Seeing Is Believing - But Not in Every Case | The Pilot: Southern Pines, NC

Friday, December 3, 2010

Religion is a critical factor in the daily lives of most of Earth's inhabitants and a strong influence in the behavior of mankind.

Unfortunately, as we have seen, religion is the catalyst that creates wars and conflicts in general.

Were it not for the extreme interpretations of our Maker, we might indeed have peace on earth. Attempts at amalgamating religious beliefs, or at least tolerating and accepting them, such as the Bahai movement, have generally failed.

Personally, I was born in a Methodist family where my grandfather was an important figure in his church, teaching Sunday school a few months before he died at age 91. My parents and siblings abandoned the Methodist church in spite of my grandfather's close connection and we became Episcopalians, whose culture seemed less concerned about smoking and drinking. Not that this was the only stimulus for converting. One of my Sunday school teachers was Max Morath, who became famous as a ragtime pianist.

As I became more familiar with Judaism, Buddhism and other religions I decided that Christianity was just another set of beliefs that taught that there was only one way to salvation. I still don't believe that Christ is the only path to redemption, salvation and the Promised Land. I don't go to church anymore.

I am not sure there is life after death, and I am a firm believer in evolutionary theory as opposed to creationism. Too much evidence supports us being developed over time rather than descending from Adam and Eve.

I've always believed that Jesus Christ was really a person and a powerful messenger of God but have doubted sometimes that he was truly the son of God.

Recently, however, I visited the Holy Land, including Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem, where actual mysteries and miracles are described in the Holy Bible. I passed through Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. I have a hard time with this one.

At another site on the north end of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus created enough fish and bread for everyone. Hmm.

I saw the house where Mary lived and the spring a fair distance away where she was approached by the angel Gabriel while fetching water. It was there Gabriel told her of her imminent pregnancy with baby Jesus. Her house was actually a stone cave, and Catholic church services are performed there daily. I say actually, but who really knows?

A visit to the Gardens of Gethsemane following a stop at the top of the Mount of Olives provided a surreal background for the vision we have of Christ's Last Supper and acceptance of his imminent death and betrayal by his disciples. The imagination works overtime here. All in one place, one can see the sites of Jesus' sentencing, crucifixion, burial and ascension.

Other parts of the Bible, to me, are folk tales of the times and not necessarily documented facts.

The Wailing Wall is an essential experience when in Jerusalem and, while not central to Christendom, is important to Jews because of its nearness to the Holy Ark. It is truly a spectacle, in a positive sense, because of the range of prayerful and traditional activities that go on there.

After these two days of absorbing biblical history and witnessing the venues of so many New and Old Testament events, I must say that my religious outlook has changed in a positive way. I even picked up a Bible and started reading some of the verses relating to the things and places I saw.

Andy Thomas lives in Pinehurst. Contact him at dahtmuth58@aol.com.

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wpc09 2 years, 5 months ago

The remark regarding the Baha'i Faith reflects a common misunderstanding about the religion - that it is some kind of amalgam or syncretism. The Baha'i Fith is a new message from God through the revelation of Baha'u'llah, the Promised One of All Ages and the Manifestation of God for this age. It is an independent religion with its sacred scriptures, theology, practices, calendar, holy places, etc. It does recognize the truth of certain previous Manifestations (such as Abraham. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad from the Semitic traditions, and Zoroaster, Krishna and Buddha from the Indo-Iranian traditions. But it does not amalgamate them. It recognizes their essential unity in basic eternal spiritual truths, while acknowledging differences of social teachings that arose from the specific needs of the peoples and times in which they were revealed. The continuity Baha'is see between their Faith and earlier religious traditions is not essentially different from the continuity Christians have with Judaism, Muslims with Christianity and Judaism, and so forth. If the Baha'i Faith is a failure, how has it grown to 6 million in 166 years despite opposition and severe persecution in Iran and in other countries?

LaurieB01 2 years, 5 months ago

Well, thankfully Christianity is NOT religion. True Christianity is the antithesis of religion. It has no bells or whistles, there are no hoops to jump through. There are no requirements, but one - Believe God. Notice I did not say believe "in" God. Believing God and the wonderful promise of redemption He gave to mankind is all that is required. Anything and everything good flows from that simple Faith.

Religion has indeed caused a mess of the world in many, many cases. We are still feeling the repercussions of the Crusades, and we probably always will. But the Crusades had nothing to do with Christianity, any more than the various inquisitions, persecution of indigenous peoples, or any other atrocities performed "in the name of God" did. Those were all a result of religion, not a living faith in the one true God.

God has a simple plan for mankind, a plan to redeem us, to bring us back to the perfect, spotless beings He created. That is still the plan, and it WILL happen. But, in the meantime, mankind has had to muddle around in things. We've had to do things OUR way, because, of course, WE know best. So, we've built churches and cathedrals, split into denominations, and warred against each other. I promise you, when there is anger, violence, and hatred involved - that ain't God.

People who have a relationship with God and trust in His Promise KNOW the difference between religion and Faith. Sadly, it is impossible to understand that difference without Faith - they seem to be one and the same. But, they are not.

LaurieB01 2 years, 5 months ago

Ah, I should have added that God's plan of redemption for mankind does have a name, and it is Jesus Christ. God reached down to us because we cannot reach up to Him, though religions certainly do try. But, they can only get so far. No matter how earnest, how good, how heartfelt the effort, what can possibly be good enough to please a perfect God. The 10 Commandments show us God's perfection - they are an image of Him. Can we be as good as Him? As kind, as loving, as just? Not in a billion years. Therefore the efforts of the religious (of any religion) to perfect themselves for Him are going to fall short.

That is where Jesus comes in. He came to us as a man. He came to us as God. Not half and half, but fully man and fully God. Through His death our sins were forgiven, always and forever. Through His resurrection, death was destroyed. Those who accept His sacrifice will live forever with Him. Those who do not will also live forever, but he will not be with them. Will those who have never heard the name Jesus be redeemed? I am not privy to the mind of God, but I do know that He is just. And I do know that He promised that ALL would know Him. All means ALL. Does He have angels whisper the Truth to the dying man who has never heard His name? Does He give that "heathen" the opportunity of redemption. I sure wouldn't put it past Him. Our God is an AWESOME God.

nothingspecial 2 years, 5 months ago

God bless you and guide you, Mr. Thomas in your quest for a faith you can believe in.

irkim13 2 years, 5 months ago

"For curiosities sake,how would you react IF Christ was just a passing historical footnote and "god" or"gods" is the invention of humans attempting to explain and understand natural phenomena?"

I will give my 2 cents. Then I guess I would be wrong and so what? I would still be content in how I live and have lived my life.

"Also what happens to all the scoundrels before Christ's coming,those that never heard of him but led exemplary lives,aborted lives etc.,and WHO gives the authority for ordinary men and women to become "ministers","priests" etc" I always understood faith in God through belief and actions would lead to heaven but God knows and I am comfortable with not knowing all the answers. God gives the authority.

"How about the proven powers of shamans,psychics,ESP's and others"

I do believe the Bible addresses these and acknowledges their powers as coming from Satan.

"Faith is a powerful thing but it must not be BLIND but explainable" Why? Thanks for the questions. God Bless and Merry Christmas!

LaurieB01 2 years, 5 months ago

Gabana - I don't believe I would have any reaction. Number 1, I know, by Faith, that God is real and not just wishful thinking. And number 2, what have I lost by living out my Faith? The answer to that is absolutely nothing. In fact, I have benefited enormously since I first believed. Am I richer? Not at all. Am I healthier? Nah, pretty much the same. Am I happier? Oh yes, way, way happier - and I thought I was happy before. But this is a different kind of happiness. It is deeper, more peaceful, contented and secure. It's not affected by my circumstances. No matter what has happened in my life in these past 6 years of Faith, I have been able to turn to God and He has taken the burden of worry and sorrow from me. It is such a joy. And, I haven't given up anything I didn't already want to give up. My life, from the outside, looks pretty much the same. But, inside I am a new person. So, there has been no loss, only gain.

As far as those who lived before Christ, there were many, many people who believed in the promise of God - Abraham for one. And because he believed, God counted him as righteous. Abraham believed God's promise of redemption even though he would never hear the name Yeshua. Faith, nothing but Faith.

Irkim is right about who gives ministers and preachers their authority - God. Do all ministers and preachers have it right, have they received their authority from God? No. Clergy who do not have a true calling will not be successful or fulfilled in their ministry. I also agree about the Shamans, etc. Remember, Moses' staff/serpent ate those that the magicians conjured up. There is no imitation.

And finally, Faith is not blind to those who have it.

God bless.