This mainly applies to those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, as I do. I gave up on religious/faith labels a little over a decade ago. I'm not Lutheran. I'm not Episopalian. I'm not Methodist. I'm not Catholic. I'm not Buddhist(sp?). I'm not Taoist. I'm not Wiccan. I'm not a follower of Islam.
I merely believe in Jesus Christ. Some say you need to be affiliated with a church in order to be a Christian. Wrong. While it's no sin to go to church, and worship alonside fellow Christians, it's a damned shame to worship Christ according to some dead man's writings. Luther. The first Pope. L. Ron Hubbard. Mary Baker Eddy. The list goes on.
It is sad to watch the various "branches" of Lutherans, Catholics, Muslims, Methodists and such bicker over who's right and who's wrong. I've seen this since I was a child, growing up mainly in a Lutheran setting. I've been to Presbyterian, Baptist, Anabaptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, non-denominational, Church Of Christ, Assemblies Of God, Church Of God In Christ (COGIC), and so many other churches since I was 5 years old it would make a regular person's head SWIM.
Even at a young age of 10, I could see the tension broiling over in the church I was in, a Lutheran church in Little Canada, Mn. I stopped going to church a little over 2 years ago, because I was sick and tired of being in the aftermath of so much church backbiting, a result of "who did what better", "who raised the most money", "who will be the up and comers of the church leadership".
My faith in Jesus Christ still grows stronger every day. I don't need some dead man's words to bring me closer to Jesus Christ because, well, that man is dead. Because, I'm tired of being told 1 thing, and seeing church leaders do the OPPOSITE of what they say. I'm tired of the in-fighting amongst fellow parishoners, the backstabbing, the bickering, the jockeying of who is more worthy of a promotion in the ranks.
To fellow believers: We wonder why those who don't believe in Jesus Christ scoff at us, mock us, see our beliefs as empty and vain. Take a look at yourselves first. If I were an unbeliever, to see you backstabbing each other, not living the life Jesus expects you to live, why would I care about what Jesus wants, when his disciples today act like a bunch of spoiled brats, bent on getting their way, and hurting everyone IN their way? As believers in Jesus Christ, are we not to set an example of dignity and patience? Tell me that's not one of the tenets of Jesus. Are we to hold ourselves in humbleness before our fellow man and woman? Of course.
We forget that pride fills our hearts when we stray from Jesus Christ. That pride tears us asunder, and we ALLOW it to take us over and become the very things Jesus is against.
Fellow believers, WE NEED TO GROW UP! We need to stop acting as if we are enemies to each other. Stop slapping labels on yourselves, except for the demeanor of believer, and for once, WE need to set an example of ourselves as people that even Jesus would be honored to know. We DISHONOR Jesus when we don't listen to Him. We NEED to listen to His still, small voice. It can be heard..we just need to listen, carefully.
