So often, when we think of Jesus, we think of Christianity. Many people seem to believe that Jesus actually started Christianity. The fact is, Jesus did not establish a new religion, nor did he come to create another religious system for people to follow. Jesus was not about religion. He came to show the love of God to the human race. He loves and accepts people, not because of the religious label they carry or the beliefs they hold, but because they are people loved by God.
The word Christian was first used in the city of Antioch to describe those who followed Jesus (Acts 11:26). It is often understood to mean “little Christs.” These were people whose lives reflected the teachings, actions, and love of Jesus so much that others identified them with him. They were spreading the good news of Jesus, demonstrating his love, and doing the very things Jesus had taught them to do.
When we use the term Christian in that sense, there is certainly nothing wrong with it. Being Christ-like, loving God, loving others, and doing the works of Jesus should be what the word represents. But when we use Christian to identify ourselves with a particular church, follow a specific doctrine, or align ourselves with a particular pastor or religious organization, it can become little more than another religious label. Personally, I would rather not define my relationship with God by that label.
Jesus is the Son of God, and he loves all people. He does not look at people through the labels of Muslim, Jew, Christian, or any other religious identity. He sees people. He sees individuals who need love, acceptance, grace, and the opportunity to experience the love of God. Our relationship with God is not about belonging to Christianity or following a religious institution. It is about coming to know God through Christ.
It is time we stopped looking to the organized world of religion as the means of becoming acceptable and pleasing to God. Instead, we need to look to Christ, allowing him to live through us and demonstrate his love to those we encounter each day. Stop demanding that others follow your doctrines, your rules, and your particular beliefs. Instead, accept people as they are, extend the same love and grace that Jesus demonstrated, and allow God to work in their lives in whatever way God sees fit.
We are never going to completely agree with one another on matters of doctrine and religion. But it is through Christ and the love of God that we can learn to share that love with others. Let us be known not simply by what we believe or the doctrines we defend, but by what it truly means to be a Christian: following the example of Jesus, living out His teachings, doing His works, and loving God and one another.
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 several 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/
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
Many of us who grew up and attended the institutional church heard that God mainly wanted to save us from hell so we could go to heaven after death here on earth. All we had to do was say a prayer and mean it: “Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Help me to live for you.” You may think that is a Bible verse. I can find no place in the Bible where Jesus advised followers of such a prayer or declared this the Good News. Jesus didn’t require confessions initially but simply asked people to follow Him.
Mark 1:14,15 says “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent, and believe the good news.” Repent refers to a changing of your mind, not dropping to your knees and never sinning again, or we are all screwed! The Good News throughout the Gospels refers to a Kingdom here on earth now. The kingdom of God “has come upon you” (Mt 12:28) and “is in your midst” (Lk 17:21). God’s Spirit is available now, as it was back in the first century, to influence godly living here on earth.
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
Understandings and mental views of God shape your belief in Godand 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.
The biggest myth may be that God’s main message according to the Bible is that salvation is about going to Heaven or Hell rather than how to live life here on earth. Heaven is available to all religions. It is so important to know that God cares about you here and now and not about just the afterlife. Those who insist on belief in Jesus – one can still get in Heaven through Jesus without knowing Jesus. The majority of people born into the world didn’t have a Bible or know of Jesus. Most people accept or rebel against a certain religion based on the family born into whether it is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. A child sexually abuse by their father may struggle to accept a God who is most often betrayed as our Father in Heaven. No human or spiritual parent brings children into the world requiring their eternal destination be based on circumstances out of one’s control. A loving God can’t be a God of chance! See Which Religion Leads To Heaven
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
Understandings and mental views of God shape your belief in Godand 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.
Is everything that happens really a part of God’s plan? God’s love is uncontrolling. Love cannot insist on its own way. (I Cor 13:5) A God who allows evil but doesn’t do anything to intervene is no different than a parent who stands by and watches their child suffer. Evil and suffering in the world may be because God can only intervene when there is human cooperation, both by evildoers and non-evildoers. See God Can’t by Thomas Oord.
Let’s stop pretending God can wave a magic wand and always heal in a free world. It isn’t that you didn’t pray enough. It isn’t that God had the power to do something about it, but chose not to; it’s that God can’t. Divine love limits divine power. Are healings really arbitrary? Various biological and environmental factors are involved such as cells, organs, etc. God may have to account for both human and natural freedom. Healing can happen when God’s uncontrolling love aligns with countless factors known and not known. A truly loving God is doing all they can before asked. See Why Pray If Most Prayers Are Unanswered?
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
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:
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I began to reimagine God in my early twenties. What I was being taught in church about God didn’t align with my understanding of a perfectly loving, morally good God. The only kind of God I thought was worth believing in.
What did I know about love? I had parents and other relationships. I couldn’t imagine that God’s love wasn’t the same of what I understood about perfect human love or how I wished others love me. It doesn’t make sense why a Creator wouldn’t love the same way we humans believed were created by a Creator to love (aka goodness vs. evil). I decided in my journey to reject harmful portrayals of God that conflict with universal human understandings of love and goodness. I came to believe that God is not defined by rigid doctrines or literalist readings of Scripture. See some of my core beliefs below as you imagine what you think God is really like.
God is not the source of harmful doctrines that turn people away from God
If God exists, God’s character must align with the highest form of human love. This love is nurturing, relational, and never coercive.
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 work encourages humility, moral reasoning, and rejects harmful portrayals of God in favor of a love-centered understanding.
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
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
I began to reimagine God in my early twenties. What I was being taught in church about God didn’t align with my understanding of a perfectly loving, morally good God. The only kind of God I thought was worth believing in. What did I know about love? I had parents and other relationships. I couldn’t imagine that God’s love wasn’t the same of what I understood about perfect human love. It doesn’t make sense why a Creator wouldn’t love the same way we humans believe were seemingly created by a Creator to love (aka goodness vs. evil). I decided in my journey to reject harmful portrayals of God that conflict with universal human understandings of love and goodness. I came to believe that God is not defined by rigid doctrines or literalist readings of Scripture. See some of my core beliefs below as you imagine what you think God is really like.
God must be perfectly loving
The only God worth believing in is perfectly loving and moral. We can understand God’s love by comparing it to the best of human love—especially parental love.
God’s love is patient, hopeful, and other‑directed
A loving Creator would not act in ways universally recognized as immoral (e.g., cruelty, favoritism, violence)
Scripture requires interpretation and is not always definitive
There are contradictions, moral challenge, and different interpretations in the Bible, No one can claim perfect interpretation. Christians interpret differently passages about hell, women, and LGBTQ+ . Therefore, dogmatic certainty about God’s nature based solely on Scripture is unwarranted.
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 work encourages humility, moral reasoning, and rejects harmful portrayals of God in favor of a love-centered understanding.
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
The nice thing about being a writer is you can share/write down thoughts that are wandering around in your head. I was annoyed by a letter written defending Mike Huckabee, who is U.S Ambassador to Israel. Many get their views of God according to Christian leaders. Huckabee said in an interview “America must recognize and stand with Israel’s God-given claim to the land promised in Scripture. Many claims are made in the letter that I question.
Who is Huckabee an ambassador for?
What nation does Huckabee represent? Huckabee must defend U.S. and not be conflicted with bowing to other nations according to his religious beliefs. Nations should have relationships with any nation that is in their interest. There is a good reason to defend a relationship with Israel for important military and intelligence reasons. Those who oppose giving Israel support should consider for America’s own protection.
But one best defend their family first, so to be strong to help others. I do not think it is wrong to feed my family first as opposed to millions of starving children. A strong family or nation is often in a better position to help others because of their good fortunes and strength. If I raised three strong, consciousness children – my hope is they will have the same passion I do to share and be kind to others.
The letter says Jesus Christ is to return.
Jesus’ return has been predicted dozens of times from 500 AD to now. No one has successfully predicted the date of Jesus’ return. Jesus explicitly warned against trying to determine the date: “About that day or hour no one knows.” — Matthew 24:36. One of the most recent famous predictions that failed to happen was by Hal Lindsay in 1988.
In The Late Great Planet Earth, Lindsey argued that the Rapture could occur around 1988, based partly on the 1948 founding of Israel and a generation of approximately 40 years. Obviously, the prediction failed. I don’t think organizations should send out donation letter claiming Jesus’ return is definitive. Scholars don’t agree the Bible predicts Jesus is coming again in the future. See here I have a hard time believing that God is going to sit on His Hands for 2000 years with all the suffering if was coming again.
Promise #1 in the Letter – Prophecy
Prophecy is likely the proclamation of the Good News – Not fortune telling or predicting the end of the world. See here. God can’t know the future. See here. The future depends on choices made by people and nations. It is natural to think an all-knowing, powerful God knows future outcomes but if the future is settled, we humans are not truly free to make decisions. Such decisions have already been decided. To say God knows the future makes freedom nonsensical.
There is much talk of biblical prophecies coming to pass because of what is going on between Israel and Hamas. Is God coming again (rapture/tribulation/Armageddon) to destroy this world as we know it and set up God’s reign? There is some biblical evidence that the end times mentioned refer to what happened in the first century, thus having been fulfilled:
If the Bible teaches God is coming again to destroy the world in the future, why did Jesus tell his audience that supposed predictions about the world ending (maybe not a physical ending) would happen in their lifetime: “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass way until all these things have happened” (Mt. 24:34)?” Jesus said to his audience when asked about the last days: “watch out that no one deceives you…. you will hear of wars and rumors of war (Mt. 24:4-6). Why would Jesus use such language if the world was going to end 2000 years and counting?
Promise 2 The Letter States “a blessing like you never received before”
Often quoted is Gen 12:3. God will bless them (Nations) that bless thee (Israel). Sounds like the “get rich’ GOSPEL. God is not arbitrary in blessings. Some nations are not in any position to bless other nations. Blessings flow when accepting God’s influence. God seeks to influence us to do all the good we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as we can. Good things or blessings often happen when following God’s example. Imagine all the friendships not destroyed by following God’s lead in not coveting, gossiping, being slow to anger, etc. God’s blessings can flow to any nation, including the United States, when leaders and individuals allow God’s influence in their lives to help others. Above qualities seem to be characteristic of the freedom of choices God has bestowed upon us.
Finally, the letter states “What greater blessing to give a Jewish soul that the gift of the Messiah reveled in His Word.
All the disciples who lived with Jesus didn’t believe he was the Messiah at first and they witnessed Jesus’ miracles. I will cut slack those who don’t believe or interpret the Bible that Jews or anybody must believe Jesus was the Messiah. The main gospel message is blessings can flow when following Jesus’ example of love. Christians often assume the main gospel message is one must believe in Jesus is the Messiah to get in Heaven. There is an alternative view what Jesus said about eternal life that is not often taught. Jesus defined eternal life as beginning in the here and now (Jn 17:3), not what awaited in the afterlife. Jesus was asked by a religious leader how to have eternal life. (Lk.10:25-37). Jesus simply said to love God and your neighbor. Loving God is also known as loving your neighbor. Jesus answered as if “Eternal” appears to be on the quality not quantity in life. Jesus often spoke of a life worth living being a loving life empowered by God. Jesus’ salvation was about living a meaningful life here on earth with God’s help.
If you believe loving others like you want to be loved is central in living, you are good with God. That is God’s and the Bible main message. None of us act on this belief perfectly. I have suggested many get in heaven regardless of their believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism share common ground and thus in good standing with God —the Golden rule. See; Who The Hell Gets In Heaven – Atheists, Agnostics, Non-Christians
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
Helping Survivors is on a mission to help heal, educate, and empower people who have been impacted by sexual abuse, assault, or harassment. We are a passionate group of experts and advocates who believe individuals who have experienced sexual assault, abuse, or harassment deserve to know their rights and options.
Undue Medical Debt empowers donors to forgive billions in oppressive medical debt. We are dedicated to removing the burden of medical debt for individuals, families and veterans across America. Click HERE to donate now.
Doctors Without Borders help people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care. Help support us by making a donation here:
Wishes are more than just a nice thing, they can be a game-changer for a child with a life-threatening medical condition. We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. To make a donation click here:
