As much as it pains me to say there’s plenty of people who claim to be Christians but spew hateful lies. What made me a progressive Christian however? It had something to do with growing up and seeing the world. I grow up being taught to love thy neighbor, be good to others, and hold no hate. I grew up and I go through ups and downs. I get hate thrown at me and I learn more about myself. All this time I hold my morals of caring for others and find comfort in my religion. My religion helps me and I want to keep doing good and makes me want to make up for some of the pain caused by those who spew their hateful lies. I hope everyone has a good day and thanks for reading
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I grew up Episcopalian.
After my parents parted ways, the one who had custody went down the “charasmatic Christian” path that swept Reagan into office, and that God wasn’t compassionate, caring. He was forgiving, but punitive. I ran away from home a lot until the police couldn’t make me return to a physically, verbally, emotionally abusive home. I went through my Laveyan Satanism phase, an atheist phase, militant antitheist phase, all the whole exploring other religions and philosophies. Except for Laveyan Satanism (very Randian, imo, selfish, myopic but that’s just my perception; Satanic Temple people seem very nice, if they are sincere, but I’m not aware of personally knowing any), they seem to be, to borrow from Zen, fingers pointing at the same moon, the finger being what people look at, but it’s not the moon. Anyway, a bunch of stuff happened and I was tired of being angry, so I just… surrendered. Not “gave up,” but accepted where I found myself, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I stopped asking, "why is this happening to me?!” and said, “okay, what are you trying to teach me, because apparently, I’m very stupid, and I don’t get it!” I stayed to myself for well over a month. I felt my feelings. I began to see myself in those who wronged me, if not when I did it, but it was different because, then how I could have said/done, if I thought/it looked like this or that. I forgave others. I forgave myself. I forgave God. I realized how blessed I am, to even be alive, when I can count ten times I should have been dead, I have a roof, good food, good friends, and the parent who was there for me, while they have their own issues, they are here. Their flaws are between them and God, mine are between God and me. And our relationship slowly is improving. We’ve made peace with ourselves, each other, and with God. I’m so grateful. And I’ve learned to look at life’s challenges as a free membership to a spiritual gym. The good times are rests between reps.
I left a tounge-in-cheek satirisation of my experience, and it got removed (understandably so, but reading this post just brought back the hurt I experienced in the past.)
The answer is peer-pressure. But I’ve passed that now.
Removed by mod
Haha it’s funny because it sounds like you’re going to describe what makes you a good person, but then it becomes obvious that you’re an insufferable gasbag, and probably a bigot and possibly a nazi.
The mod team deleted the comment. People can be bad but that’s just something to deal with sorry about the trouble!
No worries, that’s not on you. I do think reasonable Christians need to do more to step up and call out the bad behavior when they see it, though. To use a poor metaphor, the current Christian brand stands for bigotry and corruption because they have been permitted to speak for all Christians. But that doesn’t make you personally responsible for every bad person.
probably a bigot and possibly a nazi
The american mentality in a nutshell. “Anyone I disagree with is a nazi”
Of all the people claiming not to be bigots and Nazis, I believe the ones defending bigots and Nazis the least.
I never knowingly defended a bigot or a nazi, unless I was at a point playing devil’s advocate for the purpose of getting someone on my side of the argument to be more rational.
I don’t think you’re a Nazi. I really don’t know you. I went through a similar phase. Your relationship with God or lack thereof is between you and God, imo. May you be happy and well, and at peace.
Eta: wrt the woman: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Is and always was Palestine. Maybe he said that tongue - in -cheek. None of his miracles were performed in Israel.
The so-called “State of Israel” today is not the Israel of the Bible. The Israel of the Bible today is the Church. Christ’s miracles were performed for Israel- but the Israel of the Bible. Not the so-called “State of Israel”. And no, I am not Anti-Semitic. Such a thing is disgusting. But the ethnic Jews need Jesus as much as the Palestinians do. Neither of them can get to The Father except through Him. Like all of us.
Anyway, thank you for being understanding of me. I apologise for how I acted. I expected an uncaring response from a place like this like I have many times before. I’ve had people on this platform wish me death. I’ve left a serious comment.
Ooohwie. This is Open Christian, not Gatekept God. Anyway, none of that has anything to do with what I said.