religion

A piece I just threw together on religion
I've reverted pretty much back to my old ways. Not really any surprise to many. Just been doing a lot of soul searching. Decided after 5 months of investigation that organized religion is a crock. That in itself is a sermon on the mount. I am seriously considering starting my own denomination based upon the common good of mankind opposed to the ideas taught by mainstream religion. Religion in itself is nothing in my eyes. A belief in a book which was compiled like an encyclopedia by a group of religious fanatics attempting to make sense of the world around them and prevent any type of uprising by the common folk. Many have balked at my doctrine yet have thus far been unable to counter or answer my questions. After all are we to believe everything that is handed to us on a platter of gold? LOL! As I see things we basically in the last 1000 years give or take a few have been following a set path which has no value when pressed with the realities of history and events recorded in other forms parallel to those deemed doctrine. My basis is that when the evidence is examined without prejudice of preconceived notion or judgement, the contradictions and reasons for the belief "wholly" in the bible as Gods final and complete commands to us is erronous and a danger to all christians. Now I am not attempting to knock or crucify any due to there beliefs. My motive is to not confuse or instigate. My motives are not to anger or circumvent. My motives are not in any way ungodly or of a satanic, agnostic, atheistic manner. They are purely driven by a need to answer questions of which no clergy member has been able to satisfy yet. Open and honest questions. Nothing tricky. Nothing of a sinister or malign nature. For instance one thing which I have been pondering is, "Why do we put so much faith in a book which is like previously stated, the results of a council of religous leaders of sorts which came together in order to gather together the most useful knowledge of there time in order to bind this into one tome?" Who gave these people the authority to do so and being human whether or not God's hand was involved can say that they did so correctly? Now the majority will challenge that with a response something to the effect of "God guided the creation of the Bible because it is his holy word" followed by the typical added speech on how it is a book which was written by 40 authors containing 66 books spanning 1600 years. Now that is all fine and dandy yet the question remains unanswered. These wise men as they were believed to be take all these manuscripts and letters and ancient even to them manuals & tombs and decide with votes and other discussions amongst there number which should be in or excluded from the final compendium. There are many instances of references to other books
in our bible which were not included. Sure the bible is a great work. Sure it is written by the Lords guidance. Sure the easter bunny lays eggs. If the dead sea scrolls would have been available would they have been included? How come we have so many cryptic passages? Basic and simple. In order for the bible to make sense fully a scholar must read it from Gen.-Rev. When taken as a whole it reveals it's message regardless of it's "missing counterparts". Like reading Moby Dick with 5 pages torn out every 15, the reader when focusing on it's entirety is able to come up with a pretty decent idea of what it is about regardless of the missing pages. I don't feel safe gambling with eternity at stake on some ancient fools judgment. All our lives we have been told who and what to believe with little basis for such belief. When the questions arise we are given answers which are nothing more then a way of sending us in circle while teased with statements like "Study diligently to show thyself approved". If I am to live my life based upon the bible my first investigation is to be based upon it's genuine nature. I ask myself
daily< "Why are people blind to something right in front of there faces?" We study weekly the same scriptures and for the past 200 years have not really came to any new conclusions. We repeat the same monotonous routine like automatons poised on the brink of repetitious uncertainty. We ask for spiritual guidance and are satisfied with any response which seems to make sense.
We rely on faith in God's leadership which may not be his will at all. We have the Koran, we have our bible, we have a million other books which claim to be the word of god or a god. Popular majority seems to take the prize in most cases or cultures.If Paul had known that over half the new testament was to be based upon courteous letters of which he wrote advising churches of his time, he would have no doubt have taken more time and caution in his wording and structure. We have 13 epistles from Paul. (My favorite biblical figure) 13 letters from a man who never met Jesus in the flesh while Jesus lived. Yet We take his and the writings of many others as Truth beyond questioning.
It's your basic "Don't ask, Don't tell" pass the buck gig. Many leaders become outraged when questions arise of which they have no answer. It shows them they are just as likely to stumble upon the same conclusion as any other person persistent enough to delve into the depths. Many have "humble" tattooed upon there foreheads
and yet there tongues deny there claims. Just like those wise men who compiled the Bible, they do not like to entertain the notion that what they believe to be right may in fact be of no importance. The bible is no doubt great. The greatest "Book" ever written? Perhaps the greatest of it's time by a councils consideration and agreement yet in truth a smidgen of
what it could or would be upon completion. Deeply ingrained suggestions and teachings from those who came before us in the past few hundred years have pushed us into the new belief that we are to wholly believe what is written and take it as fact in it's entirety. I am not claiming that it is a book that is fictitious. I do believe that it contains wisdom and guidance for past present and future generations. I am stating that we hold it's lessons as
complete and trust in it as if it is "all" God requires of us. I am on a personal crusade of sorts to understand why we put more faith and interest in a tome then in knowing the true Lord himself. God may speak through books, ancient artifacts, forgotten scrolls or yet to be discovered remnants from the past. Yet
many fail to hear him when his voice shakes the mountain valleys with windswept storms of torrential caliber. When God whispers a lullaby unheard by most within the awaiting ears of a sleepy child. The Force and power of the seasonal weather. The soft warm breeze upon our cheek when laying out on the lawn in 90 degree weather reminding us for a feint moment that all is well and regardless of our planning or reasoning we are safe in his hands and nothing more then vessels in which carry a message. A message of courage and strength to some. A warning to others who listen to negativity and make practice to listening to the whispers of shadows.
Regardless To know god is not to know "just" a book written a thousand or so years ago amidst a previous 4 or 5 without it's completed entirety. To know god is much simpler. Listen to your heart. Listen with an open mind and let the principals of your youth guide your understanding. Too many of us rely upon what we are told and fall for a smoke screen of misinterpreted doctrines and human misunderstandings based upon an "unquestionable" source. If this book was written today, if our great scholars gathered and voted upon what was deemed as the most vital sources of information encompassing the basics of survival and all the many beliefs and histories of the world, if this information was gathered and sifted by discussion and vote as to keeping with it's holy theme and yet reaching a sense of completion without filling a coliseum,
would the remainder of history be able to use and trust every phrase as god inspired and complete? "God doesn't make mistakes". We as humans are destined to continue to trip and fall from time to time until his plans are complete. It is a sense of free will yet our imperfections are inevitable otherwise we would not need a Lord and would not be in this predicament to begin with. So in conclusion I have
decided that religion as a whole is not capable in any means of guiding my
path at this point. To enter and remain in a structure (any religions)which is more focussed upon
it's own superiority to others while hiding behind a mask of humbleness and avoiding questions which must be answered in order to find the Truth is a hypocrisy and blasphemous in itself.
Another mistake often made is to attribute our own understandings as those of a holy spirit. How many decisions are based upon a notion conceived by that which is perhaps our own understanding of the current situation and of which we say, "That must be the holy spirit guiding me". or without further investigation accept our conclusion as such ? When in reallity regardless of how sure we (again as decrepid humans bound to make mistakes) believe wholeheartedly
that we "know" the difference between the spirit of god and that of mans own
thoughts, is it possible that we are far from the truth in nature of this
belief? So to once again conclude as I have attempted and failed once miserably, LOL! I believe that we should look into the basis of our beliefs not only into the vessel in which our ideals travel but into the vessels origen primarilly. And upon further study without a preconceived
expectation or instructive council as to the resulting explanation of findings, then perhaps we can begin to identify the basis of our belief structure and weed out the misinterpretations and misconceptions which serve as a barrier rather then bridge to enlightenment and an honest understanding of god and his will for us. I have compiled quite an exhaustive library of factual evidence none of which can of yet be argued with concerning such manners from historical documents to programs detailling references and facts on such exhibited evidence.










I have fought what I considered the good fight with a religous zeal which at times has been border line obsessive to the point of feeling as though I could handle the weight of the christian world upon my shoulders and still make wise judgements based upon the wisdom held within the bible. This bible which I had placed complete faith in and would risk my life for with out question has either led me to questions which are unanswerable within it's precious confines or has awoken my curiousity
and thus challenged me to challenge it's genuine nature. I am in sound mind and enjoying a freedom of which I have never experienced and am not a fool easily convinced by anything which doesn't have a firm factual basis supported by evidence as well as what I consider "the sound doctrine of common sense". I have never been the type of person to accept anything for face value. Things as simple as a church study lesson were taken at one point as from the lips of Christ himself and was once studied to a degree to my experience thusfar unsurpassed and to the level of crossreferencing all possessed knowledge on such subjects as to eliminate any and all doubt or misunderstanding of such subjects. I have spent months researching and pondering such as I have discussed above diligently and with the fervor of a sponge within the Sahara thirsting for an answer. I hope this isn't nothing more then the ramblings of a madman of which accomplish nigh . I hope that these simple questions arise and shake out the cobwebs of set beliefs the world over. Yet this is nothing more then what I claim...HOPE!
The fellowship amongst familliar faces is all that I have come to miss. The sermons, although this is blunt and
of a selfish nature," I could easily
compete with if given the podeum on any manner of subjects given half the time to prepare and thus lost interest in the basics long ago when the whole lessons, sermons, etc. became echoes within my own ears." Teach me something I do not know. That is my challenge to the worlds faith. Not a
statement of the likes of a ignorant
"know-it-all", but the open interest of one who would like to learn more then what is being taught. I wish to gleam something of a serendipitous nature from a congregation of which I am unable to conceive, interpret, understand, define, comprehend, analyze, clarify, assimilate, or find
an answer to with little or no challenge. And as a challenge I ask all to shed light upon these issues and Ideas of which I speak openly and without fear of rebuttal. Show me my mistakes so I can walk a righteous path. Humble my nature beyond the depths of despair which I have come to consider grandeur. Do not lead me.
Explain what I can not. Do not answer simplistic questions with riddles or
holier then thou explanations which
show nothing more then the naive nature and ignorance of old age rather then the wisdom of which the elders of many centuries past have claimed whether founded on the truth of there
own findings or the same missinterpretations handed down to them. I do not wish to cause dissension or seperation any more then I wish for Christs own body to be stretched any further upon the apparatus unjustly by those who misguide with smooth words and promises of things of which they know nothing of or will perhaps never experience themselves. I've expressed from a heart weary from times spent
with what at first glance gave the appearance of the heavenly courts and have dwelled within my own despair at the reallization that I was amongst the spirits of shadows whoms hearts
froze stone. Not that any of you are guilty of such. I wish for unity amongst the brethren. Unity has come upon the people from the unlikeliest
throughout time. Who is to say that a
new era is not to emerge? Change is in the wind and I speak not of the likes of Koresh. I speak of the opening up of fountains of knowledge which have not been suppositories kept from us by our lord but rather springs and wells
capped by our own judgement and mistake. The abillity to discern many
a parable in truth, the keys to things which were considered secret were in our hands the entire time span spent seeking. Our spectacles are and have been upon our noses the whole time spent seeking clarity. Why are religions created on a daily basis?
Why are there so many in society who feel an emptiness
inside of which no amount of optimism can shake? Why do people change religions when involved in a faith so similar? Plain and simple! The same reason that people fall away from all religion and once again are left empty with a feeling of shame or remorse. That feeling of less then whole. Or perhaps fallen from grace. The emptiness is a hole of which will exist amongst even the most holy of our race regardless of selfs attempts to drive it out whether by filling the mind and life with heavenly things or by refusing completely to accept that it still exists due to it being in human natures selfish state admittedly or in hidden to let any signs of such a weakness. Many are driven by this selfish pride which is

disguised by a inner subconscious defense mechanism that withstands attempts to show defects of character in such way . If it was to be made visible then the holy person who believes that he is "saved" would have to face that he is not.hing.

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Selling yo' soul is not a contract with the devil. It's a statement of how you live your life. A reflection in God's eyes. How you are projected to others and the world around you. Living a just life counters that. It pulls you from Satans grasp out of the coals.
But some of us do not wish to leave.