerald May
For the last 25 years of so, that I’ve noticed, it seems churches have done little more than complain about the state of the world. They want to complain but need to offer solutions as well. It’s no use to go back to the “good old days” of doing things because of the amount of editing that goes into those thoughts. I’ve heard in sermons and from several individuals that non-Christians shouldn’t be able to decide for themselves what is good or bad but need “good Christians” to do that for them. I guess they’ve forgotten what is in the third chapter of Romans of the New Testament. Others have done such a poor job of running their own life that I wouldn’t want them to make decisions or make suggestions on how or what to do with my own life. I’ve learned a lot from trial and error and will continue to do so.
I guess a lot of “good Christians” have forgotten what humility is or stopped enjoying being human. Life is about the thrill of the journey not just about reaching the destination. They should take a quote from Wayne Dyer to heart; “True nobility is not about bang better than someone else, it’s about being better than what we used to be.” With that in mind, “holy” people, if they take a good look at themselves will find enough gunk of their own to deal with to not be so concerned with other peoples sins.
Part of the issue is that the Christian Faith has had as close to 100% of the religious marketplace to themselves as possible in North America and Europe. Now that other faiths are making major inroads into the Western world, the churches seem to have gotten uptight about this. Why is this? Why say you support people’s choice to democratic rights when you belittle them for exercising it? Sounds like the church wants a theocracy more than democracy. I’ve heard the term “unchurched” describing non-Christians, it’s another label that I don’t want put on me or anyone else. Why promote the us versus them mentality when we’re all in the same boat?
What will take for us humans to get away from stereotyping others considered different? It’s nothing more than fearing the unknown, it dehumanizes others to consider them less than your group. I’ve come to the conclusion that the human ego is the root of all evil not the love of money.
I really can’t believe that God prefers one group or person over another. No one is more special or blessed than the other. Consider what Jesus would think of your doings if you thought you were better than anyone else. Or if you invented whatever God of the day you wanted to believe in. God is God and is quite capable of speaking for Itself. This is when one needs to sit down, tone down the clutter in their mind and listen, not just hear, what is going around and inside them.
No one religion has a monopoly on morality. Considering the number of scandals religion has been involved in since the beginning of mankind, I would think they’d be the first ones to give up the monopoly.
God may be waiting to help us if we ask. But we have to look for practical solutions not some out dated ideas from yester-year that has outlived it usefulness.