Religion - a bit of a rant

I am gonna step on a few toes, and I am sorry if offend but it must be said. The God I know lives with all of us. He loves all of us. The God I know...

I just got this e-mail from a friend who is putting Oprah on blast. Oprah believes that there is more than one way to God. I am wrestling with her take on that. I am wrestling because the Jews and being Jewish, who Christians do not study, learn about etc. are what our religion is historically based upon, and Jesus was born in a Jewish world. Yet we do not understand their doctrine, what they are for or against, and more importantly where and why we disagree. Those who do not know their past are DOOMED to repeat it.

There is no dialogue between the two communities, and I am not vexed, I want to know why, how, and what do they believe. I am not afraid of another's culture or faith, and I think in our fevor to say Jesus is the way, we do not stop and respect, ponder and learn about the basics of Jesus faith, life, and why he took the stands He took, what does he truly represent and do for us as Christians. To me Jesus is the Word. However, it does not invalidate what others believed centuries before I or Jesus (the Word flesh) arrived, nor does it circumvent the special relationship that God has with Jews and Jewish custom, beliefs and religious practices. I am beginning to look into this because I want to know God. Jesus is the Word, so He is definitely God, but I want to know so I better understand. Without knowledge I cannot gain wisdom and I wish to be wise and knowledgable about what, how and why I do and live my life.

I want to know what the people of the faith of Islam think and why. They too are under the arm of Abraham and they too believe the bible. They beleive that Jesus was born by a virgin birth, they believe it all (to my knowledge, still learning!) except for the Jesus is the Son of God. They see no reason to believe in that at all. They see no reason for God to sacrifice Himself (Jesus is the Word) for our sins. They do not understand the need for a Holy Spirit, in all things God is God. I am still learning about their religion and their practices, and I am truly appreciative of some of the things that they do and some things that they don't and why. I believe that it is important, as a daughter under a religion that is also from the line of Abraham to understand, appreciate this religion. I want to know about Muhammad and why was he summarily dismissed from the Jewish and Christian tradition.

I refuse to walk in fear and to be afraid. I truly expect that getting to know about these two seperate faiths which by the way we share some of the same ideas, beliefs and customs with will effectively strengthen my faith in God. I am not about dogmas or religion, and though I believe that Jesus is the way, I also understand that in the end, He too is God. God is the way. I do not believe in polytheism, there is nothing seperate about Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God, so therefore it does not offend me when people say that there is only one God. When asked why I have faith in Jesus I look at them and point out the miracles, the whirlwind that walked in front of the Jews in Exodus, who or what was that? The voice that the different prophets heard from why does God need to speak, why does God do anything, the time He was merciful on Job's behalf toward Job's so called friends, why then, the burning bush why that? If man is made in God's image, then ... The questions would go on and on with no answer, except of course my book, how can man have a soul, a spirit and be made in God's image but God not have a Holy Spirit? Why would God need to do that, why kill all the priest of the pagans, why knock down the walls of Jericho with a booming sound, why build anything to hold Him in or honor Him in, why build a mosque, a church a place of worship to Him? Why when God is everywhere and He owns everything, why does He need those things? It was not for God, it was for us. God is majestic and perfect and wonderful and Holy, and El Shaddai and the list could go on and on. I think it was all done for our sake. I would then present the idea that it is my belief that God came in human manifestation to bring His Word down to let us know that He is real, and yes He understands our pains, strains and in it all He was sinless and had victory over death because God is all and for Him, DEATH DOES NOT EXIST, not for Him. He carried the message of life, righteousness, His majesty, how to live, how to be and it goes on, and on, and on. He is the way of living and loving and caring and doing. He is the way.

I guess what I am saying is that, instead of getting in an uproar about what is being said, why don't you learn why the others believe as they do. Try reading the letter's Paul sent to the church, why don't you follow the Christianity that is set out in those books of the bible about how to treat pagans and other religions. Learn, lose your fear and learn and understand and agree to disagree and respect and love anyway. Get some humility and take that log out of your own eye first. I have no problems with taking it out of mine. Learning does not scare me, God does! In his book, the Bible He told us how to live and sent a perfect example of how to do it, but He did not expect perfection from me, and ..... I just want to know God. If that frightens your sensibilities then check yourself, if your faith is not solid and can be shaken by anothers faith instead of strengthened, check yourself and your faith.