Posted by on December 19, 2010 at 06:13:50
Don, I want to clarify one thing: I love Jesus, I love his words, his deeds and his spirit. I DON’T love religion and organizations that seek to institutionalize Jesus, I don’t like Anglo-Saxon interpretations of what scripture really says, I resent endless discussions over dogmas and theological hairsplitting in regards to topics like the Eucharist, the Endtime, Salvation, the Trinity, the “Born Again” paradigm and countless other topics of concern for eager, so called Christians the world over.
I’m even starting to resent the rather selfish notion and insistence of Christians to individually have “eternal life”. The obsession with one’s own salvation and trying to merit “life after death” is becoming more and more inconsequential to me.
I don’t consider myself important enough anymore to necessarily insist on having my life extend beyond this present one. If it does continue – great! I certainly won’t be disappointed and will embrace this new life as I embraced this present one - and the opportunity to make a difference! But I’ll be pleasantly surprised should life go on. So, in a way, I’m at an advantage over many folks who so desperately look toward eternal life and invest so much into the prospects of it that often times they forget to make the best of this present life, wasting it with endless disputations and conjectures about what is to come.
Kind of like the pre/post trib argument. The post tribbers are definitely in the winning position, expecting to go through the tribulation. If it comes otherwise, they’ll be pleasantly surprised…
Anyway, just so you know where I’m coming from. After being out of the Family now for over five years, I expect my understanding of issues to still change and sharpen as time goes by, as it has already. All I know is one thing: I will never be so cock-sure and naïve again as I was when part of the Family. In my eyes the majority of present churches and fellowships are just “Family-light” versions of the same quagmire.