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Posts Tagged ‘religion’

JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTION VICTIM

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 6, 2016| 29 Comments »

DawkinsForegivness 2.16I’ll bet there are folks out there who see this meme (helpfully supplied by an internet atheist community) and think “ya, why not just our forgive sins?” Maybe you’re one of those people.

First of all, I can confidently write that God is NOT trying to impress anyone. When you’re the creator of time, space and the universe, trying to impress anyone (even Himself) is just silly.

Second, this quote (by one of the world’s best-known atheists) displays a blatant ignorance — or outright rejection — of who God is.

Is God merciful? Yes. Does God want to forgive us for all the wrong things we’ve done and right things we’ve failed to do? Absolutely.

But God is also something else: perfect. And that’s His baseline standard for everything, whether we like it or not.

So why doesn’t He just forgive us? Well, why do we have courts? Why can’t we just ignore the dude who killed that guy in a bar fight? Why don’t we just overlook how she faked having cancer in order to bilk people out of thousands of dollars?

If these examples offend your sense of justice, then imagine how our creator feels about  our greed, our self-centredness, our violence, our willful ignorance and our cultural belief that we “deserve” the good life.

Is God judge and jury? You bet He is. Execution victim? Yes, that too.

If that last point seems strange, then understand that this is how it goes with those who follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God): Knowing that we could never do enough or be enough to earn our way into Heaven, God paved the way for us. That way is through believing in and following Jesus.

One of Jesus’s followers describes Him this way: “He never sinned, and he never told a lie”. This is important and you’ll soon read why.

Jesus spent three years traveling around the Middle East with a band of followers, telling people the Kingdom of God (represented by Him) was near. He proved it by healing diseases, raising people from the dead and preaching revolutionary ideas like loving your enemies, refusing to retaliate when a wrong has been done to you and praying for those who hate you.

Then Jesus allowed conniving religious authorities to arrest him on trumped-up charges and convince political leaders to hand Him the ultimate punishment: death on a cross.

What they didn’t realize is that this death would pave the way to Heaven for anyone who believes in and follows Jesus. He paid the price that we should be paying.

Now, when God sees any Jesus follower, He doesn’t see the wrong things we’ve done and the right things we’ve failed to do. He only sees perfection. It’s like Jesus transferred His perfection onto anyone who believes in Him and follows Him.

There. I’ve done my best to explain why God doesn’t just forgive our sins. As you can see, He goes even further than that — sacrificing His Son for everyone who believes in Jesus.

Does this make sense? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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GOD’S JUDGEMENT, MY SADNESS

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Judgement:anger 1.16So, are there “religious” people out there who cast their anger and judgement on those who don’t believe in their “religion”? Absolutely.

The easiest example I can think of are radical Islamic terrorists. These religious people appear to be overflowing with judgement and anger.

But what about people of faith, like me, who deeply dislike “religion” (read here to find out why: http://wp.me/p2wzRb-i9), but want you to fully understand what we believe and why?

I follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. We believe Jesus is God’s divine and perfect Son, and an extraordinary gift to every human being. The only thing needed is to accept that gift.

In examining myself, I can’t find any judgement or anger at people who reject that gift. And that includes every member of my biological family.

Instead, what I experience is immense sadness. Why? Because every person who ever was, is and will be is hugely imperfect. We’ve missed the mark on being the kind of people God designed us to be. Indeed, we miss that mark daily and  in ways we can’t even see.

God doesn’t miss the mark. Never has, never will. And that’s the standard He sets for us. And before you angrily declare that’s an impossible standard to meet, let me wholeheartedly agree with you. Absolutely impossible.

Still, when this life is over, we’ll be called to stand before our maker and try to explain away all the wrong things we’ve done and the right things we’ve failed to do. And we will fail. Spectacularly.

That’s where Jesus comes in. The most important part of following Jesus is knowing and believing that Jesus took on all the “sins” of those who follow him and paid the price for those sins by dying on a Roman cross.

Jesus, who never did a single wrong thing, accepted the judgement and the penalty that every person who believes in Him (like me) deserved. In doing so, those of us who follow Jesus have nothing to account for. In God’s eyes we’re snow-white perfect.

See? The judgment doesn’t come from me or any other Jesus follower. It comes from the God of the universe.

So why do I experience immense sadness? Because most people (including my brothers and their families, plus our parents) walk away from that gift. They’ve swallowed our culture’s propaganda, that we’re all pretty much OK and if there’s a God, He’ll let us into Heaven just ‘cause, you know, we’re all pretty much OK.

Everyone who believes what our culture says WON’T be snow-white perfect when they stand before their maker. And instead of spending eternity in Heaven, they will be judged as not worthy. And they’ll spend forever separated from God.

There’s nothing oppressive in this. Our creator is a just God, not a Homer Simpson lawn decoration. And yet one of the men Jesus personally trained to follow Him notes “God is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End [of the world] because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.”

The best way to change is to follow Jesus and the best time is NOW. Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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IF YOU ACCEPT THE GIFT….

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 2, 2016| 1 Comment »

orange-gift-box1If you’ve read any of the material on Frank’s Cottage, you’ll know that I often refer to Jesus of Nazareth – who many people believe is the Son of God – as God’s gift to anyone who is willing to accept Him.

What I haven’t written about is some of the things that could very well happen to you if you accept that gift.

If you’ve spent the majority of your life not following Jesus, you’ll be challenged to change the way you think about almost everything. Your worldview simply can’t stay the same.

You’ll also need to become comfortable with mystery, because as much as we can know God through ancient documents and through Jesus, much of Him will remain a mystery until we’re done with this life.

If you live in the Middle East or many parts of Asia, telling anyone that you follow Jesus could set you up for job loss, torture, imprisonment or violent death.

According to the The Pew Research Center, in 2018, Jesus followers were persecuted in 145 countries, more than any other faith group (Muslims were second, Jews were third).

If you live in the “developed world” (North America, most of Europe, Australia/New Zealand, some parts of Asia), you’ll be constantly exposed to behaviours and attitudes that go against the teachings of Jesus.

You’ll find these behaviours and attitudes dominate your workplace, the media and the lives of most of your friends and relatives. Indeed, you unconsciously supported and participated in those behaviours. Now, if you’re serious about following Jesus, you must change.

One of the most significant changes will be how you think about people who don’t follow Jesus. When you finish with your life, you’ll meet God and He won’t see any of the wrong things you’ve done and right things you’ve failed to do. He’ll only see His Son’s perfection. But that will NOT be the case for all the people around you. What are you going to do about that?

If you’re the first person in your family (biological and extended) to follow Jesus, don’t be surprised that it creates a significant barrier between yourself and them.

In one of the original-source biographies of Jesus, He tells His followers “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God.”

If you live in middle class comfort (like me), you’ll be constantly challenged by Jesus to consider your lifestyle — how you spend your free time, the size of your house, the number of vehicles you own, how much time and money you allocate to charity.

Is all this serving to dissuade you from considering a life of faith in Jesus? Good. Because following Jesus is not a hobby or a pleasant Sunday pastime. And He’s not interested in lukewarm “fans”.

Jesus wants to invade your life, make you the person God always meant for you to be, and have you serve as His ambassador to a world that desperately needs real hope — in this life and the life to come. And it’s a hope YOU will have if you accept the gift of Jesus.

Are you ready?

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THE EARTH, THE UNIVERSE AND CONSCIOUSNESS

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 5, 2015| 7 Comments »

religion God evidenceBefore I attempted to write about this graphic (found, as always, on an Internet atheism community), I went to Dictionary.com, to look up the meaning of “evidence”:
1. That which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof.
2. Something that makes plain or clear; an indication or sign: “His flushed look was visible evidence of his fever.”
3. Data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects.

Based on that, please consider these facts:

The Earth: How did it come to be that this planet we live in is so perfectly attuned to support life – and not just one species of life, but millions? Even the size of this planet and its distance from the sun are just right to make our existence possible. Who did this? Elvis? Justin Bieber?

The universe: our solar system and who knows how many thousands of others. Our galaxy and innumerable other galaxies. Black holes, stars, comets, etc., etc. Has even a genius like Stephen Hawking told us who created it all?

“Through my scientific work, I have come to believe more and more strongly that the physical universe is put together with an ingenuity so astonishing that I cannot accept it merely as a brute fact,” wrote former University of Adelaide theoretical physics professor Paul Davis in his book The Mind of God.

Our consciousness: In The Case for a Creator, former journalist Lee Strobel interviewed many scientific minds and noted “many scientists are concluding that the laws of chemistry and physics cannot explain our experience of consciousness”.

Indeed, Strobel quotes philosopher Michael Ruse who conceded “no one, certainly not [believers in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution] seems to have any answer” to the question of the origin of human consciousness. Hmm…it’s starting to look like God did it.

Beyond these questions, I showed the graphic that sparked this essay to a wise pastor. Here’s a little of what Ross Carkner had to say:

“The twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center were made of tons of concrete and miles of steel, the best that we are able to build. Thousands of people depended on those buildings every day. They trusted their lives in the strength of the towers; but it was insufficient.

“Even the tried, tested and true in the physical world — the very things that we live in, work in, travel in are all quite capable of letting us down. Can I then say I do not believe in buildings???”

Then there’s the question of personal experience. Ross writes:

“My experience [of God] may not be evidence enough for you, but then again it might. [In fact,] my experience is considered acceptable evidence in court — it forms my witness while on the stand.”

So an atheist like Dan Barker may not have any evidence for the existence of God, but Ross Carkner does in his own life story. That evidence is credible enough to be used in court trials.

If you wonder whether there’s a God, is that fact credible enough to make a difference to you? What about our Earth, the universe and YOUR consciousness? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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ARE FAITH AND THINKING COMPATIBLE?

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 28, 2015| 5 Comments »

thinking, religionWhen this graphic (posted on an Internet atheism community) caught my attention, the first thing I thought was: Religion? Yech.

I’ve written often about the poison of “religion”. Not the dictionary version, which few people in our culture understand or care about. No, I’m writing about the version that most people think of as soon as the word is mentioned:

  • People who are smug and judgmental.
  • People who don’t really care what happens to others who aren’t in their religious group.
  • People who are happy to welcome others into their group/church, as long as THOSE people change themselves to fit in.
  • People who spend their time being angry, paranoid and opposing things, rather than supporting anything.
  • People on TV who promise wealth and a good life as long as you send them money.

I follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), so I want nothing to do with this “religion”. Indeed, He doesn’t either. In the four original-source biographies of His physical life on earth, some of Jesus’s most passionate words are against smug, arrogant, rule-obsessed “religious” leaders.

So what about the “thinking” part of this graphic? It’s easy to assume it’s true because in our culture, thinking people of faith are generally ignored by the media. Indeed, some of them may face such opposition to their faith in Jesus that they keep it hidden.

But they are out there. Here are just a few examples of these faith-filled thinkers, listed on Wikipedia:

Rosalind Picard (born 1962) is a Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S. She’s also founder and director of the Affective Computing Research Group and co-director of the Things That Think Consortium. Picard says she was raised an atheist, but decided to follow Jesus as a young adult.

John Lennox (born 1945) is a mathematician, philosopher of science and pastoral adviser. His books include the mathematical The Theory of Infinite Soluble Groups and the faith-oriented God’s Undertaker – Has Science buried God?

Father Andrew Pinsent (born 1966), a priest, is the Research Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at Oxford University in England. He is also a particle physicist.

These three highly respected people think, therefore they are people of faith. This suggests the graphic that inspired this essay has little to do with reality. In the end, your level of intelligence has nothing to do with whether you believe in God and His Son.

Whether you believe in God and His Son has EVERYTHING to do with humility. A willingness to admit you don’t have all the answers (and never will, in this life); you don’t understand everything (and never will, in this life); and a realization that your life can be better, right now, because you believe in a loving God who offers this broken world the gift of His Son.

What do you think? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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WHAT ABOUT PROOF?

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 21, 2015| 7 Comments »

PROOFHooo, boy. There’s a lot to unpack in this graphic, isn’t there?

Kindly presented by an Internet atheist community, I grabbed it because it presents such a wonderful opportunity to tell you the truth about the creator and master of time, space and the universe.

1.  If there were proof that a god exists, atheists would be denied the freedom to claim that God doesn’t exist. And if God has proven anything over the centuries, it’s that He’s all about free will.

Want proof? One of the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) said “God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth.” That’s right, God wants everyone to be saved. He doesn’t force a single person. It’s up to us.

Another ancient writer goes further: “Today you must decide who you will serve … But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” See? More free will. In fact, the entire existence of atheism is proof of free will.

2.  Like it or not, God wants us to come to Him in faith. The evidence comes from one of Jesus’s early followers: “Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.”

So the very thing that many atheists hold in contempt is the very thing that God is all about. He wants a relationship with free-thinking people. He’s not interested in programming soulless robots to do His bidding because no matter how you look at it, that’s NOT a relationship.

3.  The “facts” that “could be repeated, tested and demonstrated” is for logic and mathematics, not for the creator of time, space and the universe. As Matt Slick puts it on the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website:

How do you “prove” there is a Great Being outside of our universe? Do we look for footprints in a riverbed? Do we examine evidence under a microscope and say, “A ha! There’s God!”? That would be the wrong approach. If God exists, He would be beyond our universe, non-material, and transcendent.

For me, the evidence of God is the universe. No God means no universe, no Frank’s Cottage, no you or me.

For me, the evidence of God is Jesus. Original-source biographies of His physical life on earth refer to Jesus as God’s Son at least four times. There’s no provable reason to believe that’s not so.

For me, the evidence of God is the set of morals that are common to a majority of people on this planet.

Where did these morals come from? How do we really know that it’s wrong to kill, to rape, to steal, to lie, to defraud, to cheat on our spouses?

Why are these moral absolutes? Because they were implanted inside us by our creator. And we clearly see what happens when these implants are ignored (see: ISIS, the Taliban, Nazi Germany, the Pol Pot regime, Josef Stalin and whoever has committed the latest mass murder).

So what do you think….do I, as a follower of Jesus, have a fiction that I simply want to believe? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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WHAT ABOUT MONEY?

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2015| 2 Comments »

What About Money? Usually, when I encounter graphics on internet atheism communities, they’re created by people who know the Bible as well (if not better) than many Jesus followers.

Sadly, whoever is responsible for this one is an exception.

The actual quote, from a section of the Bible called ‘1 Timothy’, goes like this: “For the love of money is the root of all evil.”

Now I’m not surprised that this truth was misstated. Many of us have heard it put exactly how it is in the graphic. But I’m sure you can see the significant difference.

Money never has been and never will be the root of all evil. Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God, never said it was.

But He did state this, in an original-source biography of of His physical life on earth: “You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and money at the same time.”

Whether or not you care about Jesus, His point is absolutely worth considering. Do you ‘serve’ money? When all is said and done, is it the driving force in your life? Is it the driving force in mine? It’s a good question for us to consider frequently because the more you love money:

  • The more you’ll do to get as much of it as possible.
  • The more you’ll sacrifice in your family and personal life.
  • The more you’ll turn a blind eye to the wrong things you do (and the right things you fail to do).
  • The more you’ll listen to people who are similarly driven to get more.

Think about all these things.

The accurate Bible quote about money that I mentioned above kinda negates the question posed in this graphic. But I’ll tackle it just the same.

Churches ask for money because it’s mandated in ancient documents. One of the four accounts of Jesus’ physical life on earth (may people believe He is still here, in spirit), notes this scene:

“Jesus looked up and saw some rich people putting their gifts to God into the Temple collection box. Then he saw a poor widow put two small copper coins into the box. He said [to his followers], ‘This poor widow gave only two small coins. But the truth is, she gave more than all those rich people. They have plenty, and they gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had to live on’.”

Note two things about this excerpt:
1.  Jesus has nothing negative to say about giving to a “religious” institution.
2.  He makes a very clear point about what giving really means.

Beyond churches needing money to keep the lights on and (in Canada, where I live) the winter snow out of the parking lot, churches ask for money to do good.

For example, the church I attend has a million-dollar annual budget to support more than 20 non-profit organizations. These organizations supply food to the hungry, help troubled teens, provide emergency disaster relief, support churches in the developing world and much more.

Most churches that are truly committed to following Jesus are just like mine. God loves everyone — including the atheist who created the graphic that inspired this blog — so churches and the people who attend should show the same love.

Do we fall short on this? Absolutely. But please remember: churches are not museums for saints; they’re hospitals for sinners.

As far as I can see, every person on this planet is a long way from perfect. But by following Jesus and allowing Him to work in your life, you can come closer to sainthood. Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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THE CURE FOR “RELIGION”

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 10, 2015| 2 Comments »

When I first saw this graphic, generously shared on an atheist internet community, my first reaction was “Hmm…wonder where I could buy a great shirt like this?”

I’m a person of faith who knows the world needs a cure for “religion”. You know, all that stuff that says you can torture, rape and kill ‘unbelievers’. (Or worse still, people who leave my “religion” for another “religion”.)

Am I overstating it? Then let’s examine the “religious” part of just one faith, Christianity. You may have experienced it:

  • People who appear to have it all together sitting in cold-hearted judgement of others.
  • People who sniff their disapproval of those with tattoos or nose rings.
  • People who claim they welcome others to their churches — as long as those people fit in, ’cause hey, we’re certainly NOT going to change for YOU.
  • People who seem to spend more time angrily opposing things than lovingly offering an alternative.

All this is how I see “religion”.

Is there a cure? Absolutely, but it’s controversial. It’s Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is God’s divine Son.

Still with me, but wondering what the heck I’m writing about? Good.

During His physical time on earth, Jesus had little use for the rituals of “religion” and the self-righteous, soulless lives it so often produces.

In  one of the four original-source biographies of Jesus’ life, He says this to people like you and me: “Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.”

In his book The End of Religion, Canadian pastor Bruxy Cavey writes “Notice how Jesus is not pointing toward a different and better religion, but instead He invites us to Himself as an alternative to the weary way of religion.”

Exactly. That’s the thing you might not know: being a Jesus follower isn’t about a religion. It’s about a person and how you and I can have a relationship with Him that starts in this life and stretches into eternity.

That means no guilt-induced rituals that create nothing but spiritual fatigue. It also means thoughtfully, consciously turning away from the elitism of “us versus them” and the smugness of judgmentalism.

When people honestly, humbly come to Jesus, they come knowing they are every bit as imperfect as the people they are tempted to judge. They come with the realization that it’s them who must change.

That was the case for me when I decided to believe in and follow Jesus at age 42. And it’s made me a better person.

Do you want to be a better person without the shackles of religion? Then check out Jesus, because He tells everyone who will listen that “anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.”

Sound interesting? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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JUDGING AND IMPRESSING

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2015| 4 Comments »

ImpressingYourselfWhen I encountered this graphic, posted on Facebook by a cousin, the rusty cogs in my mind started to creak.

Will people judge me (and you?) Absolutely. Like it or not, ALL of us judge — each other, what we watch on TV or the Internet, what we hear on the radio, what we read in tweets, Facebook posts or text messages.

We judge (often without realizing it) words, appearances, clothing, hairstyles, actions, possessions — you name it. There pretty much isn’t anything we don’t judge (or assess, if you prefer that term).

There’s something I found that addresses this tendency and provides wise words that can serve anyone well.

“Don’t condemn others, and God won’t condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.” (From one of the original-source biographies of Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God).

Most of us have heard the first part (another translation phrases it like this: judge not, lest you be judged), but the second part is just as important. Since all us judge, the key is HOW do we judge? Is it with wisdom, maturity and compassion?

As a Jesus follower, I know that’s how I want God to judge me when this life is finished. So I should be asking His help to make me the right kind of judge.

What about the rest of the graphic? Does it really make sense to live your life to impress yourself? What does that really mean?

For some people, it might mean impressing yourself with a big house, vehicles that make your neighbours drool with envy and at least one ridiculously large flat-screen TV.

Other people might look in the mirror and be impressed with what they see if they have a trophy wife (or husband) glued to their arm like eye candy.

What about careers and professional achievement? Does the title “chief executive officer”, “chairman of the board” or “PhD” on a business card impress you?

One of the reasons I follow Jesus is because I know that the Creator of time, space and the universe is so NOT impressed by the things that our culture considers impressive.

Another ancient prophet points out this life-changing truth: “People judge others by what they look like, but I [God] judge people by what is in their hearts.”

What’s in my heart? Like most other people, I can be petty, jealous, resentful, lazy and self-centred. That’s why I believe in, and follow, Jesus.

By following Jesus, I give Him permission to come into my life and begin a transformation — making me more like Him and less like the world. So I’m slowly becoming LESS petty, jealous, resentful, lazy and self-centred.

And because I follow Jesus, when my life on this earth is done and I go to meet God, He won’t see my faults. He’ll only see His Son’s perfection. And I’ll be welcome into Heaven to spend eternity with Jesus.

Does this sound attractive? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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SAYING YES

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2015| 6 Comments »

Saying YES Jesus prayWell, how’s THAT for a challenging graphic?

And, as if the words aren’t tough enough, the person who posted the graphic in an internet atheism community added this note: “Remember: God LOVES them, just not enough to help. It’s really OUR fault…”

Stay with me while I unpack all this and, if I do a decent job, point you in an entirely different direction.

1.  Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) didn’t say “no”. He turned to his followers and told us He wants to work through US to say YES.

That’s why there are organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, Compassion, International Justice Mission, Food For The Hungry, Christian Medical & Dental Associations and many more.

These organizations provide emergency food, water and shelter after disasters; medical/dental care in desperately poor developing nations; agriculture training for impoverished farmers; basic literacy and vocational education for women.

Some Jesus-following organizations rescue people from slavery and sex trafficking, others put their staff at risk fighting life-threatening diseases like Ebola.

The work of these aid organizations is ongoing and never-ending. In other words, it’s Jesus saying YES, again and again and again.

2.  After reading #1, does it really sound like God loves them, just not enough to help? Really?

3.  The atheist commenter is right: In many, many ways, it’s really OUR fault.

  • WE support economic systems that keep rich nations rich and and poor nations poor.
  • In developed nations like Canada, where I live, WE come up with justifications for greed like “let’s help our poor before we help the poor elsewhere”. Then we DON’T help because “I pay taxes for government social programs to help them.”
    Not only is that ridiculous and stone-hearted, it also ignores the FACT that being poor in countries like Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Sweden, Australia, etc. is NOTHING like being poor in Haiti, Senegal, Somalia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, etc. There’s simply no comparison and no explanation should be necessary.
  • It’s really OUR fault (I’m referring to humanity in general, as opposed to God’s fault) because so many of the politicians, business leaders, bureaucrats and army leaders in struggling countries are horribly corrupt. They simply don’t care if their people are starving.

4.  So after reading all this, maybe you’re thinking “why doesn’t God just fix all this?” Sometimes, I think that too. Then I remember the precious gift of freewill. God gave it to us and human history has proven that He rarely interferes with that gift. No matter how badly we misuse it. Part of the reason for that gift is God wants to have a relationship, through His Son, with free-thinking people like me, YOU and every other human.

I decided to say YES to that relationship because it’s made my life better now and, when this life is finished, it’ll give me eternity with Him in Heaven.

What do YOU say to that relationship offer? Accept or reject, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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