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A rant on events of June 18th

Discussion in 'Religion and Spirituality' started by Ohiophinphan, Jun 18, 2015.

  1. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    This morning I awoke to a note from my daughter telling me of the killings in Charleston, SC. The lead pastor at the congregation was a classmate of hers at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (the AME Church and the Lutheran Church in SC have long historic ties). I have just discovered another of the killed was a fellow I knew from my time at LTSS.

    Later in the day came the story from Israel of likely Jewish Zealots destroying the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. When I was a boy I saw a picture of the famous mosaic in the floor there and on my one trip to Israel, I knelt at that spot in prayer.

    These acts have ostensibly been done in the name of God.

    HOW DARE PEOPLE CLAIM GOD'S HAND IN THESE HORRIFIC, SINFUL ACTS?????

    I am extraordinarily tired of people of all different beliefs killing, maiming, destroying, belittling.....all in the name of God!

    I am by no means a perfect Christian. My own sinfulness is ever before me. I do not pretend to have all the answers. Yet, I know deep from the depths of my soul that God wants us to love, care, protect, and walk with each other, bearing each other's burdens.

    Maybe there is so much rain because God is crying!

    Thanks for listening
     
  2. Ohio Fanatic

    Ohio Fanatic Twuaddle or bust Club Member

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    OPP, I know you know what people of true faith should be doing in the name of God (or any other connotation of God) such as caring for the less fortunate, etc.. but most people in this country do not. committing atrocities in the name of God goes back for centuries and provides the basis for most of the hypocrisies that I can think of. It's maddening and one of the main reasons I eventually became an atheist. I can clearly look at my in-laws as devoted people of faith and truly look upon them as people I respect, but I have zero trust in humanity as a whole being able to walk the path of goodness with their faith. unfortunately, I think structured religion does as much harm as it does good, mainly because of these people who commit acts of violence and use religion to justify it. But, I'm a cynic, and truly believe that majority of humanity isn't worth saving.
     
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  3. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    I hear you my friend and I know that we are all, at best, saint and sinner all at the same time. You may have come to see yourself as a cynic. I am sorry.

    I will continue to pray for and work with all peoples as God directs me. And when folks are not what they should be, yet what they too often are, I will rail out in anger and in sadness.

    I have discovered since my first post here, the shooter is a nominal member of a congregation within my denomination and his pastor is an old friend. On the Saturday following the attack the shooter's sister was to be married. That has of course been postponed. The young man's hate has hit his own family as well.

    The "failure" of our teaching of the Christian faith so that a young man would reject it and become a mass killer is heavy on my heart and I hope on the hearts of all teachers of the Faith. Yet we will redouble our efforts and continue to work.

    Thank you for your comments.
     
  4. FinNasty

    FinNasty Alabama don’t want this... Staff Member Club Member

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    So frustrating to hear stories like this... and you're far from alone. Man is easily faith's biggest enemy. They screw it up for so many... and its hard to blame those that are turned off by it. They aren't turned off by God's actions... but by man's actions. I wish you didn't let the hypocrites and idiots out there push you away from the faith, but absolutely understand and share your frustrations.
     
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  5. Ohio Fanatic

    Ohio Fanatic Twuaddle or bust Club Member

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    While it's easy to say the actions of few (morons) outweigh the actions of the many, there are certainly many gray bands in-between. Not with respect to violence, but groups of religious people that are all good people but still either judge you based on your religious beliefs or try to convert you. In my world, that weighs as heavily as the actions of the few idiots. There's nothing more I respect that a good religious person that is focused on his/her faith and doesn't worry about others' beliefs outside of his/her own church. That's why I never have a problem with the people in my family who are strongly religious. they respect my atheism.
     

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