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This is something I’ve been thinking about for quite some time now. It sort of came to me backward in the sense that I understood the answer before I knew the question. The answer came about when I was having my troubles believing in God. It’s not that I am atheist completely. I consider myself a realist, a rationalist, and a naturalist. I think there is a god but not a Christian god nor a Muslim god nor a Jewish God nor the bunch of other gods out there. It’s only just now that it hit me did I realize the question. If Christianity didn’t have the strong faith of a God behind it, would Christianity be better?
ABSOLUTELY YES
I believe the problem with Christianity is in the the Bible’s strict and tight connection with God. If you believe in a god, any god, then the stories attributed to that god become real for you. Some part of you has to believe in the mythology of the Three Kings following a star to baby Jesus, Moses parting the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, and Noah building an enormous ark for two of each animal. That’s some incredible shit to pull off.
But, let’s try to separate God, or the strict belief in God. Let’s read the bible and view the stories as if God were just the connecting character in a series of short stories, poems, and songs written by different people at different times. What if Moses was part of a larger group and Exodus was in one of those raids to free slaves in Egypt? He had a few rules and didn’t want anyone getting in the way. And, Exodus, being the poet/writer, wrote the story and decided to embellish it a lot. So, wading through some water or taking a boat became “parting the Red Sea” and those simple rules of Moses’ original group became the Ten Commandments. They stuck simply because they’re a damn good set of rules. And, Moses isn’t necessarily chosen by God, but instead was lucky enough to carry Exodus to freedom.
The scenarios can get crazy in describing how the bible came about. What if God was a real person? He was just telling some great stories and someone decided to write them down. That would explain the whole, “as told to me by God” issue. My point, with the Ten Commandments, is that the message can still be delivered without believing that it came from a higher omnipotent being.
Revelations
In separating God from Christianity, I reject the frivolity and think more dynamically about the stories. I take lessons from them and at the same time keep away from the rabid fanaticism. I truly do believe in, “Thou shalt not kill.” However, I am not “faithful” enough to sit quietly and “accept God’s will” or pray for a different outcome. I don’t believe in God. So, if I have to break that commandment, then so be it.
Sober Update
I have to say I agree. Christianity, through the Bible, does offer a lot of good guidelines to living. However, there are some concepts and ideals that are taken too far. It’s my ultimate opinion that it’s the strength that people give to a god that allows them to take the stories of the Bible too far. The Bible is a book of parables or fables. We should learn from it, not force its stories into reality.
lol haha!!
Thats too bag G, the Bible is life transforming and gets in your business. Read the New Testament and keep an open mind and you will see that your life will be changed. Right now you have too many walls up to see what its about. God can’t operate in you because its apparent that you aren’t too accepting of Him and His Word right now.