There seems to be some type of misunderstanding and
confusion in the masses. There are people who think and or believe that people
who are “Christian” or “Religious” are perfect. This, in my opinion is
COMPLETELY untrue, even wrong—at least as far as I’m concerned. This misunderstanding
is becoming more and more apparent as life in this world becomes more and more
hedonistic, wicked, evil, and even heathenish. Pick a word for it. Everyone
questions what is going on. Christian or religious sects are being blamed for
many things. I’m seeing where various groups and factions are in an uproar over
whose rights are more important. I’m not going to go there. BUT I am going to
talk about this “perfection” theory which seems to be abounding on all sides.
I was brought up in a Christian home; depending on the time
and year, you could find us in various church buildings. My first introduction
to religion was in the Church I chose to become a member of over 50 years ago; as
I said, I attended many different churches of various beliefs well into my
teens. All of these churches had many things in common. In fact, IF more people
would take the time to find these comparisons instead of differences, they
would probably be pleasantly surprised. I have been fascinated by religion all
of my life; why some people choose one religion over another, AND the reasons for
doing so, are as varied as the religions themselves.
I have found that in religion, whether it be Christian,
Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, etc. you have the casual participants on one
end and then the fanatics on the other, and everything in between, not to leave
out many factions and off-shoots of all religions. In all of this, there is no
one…absolutely NO one who is perfect. This is of course my opinion. I believe
there was only one who was perfect; one who was so perfect, He and only He,
could suffer the sins of ALL His brothers and sisters. Even those who do not
believe in Him; and He seems fine with that. Granted, I have, over the years,
run into people who “think” they are perfect. Let me confirm…they are not;
nothing could be further from the truth. They are totally mistaken in their
thinking; just as those who are not of any religious belief are wrong in
thinking that every religious person “thinks” they are perfect. I do believe completely
that we come close to perfection in some of the many aspects of Christianity;
it could be forgiveness, listening, loving, caring, sharing, teaching, giving,
compassion, charity, understanding or any other trait which can be perfected on
over time.
As I said, this is my own opinion, my musings for today. So,
what is a Christian? I know there’s a technical definition, one which is used by
the norm. But to me, religion, faith and beliefs are a personal thing, defined
by those who live them. So, what do I believe a Christian is? As a Christian, I
believe it is someone who believes in and follows Christ. I believe it is
someone who has taken the time or is taking the time to get to know who the Savior
is, what he taught and what we need to do as followers. I believe that church
buildings are “hospitals” for those wanting to be fixed from the “things” of
the world. I do not believe a church is where perfect people go. At Church, I
know I will be “fed” and uplifted. I will find solace from the cares of the
world. I will learn how to be a better me. To me being a Christian is loving
others as best as you can, striving hard to love more every day. It means listening
when someone needs you to. It means forgiving; not only when it’s easy to do,
but when it isn’t. It’s showing understanding of others…showing compassion and
sharing what we have with others. It’s being thankful for what we have and
knowing where what we have came from. It is praising God for blessing me so
greatly. But it is not being perfect; just working towards becoming better each
day…and maybe someday being as close to perfect as we possibly can in this life.
I believe it’s living your religion 24 hours a day. This isn’t
just a Sunday thing…for me; it’s a 24 hour thing. IF I just lived it on Sunday’s,
it would take much longer to get to that “best” benchmark.
When I see the actions of some of these who portray
themselves as “Christians,” I am beside myself. I don’t even want to be grouped
in with them. It is obvious to me that they do not believe in the same
Christianity I believe in. I do not hate others. I may not like the behaviors
of some, but I still love them, or try to. I do not understand the scriptures
the way in which they are portraying them. Christ taught to love everyone, even
your enemies. I personally don’t think He’s very happy with some of the actions
of these “Christians,” yet I know He forgives them, loves them, and He suffered
for what they are doing in His name…and I must do the same. BUT I am not
perfect. Sometimes when I see things I believe are wrong, I forget that a
loving Heavenly Father gave us the opportunity to make choices. I don’t always
agree with the choices others make, but I respect their right to make those
choices. It is a God-given right.
So, please don’t think that because we, Christians or other
religions, enter a Church, Synagogue, or Mosque, etc. on Sunday or any other
day of the week, it’s because we are perfect. We enter because we are trying to
become the best we can be. We are working to overcome faults and imperfections
we see in ourselves…
These are my beliefs and my opinions. There may be others
out there who feel the same; trying to help others as we help ourselves. Please
be patient…God isn’t done with us yet.
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