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Archive - Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
"Unlovable"Hi gang,
I have been thinking that to post a few thoughts that recently have been stirring inside my head might be helpful to some silent readers. It's "old hash" to many of you, I know, but I pray it will be of use to some who visit this board...
My thoughts are running along these lines:
Is it any wonder that the world is not rushing in droves to embrace the Lord and identify with "the church"? After all, the church (or much of it) is advertising an untrustworthy and unlovable "God"--while demanding-- that those who hear their "Glad tidings" fall at His feet in adoration and worship. Furthermore, many people in the church system ACT LIKE this God they keep advertising. But we can reserve elaborating on that observation for another post. Meanwhile, let's have a look at what many Christians are demanding of the world in light of the greatest commandment.
What they are REALLY telling the world is--
1) "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength"--while also remembering--that this is a Heavenly "Father" who plans to punish most of His own offspring ENDLESSLY. (Note: How is such a Father lovable? Would you love your earthly father if he were to threaten you SERIOUSLY with "never-ending" punishment?)
2) "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength"--while also remembering--that He will prove Himself trustworthy to save only an elect few people whom He loves while He forever burns alive the remainder. (Note: Who but a mentally ill person with a DEEP pharisee complex, one that is blissfully CERTAIN of his/her own "election" could honestly say that they can SINCERELY love such a god as this? But this is exactly what the good news of Calvinism demands, isn't it.)
3) "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength--while also remembering--that He trashes and burns "forever" those who don't love Him before a certain deadline. (Note: How is such a god lovable when He demands love by a certain deadline on the threat of never-ending torture? Would you fall in love with a man or woman who said, "Love me WHOLEHEARTEDLY, or I will hire a hit man to slowly burn you alive for the rest of you life!" ?? But this is what those who preach the "good news" of Arminianism are demanding of people "On God's behalf", isn't it. Again--only a mentally ill person with a deep pharisee complex and much false confidence in his/her ability to "make it to heaven" could SINCERELY testify that they actually love such a god as this.)
What those who embrace and promote the above two belief paradigms (Calvinistic and Arminian) are REALLY doing is this: They're trying to drum up love and worship of a god that tortures his own sentient creatures alive in fire "forever and ever." So how could any normal fathers and mothers and children hope to relate to such a monster? Right?
So...bottomline--what those who proclaim this hope-devastating message are also trying to drum up love and worship of a god that will prove Himself reliable to help only a few people. (For, don't forget! The tradition is that only a few EVER WILL be chosen or find the narrow way. Are you tracking?) So in essence, the nonChristian world is being told to fall worshipfully at the feet of a being who will prove to be trustworthy ONLY toward those supposed few who perform correctly in this lifetime--or toward those few whom He has chosen to love and value to the endless exclusion of everyone else.
Horrors! How is such a god as this lovable?
I can only wager that the only people who can--happily--love and trust the god that mainstream religiosity advertises are the ones that THINK they qualify for His help. They either think they will qualify to outperform the rest of the human race by demonstrating their faith with good deeds (since faith without works is dead)--or else--they think they qualify as being among the small few that this untrustworthy and whimsical "God" has chosen to love.
Oops! That counts ole charlie out, doesn't it?
Talk about the mega-skuzz and screw-up of screw-ups..! There's no way I can testify that God loves me more than He does most people. (And that is what I would have to do in order to sincerely and joyfully embrace Calvinism.) Nor is their any way I could sincerely and blissfully assert confidence that I will outperform most of the human race. (And that is what I would have to be able to do were I to sincerely and joyfully embrace Arminianism.)
Nope. Not this skuzz! It ain't going to happen!
Love to all,
CharlieP.S. Silent reader, are you sick and tired of all the religious double-speak and abuse that calls itself "love"? If so, visit www.sigler.org/slagle --for starters anyhow... God loves you--far more--than you think!
Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff