Sex, Marriage, and... Christianity?

WHY are Christians SO fascinated by SEX!?

If a topic has the demonized 3 letter word or anything that might be associated with it presented to them, most Christians will stick to it like rubber cement. There are more official church stances on sexual topics than Penthouse has yet had the opportunity to explore...

Sex is not the most covered topic of the Bible by any means, but Christians sure do devote allot of time to it. There is more time devoted on what is acceptable and not acceptable sexually than there is time devoted on how to show true Agape to the people around us.

The Old Law has many requirements correlating between sex and marriage... In the Old Testament, sex was pretty much the equal of marriage. Even today, the views of marriage have strong sexual overtones within the church.

... The sad thing is that I feel Christianity has truly misrepresented marriage and what it should be in favor of the idea that a penis belongs in a vagina... The church esteems the commandment to "Go forth and procreate" higher than the Golden Rule.

Well, I'm just going to say right now that I think Christians have the wrong idea about  marriage in the first place. Marriage and homosexuality are 2 things that I really feel Christians need to re-educate themselves about.

So, for anyone reading this who might have a "Marriage=1Man+1Woman" bumper-sticker adorning their rear cargo hold... Why do you think marriage must be defined this way? Is it because you see two interlocking assemblies in the crotches of the opposite sexes? That is usually the first argument I hear against homosexuality... A woman has the appropriate coupler for a man's fitting...

So many of us grow up in church and hear for as long as we can remember, the lesson of the "Bride of Christ", and how as part of the church, that is what we as a congregation are. Sometimes, when we would hear arguments against homosexuality, the subject of "Christ's Bride" is reiterated in a way such as to try to prove that a homosexual couple is not a valid pairing.

Some people use the argument saying a bride is a woman, and a groom is a man; totally logical when we think of one entity entering into the bonds of marriage with a few million men and women as a group ... Or that a couple is supposed to mirror Christ's example... Which still doesn't invalidate the love a homosexual couple can feel for each other...

I have even heard it argued that it is the purpose of the Bride of Christ to procreate and to develop the children of Christ. To this camp of debaters, the idea is that the "Bride of Christ" is the model of what Christian marriages should be. Two people of the same sex cannot procreate, thus they cannot be truly married in the spirit of Christ....

These arguments make my brain hurt...

Other arguments against homosexuality, not to mention gay marriage, pretty much are exclusively debated by Old Testament Law...
The same Law that forbids people mixing milk with meat - Anyone have a cheeseburger recently? ...
The same Law that forbids women who are menstruating from associating with men- What do you think would happen if all of the women in the workplace had a week off every month? Well, life WOULD probably be happier. LOL- But it's not gonna happen.
The same Law that commands a woman must marry her rapist- We don't force that on anyone, WITH GOOD REASON...
The same Law that would see those who cheat on their spouses be punished with death...

Anyways, when you read the Law of the OT, you see that marriage was pretty much defined by the act of sex. A woman would be legally bound to a man if she had sex with him, even if it was against her will.

There are so many Laws we wouldn't dream of arguing in favor for in this day and age. So what is up with the cherry picking in regards to laws dealing with homosexuality? Why do Christians try and force a lifestyle in which some people cannot possibly be happy on those very people?

In the OT, marriage was defined by the act of sex. Most of the time, what was considered a legal marriage was completely void of any feeling or choice... Pastors will dress it up and romanticize the families written of in the Bible... Every single family in the OT had some great flaw, that is considered condemnable in today's society as well... but God blessed and prospered those families... even though they continued in their vices... 


Well, what about those infamous passages in the New Testament that specifically call out homosexuals? 

If you really want to refer to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 or 1Timothy 1:10.... Then you really need to know how to go back and compare the original Greek...

Those verses used, in their original form, a word that is not found anywhere else in Greek literature existing today..."Arsenokoites"... It is a word formed of 2 words... Two words that are not among the common definition of homosexuality, but were commonly used in reference to acts associated with temple prostitution and idolatry... 

...I won't go into it. If you are really curious I have given you enough information to learn about it yourself... But continuing on....

It is my challenge to Christians to reexamine what Christ really meant when He compared the Church to being His Bride...

Marriage should is not about sex anymore, it is about love...  I did not marry to have sex, but I married my spouse makes me complete. Our oneness does not happen when the lights go out, our unity has NOTHING to do with sex... It is a unity of mind and spirit that happens every moment of the day... Our most intimate moments happen, not in the bedroom, but when we are working together to accomplish something of mutual purpose.

We need to think like Christ and be able to fulfill a purpose WITH Him... Believing in Him gives Him and what He did for us real purpose, and adopting His lessons of love and acceptance unify us with Him...This is the vision He presented when He spoke of His Bride.

Gay couples can and do experience this oneness with each other... They complete each other, even without children... It isn't about where a dick is supposed to fit... it is a unity of purpose and minds... The next time you are brought to consider the unity of Christ and the church, don't think of it in sexual terms... Total strangers can consent to one night stands, that mean nothing but instant gratification, but real intimacy comes from two people of the same purpose who love each other... and that is what the Church is meant for... True intimacy of purpose with Christ.   So, here is my concluding thoughts for this post....

Marriage isn't defined by sex anymore, but love and oneness...
Marriage is not even a religious institution... 

It is a governmental institution... If the church would continue to define marriage by sex, then homosexual couples who have had sex with each other are already married...

We, as a society, now define marriage by love... so why is it so bad that two people who love each other should be able to marry?


I would like to know why Christians feel so threatened by the fact that 2 people of the same sex who find completeness in each other should be denied the chance to file tax returns jointly, or be denied the right to have the person they trust most in the position of support when they might need it most.

How does legalizing Gay marriage undermine the moral fabric of the nation? Are Christians scared that gay couples might be the sole reason marriage in the US became a better statistic over divorce if allowed to legalize?

How does two people of the same sex marrying and adopting undermine the fabric of a hetero household? How is it bad that children with no stable home could find a stable atmosphere if homosexual couples were allowed to adopt? 

Why is Homosexual marriage more horrible to some people than adultery that destroys families? Why  is Christianity getting so distracted by this issue?

Are You Offended?

Everybody is getting offended these days!

If I don't share someone's interpretation of the Bible, most of the time I have offended them by admitting so... If I tell them that I cannot agree with what their pastor says, they get offended... If I say that I believe the Bible is a religious text with hints of history, and not a historical text with strong overtones of religion, well, yeah... They get offended.

You know what? As a human, you have the right to be offended. You are entitled to your feelings...

... But you know what else? Feelings are one of the leading causes of spiritual blindness. True story.

Think about it... When people allow their emotions to take over, they act on them with less thought than when they keep their feelings in check. The stronger the emotion, the weaker the impulse to curb the emotion.

When someone is violent in eros (lustful, emotional love) then they are more apt to give in to lustful urges. When someone is scared, they are less likely to think rationally about the reason they are scared and more likely to lash out irrationally. The more angry someone is, the harder it gets for them to control their desire for retribution...

...When someone allows offense to take over, they close their ears. They allow their pride to swell, and they shut down in regards to their offense until their pride is satisfied...

As a person, you are definitely entitled to your right of being offended... As a Christian, it is probably in your better interest to lay down that right....

Our adversaries, when they do come against find their greatest ally to be ourselves, especially when we allow our pride to take over. When we feel hurt, belittled, humiliated, or threatened, many times our emotions rise up as a defense, but our defense can very well be a downfall when we allow it to blind us.

If you don't believe me, just look at the media these days. You cannot speak the truth, because you might offend someone. When someone gets offended, you don't hear the end of it, until somebody else gets offended by something totally different. When someone's ideas are called into question, sides are so immediately taken, that neither side ever really understands why the other side is even upset, thus both sides each demand the other side stand down and admit they are the worse kind of wrong...

Political Correctness has become the best means of distraction from real issues for those who have something to hide... Many people who have been hurt, spurned, belittled, and persecuted by Christians hide behind PC and use it as a defense against further attack.

Pride in personal interpretation has been a particular undoing of the reputation of the Christian Church... Each denomination, each pastor/priest, and each individual feels that they have a special insight as to what particular passages in the Bible mean, and to challenge their ideas about them normally becomes an offense at some point after a challenge has been issued....

So, who is right to be offended in this war of who is right, and who is wrong? Well, if a Christian is challenging someone that is not Christian, I would say they are doing a very unChristian act by allowing their right to pride stand in the way of ministering to a non-Christian.

At the same time, when 2 Christians are in disagreement, sometimes it is better to agree to disagree, continue in love, and let the Holy Spirit do Its work. Offense in the ranks of Christendom has done more damage, severed more congregations, damaged more reputations, and cause more regression from the faith than anything else put together.

It is better to shut up and listen to another person's ideas and thoughts, before a Christian says anything to refute... If you feel a person is wrong in what they say or do, just because you tell them so does not mean they will suddenly agree with you.  If you feel someone is wrong, talking will not change a persons actions... Living and abiding in the Spirit is the only thing you can do to be a true witness for them. If they are meant to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit in regards to your concern, I think that God is perfectly capable in sending that conviction....

On the plus side, if you have effectively proven your witness by reaffirming your relationship through your actions, and not words, then if it is meant for you to be the voice of the Holy Spirit, the conviction of the Holy Spirit upon that person will eventually bring that person to ask you for your belief, when the Spirit has done Its work and prepared them sufficiently to open their ears to listen to you.

Until then, it is your duty as a Christian to accept individuals as they are, minister to them (not preach at them), and to love them unconditionally as Christ would do. You should follow the example of Christ, and allow those who need your advice to come to you of their own free will....

... And when you are called to stand up and be a voice, be sure that it is truly a calling of the Holy Spirit, and not the call of your pride of your opinion in what you believe the Word says... Because really, it has been demonstrated that the Word is reveled to us on a personal level, and we do not all get the same message from the same passages, at the same time... Allow that other people may have more understanding in some areas where the Spirit has given them a special understanding, and have faith in the understanding that the Spirit has revealed to you...

... And finally... I would call upon you to humility in regards to what you have been convicted in, and what is just your honest opinion... Many Christians have never had the conviction of the Holy Spirit in regards to some matter that the Church takes up battle with, but they would force the views they learn or the opinions they have formed upon people who the Spirit is truly dealing with in such matters...

Whether the Church's views as a whole are right or wrong, or whether the strong opinions of the individual is right or wrong, it doesn't matter in regards to a person who is being handled by the Spirit...

...But many times, in hearing the arguments by those who are not meant to argue, the one being dealt with becomes deafened by the roar of the crowd who is condemning them instead of loving them... and so their emotions take over and they rail against the Spirit that is trying to lead them in the direction they are meant to go.

... And as I wrap up this post, I want to challenge anyone who reads it to keep it in mind for myself included in the future... Because the goal of this blog is to challenge the long held traditions that I feel need to be reexamined.... and some of what I say is going to be offensive to allot of people... But I really feel convicted to challenge people, and so it's what I am going to do...

The Devil?

Who is he?

I think it ironic that the devil gets so much attention by Christians.

Christians have not just one, but many adversaries.  Many Christians believe that there is a being of ultimate evil that has legions upon legions of demons doing his every whim...

Christians believing this have been deceived by faulted tradition... A not so uncommon circumstance in our religion.

Christianity give too much power to a singular, non-Biblical entity. People claim all of the time that the devil is coming against them and their families, or that a demon has oppressed them, or that all of hell is coming against them. They feel that just because they are facing hardship, they have fallen under the devil's gaze...

Many times a true understanding of what is happening would completely alter their attitude, and the outcome of the situation.

I would like to call to attention the fact that the Bible has very little to say about angels, demons, and the nature of Heaven and Hell... What we are taught by tradition is very corrupted, and erroneous. This is mostly because much of the information that early Christians had access to has been removed from standard Christian tradition today... It is also partly because of the widespread illiteracy of  Christians through the ages, and the fact that the Organization felt that the same doctrine must be taught across the world... When not all of a council could agree in what meant what, they decided it didn't belong, and it was not included in the Canon...

One of the most heated topics debated in early Church history was the nature of angels/demons, and Heaven/Hell.

 When the Old Testament speaks of Satan, it is merely speaking of an adversary. Not always of evil origin, but sometimes sent of God. It boils down to the original Aramaic or Hebrew word that would be in the original Aramic or Hebrew text... Sometimes ideas get lost in translation...

The short of it... A satan could be angel or demon.

Now, before you shut me down because you think I am trying to tell you there are no demons, hear me out. That is not what I am saying. I do believe in demons, but I feel it is important to know the facts.

The tradition of Lucifer, aka Satan, started very early on in Christian history. We have a collaboration of early Church personalities to thank for that. 
      
Two men who are probably the earliest known to claim Isaiah 14:12-15 was a reference to God's evil arch-nemesis were Tertullian (Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus), and Origen Adamantius. The in-depth mythos of Lucifer as we know him today can almost be completely outline by Tertullian himself...

Saint Jerome (Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus) ,who compiled and translated the Latin Bible, aka The Vulgate, followed Origen's and Tertullian's conclusions of Lucifer, and thus propagated the ideology that would become tradition in the Church.

Why is it important to understand that Lucifer is a false persona? Well, one of the biggest issues I see is that, because Christians have believed so full-heartedly in such a mythos, it has given rise to a focus away from God.

Satan aka Lucifer has become to a large part of the world an anti-God that has more sway in the world than God... There are many people in the world that think Lucifer is a force that is nearly equal to God. Christians have given power to the spiritually evil by their belief in the Satanic Lucifer.

Christians have used Lucifer/Satan as an excuse for everything that doesn't line up with how they feel the world should be... From problems in the Church, to problems with their country, to problems with their families, etc. They use the belief that Satan has come against them to stop doing what they should and allow God to take over....

... But in reality, when a satan/adversary comes against a Christian, it usually means it's time for them to take action... 

Christians use the idea of Satan/Lucifer as an excuse of lost free will... They will claim that Satan was just too strong for them, and that they acted under demonic oppression... 

When something happens that makes someone sad, it is claimed that Satan had a hand in it. The fact usually is that whatever makes us upset is a result of us living, or making mistakes, or the result of someone else exercising their free will...

People can do bad things without a demon coercing them to do it... We have an imperfect nature, and with such a nature, we are capable of acting wrongly without help... Such is the way of the selfish. We don't need a demon whispering in our ear...

If we keep believing that demons are laying in wait for us at every turn, we will continue to make excuses and passing the blame for actions we willingly take. Can we be tempted by demons? I am sure we can, but as long as we continue to give them credit for succeeding, then we give them more power than they deserve.

Just because people do bad things, or people get hurt, get sick, or die; just because you hit a financial hardship, or you lose your possessions; just because people you know do drugs, or have lots of sex; It doesn't mean it's all the work of demons... If people succumb to weaknesses of their selfish nature, they may be leaving an opening for demon activity, but it doesn't demons are to blame... 

Death is a part of life, and so is pain and sadness... These bodies we inhabit now are susceptible to such things...
Financial hardship is also a part of life... Demonic intervention isn't needed for you to lose a job, a house, or a car... 
Humans are curious by nature, and prone to enjoying experiences that give them elevated feelings and emotions; it doesn't take a demon to know that drugs and sex can give these coveted sensations to a body.

For those of you that are not convinced... Think of it this way...  If you want to believe in a Christian tradition, believe in this one.

We are told that when the angels chose to turn their backs on God, a third of their ranks turned. That leaves two thirds left with God... That means for every demon that accosts you, two angels are there to intercede for you... I'll take those odds, and as far as I am concerned as long as I have 2 angels and God on my side, a demon can't touch me...

Yet I still have to contend with my free will and selfish nature. God isn't going to touch my free will, it is part of what makes me in His image... So sometimes when I have not turned my self over, my free will can still succumb to those things which my self is weak against... Most of the time I fail, a demon has nothing to do with it...

Christians need to stop giving power to demons that those evil spirits do not deserve. They cannot take your free will unless you give it to them. 

I think it way past time for Christians to take responsibility for their own Fails, and man up to the Standard they claim to follow and/or force on others.

A New Way of Thinking...

I remember asking questions when I was little...

Questions like, why did the animals have to be sacrificed?
...and...
Why did Jesus have to die?

I probably got the age old answer everyone here will rattle off... Blood was required to cover our sin (paraphrased and oversimplified, obviously)...

Here is a good example of the long version

We don't even think about it any more really, because it has always been explained to us so complex and then reduced to such a simple concept that we just accept it.

Yet all Christians will say that God is all powerful, and merciful, and gracious, and loving... and yet easily accept that blood sacrifice and human sacrifice is within that spectrum... Yet when we see other cultures and beliefs who still practice some form of sacrifice, Christians scoff, disdain, and condemn...

...I am not saying I condone living sacrifices, but I wanted to point out the contradiction before I went any further...

I mean really though... I have come to think of the explanation as rather absurd... Jesus teaches us to just forgive unconditionally. Easy. If this is expected of us, then surely God can handle that.

And I can forgive without there being a blood sacrifice... Although... Sometimes I fantasize about blood being spilled in order to fully forgive...

I think you see part of where I am going here.

Why DID Jesus HAVE to die?
Why is God's forgiveness contingent on us murdering His Son?
Why did a whole nation chosen of God have to sacrifice blood in order to find God's favor?

... and just for curiosity's sake...
Why do Christians find the idea of animal and human sacrifice so appalling when other religious cultures have a history of applying it?

To my fundamentalists friends... If God doesn't make exceptions for us, then why would He make an exception for Himself?

Well, here is what I feel the answers to these questions are...

God was never the one to require sacrifice... Humanity was.
If God is all powerful, and merciful, and gracious, and loving, and forgiving, then why would He require more violence... 

Sacrifice wasn't set into law as His condition, it was set to law as ours. God didn't need the Crucifixion of His Son to take place in order to forgive us...
...BUT...

Some of us needed the testimony of the Resurrection in order to know that we were forgiven.

So the next time someone gives you an over blown explanation as to why Jesus HAD to die, you should remember that He didn't (have to)... It wasn't His blood that covers your sin, it was your acceptance of God's forgiveness...

Are you scared?

Growing up in church, I can't remember a time in my childhood I wasn't frightened of something...

Whether it was the frightening stories in Revelations, or whether I was going to go to Hell for the doubts and questions I could not resolve, or dared not ask...

Christianity has become a culture of fear, hate, and exclusivity. I know this is never what Jesus would have wanted us to be...

Christians are trained not to question what they were brought up hearing. We are ostracized when we disagree with the majority. We are taught that Hell is the ultimate punishment and that Heaven is the ultimate reward...

We are threatened with Hell, and it is painted in such a way that we end up taking the title of Christian because we are scared of Hell... NOT BECAUSE WE LOVE JESUS!  Anyone who believes the Bible, or at least knows what it says, should take a minute to think that out...

The Bible says God does not grant a spirit of fear, but many people accepted Christianity because they had some fear of Hell... Many people try to convert everyone they can because they are afraid of what God will think of them if they don't bring everyone they can into the fold... or because the are afraid for their loved ones... Many people are afraid of associating with others who are stigmatized by reputation, title, or profession, because of what other Christians might think of them...

My major vice was that for a long time, I feared having my own thoughts on matter. I was afraid to ask myself questions, or to hear questions that really challenged the version of the Bible I had been taught... I was deliberately blind and deaf to anything that I could not sufficiently answer with a Bible passage, and I dared not question why it couldn't be answered...

There is allot of fear in Christianity, but if God hasn't given it, then it makes you wonder where it came from.... Hmmm.... and if my implications strike a little close to home, then you might want to re-evaluate  what you believe and who you serve....

So... Now is it any wonder why Christians have such a bad reputation?

Christ left us with a message of peace but soon after the church solidified into an 'organized' structure, peace and love became conditional - Peace would only exist once everyone was converted...

Many horrible things have been done in the name of several religions, but it seems that Christianity has been one of the worst...

Think of the culture that Christianity, as an organized religion, formed in... The Roman culture... A culture based on conquer and expand... Also, let me point out that Christianity was organized for political purposes by politicians... 

All of the atrocities committed in the name of Christ, have been the main responsibility of political leaders claiming Christianity as their own, and thus rallying the common masses by such claims... Sometimes it isn't so nice to see that some things never change.

Thus we had the Crusades, and the Inquisitions, and even slavery and women's rights were argued against by "Christian" politicians who turned the Bible to their purposes... Now we have people who are spreading hatred and misery once again against the LGBT community, using the Bible for their purposes...

I hope I can call your attention to some of what is really going on here... There are more important issues going on in the world, issues that cause misery, but profit our dear 'Christian' politicians. What better way to get the masses to ignore their bull shit than to create a fight that doesn't affect their profits...

SO... As a fellow Christian, I want to challenge you to start reaffirming your faith by learning how to question it again...

Jesus wanted us to be as children... He wants us to receive the Kingdom as a child, but in my experience, a child will readily accept something, but once they are in possession, they never stop asking questions, EVER!

Well, well, well...

I want to know who picks out what we as a society wants to know...

I mean really...

Recently, we heard all kinds of crap about Chick-Fil-A guy making a statement about the LGBT community calling down God's wrath on the world... As if he was qualified to make that call on who exactly is to blame for God being angry... if God is even angry...

Seriously, though... We heard non-stop about this subject... Even when there is horrible things happening in the world on a minute-by-minute basis...

There are actual problems in the world: Problems which, I think if God was going to be angry at anyone for anything, it would be over the fact that we, as Christians, or even society as a whole, are turning a blind eye to them...

Let me show you what I think the Christians (and everyone else) community should be focused on...

Human Trafficking
If you can't be bothered to check out the link, let me just fill you in that people are still being bought and sold into slavery... EVEN IN AMERICA... and most of those people are being sold for the purpose of sexual slavery...

Conflict Resources
Again, if you are only interested in reading what is on my blog, and can't be bothered to open another tab or window... Conflict resources are resources that people have fought, and killed for... If you are reading this blog now, you have contributed to the war of conflict resources...

Not to mention the rise of poverty, hunger, and homelessness in the world, yes even here in the USA...
...and what about overcrowding, pollution, malnutrition, disease, and more around the globe that could at least find some relief if we really had people taking time to focus on it... 

These are REAL problems! This is something that we could do something about if we just opened our eyes!

Why is this stuff happening, and we hear nothing of it? Yet, if some cracked out reality personality gets a hair-cut, we hear about it for a month!

We can't change who our neighbor falls in love with. Why should we even want to?

...But we can all open our eyes to what is going on in our world and start open our hearts to those who need us. Instead of rotting our brains with bitchy little poplettes and backstabby shows, why not start thinking about the people who might benefit from the air-time on Television... Instead of hating on your neighbor for not conforming to how you think they should live, go find someone who could use your care and attention...

Just some food for thought...