It’s Not Rocket Science

Hello, world! I was going to wait one more day, but I just finished editing, and I was afraid if I waited one more day, it wouldn’t happen, so here we are. This year has been a nightmare, hasn’t it? I mentioned in my Saturday update that I was riding the struggle bus, but I’m doing a bit better. I’m hanging in there, and I hope you guys are too. We made it through the first half, and I am confident we can make it through the rest of this year. I know I always say you can try again tomorrow, but at this point, I think I’ll just try again next year. Anyway, on with today’s topic…

I know I haven’t talked about Christianity in a while, but…. well, I’ll just lay it out for you. When I first started blogging, I was at bible college, and I wanted to create a great blog that was faith-based and about mental health, but along the way, I kind of threw that idea out the window. Why you ask??? I became worried that if I had an entirely faith-based blog, I wouldn’t be able to reach nearly as many people. Again, why? I feel like Christianity gets a bad rep sometimes, rightfully so in many cases, but still. I used to see videos of ‘Christians’ on Facebook, and I just wanted to apologize on their behalf, like, “I promise we aren’t all like that!!! Please be my friend! lol”. Somewhere along the line, I felt like religion had become far too political, and you know how I feel about politics. So, I would like to address some of Christianity’s “political parties.”

Hellfire Christians: These are the ones that always make me cringe. If I saw one at the store, I would run the other way…. And I’m already converted!! Honestly, how is telling people that they are going to go to hell supposed to help encourage people to join your religion? Also, what Bible are you reading? Because that’s not what it says in the Bible. I mean, it does, but I’ll address that in the next paragraph. Also, saying everyone who doesn’t believe is a sinner…. umm…. they realize we are sinners too, right?! Just because we can receive forgiveness doesn’t mean we aren’t still sinners. That’s literally the ENTIRE point of the New Testament and Jesus. We are all sinners, but it’s cool because Jesus took care of it. In a nutshell, anyway, that’s obviously not a direct quote.

Cake-eating Christians: These are the ones who have way too strong opinions on women pastors and LGBT matters. Yes, there is a verse that says women should be silent in church. Yes, there is a verse that says homosexuality is a sin. There is also a verse that says I should be stoned for braiding my hair, and no one has a problem with that. Another verse says if you hate someone, then you have committed murder in your heart. Lying? Also, a sin. Jealousy? Also, a sin. Not resting on a Sunday? Also, a sin. I’m writing this on Sunday instead of resting, so I may go to hell for that too.

I have been known to lie, and it would be a lie if I said I had never hated someone at least a little bit, AND I BRAID MY HAIR! That said, no one is telling me I’m going to hell (Well, not yet anyway, I haven’t posted it yet). Where is the list that says which sins are okay and which ones aren’t because you know what else the Bible says? That one of THE greatest commandments is…. Love your neighbor as yourself. Not just your Christian neighbors, not just your straight neighbors, not just neighbors with the same skin color …… Literally everyone! Call me crazy, but I feel like telling people they need to convert or go to hell does not sound very loving to me. God actually handpicked two commandments he deemed most important, simply to love God and each other; that’s it! It’s not rocket science.

Rocket Science Christians: These are the ones that stress me out. They make Christianity seem way more complicated than it needs to be. Like it’s a job or a chore. Their religion is like an instruction manual that must be followed. Worship can only happen this way, prayer can only happen this way, and communion can only happen this way. It’s so conditional; honestly, I don’t think He cares that much. The Bible says that where two or more are gathered in his name, He will be. It’s something like that; it’s been a hot minute since I last read my Bible. Also, God hears us before we’ve even spoken, and I have friends who worship God while coloring, crocheting, or even having quiet time. If you have a favorite way, that’s fine. What matters is the what, not the how, the when, or the why.

God’s Plan Christians: Please hear me out before you start judging me. I have no doubt that God has my entire life planned out, and I’m sure he knows exactly how it will all play out. That said, I can’t stand it when something terrible happens, and people are like, “oh, don’t worry, it’s all in God’s plan.” No, no, it isn’t Karen! Someone texted me that one day back when I was super depressed, and I didn’t text them back, but out loud, I said, “Well, His plan sucks!” I have to take that back now because I realized something. He does have a plan, but that’s not it. When a pet dies or something terrible happens, or someone is sick, it’s awful, but it’s not His plan. He can use that tragedy or obstacle to help you realize His plan, but your suffering is not the plan. I don’t like it when people say it’s God’s plan, as if He made this terrible thing happen. Terrible things happen, and for a while, I wondered if God was eating popcorn while watching it all go down, but it’s just the world we live in. It’s not a nice place a lot of the time, but his plan is to make it better. I truly believe God’s plan for each of our lives is happiness. It won’t be happy all the time, but I think His end goal is to turn our storms into rainbows because even though I still have a hard time believing it, He loves us, and I do mean all of us. Trust me, if He can love me, He can love you too.

I’m not writing this because I’m some great poster child for the Christian faith; like I said, it’s been a hot minute since I last read my Bible. Actually, I often feel like maybe I’m too laid back as a Christian, but the main focus of the Bible is love, and that’s what I try to base the rest of my Christianity off of. Am I great at it? Absolutely not! I’m not perfect. I find it very hard to love people, especially those who hurt me. Still, if there’s anything that needs to be added to the Christian religion, it’s more love. I don’t think there is nearly enough. We need to stop seeing people as better or worse based on their race, gender, religion, political views, or lifestyles because, at the end of the day, we are all just people, and we are all struggling to get through this crazy life. And I think it would be a lot better if we all tried to get through it together, supporting each other because we all deserve to love and be loved. It doesn’t matter what your beliefs are or if you don’t have any. We all deserve to love and be loved.

There’s this one song that I really enjoy singing in church, and I don’t know if this is the actual title, but it’s They’ll know we are Christians by our Love. It’s one of the songs I look forward to singing in church because how cool would that be; to be known for how much you love others? Some people might know that someone’s a Christian because they pray every day or go to church every Sunday. I try to pray every day, but it doesn’t always happen; if it does, it’s usually very brief. I try to go to church every Sunday, but I’m not a morning person, and God knows that. I want people to know I’m a Christian because I’m so loving, and if any of my friends are reading this, you better not be laughing. I am a totally caring and compassionate individual!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never mind, I can’t even say it with a straight face. No one is perfect, but I think it’s something worth striving for. If God loves me after everything I’ve said and done in my life, the least I can do is extend that love to others.

Thanks for reading. I hope it didn’t come across as mean or rude. I just think we have made Christianity way more complicated than it needs to be. Now…. Bonus round….

KJV only Christians: I’m glad that version inspires you, but it makes no sense to me, so I will have to stick with the NIV or even…. God forbid……. The Message (what???) ……. No, I’m totally kidding on that one. I just wanted some comic relief for the end. Thank you all for reading this, and I hope you have the best week this week, and until next time….

Sincerely,
LIBD