Why do some blaspheme God?
- Thread starter Aurelia
- Start date
Maybe I am just not as careful as I could be. In my tradition, it’s considered unhelpful to denigrate any other religion. That said, I do denigrate the *abuse* of religion. By that I mean trying to control people by telling them that they are going to hell if they don’t behave, with “behave” meaning whatever I say must be obeyed without question, or else. Also using holy books to justify hatred of any kind is anathema to me. So if I am complaining about a “sky daddy” or “bronze age fairy tales,” it’s more of an opposition to people who take the spirituality out of religion and want everyone to take it all literally because they do.
Being gay and growing up in a conservative religion has given me enough experience with people trying to use scripture to condemn me or to talk in disparaging terms about my community.
I don’t deny that there are genuine spiritual practitioners in any religion, but certain churches are known for being less than tolerant of anyone “different.” These will attract like minded individuals, so that the majority of people in a given church will identify with a certain philosophy. Either “love thy neighbor,” or “Look how godly I am. You must bow down to ME!!!” That latter category is who I disagree with, and I enjoy needling them. So I should probably be more careful to be clear that I’m not against any genuine religion, but rather against the abuse of religion in the name of greed for money or power.
Being gay and growing up in a conservative religion has given me enough experience with people trying to use scripture to condemn me or to talk in disparaging terms about my community.
I don’t deny that there are genuine spiritual practitioners in any religion, but certain churches are known for being less than tolerant of anyone “different.” These will attract like minded individuals, so that the majority of people in a given church will identify with a certain philosophy. Either “love thy neighbor,” or “Look how godly I am. You must bow down to ME!!!” That latter category is who I disagree with, and I enjoy needling them. So I should probably be more careful to be clear that I’m not against any genuine religion, but rather against the abuse of religion in the name of greed for money or power.
We are taught to blaspheme God from culture these days
Many don't even realise they are doing it
Try and turn on a hollywood movie and see how long it takes before someone says "JESUS" in disgust
It likely won't take long
However, God is patient with people who do it because they "inherit" it from what they see through culture
Intent matters
Also, he will forgive every sin you've commited if you ask him to
Many don't even realise they are doing it
Try and turn on a hollywood movie and see how long it takes before someone says "JESUS" in disgust
It likely won't take long
However, God is patient with people who do it because they "inherit" it from what they see through culture
Intent matters
Also, he will forgive every sin you've commited if you ask him to
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People who say you have to behave or go to hell are completely wrong. We have to believe in Christ. That's what the Bible stresses. Our deeds won't get us to heaven or hell. And we don't have to take the Old testament literally today because of what Jesus did for us. He fulfilled the entire law and now we are under a new covenant. To have faith in Christ. That's all that's asked of us to be forgiven and saved. Being gay is sinful, but so is being unkind and so is greed. One is no less sinful than the other. So those who condemn you are hypocritical.
As always, the Lord was with me when I needed Him all of last night and this morning. I was highly upset and my thoughts were racing, my heart was racing, and all I could do was pray. Thankfully, He helped fix the situation and I'm okay now. This is what it means to have a relationship with our Lord. He's always there when we call even when we can't perceive it. He's always listening and always knows what we need. He's loving and merciful enough to forgive us for all our wrongdoing because of what Jesus did for us. Thank You, Lord. You are always so good to me even when I don't deserve it. Your love for us is truly unconditional.
Yes, I agree that each of us as individuals are responsible for what we do with what we have and what happens to us. Each of us must be held accountable for our own actions, yes. At the same time, there is No free will when it comes to earthquakes and tornadoes that kill thousands of people. In fact, a recent such earthquake happened in Myanmar, killing so many people. People prayed but their loved ones still got killed.
I know i'm very late to the party, but i kind of want to contribute the take of an avowed heretic. I'm talking identifying with the church of Satan heretic. My answer's long as hell, but it kinda has to be to fully explain it.
See, to me, life is a pursuit for the truth of what "goodness" even is. We're dumped into this world full of injustice and hatred, depravity and immorality, and left to find our own way to decency and virtue. And one thing you see an awful lot of in this world is wolves in sheep's clothing. Televangelists, hatemongers, cult leaders, warmongers, etc. All promising salvation, all leading you down a path to damnation. You think the crusaders have a reserved space in heaven? Does Fred Phelps, or the rest of the WBC? Does Jimmy Swaggart?
So the way i see it, how can i ever truly be a good person if i refuse to question my basic understanding of what good is? If i was born in nazi Germany, should i not question if it's good to persecute Jews? If i was born in 19th-Century England, should i not question if it's good to use slave labour? In both cases, these countries sold their abhorrent practices as the will of God. So if Lucifer himself wants to show me a path to doing the genuinely right thing, should i refuse to follow it because of who's showing me the way? God let him into the garden of Eden for a reason, whatever that reason is, so clearly God sees something in him. Someone has to run hell. Someone has to tempt us towards sin, to make the choice to be virtuous mean anything. Does the being performing those roles automatically have to be evil themselves, or do they simply represent the necessity of evil?
I have questions, and i refuse to just take "trust us, this is good, that is bad" for an answer. Nobody here on earth truly has the answer to who God is, or what God wants of us, because God is beyond our mortal understanding. And that means i have questions and doubts about God, and his ostensibly perfect morality.
But supposedly that's blasphemy, because we're meant to just accept whatever he tells us to do or think, instead of determining for ourselves what the right thing is, and making the conscious choice to try and make things better. Not because we want some big cosmic reward, or fear some big cosmic punishment, but because we simply want to be good people. That's why i actually suspect a good atheist has a better shot at entering heaven than a good theist. Their motives are purer. This idea you could live a perfectly moral life and still be denied the light of heaven, just because you didn't take some mortal preacher's word that he knows who God really is, is absurd to me.
That's also why i actually like the Islamic concept of Barzakh. They pull back the curtain, provide the answers to all the burning spiritual questions you have, and then give you time to decide if you can truly accept Allah's guiding light into your heart. Your time on earth is just a testing ground to prepare you for this final challenge. And if i get to the afterlife, and i'm satisfied with what God has to say for himself, sure, then i'll happily become one of his faithful. I just have no interest in taking up his mantle until i can know for sure what his deal is, because here on earth i hear a lot of misinformation and conflicting interpretations. So while i'm here, i'm open to hearing out whoever i think makes actually salient moral points. I insult God with my existence and my opinions, but what i'm opposed to isn't truly God himself, rather the deeply flawed, and yet somehow supposedly infallible, image of him we're given in this plane of existence.
So the way i see it, how can i ever truly be a good person if i refuse to question my basic understanding of what good is? If i was born in nazi Germany, should i not question if it's good to persecute Jews? If i was born in 19th-Century England, should i not question if it's good to use slave labour? In both cases, these countries sold their abhorrent practices as the will of God. So if Lucifer himself wants to show me a path to doing the genuinely right thing, should i refuse to follow it because of who's showing me the way? God let him into the garden of Eden for a reason, whatever that reason is, so clearly God sees something in him. Someone has to run hell. Someone has to tempt us towards sin, to make the choice to be virtuous mean anything. Does the being performing those roles automatically have to be evil themselves, or do they simply represent the necessity of evil?
I have questions, and i refuse to just take "trust us, this is good, that is bad" for an answer. Nobody here on earth truly has the answer to who God is, or what God wants of us, because God is beyond our mortal understanding. And that means i have questions and doubts about God, and his ostensibly perfect morality.
But supposedly that's blasphemy, because we're meant to just accept whatever he tells us to do or think, instead of determining for ourselves what the right thing is, and making the conscious choice to try and make things better. Not because we want some big cosmic reward, or fear some big cosmic punishment, but because we simply want to be good people. That's why i actually suspect a good atheist has a better shot at entering heaven than a good theist. Their motives are purer. This idea you could live a perfectly moral life and still be denied the light of heaven, just because you didn't take some mortal preacher's word that he knows who God really is, is absurd to me.
That's also why i actually like the Islamic concept of Barzakh. They pull back the curtain, provide the answers to all the burning spiritual questions you have, and then give you time to decide if you can truly accept Allah's guiding light into your heart. Your time on earth is just a testing ground to prepare you for this final challenge. And if i get to the afterlife, and i'm satisfied with what God has to say for himself, sure, then i'll happily become one of his faithful. I just have no interest in taking up his mantle until i can know for sure what his deal is, because here on earth i hear a lot of misinformation and conflicting interpretations. So while i'm here, i'm open to hearing out whoever i think makes actually salient moral points. I insult God with my existence and my opinions, but what i'm opposed to isn't truly God himself, rather the deeply flawed, and yet somehow supposedly infallible, image of him we're given in this plane of existence.
I read your long post and can see why you think as you do. I am not a fan of religion either. As for Satan and devils and demons they just are myths of ancient teachings. A God in the form of a old man sitting on a throne issuing judgements is also a myth to me.
I know we are spirits inhabiting a physical body because I have experienced being out of my body. I rather think God is a rank we can achieve spiritually. Much work has to be done for it. Compassion, love, and understanding far beyond what we have at this time in our spiritual life. Those that do achieve the rank of God look over us, and the physical world that is our school. They encourage us to follow them in love and compassion for all.
It is our responsibility to listen, and learn as much as possible about ourselves and others.
I know we are spirits inhabiting a physical body because I have experienced being out of my body. I rather think God is a rank we can achieve spiritually. Much work has to be done for it. Compassion, love, and understanding far beyond what we have at this time in our spiritual life. Those that do achieve the rank of God look over us, and the physical world that is our school. They encourage us to follow them in love and compassion for all.
It is our responsibility to listen, and learn as much as possible about ourselves and others.