What is it that makes a person give up their day job of begging for money and start preaching to a crowded train car full of people about jesus, heaven, hell, and being saved. I have tried to actually ask one of these people a question about what they where saying but they seemed to be stuck in a loop and unwilling to pause to answer a simple question. The question was simple "If god is all forgiving and all loving, then why would this god hold a grudge against me for not believing in heaven, hell, and the bible?". Now this is not the whole question. The whole question reads something like this:
"If god loves and forgives everyone including killers, criminals, and thieves then why would this god hold it against me that I do not believe, even though it is in human nature to be sceptical. I mean since god is all knowing he obviously sees the kind of person I would have to "agree" with in order to truly believe in being saved and going to hell if I do not accept christ as my savior. This god would in term be all understanding and obviously see that it is hard for me to believe a seamingly lunatic subway preacher who is almost foaming at the mouth as he spits words of fire and brimstone which are eerily remind me of the revival of the church after the dark ages. It is in people's nature to doubt and to be sinical, and if the preacher keeps telling me that god knows all this than why would god expect me to handle this. And the other fact is if god is so loving why would he begrudge me my beliefs even though I try to live life in a way to benefit and help my fellow man. The fire and brimstone preachers have created an image of god which is contrary to their own story. It is a god who is more concerned about the principle of the fact I don't believe in this religion and is more preoccupied in holding it against me than to actually see that I am more deserving of happiness based on the fact that didn't have to commit violent crimes or wind up in jail just to start doing the "right" thing such as not commiting violent crimes and actually trying to be nice to the people around me. I am simply obiding by my human nature which was in theory set inside me by this same god who is holding it against me, so why would this all knowing, all forgiving god hold such a trivial thing against me and actually banish me an eternity of hell just of of the principle of the thing?"
Now that is the complete question that I wanted to pose to the subway preachers and each time the question is avoided. Now, I am not a stupid person and I completely realize that the subway preacher is nothing more than a person that cannot find anything to justify their existence, people who need a strong belief system in order to get through the day, or people who have nothing except the belief that they are actually doing something productive because without this believe they would simply have to admit they are for lack of a better word not contributing anything to society. I DO realize that the these people are NOT the foremost authority or for that matter any type of authority on religion. There are people who have devoted their lives to studying religion either as a matter of faith or a matter of enlightment. I do not dare state that I think their efforts and knowledge are worthless. Nor do I have anything against actual priests, reverends, and preachers. I believe that church can teach important lessons about kindness, cooperation, and love through faith. I also believe that religion can be a great tool to give people hope which in itself can be life saving. But I am opposed to using scare tactics in order to make people believe something and to gain authority over people based of instilled faith due to fear.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
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