God has no religion
How many times have you heard it said, "what religion do you practice?" So many people get so stuck on their beliefs that they forget we all serve one God. Because of differences in the teachings of Catholicism, Martin Luther set out to create his own "church," as did King Henry the Eighth, when he disagreed with the Church's edict about divorce. Then others who also found fault with what had transpired broke off from that and created their own set of rules and laws.
Stop and think for a minute...how many wars have been fought "in the Name of God?" How many priests have abused children "in the Name of God?" How many "pastors" live in rich palatial comforts while the rest of the world starves? It has been said that the Vatican holds many millions of dollars of wealth, to the tune of 10 - 15 BILLION dollars!!! And yet even their own nuns scrimp and beg to get by!
OK, let's go back to square one, to when Jesus walked the earth wearing only a cloak and sandals. Jesus who said to drop everything and come follow me. Jesus who said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. St Francis of Assisi copied Jesus and also lived a severely spartan lifestyle.
How do you justify this? How do you live YOUR life?
Jesus also never condemned anyone, He never set anyone apart from anyone else. Note His speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well and his forgiveness of the woman set to be stoned to death due to her adultery. Jews, such as Jesus was, and Samaritans didn't get along. At. All! Yet there He was, setting the example that in God--WE ARE ALL ONE! Jesus would just as soon sit down with the "sinners" for dinner as he would a rich Pharisee. I know if He were here today, it would be no different! Black, white, yellow, gay, straight, mentally disabled, alcoholic, drug addict, all of them would be welcomed at His table.
Would any of them be welcome at YOURS? If not--why not?
A quote by Mahatma Gandhi says this: "God has no religion."
OK, let's go back to square one, to when Jesus walked the earth wearing only a cloak and sandals. Jesus who said to drop everything and come follow me. Jesus who said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. St Francis of Assisi copied Jesus and also lived a severely spartan lifestyle.
How do you justify this? How do you live YOUR life?
Jesus also never condemned anyone, He never set anyone apart from anyone else. Note His speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well and his forgiveness of the woman set to be stoned to death due to her adultery. Jews, such as Jesus was, and Samaritans didn't get along. At. All! Yet there He was, setting the example that in God--WE ARE ALL ONE! Jesus would just as soon sit down with the "sinners" for dinner as he would a rich Pharisee. I know if He were here today, it would be no different! Black, white, yellow, gay, straight, mentally disabled, alcoholic, drug addict, all of them would be welcomed at His table.
Would any of them be welcome at YOURS? If not--why not?
Another fine sermon, I swear,I do need to hire you on, Rev Baum! For the rest of you: read it again....it doesn't say you need to believe in God..it says that God has no religion! Jesus didn't come and proclaim he was Catholic or Muslim or any other sect, he said that He was the Son of God, Son of Man! It was Man who chose to mess up the order of things by creating divisions and rules and by laws. Look at where we are now, with priests abusing children, people being murdered "in the name of God," etc. God is not that way! He is a God of Love...He said, "Love God, love your neighbor." Its as simple as that!
ReplyDeleteYou can get into a lot of trouble here, Rev Baum. For you to declare that God has no religion, why it's just heretical! It is also "true." From the beginning of life on earth, man has fought to have the upper hand, to prove how mighty he was. Look at the story of Exodus, how the Hebrews were kept for hundreds of years a slaves. Look at the other stories as well in the Old Testament- they were stories of how good God was at taking care of those who loved Him. Who believed in Him. Not because they were from a certain region or dialect but because they believed in God. Our own native Americans believed in a Great Spirit and respected life because of that belief. Where have we gone wrong yet again?
ReplyDeletethe greatest gift I have received in along time was to have someone tell me "you have worth." Now come on, I am an alcoholic! According to society, I am worth-LESS! Yet Rev Baum said that I am worthy! That alone lifted me to the point where I do not want to disappoint her or my son or anyone else who believes in me! and that is the whole point. Religion? Not when I know damn well that there are those who go to church then walkout and look down on me just because of who I am! They backstab, they ridicule...what example of love is that? To know I am worthy despite my faults is the greatest gift and if others can't handle it, its their problem!
ReplyDeleteA - Fricken - Men Andy! Amen!
DeleteI am an alcoholic. I went to the AA meetings and did what I was supposed to and was told I am an ass if I drink again. I tried...and failed...many times. I lost so much Even my own church turned its back on me. I was known as the town drunk. Think Otis on Andy Griffith show. I was made to feel unworthy. How is that helping me? I gave up on myself because I was made to feel that everyone else gave up on me. Now I see I can try yet again and I do have worth. I am valuable, why? Because I am a human being. and that is all I can be. I am not superhuman, but I am not sub-human, either!
ReplyDeleteHey AA no longer,
DeleteThere are many more than you think Otis'es out here, all fighting a battle others call life. Hell has its own place on earth for some of us, the ones who turned their backs on us and condemned us will experience their own after life. THEN who is the winner?
Hang tough brtoher, keep trying and be tough!
religion is nothing more than a building that houses hypocrites who, when they leave, are just as hypocritical as they were before they entered. Dear Abby/Ann Landers said it is a hospital for sinners, not a palace for saints. Whatever...they just have a hand out and guilt you into thinking if you do what THEY say you go to heaven, if not, you go to hell. For many to give a tithe, or 10% of all they have is impossible, they have families and some even have no jobs at all! Are they going to hell? Or how about the Catholic church and not believing in birth control? Not talking about abortion...birth control! If you can't afford kids, should that church guilt you into having more? Or divorce...should a wife divorce her abusive husband, or will she go to hell for doing so? Moral issues to ponder, that's for sure! We just don't need some panty waisted pastor telling us how God will direct our lives! Maybe, Rev Baum you can shake them up a bit!
ReplyDeletemaybe you should examine your own life and see just why you feel you don't need a "church!" What sins are you hiding behind that you can't face in front of others?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think they are hiding behind sins if they dont do the church thing? Maybe they dont want to be molested? Or give money to millionaires? Or be looked down on by holy people like you?
DeleteI always have said to never fear hell. Hell is the here and now. Its how we handle it that determines where we go from here.
ReplyDeleteso what youre saying, rob is that Jesus would have come to your house, you, an alcoholic. He would have sat down with you and embraced your lifestyle. Hmmm..interesting!
ReplyDeleteHe liked his wines, read your bible, hell, he would have shot pool with me if I asked. Dont be so Holy, if you are NOT!
Deletehey Sunday irregular: Read the bible. There are so many passages about drinking and wine. Noah got drunk after the Flood. Jesus turned water into the finest WINE! Yes he would have had dinner with rob, because he always looked for the little guy...never the boastful ones. Maybe you should become one of them..a little guy!
ReplyDelete