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Archive for the ‘Acceptance of Others’ Category

Muslims Versus Christians

Posted in Acceptance of Others, Bible, Love of God, religion, tagged , , , , on November 1, 2026|

by Mike Edwards

I don’t pretend to be an expert on beliefs of Muslims/Islamism. I do not wish to minimize the differences between Muslim and Christian extremism. My main motive for writing this is to call out extremism of Christian/evangelists which I am much more familiar with. Christians need to take the log out of their own eye to avoid turning people away from God, The two religions are not comparable in many ways.

There is a difference between Christianity and Islamism. Islamism is a political ideology that seeks to organize and control government. I believe many labeled Christian Nationalists are falsely accused of desires to control beliefs, though I agree their rhetoric without clarifications can provoke such accusations.  It matters if one’s beliefs are based on Islamist principles. Islamism in my opinion is not compatible with Christianity or can coexist. See here. Individuals must be asked specifically their below beliefs to see if they embrace extreme positions of their religion. Please don’t accuse me of being Islamophobic. Let’s just have a conversation.

I have written about my concerns regarding Christian nationalism. See here. I have written American was founded on Christian principles, but leaders should be careful in their language. The Founders believed in freedom of religion and beliefs. There is a difference in saying we are founded on Christian principles and we are a Christian nation. This seems to exclude all non-Christians. It boils down to how beliefs are acted on.

What is the main difference?

Allah had no son. Christianity claims Jesus was the Son of God. Christianity declares Jesus is what God is like. Readers have to decide who to follow. Allah or God and Jesus.

How is blasphemy treated?

Blasphemy means speaking disrespectfully about God or insulting sacred things. Leviticus 24:16 says someone who blasphemes God should be put to death in ancient Israel. But the New Testament shifts the focus from civil punishment to spiritual consequences. In most modern Christian-majority countries, blasphemy is not punished by law.

Islamism generally treats blasphemy as both a religious sin and a crime against the state. Because Islamism advocates for governments ruled by Sharia law, blasphemy is often treated as a criminal offense, not just a moral one. Even death for severe cases, particularly if the offender is seen as abandoning or attacking the faith. I am not aware Christianity having any such laws.

How to treat infidels

In Christianity, people who do not believe in the Christian faith are usually called unbelievers rather than “infidels.” The way Christianity views them comes mainly from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the New Testament. They are seen as people that God loves. (Rom 5:8, John 3:16) I do not think any form of Christianity can be accused of deadly consequences based on beliefs or not granting freedom of belief on earth.

In Islamism non-Muslims may be allowed to live in society but with a different legal status in a state governed by Islamic law, though interpretations vary widely across movements. Shouts of “Death to Americans” don’t suggest coexistence is allowed according to Islamism.

Gays

Unfortunately, Christians are not united in claiming God does not condemn gays. Many refuse to admit the Bible can also be interpreted to not condemn monogamous same sex relationships. See here But, at least Christianity cannot be accused of supporting death for those who are in same-sex relationships. Islamism has been known to consider sodomy as a capital offense in Iran, where execution methods include public hangings. Many Muslims interpret Islamic teachings differently, but many Muslim governments support criminal penalties that can include fines, imprisonment, or death penalties. That is a severe difference rather than condemnation.

And women

Unfortunately, Christians can be accused of women bias as Muslims. Sorry, any religion that requires women dress up to protect men’s eyes is anti-religion in my opinion. Men – control your own eyes. But then some Christians claim the Bible requires women submit to men’s authority in certain roles that men are not required to submit to men. I doubt the Bible teaches that. I am not sure why any fair-minded person would think women can’t fulfill the same roles as men unless believing a Book about God teaches otherwise.

I doubt Paul, a main writer of the New Testament, was a bias against women. See here. Most agree not allowing equal roles because of skin color is immoral. Choosing who should lead the company based on gender is obviously bigotry. The most qualified or gifted should surely lead the company. Why not in church? Men in authority over women whether in public or private life is conducive for domestic abuse and the other atrocities women face at the hands of men. Give me as a man an inch and I am tempted to take a mile! So, both religions suck about women and have extremists.

What about Violence

Many, but not all, Christians and Muslims, can be accused of advocating violence and possibly genocide. Most religions allow war in certain circumstances when fighting evil. The problem is extremist groups like ISIS can misuse Islamic language to justify violence. Christians aren’t necessarily off the hook. Some suggest the Old Testament advocates violence or genocide in certain circumstances. (I Samuel 15:1-5) It certainly seems that way. As discussed below the problem is whether one’s holy Book is inspired by God. If writers are portraying God accurately because God is controlling their thoughts, as opposed to sharing their own opinions of God, then most followers feel an obligation to follow in their God’s inspired footsteps. It is easily forgotten that interpretations are not inspired.

The problem with an inspired Holy Book

There are extremists with any religion whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. If we didn’t claim a Book was inspired – thus represents God perfectly – we may be more willing to discuss our different interpretations which can be prone to error or even the writers didn’t understand God always correctly. Some say God condemns gays according to the Bible, others interpret the same passages differently. Even if we could prove God inspired every word in the Bible (God controlling what writers thought and recorded), we should always question interpretations since biblical scholars interpret differently the same passages.

Supposed inspired interpretations by God or Allah can lead others away from God, because if a Supreme Being supposedly advocated a belief, most assume we are obligated to endorse and follow. I am convinced that if we did not assume literature is inspired, but rather the writers wrote what they believed was true of their God, we could better avoid extremism. Use common moral sense to understand God, rather than assuming writers never misunderstood God. See Shouldn’t we assume the Bible isn’t inspired by God – all rants against the Bible

Final Thoughts

I believe those who claim Islamist beliefs would refer to themselves as Muslims. Those who claim Christianity as their religions would call themselves Christians. Not all Muslims or Christians hold the same above beliefs. One’s beliefs should be questioned, or believe what they say, to discern what actions may follow. One may think I have been biased toward Christians reading the above. I do associate more with their beliefs than many Muslims. I believe Muslim beliefs are more extreme than Christian’s beliefs. Depends on their belief of their Holy Book and interpretation. Let’s have open discussions of personal beliefs.

Mike Edwards was added as a writer and has been a great addition to the Done with Religion site. Mike provides many interesting views and various ways of looking at things. He is not afraid to ask questions and he keeps an open mind as to teachings of the institutional church. Mike also has his own site where he writes at What God May Really Be Like

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Reimagining God – Part 3

Posted in Acceptance of Others, Bible, christian living, Love of God, tagged , , , , , , , on September 28, 2026|

by Mike Edwards

Reimagining God  – Part 1

Reimagining God – Part 2

In Part 2 of this series, I discuss beliefs I have landed on about God for now about hell, women, gays, and supposed divine approved violence in the Bible. I will finish this series below with other beliefs about God that I am convinced of. It’s okay to disagree. Embracing uncertainty about God can be healthy. Uncertainty fosters compassion and openness. Faith becomes a free, meaningful choice rather than dogmatic obligation. I am convinced God is not defined by rigid doctrines or literalist readings of Scripture but by perfect love, moral goodness, and the universal human intuition of what it means to love well. My writings encourage humility, moral reasoning, and rejects harmful portrayals of God in favor of a love-centered understanding.

  • God is not a Bible worshipper. First, we can’t prove the biblical writers always understood God perfectly unless you take their word for it. Secondly, literature requires interpretation so no one can claim their interpretation is the right one. We can’t ask the writers what they meant. Thirdly, the Bible isn’t likely God’s main communication, because the majority born into this world never had a copy or knew of Jesus. See:

Should We Assume The Bible Isn’t inspired by God? All Rants Against The Bible

  • God is not a religion excluder. A loving God wouldn’t only let Christians into heaven when the majority of people born into this world died without knowledge of Jesus the Christ. One’s religion, or rebellion against a certain religion, is often based on the family born into whether it is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. Is God a God of chance? God only wants us to know of their desire to empower and encourage all in doing good and shunning evil. See:

Which Religion Goes To Heaven?

  • God is not a mysterious, hidden Deity. A relational God seeks to be understood. Maybe a visible God isn’t all it is cracked up to be. God dropped manna from the sky and separated the Red Sea to escape the enemy, but how did that work out? A universal belief in and hatred for evil versus good suggests God has revealed themselves. God’s overpowering presence in our lives may only lead to consuming guilt or brief obligations to obey. God’s lack of interference may allow us to make heart-felt, lasting choices. See:

If God Is Real, Why Then Is God So Hidden?

  • God is not a moral hypocrite humanly-speaking. Even atheists believe One claiming to be God must be perfect. We must question biblical writers’ understanding of God if interpretations are contrary to people’s ideas of a perfect, loving God. When the Bible challenges us to be perfect like God (Mt. 5:48), the assumption is we can know what perfection is. Godly and human perfect love must be one and the same
  • God is not a controller of evil and suffering. The magnitude of evil in the world is a main reason people indicate they don’t believe in God. It seems God creating freedom necessitates one being able to do as much harm as they can do good. Authenticity, the highest good in relationships is impossible without freedom. Not even God can force true love. It can be misleading when we say God “allows” evil, as if God stands by when God could stop evil. God can’t control or violate freedom and love perfectly. God can only stop evil with the help of others or not create freedom.

Evil, Suffering, And God

  • God is not a prayer genie. Praying doesn’t make God more caring. God is already doing all they can in a free world. Pretending God can simply heal without accounting for freedom only leads to doubts such as did I not pray or beg enough? Prayer isn’t about manipulating for gain but pursuing a relationship with our Creator for self-examination, sharing concerns, and not feeling alone in a chaotic world. God is not a Genie in a bottle who can singlehandedly all by themselves make things instantly happen without our help to change the world for good. Again, prayer is relational communication with God—an interaction in which we bring our desires, concerns, questions, and needs before God. Prayer is not a magical mechanism for getting whatever we ask for.

Why Pray If Most Prayers Are Unanswered?

  • God is not a ‘hidden agenda” friend. It is wrong to engage in friendships for the purpose of manipulating them to your beliefs. God’s agenda couldn’t be wanting to save people from Hell, since the traditional meaning of Hell doesn’t exist in the Bible. Friends aren’t evangelistic projects. Jesus’ agenda was to simply love people in the moment. Jesus wanted others to know God loves them and seeks to help them be who they want to be deep down if desiring such help.
  • God is not an angry egomaniac. God doesn’t want to be feared as if that leads to inspiring relationships. If God was so worried about their ego, God would not have given us freedom to contradict their wishes. God’s unforced desire for glory is no different than a loving parent’s desire for respect. They only want what we deep down desire – loving others like we want to be loved.
  • God is not a blood-thirsty Jesus killer. Demanding the blood of an innocent party doesn’t legally resolve another person’s guilt. My going to jail for a friend’s wrongdoing doesn’t somehow clear my friend of their crime. God didn’t violate Judas’ freedom by requiring he betray Jesus. We killed Jesus. Jesus accepting death than powering over others may be the reason billions have been influenced to live unselfishly.

Jesus Didn’t Die On Cross As Payment for your Sins?

  • God is not a future fortune teller. Most probably don’t think much about whether God knows the future or not. The truth is not even an all-powerful God can do the impossible such as change the past, force true love, or know an undetermined future until it happens. God isn’t failing to communicate a “known future” so we can avoid bad relationships or decisions. God suffers with us rather than simply gaze into a future crystal ball. God created freedom and seeks to partner with us to make for a better world.

What Does God Know About The Future?

  • God is not an end-of-the-world doomsayer. God isn’t going to destroy the world in the supposed battle of Armageddon. One might ask if the Bible teaches God is going to destroy the world in the future, why did Jesus tell his audience that supposed predictions about the world ending would happen in their lifetime (Mt. 24:34). Jesus seemed to not be speaking of a sky-opening, physical rapture, or Jesus wouldn’t have warned of the signs to not miss His coming (Mt. 24:3-4). In the first century the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed and millions of lives were lost. Biblical Judaism ceased to exist. This could have been the end of the age that Jesus warned of.

Huckabee, Israel, U.S> – End Times!

Mike Edwards was added as a writer and has been a great addition to the Done with Religion site. Mike provides many interesting views and various ways of looking at things. He is not afraid to ask questions and he keeps an open mind as to teachings of the institutional church. Mike also has his own site where he writes at What God May Really Be Like

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Be at Peace with All

Posted in Acceptance of Others, christian living, Jesus follower, Love of God, tagged , , , , , on September 18, 2026|

by Michael Donahoe

To be at peace with all people, including believers and non-believers, seems almost impossible in our world today. We have so many different thoughts and ideas, different denominations, different religions, interpretations and beliefs. It makes you wonder how it is possible to be at peace with everyone? 

I have been thinking recently about how some Christian people act towards those who see things differently. I do not know why we can be so mean at times. We feel we must prove our point to others and stand our ground when it comes to doctrine and interpretation of the Bible. I am not sure why we feel it is our job to be the morality police. Why do we feel the need to force our views, beliefs and interpretations on others? 

Rather than base our lives on following doctrine and interpretation, we are to follow the example of Jesus. He said to love God and love one another. There is no way to be at peace with others without loving them. We cannot love others without the Spirit of love living within us.

The dictionary describes peace as freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions; harmony in personal relations. I think what God is saying about being at peace with all is that we are to live in harmony with others, not allowing any oppressive thoughts or emotions to take control of our feelings toward them. In other words, we live in love.

Just because someone does not interpret the Bible the same way we do or go to the same church we do (or does not go to church at all), we all want to love God and do what is pleasing to God. 

We are to accept one another in love, and respect the fact that God is working in different ways in people. Just because it is not the way we believe or the way we do things does not mean it is not of God. 

In regard to non-believers, we do not need to condemn them or force our beliefs on them. We are to let them see the love of God by the way we treat others. They do not need someone beating them down or twisting their arms to get them to believe like us. We are to love them and let the Spirit do any work that needs to be done in their lives just as the Spirit does in our lives. 

If we believers could understand that we are responsible for ourselves in the way we live for God. We are not responsible to force our ways on others or try to make them live as we do. We are to allow God to work in each life and follow the path God has for each of us. 

Our responsibility is to love God and love others, accept them for who they are and pray that the Holy Spirit will teach us and guide us in the way we are to go. Only by living in love can we live at peace with all.

Michael Donahoe created Done with Religion after he and his wife left the institutional church after over fifty years within the system. He wanted a way to express his thoughts and concerns about the religious system, and tell why he and his wife decided to leave the institution but not their faith in God. They have now been outside the walls of religion for over fifteen years. He enjoys writing about his experiences and thoughts, and he wants to encourage others who are going through the religious deconstruction process. He also writes on Substack at https://deconstructiontrail.substack.com/ and https://personalmeanderings.substack.com/ Michael can be contacted by email at: jimgordon731@gmail.com

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Love and Respect for Others

Posted in christian living, Acceptance of Others, Love of God, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 30, 2026|

by Michael Donahoe

In a day when many feel it is the job of the Christian to point out the sins and mistakes of others, I personally do not see Jesus being that way. 

Jesus associated with all kinds of people, and he showed love toward them. He was genuinely interested in them and accepted them. That does not mean he always agreed with them, but he accepted them as they were. He treated them with love and respect. 

Acceptance does not necessarily mean we agree or condone the actions of another, it just means we are kind, respectful and show the love of God to them. We obviously are not all going to agree on things, yet we should be able to treat one another with kindness. 

Many say we must point out the sins of others and warn them of impending doom, or we are not fulfilling our obligation as a Christian. Yet I feel that we are told the Spirit will convict people of changes that should be made. The Spirit will draw people to God. We are not called to do the work of the Spirit, we are called to show the love of God to all people. 

Showing love and acceptance to people is more in line with the way Jesus treated others. He did not condemn, he did not hate, he did not associate only for ulterior motives of getting people to join him. In fact, the only people Jesus seemed to have issues with were the religious leaders who thought they were so much holier than others. They were mad at Jesus for associating with people they determined were the sinners and lower class of the day. 

For me, rather than point out sins, rather than show condemnation and many times down right hatred towards people, I would rather do what Jesus tells us to do. Love God will all your heart, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor (all people) as yourself.

Love and acceptance do not mean we agree on everything. We love through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Love and genuine friendship will draw people into conversations and respect for one another, thus providing an atmosphere where we can all learn from one another and respect one another. 

Unfortunately, one of the major issues many Christians seem to have is regarding LGBTQ issues. I am not sure why, but people who consider this to be a sin jump on this issue more than anything. Next is Muslims and immigrants. It is sad that we cannot learn to accept those who do not believe or act just like us and see them as fellow human beings who are loved by God. 

As for me, I like to follow this way of thinking. Whether you are LGBTQ affirming or not, whether you are of a different religion or nationality, there is no reason to treat people with hate and contempt. Whatever you think about other groups of people, be respectful, kind and show the love of God to all people. 

We are all made in the image of God. We all have our interpretations and opinions. We each must follow what we feel is right for us, but we must not force our views on others. 

Accept each other for who we are and follow your convictions for yourself. There is no reason to be hateful toward anyone. We are all loved by God just the way we are now. If there is anything that needs to be corrected or changed in us, the Spirit will gently persuade us in the way we should go. It is not up to people to do the work of the Spirit. 

Love and accept others. This means LGBTQ, atheist, people from different religions, races and nationalities. You do not have to agree with them. Show them love. Love makes more of an impact on people than does hatred, condemnation and forcing personal views on them. 

Remember we are not told to go force our views and beliefs on others. We are told to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Michael Donahoe created Done with Religion after he and his wife left the institutional church after over fifty years within the system. He wanted a way to express his thoughts and concerns about the religious system, and tell why he and his wife decided to leave the institution but not their faith in God. They have now been outside the walls of religion for over fifteen years. He enjoys writing about his experiences and thoughts, and he wants to encourage others who are going through the religious deconstruction process. He also writes on Substack at https://deconstructiontrail.substack.com/ and https://personalmeanderings.substack.com/ Michael can be contacted by email at: jimgordon731@gmail.com

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Why We Leave the Church Building?

Posted in Acceptance of Others, Bible, christian living, Community, Ekklesia, institutional church, Love of God, The church, tagged , , , , , , , on August 23, 2026|

by Mike Edwards

I share below some reasons gathered by researchers on the subject. Then, I share why I left the church building but not God. Maybe it will help you to express your experience to others if you have decided to leave..

I wrote here why people possibly deconvert though at one time having faith in God. Many Christian leaders imply those leaving the institutional church are leaving God. DONES are often deconverting from religion not God! One does not have to be involved in a regular Christian community to be a God-follower. I wrote here  why I left the religious institution not God. There are many advantages to being a part of a group of people who seek to encourage one another about God. But many of us had to leave the building!

What are some emotional reasons people leave the building? 

Packard has done much of the research. Many leave the building due to observed lack of responsible stewardship. 60% of the budget went toward the 90-minute show without serving better those outside the building. Many leave because being preached at doesn’t allow meaningful dialogue. Being so damn certain all the time is hardly relational, especially when even scholars disagree what the Bible says about issues impacting the lives of so many people. Many felt the lack of grace. People weren’t looking to excuse their moral failures, but why can’t we focus less on sexual behaviors and more on the poor, homeless, etc. Who is perfect! People leave for many reasons including abuse by leadership.

People leave for the same intellectual reason others leave the faith all-together 

A major factor in leaving the building or God all together is because of views claimed about God.  God according to the Bible supposedly condemns gays, burns unbelievers in the afterlife, and thinks women cannot fulfill the same roles as men though just as gifted. The truth is biblical scholars who have a deep respect for Scriptures don’t agree what the Bible says about gays, women, hell, and other moral issues. See here.  See here.  See here.  It is only intuitive that a Creator loves the ways their creations ought to love one another. Biblical interpretations that don’t match how you and most know you ought to love your neighbor may be amiss.

Another major intellectual reason is due to certain explanations given for the presence of evil and suffering in our world despite there being a God. It is understandable why many can’t believe in a supposedly, all-powerful God who standbys while one is being raped, tortured, murdered, abused, etc. What kind of parent or God stands by and not intervene when they could prevent such suffering? Maybe a perfect, loving God can’t be controlling just as they can’t be manipulative. Maybe God can’t intervene single-handedly without human help. See Thomas Oord. The alternative is that God can always stop your suffering and doesn’t, or that God arbitrarily stops other’s sufferings sometimes but not yours. I doubt it!

Going forward 

In the Bible “Church” was not a building or a place attended once a week. Jesus referred to His followers as being the Church and to encourage and care for one another.  The Bible doesn’t tell the Church to go to church.  Jesus said “Where two or more are gathered in His name” God would be present. Jesus did not specify where they must gather, what they must do or how they must do it. Simply find environments to encourage and be encouraged to radically love as Jesus did. Personally, in the church if I opened my mouth about disagreements about leadership’s views of what a loving God is like, I felt I was being divisive and pulling others down. I am comfortable disagreeing, but I am not looking to force my views on others. Our relationship with God isn’t about an institution or day of the week. It’s a daily, hourly relationship.

In the Bible often the church (followers/believers) met at one another’s homes. I was expected to go a building, often with a steeple, on Sundays when growing up.  Some years my parents took me to a meeting both Sunday morning and night and Wednesday evening. I went to a Sunday meeting on my own in college. I never developed deep relationships with those at these meetings. We took our children to a meeting on Sundays when they were young. We encouraged them to attend smaller meetings within the building with people their own age, but they mostly chose to continue to go to the room where adult sang and listen to preaching. We let our children when older decide whether to go to the meetings on Sunday. At the time I felt going to a meeting on Sundays helped us grow in our relationship with God.

I ended up going to Seminary out of college for one year so of course I continue going to meetings on Sundays. As I got older, I begin to question some things I was taught at these meetings about what the Bible said. For instance, I was always taught a husband was to be a loving leader rather than a loving servant toward his wife. I came to realize best friends don’t need a leader whether married or not. I had seen that “give us men an inch and we will take a mile.” There were other views over the years suggesting what God was really like, such as God being a hellish torturer, which I begin to believe differently than what I was taught.

I begin to experience in meetings, when sharing what I believed, being more divisive than encouraging to fellow followers. I didn’t feel a freedom or openness to believe as God led but to believe what those in authority taught. I wasn’t forced to believe but why attend if not being encouraged to develop your own beliefs. I was better off if I didn’t do “church” and try something different in my relationship with God. I am not sure if I went to church out of guilt all those years, but not going to church didn’t feel like a choice. The institution of church worked for me for years and continues to work for many, but people need to feel free than obligated to pursue God on their own terms. Obligatory relationships are seldom life transforming.

I gained a sense of freedom from obligation when I realized “church” in the Bible was not a building but referred to all individual believers. The Bible suggested followers meet to encourage one another. This can be done anywhere anytime. When followers meet together, they may sing, teach one another, eat, play tennis or whatever is going on in being with one another. Some may want to continue receiving teaching about their faith and attend traditional church for those and other reasons. No one though needs a mediator between God and them such as a pastor or priest.

Church never was a place that I built genuine relationships. I could sit for an hour and not say one word to anyone other than my family. I certainly didn’t share my burdens openly in that meeting. Even attending smaller groups during the week, organized by church leaders for the purpose of building relationships, felt forced. I am not putting down such meetings. I just feel free and wish for other to know they can build a closer relationship with their Creator in ways best for them. Dream! I may again someday attend a building on a certain day of the week with like-minded followers. But I do not feel obligated or believe God thinks any less of me for not doing so. I am better off seeking encouraging, genuine relationships, so I look for such relationships everywhere. They don’t have to be organized and there doesn’t have to be structured leadership. You may feel like I do that I have graduated

Mike Edwards was added as a writer and has been a great addition to the Done with Religion site. Mike provides many interesting views and various ways of looking at things. He is not afraid to ask questions and he keeps an open mind as to teachings of the institutional church. Mike also has his own site where he writes at What God May Really Be Like 

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Main Reason Leaders Turn Others Away From God!

Posted in Acceptance of Others, Bible, christian living, Love of God, tagged , , , , , , , on July 26, 2026|

by Mike Edwards

One reason I had to quit calling myself a Christian was when it became associated with being anti-gay, etc. It is hard for many to hear anything positive about God when leaders imply that God and the Bible condemn gays. Leaders fail to admit their interpretation could be wrong, yet they destroy many individuals and families presuming they are right about God’s heart. Leaders must stop implying or presuming God condemns gays for being gay. It is clear leaders’ lack of support. You don’t have to say explicitly what one is implying with their words. Just ask where they stand with God and gays. I am convinced for many it would be a negative stance or “I love you but….”

Leaders should know better

It is seldom admitted literature requires interpretation or one’s interpretation could be wrong, thus one’s understanding of God could be wrong. Even if you believe your Holy Book is inspired by your God, our interpretations are not inspired. Besides, it is rarely admitted that it cannot be proved one’s sacred book is inspired by their God. We cannot prove God inspired every word in the Bible (God controlling what writers/editors thought and recorded). If we did not assume literature is inspired, but rather the writers wrote what they believed was true of their God, we could avoid extremism. If we didn’t assume biblical writers always understood God correctly, this leads to more open discussions what God is really like. See link: Shouldn’t we assume the Bible isn’t inspired by God – all rants against the Bible

God loves gays

Nothing may be more destructive to God’s reputation than when Christian leaders explicitly or implicitly condemn gays in God’s name. Gays no more choose who they are attracted to than straights can? Many gays will tell you they have always been attracted to the same sex. If you are a straight man, don’t you naturally have to fight not looking at naked women than men? Ask gays their battle! Who chooses to be gay when one has to hide their sexuality because of bigotry and hostility See: God Loves Gays

There is real debate if the Bible condemns  gay relationships

See here.

I love you but …..

 It is impossible to not feel personally attacked when one utters “I love you but I hate your sin.” Especially if being gay isn’t a sin. 

Many, because of their understanding of the Bible, will respond with some version of “I love you; I hate your sin.” This is not a phrase found in the Bible. One is hard pressed to find anywhere in the Bible where this is a recommended strategy in relationships whether the Bible clearly condemns a behavior or not. It is impossible to not feel personally attacked when one utters “I love you but I hate your sin.” What is heard is I or God don’t love you.

But some actions are really harmful

It can be argued that hating alcoholic behavior is loving because alcohol abuse is harmful. Hating homosexual sex is only loving if homosexual sex is sinful. But do we tell a drug abuser that we love them but hate their behaviors? You don’t tell anyone coming for help with their addiction that you love them but hate their behavior. You simply say I love you and let’s do this together. They probably already hate their own behaviors. When someone is overweight, which is a lot of us, should we say “I love you but I hate you are fat?”

Please don’t reject a gay child in God’s name!

Some parents condemn their child because the Bible supposedly does. Not all agree. See here.  When there are any doubts what the Bible might be advising, God-followers must take the most compassionate, less judgmental stance toward others. Many parents know in their hearts to not judge their child but they are torn when hearing others claim the Bible condemns homosexuality.

Please stop!

Even if you think God and the Bible condemns gays, please don’t imply or speak for Christians and claim God condemns gays. Leaders seldom state directly God condemns or gayness is a sin but it is implied. Come out and say you don’t know even if you believe being gay is a sin, unless afraid of losing your position or donations. Hopefully, you do that for women’s roles. Surely, you admit there is debate concerning if women can be priests or pastors. This is another topic that breaks my heart when leaders presume their interpretation is inspire to deter women from pursuing their gifts or subjecting a wife under a husband’s authority which often can lead to domestic violence.

Mike Edwards was added as a writer and has been a great addition to the Done with Religion site. Mike provides many interesting views and various ways of looking at things. He is not afraid to ask questions and he keeps an open mind as to teachings of the institutional church. Mike also has his own site where he writes at What God May Really Be Like

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Does It Matter If We Are Called Christians?

Posted in Acceptance of Others, Bible, christian living, Community, Ekklesia, institutional church, Jesus follower, Love of God, religion, The church, tagged , , , , , on June 28, 2026|

by Michael Donahoe

My wife and I question these days whether we should call ourselves Christians or not. We think it all boils down to what we mean by Christian. 

If being a Christian is being part of a religion that meets in a building on a particular day and follows set doctrines based on what denomination we belong to, then no, we are not Christians. 

 If being a Christian is considered being part of a group that is basically just a different interpretation and belief from Jews, or Muslim, or Baptist, Methodist, Charismatic etc., then no, we are not Christians.

If being a Christian is being part of a group that is opposed to all other religions and only accept those who believe like we do, then no, we are not Christians.

If being a Christian has anything to do with religion, then no, we are not Christians.

In Acts 11:26 the disciples were first called Christians by people in Antioch. I always heard that they were called Christians because they were acting like Christ. The people there were calling them little Christ’s because of the way they showed the love and power of Christ. Now, if that is what is meant by being a Christian, then we are all in. 

There are many ways we can describe ourselves, believers, Christ followers, disciples of Christ, Christians. Yet, the name itself does not really matter. What matters is how we live our lives. Is Christ preeminent? Are we living as one with him? Are we allowing the love of Christ to live through us, accepting others, loving others and being little Christ’s to all we meet? If not, the name really does not mean anything. 

When people see us, they should see Christ. He lives within us and we should be known for the love we have for him and for the love we have for our fellow man. Do not worry so much about the label we use. Let Christ live through us each day with everyone we meet. 

Michael Donahoe created Done with Religion after he and his wife left the institutional church after over fifty years within the system. He wanted a way to express his thoughts and concerns about the religious system, and tell why he and his wife decided to leave the institution but not their faith in God. They have now been outside the walls of religion for over fifteen years. He enjoys writing about his experiences and thoughts, and he wants to encourage others who are going through the religious deconstruction process. He also writes on Substack at https://deconstructiontrail.substack.com/ and https://personalmeanderings.substack.com/ Michael can be contacted by email at: jimgordon731@gmail.com

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What Are The Worst Lies about God – Gays

Posted in Acceptance of Others, christian living, Love of God, The church, tagged , , , , , , on June 24, 2026|

by Mike Edwards

God Doesn’t Condemn Gays

Understandings and mental views of God shape your belief in God and your relationship with God. God surely delights more in one seeking to know God than the ninety-nine, offended by one’s interpretation of the Bible, who already know their Creator (Lk. 15:3-7). Biblical interpretations must be plausible based on what a loving God should be like.

Nothing may be more destructive to God’s reputation than when Christian leaders condemn gays in God’s name. Gays no more choose who they are attracted to than straights can. Many gays will tell you they have always been attracted to the same sex. If you are a straight man, don’t you naturally have to fight not looking at naked women than men? Ask gays their battle! Who chooses to be gay when one has to hide their sexuality because of bigotry and hostility? It is impossible to not feel personally attacked when one utters “I love you but I hate your sin.” What is heard is I don’t love you. Especially if being gay isn’t a sin.  See here.

God Loves Gays!

Mike Edwards was added as a writer and has been a great addition to the site. Mike provides many interesting views and various ways of looking at things. He is not afraid to ask questions and he keeps an open mind as to teachings of the institutional church. Mike also has his own site where he writes at What God May Really Be Like

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Zionism!

Posted in Acceptance of Others, Bible, christian living, Love of God, religion, tagged , , , , , , , on May 25, 2026|

by Mike Edwards

Zionism has come more into the spotlight, especially during conflict between Iran and Israel and the U.S. I do not wish to condemn Zionism. I think it can help to understand why one believes as they do. One has rights to any beliefs, as long as not encouraging violence toward others. I do condemn extremists that suggest their God sanctions the death of infidels or gays or violate the rights of women.

What is Zionism?

It is argued Jewish people should have their own nation in their historic homeland. Obviously, all people and religions have a right to exist. Claiming a historic homeland is unique. Someone use to own the land that I own now having paid cash. I did not forcefully take it away from the previous owner. Nations are different thought because conflicts are often settled with war. It is a tough argument to say all ownership should predate conflicts. We have a worldwide mess if going to claim land right are paramount to pre-war/conflict.

Why do Zionism believe in their unique claim to a historic homeland?

Right to existence is a no-brainer. Any other view is extremist. In Judaism the land is seen as promised to the Jewish people by God in their sacred, inspired Book by God (Hebrew Bible). Beside a desire for safety and self-determination, Zionists believe in a historic homeland because of ancient roots and religious significance. They believe the Bible is God’s promise/prophecy for their future.

I have argued it is likely prophecy doesn’t predict the future. I have claimed prophecy can’t be God knowing or predicting what happens in the future. God can’t know an undetermined future. It is likely prophecy is conditional to respect freedom. God warns what could happen if Israel rebels against God’s ways or to others that don’t respect God’s morality. See:  Does Prophecy In The Bible Really Predict The Future?

Believing in an inspired Book can lead to extremism

It is rarely admitted that it cannot be proved one’s sacred book is inspired by their God. We cannot prove God inspired every word in the Bible (God controlling what writers thought and recorded). There are extremists with any religion whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. If we did not assume literature is inspired, but rather the writers wrote what they believed was true of their God, we could avoid extremism. Use common moral sense to understand God, rather than assuming biblical writers always understood God correctly. See Shouldn’t we assume the Bible isn’t inspired by God – all rants against the Bible

The problem often is how supposed inspired texts by God or Supreme Being are interpreted. It is rarely admitted that our interpretative views of God according to the Bible or Koran could be right or wrong. I admit I could be wrong and always invite discussion. Some say God condemns gays according to the Bible, others interpret the same passages differently. We should always question interpretations, whether literature is inspired or not, since biblical scholars interpret differently the same passages.

Many Christians interpret Israel plays a role in biblical prophecy. One may believe to not follow how they interpret Scriptures is to disobey God’s supposed future plan. Many claim dogmatically that the Bible predicts future events such as what is happening in Israel currently and the end-times when Jesus returns down to earth. This can be a form of extremism, though far from inciting violence toward unbelievers.

Going forward

I understand many may especially support Israel for important military and intelligence reasons. Those who oppose giving Israel support should consider for America’s own protection. Many people’s views are often shaped by the media they consume. We should consider all opinions. We must encourage healthy debate. I suspect many may oppose supporting Israel over America’s own citizens for financial reasons.  We have enough financial problems without giving so much money away to other nations. I have some sympathy for this. When I have a choice, I am going to protect and support my family financially over other families. I don’t think that is totally selfish. A family or nation is often more capable of aiding others because they are strong and united. To support Israel solely based on biblical prophecy is misguided. No one can claim because “the Bible says so.”

Related Posts:

Why Are People Pro Israel?

Are We Living In Biblical End-times?

Mike Edwards was added as a writer and has been a great addition to the site. Mike provides many interesting views and various ways of looking at things. He is not afraid to ask questions and he keeps an open mind as to teachings of the institutional church. Mike also has his own site where he writes at What God May Really Be Like

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We All See Things Differently

Posted in Acceptance of Others, Bible, christian living, Jesus follower, Love of God, tagged , , , , , , , on May 22, 2026|

by Michael Donahoe

I find it interesting that no matter what a person believes, someone always has a completely opposite view. We get excited about hearing some truth that really connects, and the next thing we read is an article by another person with a completely different view that completely disagrees with what we just heard. 

Even more than that, most of us Christians get mad when someone disagrees with us and our personal ideas. We get on Facebook and make ourselves look crazy because we talk about brotherly love, then we fight and argue with someone because they interpret things differently, and mostly about things we cannot prove one way or the other.

Sadly, this is really not that unusual because we are all different. We have different backgrounds, different viewpoints and opinions, and different ideas on how to live. We really have to stop and think that whatever it is we believe, whatever our interpretation, we have to realize that not everyone will agree with us. There is no reason for us to get mad at someone else for being different. There is no reason why we cannot accept each other even in our differences. 

This life is all a matter of faith. No matter what it is spiritually speaking, no one can really prove what is right and what is not. Just because someone has a different interpretation does not mean they are right or wrong. 

We need to keep our ears open to the leading of the Spirit and follow our own path looking to Jesus. That does not mean any and every path is the right one, but we cannot be the judge of who is right and who is wrong. Jeremy Myers, in his book ‘Dying to Religion and Empire’ states, “The beautiful thing about following Jesus is that while He leads us all in the same direction, there are millions of different paths He can take to get us there. His goal, of course, is to advance the Kingdom of God on earth through the people of God who are being conformed into the image of God”. Our goal is to follow Christ as he leads us individually, and then be ready to love all people, no matter if they are on the same path or not. 

Let’s stop arguing, fighting and demanding that everyone agree with us, and love and accept those we meet along the journey. I think God is big enough to lead us along our path while being loving, kind and accepting to those walking their path. After all, we are all just walking each other home. 

Michael Donahoe created Done with Religion after he and his wife left the institutional church after over fifty years within the system. He wanted a way to express his thoughts and concerns about the religious system, and tell why he and his wife decided to leave the institution but not their faith in God. They have now been outside the walls of religion for over fifteen years. He enjoys writing about his experiences and thoughts, and he wants to encourage others who are going through the religious deconstruction process. He also writes on Substack at https://deconstructiontrail.substack.com/ and https://personalmeanderings.substack.com/ Michael can be contacted by email at: jimgordon731@gmail.com

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