Monday, January 05, 2015

The Myth Factor


Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

I hear over and over again that the Bible is a myth. Why would some people believe this is beyond me but I do see why they’re misguided. After all, the book does have dragons and giants, Behemoth’s and rising dead people along with a virgin giving birth. That can all seem too ‘out there’ and a fabled myth for some folk.

I can go through hundreds of comments in a day and over and over when God is brought up, the unbeliever shoots him down quickly. The recent conversation of comments was on the subject of the Church denying gays and placing them outside as sinners condemned. The church tries to ‘change’ them and oftentimes they feel so left out that suicide is better than living.

One commenter states:
“It always amazes me how much hate people practice because they found it in a thousands year old book and insist on calling it love.”

Another Comment:
“Christianity has been peer reviewed for two thousand years and has done far more good if followed in spirit. Religion is merely a formalized moral position on various subjects that is voluntarily followed by a group of people. The same definition could be made regarding politics. And no, religion does not need a God, it simply needs a moral lawgiver. Something the world is in dire need of.”

I do believe that the world is conflicted because since the beginning of time there has been the war of good and evil and it looks to me like this day and age, evil is winning out in record numbers. The everyday news reports of killings, bombings, slaughtering makes the news but I wonder if what is going on and IS reported, what is seriously going on and NOT being reported?

I often read/hear, “Where was your God when [such and such] was happening?”

“Where’s your proof of this ‘God’?”

I’m so sick of people blaming God for bad things happening. Who can forget 9-11? Was that God who flew the plane into those buildings? No, it was evil that struck the nation and God saw the heartache and tried salvaging what evil had done.

When a plane crashes and kills four of five of those aboard, was it God who so heartlessly killed those people? No, it was HUMAN error! When God saw that one seven-year old child alive, His child, He led her to a safe house where she could receive assistance. Braving a rough terrain, almost freezing temperatures, and walking over a quarter of a mile, barefoot and in summer-like clothing, this child became the sole survivor of a devastating plane wreck.

Miracles happen and people will still blame God for the things He ‘didn’t’ do. I can see why the world is so confused. We have people claiming to be Christians but not acting like Christians; we have a ‘politically correct’ nation so hung up on technical jargon; we have a nation that hates God, and will spew anything against Him because He hasn’t shown Himself physically in many-a-year or done anything for ‘them’; we also have an entire group of people claiming to be Christians but needing scientific proof to be sure where exactly they stand. An extremely confused world we are.

Well people, I don’t have proof of anything; don't need it. All I have is my testimony, just as the men in the bible preach and write about. You see, the Bible is just a testimony, albeit divine, from man handed down through centuries. The Bible is comprised of them documenting certain events. They documented what THEY saw/heard and thus you have all the testimony in one book for you to discern as fact or fiction.

I CHOOSE to see it as fact only because of what God has shown ME. Whether He has shown YOU anything is up to you. If He’s shown you nothing, of course you’re going to doubt and need some sort of PROOF of this God.

Just today I was reading about ‘Scientific Proof’ of Jesus teaching in a synagogue. Scientific proof, that’s cute. One commenter said that WE people only believe this stuff because of a “mythological” story we read.

Let me tell you straight up, I don’t believe in God because of something I read. I do not base my faith on a book written and documented by men thousands of years ago. My faith comes from God himself. Sure, my moral compass was guided by the Word of the Bible; Yes I live a moral code set by the Bible but my faith is not just because I read a book called The Holy Bible.

Can you honestly say you have faith then seek out PROOF? I, in good conscience cannot. Faith is seeing and believing in the unknown; no proof needed. I don’t need scientific proof that the sea was parted. I need no documentation of Jesus’ footprints being found in the sand. I don’t need to know the exact spot the Ark was grounded and I sure don’t need a man (or woman) telling me what I’m doing right or wrong in MY belief.

I’ve been struggling a lot lately with religious division. It seems like what so many of the non-believers feel is that if the Bible is so true and proof-worthy, why are so many religions divided? If we all believe the same bible, the same Word, why are we so divided? Because we’re human! Humans have egos and a person with an ego always needs to be right; thus, a divided religious system.

I think I’ve figured it out. There will be debates on the proof, the non-proof, the truth and the non-truth until the end of time, until He comes back and wipes the smirk and ego right off your shoulders. I’ll keep MY faith tightly wrapped in the arms of the Holy Spirit.   



2 comments:

Unknown said...

Another good post. Your writing is so heartfelt. Love the last two paragraphs and I agree with you. :D

joni said...

Thank you Deb.
It gets quite lonely but you know what, I am NEVER alone as long as I keep Him front and center. :)