I found an article that listed the following bolded statements as being “misunderstandings” about Christianity and went on to refute them. I, however, think these “misunderstandings” are actually closer to the truth.
- “Christians disagree about everything.” Even within my own denomination, I disagree with most bishops and ultraconservative clergy. They believe their God lives in heaven, which lies above the third filament of the flat earth and a couple of mansions. I’m a pantheist: my God, Creation, is everywhere in the universe. Their Jesus lives up there with his Father in the mansions. My Jesus was a fellow human being. We differ on many points. Keep in mind, this is just within the Episcopal Church.
- “Christianity is just about following rules.” My Episcopal Church has a big book about Canon Law, which is full of rules. Our Book of Common Prayer contains many rules about how to do everything. I’m not a good rule follower, so I am persona non grata in the church where I was ordained. Why? I don’t follow their rules because many of them oppose the teachings of my Jesus.
- “Christianity is the same as any other religion.” All religions teach people how to live, and every religion I know claims that love is its core foundation. I’ll admit there are major differences in how religions practice that love, but for me, the basic principles are pretty much the same. Proselytizing, teaching, converting, convincing, following the rules, and dealing with the consequences of noncompliance are all parts of every religion. The only difference is how people do that.
- “There are many ways to reach heaven.” My disagreement starts with the word heaven, which isn’t a place but a feeling—a good feeling. However, many religions describe heaven as a place. If it’s a place, then there’s no way to get there because it doesn’t exist. As a place, it is only a figment of some people’s imagination.
- “The Bible has been changed throughout the years.” The Bible has been altered many times and keeps being revised. Sometimes, it was because a scribe miswrote a word or section either by mistake or intentionally. The church has purposefully changed the Bible to match its views. Over 450 known versions of the Bible exist in English alone, and it has been translated into more than seven hundred different languages, all of which include many changes.
- 6. “The Bible supports slavery.” I suppose this misunderstanding fails to consider all the references to slaves in both the Old and New Testaments, and hardly any of them oppose slavery. The slave-loving Christians in our Southern states still believe the Bible supports slavery.
- “Christianity is all about judgmentalism and hypocrisy.” When I read this statement, I wonder where the author of these “misunderstandings” lives. Every church I know is big on judgment and full of hypocrisy. One clergy friend told me he asked a friend why he didn’t go to church. His friend replied, “It’s full of hypocrites!” To which my friend replied, “You’re right! But we have room for one more.”
- “Christianity is all about legalism or license.” True Christianity centers on agape, but there’s no such thing as true Christianity. My liberal Episcopal Church is full of rules and legalism. In most conservative churches, women are second-class citizens because of legalism and male license.
- “God tests people with suffering like cancer.” I hear almost daily that our suffering is God’s plan, predestination, fate, or payback. Most people I know refer to their god as a Master Puppeteer who hands out bad stuff to anyone who isn’t perfect.
- “Shepherds break the leg of wandering lambs.” I am not a shepherd, but if I had one who did that, I wouldn’t keep him for very long. Still, I know many clergy who are critical and judgmental of people who don’t practice religion their way. In seminary, after a fire engine broadsided my motorcycle, killing my friend, an Episcopal “shepherd” visited my hospital room and implied that the Great Shepherd broke my leg and killed my friend because we wandered.
I don’t know who wrote these ten “misunderstandings,” but I have to wonder if they live in a closet with the lights out.
What do you think of these “misunderstandings”?
PeaceLoveJoyHopeKindness
Bil
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P.S. People often ask me provocative questions about current events, both religious and secular. I have found that some of these questions are being asked universally. I’ll be periodically alternating regular articles with one of those questions and my answer. I invite you to send me your question to bilaulenbach@yahoo.com.
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Agape is the basis of religion, all original religous. Until men started written there interpertation with many rules, many keeping women in second class.
I met a nun in her 60’s who spent her time in Peru. She semi-retired to Honolulu and was saddened by the disintegrated welfare sysytem.
But in Peru, the Catholic priests were beiing murdered in the highlands by revolutionists. So the Bishop made the decision to sent the nuns into the highlands to deliver services, baptisms and communions. Less noticeable than priests, as dressed for hiking.
Did this mean they could get through easily, or that their live were more expendible. Second class citizens.