I’ve been told that I’m much too wise for my own good. I’m a thinker. A questioner. Growing up I questioned everything. I was that odd ball that would randomly ask you if you believed in God while we’re out to lunch, or ask you what you think your purpose is here on earth at 3am on a Monday. And yes, as you can imagine, I am a great time at parties.
Because of this “wise beyond my years” curse you can imagine that as I grew up the concept of religion was something I battled within myself for many years. I am so lucky to have been raised in a family that encouraged us to question our beliefs. Nothing was ever force fed. I spent the majority of my life thinking religion was a joke, God wasn’t real, and if he was he was a judgmental hypocrite like his son. It wasn’t until I was about eighteen that I I decided on a whim (after about a year of self destructive behavior and sadness) to visit a church in my area.
It was the first church I had ever been to that when I walked through the doors I felt accepted and not looked down upon or judged. It was my first interaction with truly, whole heartedly religious people that didn’t make me want to gag and didn’t have me leaving feeling like shit about myself. So I decided to keep going. Which turned into me reading the Bible every night which turned into me educating myself on Jesus and God and religion which turned into me coming to these conclusions: God is real, I love Jesus, but I HATE religion.
One of the main reasons I ever avoided church and religion at all costs was because of the hypocrisy and judgement that came along with it. As a loving and caring human being I could not wrap my mind around a big man in the sky judging our every move and determining whether or not we are holy enough and saintly enough to make it to heaven someday. And I ESPECIALLY couldn’t wrap my mind around Joe from church playing the role of God and judging my life either.
We all make mistakes, I have made plenty in my life time. But I know I am a good person. I’m honest, I’m kind, I’m loving, and I’m giving. If I know in my heart that I am a good person, why do all of these people who claim to be Christians have the right to look at how I choose to live my life, who I choose to love, or how I choose to dress and reprimand me and tell me that I am not good enough to make it to the Holy Land.
You see, these people, who claim to be children of God and followers of Christ, have ruined the face of Christianity with their hypocrital, and hateful judgments on everyone that they deem not worthy of God’s Love. Religion is not about whether or not you waited to be married before having sex with your partner, it isn’t about the gender of your partner, it isn’t about how many times you told your mom you were staying at a friends house and you were really at a party, it isn’t about how decorated our body is with piercings and tattoos. Religion is supposed to be about bringing people closer to Christ, building a relationship with Him.
As Christians it is our jobs to bring people to Christ, and you get a lot farther in life doing that when you show people that Jesus was a lover. He was accepting, He took people as they were. He made people better by loving them. Not criticizing them. If we are showing people that the basis of Christianity is whether or not you’re a good enough person, whether or not you meet God’s approval, not only are we pushing people away from Christ, we are going completely against everything He ever stood for. I want people to know that I am a Christian, and I practice Christianity while still being a loving and accepting person, because that is what Jesus was; loving and accepting.
SO DO BETTER, CHRISTIANS.
Perhaps my version of God is just different than yours. My God loves all. My God accepts all. My God welcomes everyone of every race, gender, sexuality, political background. My God welcomes anyone to his home despite their past, if you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, your “sins” can be left at the gate.