Ramblings, of a religious nature
Nov. 11th, 2004 10:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumArmistice day is a strange time for me now. For the Commonwealth it's Remembrance Day.
Well what it calls to mind I don't want to remember.
Can't forget though. War breaks one, even a quiet one like mine. The Brits playing anvil to the U.S. Marine's hammer... they're sleeping where I slept, pissing where I pissed. Eating their rations where I ate one of their rations (greater love has no soldier than to share variety with his mates.killslowly brought me a British ration. It was divine, and I know they'd be happy with an M.R.E. for the same reason I savored my vegetable soup and treacle tart, but I digress).
I have a strange habit when alone in the shower. I preach. I take whatever has been niggling at the back of my mind and weave a disjointed homily.
I've been alone all week. The homilies have been coming thick and fast today.
Today has colored them, because for the men in the line on That Day, it was Salvation. They had made it. Tomorrow was a theirs. They could be certain of living to see it. What a terrible gift to receive.
Born Again Christians bother me. They always have.
It's the pride, bordering on hubris. I once had one tell me I was damned because I didn't know if I was saved.
I was reared a Roman Catholic. Some of that will never leave me, even though the Pope and I have some serious theologic disagreements.
And the most moving part of the mass for me, the part I add when I go to church these days (because I find more solace in the Anglican Rite) is this, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."
That humility is lacking in the Born Again. They ask if I've found Jesus, and I confound them when I say I never lost him. I feel guilty when I have no money (or lack the charity) to help the beggar.
Because they decry works. Faith and grace alone shall save me, or so they say.
But Jesus demanded works. Matt. 19:
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honor thy father and thy mother and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
And Matt. 25:
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'
Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'
Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
But no, they follow Paul, and believe that mere submission is enough to grant them salvation. They ignore the problems in this world (save what oddments they have decided must not be borne... e.g. being tolerant of homosexuals) because they are granted the right to cut the line to heaven.
Forgivness, they eschew it, though Jesus commanded it, Matt. 18: 21-22
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
It is the certainty they possess which bothers me.
I am sinful. I covet, I lust. I am not as charitable (in thought and deed) as I ought to be.
For I am not worthy, and come my demise I will find out if I was good enough. I will fade to black, or I will be re-incarnated, or I will face some form of judgement (does my heart outweigh a feather?).
But they, they are worthy. They lord it over me.They have no fear, for they are saved. My humility (and Lord knows I lack it, in so many ways) they see as a sign of my lack of faith, and so my damnation.
If they spent half their efforts on the Ten Commandemts on the Beatitudes, we wouldn't need to wait for Heaven.
Well what it calls to mind I don't want to remember.
Can't forget though. War breaks one, even a quiet one like mine. The Brits playing anvil to the U.S. Marine's hammer... they're sleeping where I slept, pissing where I pissed. Eating their rations where I ate one of their rations (greater love has no soldier than to share variety with his mates.
killslowly brought me a British ration. It was divine, and I know they'd be happy with an M.R.E. for the same reason I savored my vegetable soup and treacle tart, but I digress).I have a strange habit when alone in the shower. I preach. I take whatever has been niggling at the back of my mind and weave a disjointed homily.
I've been alone all week. The homilies have been coming thick and fast today.
Today has colored them, because for the men in the line on That Day, it was Salvation. They had made it. Tomorrow was a theirs. They could be certain of living to see it. What a terrible gift to receive.
Born Again Christians bother me. They always have.
It's the pride, bordering on hubris. I once had one tell me I was damned because I didn't know if I was saved.
I was reared a Roman Catholic. Some of that will never leave me, even though the Pope and I have some serious theologic disagreements.
And the most moving part of the mass for me, the part I add when I go to church these days (because I find more solace in the Anglican Rite) is this, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."
That humility is lacking in the Born Again. They ask if I've found Jesus, and I confound them when I say I never lost him. I feel guilty when I have no money (or lack the charity) to help the beggar.
Because they decry works. Faith and grace alone shall save me, or so they say.
But Jesus demanded works. Matt. 19:
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honor thy father and thy mother and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
And Matt. 25:
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'
Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'
Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
But no, they follow Paul, and believe that mere submission is enough to grant them salvation. They ignore the problems in this world (save what oddments they have decided must not be borne... e.g. being tolerant of homosexuals) because they are granted the right to cut the line to heaven.
Forgivness, they eschew it, though Jesus commanded it, Matt. 18: 21-22
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
It is the certainty they possess which bothers me.
I am sinful. I covet, I lust. I am not as charitable (in thought and deed) as I ought to be.
For I am not worthy, and come my demise I will find out if I was good enough. I will fade to black, or I will be re-incarnated, or I will face some form of judgement (does my heart outweigh a feather?).
But they, they are worthy. They lord it over me.They have no fear, for they are saved. My humility (and Lord knows I lack it, in so many ways) they see as a sign of my lack of faith, and so my damnation.
If they spent half their efforts on the Ten Commandemts on the Beatitudes, we wouldn't need to wait for Heaven.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 12:44 pm (UTC)I, too, was raised Roman Catholic. One thing they did right: During the Mass, when they read the Gospel--the more important message--it really was one of the four canonical gospels. Anything by Paul was the lesser Epistle.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 01:31 pm (UTC)That's all I have to say about that.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 03:12 pm (UTC)Matthew is full of great ripostes from Christ as to their fate. I particularly like Matt. 7: 21-23.
I am not a Christian- at least as defined by popular culture. I'm an AntagoGnostic. Irritates the heck out of the smug, pious ones.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-13 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-13 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-14 12:05 am (UTC)But the ones I see, who base large parts of their identity on the act of their submission, and the redemption they feel it grant's them... the ones who put bumper stickers with, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven," on their cars, the ones who preach on the streetcorners, it's of them I speak.
Jesus wasn't preaching to the honest men, he was appealing to the borderline, and railing at those who put show above acts (and don't get me started on the Pharisee issue, they got a bad rap).
TK
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 06:24 pm (UTC)I have always felt that telling anyone that they were going to hell was blasphemy of the darkest kind: it is claiming that which is the province of only God. In the Good Friday service i the Book of Common prayer, there is a prayer for those that have injured others in Christ's name, that they may see the errors of their ways.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 07:16 pm (UTC)Now I'm trying to concentrate on works... bringing the ways of Jesus into my everyday life. It has certainly been an improvement to my own well-being. Hopefully it helps others as well.
It's all in the small things.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-14 12:07 am (UTC)But that gets into real history, as opposed to religious iconography.
TK
Treason as I see it
Date: 2004-11-15 05:06 am (UTC)ANTI Constitution
The sort who seem to be the ones trying to take over the USA
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm