Monday, April 17, 2006

Don't get your hopes up - I'm hoping to get back into this regularly, but I make no promises.

Brownbeard posted a Where I Stand, and I was intrigued - especially after a few other conversations, decided I'd steal the idea (before filing a lawsuit, remember imitation is the sincerest form of flattery). I'm a Christian, and believe the entire Bible to be the inspired word of God. It might not all be true in a historical or scientific sense, because that kind of accuracy wasn't in the mindset of the people God used to write it, but it is from God and thus has value as truth. For those afraid I'm completely fundamentalist, I do believe in evolution as the best current scientific explanation of natural history - I just don't see a conflict between it and God.

Someone asked me last week what I think about prayer in schools: I don't support a prayer organized/led by any employees of the government (although I think a short prayer/meditation/introspection time allowed to students in the course of the day allows everyone to pursue their own purpose), I do support the right of students to conduct prayers in voluntary activities, and I think teachers should be able to answer questions about their beliefs. My main reason for the latter is that while I believe my religious beliefs are true, from an objective perspective, they are a philosophy. Teachers can discuss their personal philosophy on government, economics, life, and many other things, so long as it doesn't affect the actual teaching - I think religion should be no different. To me, separation of church and state means the state treating religion as no different from other speech/beliefs rather than endorsing or suppressing it especially.

A friend who used to be a Christian asked me once if I thought she was going to Hell as she'd studied and believed in the Christian God, and then chosen another path. I think any preacher who says they know who's going to Hell is on the same path as the Pharisees of Jesus' time, assuming far too much of God's judgement into their own incapable hands. I believe the Bible is God's word, but there are so many good people in the world who either don't know Christ or have rejected him due to the obvious faults of his human church that it seems God must have other ways of reaching out to and teaching people. And I know how much my view of God has changed with time and specific experiences, so I don't think anyone has everything right.

Fortunately for me, I believe in a loving God who keeps looking for excuses to include people in his flock rather than new rules to shut people out. When I read the Bible as a single story, it's a story of the continuing exercise of his love to all people, and their response, both good and bad. Where people see stultifying rules, I see guidance from a creator who actually does know what's best in how to live our lives. Where people see divine wrath, I see how regularly God changes his mind and withholds agreed-upon punishment for violating a contract, but never withholds promised rewards.

So that's a rambling, probably incomplete Where I Stand. Might try one of these with politics soon. Congratulations if you actually made it this far!
posted by Unknown 7:23 AM | 2 comments