December | 2017 | Done with Religion

Archive for December, 2017

Happy New Year 2018

Posted in Acceptance of Others, christian living, Love of God, Scoop.it, tagged acceptance, labels, new beginning, New Year on December 31, 2017| 4 Comments »

Just a note wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

Thanks to each of you who have supported my writings during the past year. I hope you will continue do so in the new year.

I hope we can continue to look past the labels we place on one another and see the human being, learning to love and accept each other even in our differences.

As I said in my Christmas Memories article, enjoy the memories of 2017 and enjoy making new memories during this holiday season.

As we look forward to what lies ahead, I pray 2018 will be a year of good things for all of us.

Happy New Year!!

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Last Post for 2017

Posted in Acceptance of Others, christian living, Love of God, Scoop.it, tagged acceptance, christian living, new beginning, New Year on December 27, 2017|

Well here we are at the end of another year. It can be a time of sadness in some cases, but usually it is a time of excitement and anticipation for a new beginning.

The past happenings of the year are either remembered as sad occurrences or as happy memories. Either way I think they help shape us into the person we are becoming.

HappyNewYear2018

Each new year seems to give us a sense of renewed purpose and goals of doing better, whatever that may mean to each of us. For some it is going to the gym, others want to read more or volunteer more. Many want to get closer to God while others want to distance themselves further from religious ways.

We are all different. We all have different ideas on life yet we are so similar in many ways. We all want to be loved and accepted. We all want to be happy and successful in life. We want to have a purpose and fulfill a meaning that is suited for us. My belief is we accept one another the way we are. We do not all agree or condone the actions of others, but we can still respect and treat each other kindly. We can be friends and still be as different as night is from day.

No matter how hard many of us christian people try, none of us have it all figured out. None of us have it all together and none of us have the right to force others to live, act or believe a certain way just because we think we are right. We are responsible for ourselves and as christians we are to let the love of God flow out to all people no matter if they agree with us or not. God said the Holy Spirit will draw people to the Father and will convict of sin where that is necessary. He only asks us to love God and love one another.

LoveThyNeighbor

As this is the last post of the year I wanted to take a minute and thank each of you who take the time to read my articles. There are many different views and thoughts on life among my readers and I know not all agree with what I say and that is OK. I am not trying to force my views on others, I am just writing about how I feel and how I personally see things at this period of time. Each of us have our own views and opinions and we should be able to follow and share those views, and yet be accepting of others.

I also want to make sure that no matter who you are, what you believe, no matter what religion, race, sex, nationality, I consider you a friend and you are more than welcome to visit, read and post on this site.

I enjoy reading your posts and hearing different thoughts and ideas, but I do not get into debates. I see debates as trying to force my view on you or yours on me and I see no reason to try to force others to agree on things. I do encourage friendly discussion anytime.

So, until next year I hope each of you have a good holiday season. I am hopeful you will continue to visit my site and find encouragement, acceptance and friendship throughout the new year.

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Christmas Memories

Posted in christian living, Kingdom of God, Scoop.it, tagged Christmas, memories on December 22, 2017| 2 Comments »

As the Christmas season progresses I have noticed spending time reflecting on memories of past Christmases. Have any of you done that? Maybe I should say any of you who are say, fifty-five or over.

Sometimes my mind starts to wander off into years past and I see myself with my parents. I can actually see it in my mind like I was there and I can sometimes smell some of the good smells of Christmas cookies baking in the oven.

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It actually can get a little depressing when I wander off like that if I concentrate on the past to long. Not because I did not enjoy that period of time, but because it is only a memory. Even while I am lost in thoughts from those years gone by, I am still aware of being in the present time. All those loved ones are now gone and are only memories.

I can also envision years not quite as far back when I was younger and had small children of my own. I can remember that excitement of my kids wanting to get up early and open their presents. Yet even thinking about those times to long gets a little depressing because again, those cute little kids are all grown up and have kids of their own. Again, the thoughts of joy and excitement are just memories.

It is funny how memories can be so uplifting and encouraging and bring so much joy, and at the same time can be a little depressing. So many pleasant memories and happy times of past friends and family being together. Then it all disappears as reality sets in and you know those times are gone.

Of course the good part about all of this are the new memories being made with friends and family of the present time. Memories are great but spending to long in the past is not good when there are so many new memories to be made and enjoyed now.

In Philippians 3:13 it says ‘forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal’. I say live by Hebrews 11:1 … Now faith. We are Now living in the kingdom of God. We Now have the Spirit of God living within us. Enjoy your memories, learn from the past but do not dwell there. Move on and keep looking forward to the goal and live each new day with our Father.

So yes, Christmas time is a time of excitement and happy times. It is also enjoyable to drift back into the past and remember all the good times with friends and family. Yet if you let it, it can be a hard time of year.

Am I saying we should not enjoy past memories? No, not at all. Enjoy the past but do not dwell in the past. The best thing I have found is to enjoy the good times with friends and family in the present. Do not let anything keep you from participating or ruin the time you can spend with them. All to soon they will be but memories, but thank God for the memories.

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Your Opinion Will Get You in Trouble

Posted in Acceptance of Others, christian living, Community, Lifestyles, Scoop.it, tagged acceptance, denominations, Holy Spirit, interpretations, opinion on December 20, 2017| 4 Comments »

Have you noticed that no matter what your opinion or what you believe, just post that thought online and see how many people you get stirred up because they disagree. So many people are ready to argue and try to prove their way is right.

Do you ever get fed up with all the bickering, arguing and disagreements we have over spiritual matters? I sure do.

MyOpinion

We all have opinions, interpretations, beliefs and our way of seeing things. Naturally we are not going to agree with everyone, yet I do not see the purpose of going into long back-and-forth debates trying to prove each other wrong.

Some people love to debate. We all have things we enjoy and like to do and for some getting into long, drawn out debates is a joy.

Others, like me would rather have a short and friendly time of commenting and let it go. I see no reason to debate and try to get others to change their views and see things my way.

In the bible is says ‘if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’. To me that is saying do not worry about the differences we have or the various ways of thinking. Let each person have their own views and accept that others will see things differently.

Each of us should be able to reason, learn and decide for ourselves what we feel is right. Not only in Christianity but in life itself. It seems many of us want to control others and tell them how to live or point out what we think are their sins and mistakes. In regard to the lives of believers the bible states, ‘who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand’. As followers of Jesus he is our master. Each of us are serving him and are responsible to him, not other people.

HolySpiritOurGuide

I know we can all learn from one another, yet our main source of learning is hearing from the Father through the Holy Spirit who lives within us. We can be guided by the Spirit through the bible and many times through other people, but our allegiance is not to men, governments, pastors or anyone else. We are to follow after our perfect example who is Jesus.

I have decided that for me it is best to be open to hear from others, listen to what they say, seek the guidance of the Spirit as to what I have heard and then move on. If God has something for me to learn from what others say that is great. If what someone says does not resonate with me through the Spirit I move on and let that person have their own view and stick with what makes sense to me.

If we could all follow this way of thinking I think we would get along without all the bickering, arguing and back-biting I see in our world today. Accept one another, respect one another and love one another in the power of the Spirit. Realize it is not wrong to have varying ways of thought. Remember we are called to love God, love our neighbor and look out for the good of others.

For those outside the life of faith we are to treat them the same way. Again, that does not mean we agree or even condone what others do, but we are still to love them with the love of Christ and treat them as our neighbor. The Spirit will convict people of things that need to be changed, it is not our job to judge, convict and condemn people. We are called to love them with a godly love that can only come through the power of the Spirit that is within us.

So, have your opinion, share your opinion in love and be ready to hear and accept the opinions of others even when they disagree.

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Thanks to You

Posted in Acceptance, christian living, tagged denominations, opinion, writing on December 16, 2017| 6 Comments »

I would like to take a minute and thank each one of you that takes time to read my articles. I am certainly not a professional writer but I do enjoy writing. I do not expect to get thousands of followers, but when you enjoy writing it is rewarding when you know a few people take the time to read what you wrote.

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I know we are not all going to agree on what I write. Everything I write is just my opinion. My opinion has changed over the years and it will change again. We all have opinions and viewpoints on things and it is good to hear what each other has to say.

It is encouraging and much appreciated when someone reads what I write and then makes a comment. I enjoy hearing from you and reading different views. As I said, opinions change and many times what we learn from others has a hand in the changes we make.

What I do not like is to debate over the issues. I feel debating is just trying to prove a point. In regard to living for God and the many views, opinions and interpretations there is no way to prove many of those things. We cannot prove nor disprove God. It is all a matter of faith and belief. For that reason, I do not see much good coming from debates. Usually all that causes are hurt feelings and many times arguments.

So again, thanks to each of you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read what I write. I read each comment and try to reply to everyone in reasonable time. You are all appreciated.

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What Do I Mean When I Say Christian?

Posted in Acceptance of Others, christian living, Community, Love of God, Scoop.it, tagged acceptance, Christ follower, Christian, christian living, Christianity, community, denominations, religions on December 13, 2017| 14 Comments »

Christianity can mean a couple different things and it depends on what meaning we are using as to how I feel about it.

If, when talking about being a Christian, we mean we are following Christ, acting like Christ and living like Christ, I am all for being called a Christian.

Religions

Usually these days the word Christian means more about the religion of Christianity. Just like Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Baha’i, Shinto, Taoism and a host of others, Christianity is a religion controlled by men. It is divided up into many various denominations, doctrines and biblical interpretations. Contrary to popular belief Jesus did not start the Christian religion.

Here in the United States we are so proud to say that America is a Christian nation. Unfortunately, I have to disagree with that idea. America is a country made up of many religions and beliefs. The good thing in this country is that we are not forced to be a part of any religion or belief. We have many freedoms that are not found in other places and I am thankful for that fact. We are free to choose what we want to believe, who we want to follow and we have the right to express that without fear of punishment.

Following Christ is not about a religion. I actually think it is better sometimes not to use the word Christian because of all the religious thoughts and ideas it brings up. Religion is a man-made, organized system that divides more than anything. We separate into groups that meet in buildings on set days and at set times saying we welcome anyone, yet only want those who feel the same way we do.

It bothers me to see so many who profess to be Christians, those who believe in God and Jesus and spreading His love to others, who argue and fight with those who think differently. We are supposed to be known for our love for others and love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Still, it seems a lot of Christians are more interested in defending their personal views and thoughts, getting mad and arguing amongst themselves while those outside the faith are looking at them and wondering why they need to have Christ in their lives.

Now, talking about Christianity in the sense that we are following Christ, living like Him and treating others like Jesus treated people, this is an entirely different thing. As mentioned in Acts 11:26, the disciples were first called Christians by the people of Antioch because they saw the disciples acting so much like Christ. To me, this is the true meaning of a Christian.

BeLikeJesus

True Christianity is a community of people who act like Christ and let him love through them. It is a daily life and is not separated into normal living and religious living. It is not specifically following set doctrines or following rules of do’s and don’ts. It is not meeting in a building once a week listening to one person talk, singing a few songs, shaking hands and going home. It is not a system of leaders who are on a higher level than others. Those who have gifts of leadership lead by example, lead as equals, and lead by a servant spirit to encourage and build up their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They are not to lead by power or a position of authority.

True Christianity is a daily life following the leading of the Spirit. It is meeting with those we come in contact with along our daily routine and showing the love of Christ. It is eating together, laughing and crying together, accepting one another, talking and discussing our thoughts and views.

As followers of Christ, we are to love others, accept others, and treat others with compassion, respect and love. We do not have to agree with everyone, just accept them. We can agree to disagree and love people just as they are. Everyone does not have to be just like us and they do not have to believe like us. They should be able to be themselves and we as Christ followers should be OK with it.

It is time to stop being a Christian in the sense of religion and focus on Jesus and let Him live through us. After all, we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ, God lives within us. There is no reason why we cannot love and accept others just like Christ loves and accepts everyone.

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Issues of Serving the Public

Posted in Acceptance of Others, christian living, Lifestyles, Love of God, Scoop.it, tagged acceptance, boycott, discrimination, government officials, grace, Kim Davis, LGBT, love, private industry on December 6, 2017| 4 Comments »

Over the past few months we have heard stories about government workers not granting marriage licenses in certain circumstances. We have read of bakers and florists refusing to fulfill the request of people because it violated their personal religious convictions.

Most of the time the stories I have heard are in regard to LGBT people, although I am sure it happens to other people also.

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I have thought about this a lot and figured I would give my two cents worth on the subject. Obviously this is only my opinion and I know there are many other views on this matter.

I feel that no matter what label is placed on us as human beings, each individual is a person deserving of respect and equal treatment. No group of people are more or less important than another.

In regard to government officials, they take an oath to serve the public and to do so according to law. When a person such as Kim Davis refuses to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples based on her religious beliefs, I feel she is breaking the law and should be punished accordingly. If she believes so strongly on this issue, she should have resigned from her position. When you take an oath to serve the public it is no longer about your personal convictions. It is about upholding what the law says is available to all people.

Cake

People in private businesses such as bakers and florists are a little different. I believe they are in business to make money and serve the public and they should serve everyone equally. Although unlike government it is a private business and it is the decision of the owners as to the convictions they follow and the treatment they give to their customers. In that regard, if they choose to treat someone badly and not serve them they should not complain when they receive bad ratings, boycotts, the loss of business and possible lawsuits.

I feel no matter what label is placed upon us, we are all human beings. We are all deserving of equal treatment, equal rights, respect and acceptance. That does not mean we all have to agree with one another, but we can treat people fairly even with our differences.

When we, and especially those of us who profess to follow Christ, treat people with condemnation, unfairness, disrespect, judgment and sometimes down right hatred we are showing a spirit of anti-Christ and not of love.

Jesus came to show us the love of God. He provided grace for all of us out of love. As his followers we are also to be known for our love. To me, treating others unfairly just because they do not believe the same things we believe, or because they see things differently or do not act the way we think they should is not living by the love of God or showing that love to others.