I LIKE QUESTIONS

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I don't think most pastors would agree with that statement.  Some like to ask them.  Few like to be asked them.  Pastors, as a whole, are more into making statements than being asked questions.  So, the church becomes a place where you can come with your questions...Just don't ask them.  Sit back and listen and, I'm certain, we'll answer every question you need an answer to.  Just be patient.  If you don't hear the answer to your question, you can pretty much assume it was unnecessary at best...stupid, at worst.

However, the big sign on the front of the Church building should read...QUESTIONS WELCOMED!    The Church's motto should be, THERE REALLY ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS...REALLY!

 To make matters worse (or better, based on your perspective), the Church should constantly be asking itself questions.  For instance:

*Are we really all about JESUS...him and nothing else but him?
*What's running this show...fear or faith?  Are we in control, or have we subjugated ourselves to the Holy Spirit, following His lead, even when we don't understand it? (or even agree with it)
*Do we embrace and love people who are different from us, no matter how repulsive their lifestyle may be to us?
*Are we capable of growing up and getting over our own preferences being met for the sake of winning a messy, messed-up world that doesn't understand, embrace or even like our religious stuff?
*Would we be defined as risk-takers by those outside looking in, or play-it-safers?
*Are we more passionate about fixing people or loving people?
*Who is our audience, those inside the building, or those outside?  

 Questions are tough.  That's why we don't like to ask them...much less answer them.  The real problem with questions is that the real answers reveal the actual condition of our heart.  The one thing we thought we'd hidden so well.

Today, ask yourself some tough questions.  If you don't like your answers, don't feel too bad...you're in good company.

Comments

  1. notmyrealnameOctober 29, 2013 at 4:02 AM

    Why did god create us sick and command us to be well?

    Why did god impregnate a virgin with himself to sacrifice himself to himself to create a loophole to get out of a punishment that he created?

    Adam and Eve did not have "knowledge of good and evil" until they ate from the tree, so how would they know what they were doing was wrong?

    Why was knowledge of good and evil wrong?

    How do we know Satan isn't actually the good one? He only kills Job's children and servants, where God kills people right and left. http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Examples_of_God_personally_killing_people

    How do you determine that your interpretation of the bible is correct? Tradition? Authority? Revelation?

    Do you worship god or the bible?

    Would you want to know if you are wrong about the bible, your belief in a god?

    These are just a few of the reasons that helped me question my fundamentalist faith and then faith altogether.

    I realize this post is more about internal rhetorical questions, but you said you liked questions.

    Also, please know that I'm writing anonymously this because I will lose my family, friends, job, everything if someone found out I was an atheist. That what a church does to people.

    "Do we embrace and love people who are different from us, no matter how repulsive their lifestyle may be to us?"
    Loving everyone only goes so far until they are no longer convinced of the claims of your religion.

    I've read a few other posts here that characterize christians under attack. Try being an atheist.

    ReplyDelete

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