According to an ancient anthology I retrieved from a basement, a mob tortured an entity who was both fully man and fully god. They nailed him to a wooden cross, leaving him to suffocate and bleed to an agonizing death. But three days later, they found that he had clawed his way out of the grave. Now, those who believe wait for the day when he comes again to this world. To honor him, they have weekly gatherings where they chant and sing. And at the end of it, they feast on his flesh and blood.
That anthology is, of course, the Bible.1
---
For those who read the Bible or grew up in a Christian school, they can agree that it contains statements about God and many guiding values regarding life for people who choose to believe.
To state a few examples:
Genesis shows that a loving God created the world.
Matthew 7:7-8 states that God will be present to give whatever is needed to those who have the faith to ask for it
Romans 8:26 states that God understands our weaknesses and can help accommodate us.
Both the Old and New Testament show that humanity has messed up to the point where God had to sacrifice His son in order to redeem them.
God calls us to a relationship with Him, and it’s our choice to decide what we do with this invitation.
And a repeated message throughout the Bible from God instructs people to love Him, love their neighbors, and love their enemies.
However, they are all topics frequently covered in church sermons.
The Bible is made of 66 books compiled over approximately 1500 years. There is more to cover within this timeless classic than just lessons on people’s morality, right?
---
I decided to look through the Bible once more throughout the summer, keeping tabs on topics I wanted to do further research on.
In no specific order, the Bible has stories concerning the following :
Murder (Genesis 4, 2 Samuel 18, 2 Chronicles 22, etc.)
Genocide (Genesis 6-8, Exodus 11-12, 1 Samuel 15, etc.)
Crucifixion (Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-38, Luke 23:26-49, John 19:16-37)
Misogyny (Leviticus 12-15, Numbers 31:16-35, 2 Timothy 11-15, etc.) (To be fair, there is also strong evidence that early Christianity was more open to women than other communities.)
Rape (Genesis 34, 2 Samuel 13, Judges 19:22-29, etc.)
The entire chaotic mess surrounding Sodom and Gomorrah (not to mention Lot and his daughters), (Genesis 19)
Is it right to hide all those details though? Wouldn’t it be better not to cherry-pick the parts of the Bible that we’re most familiar with, and instead talk about the parts that are more obscure?
---
There is also the issue of teaching the Bible to children, because when you think about it, the message of the Bible can technically be prepared as this:
“You are born evil, dirty, rotten, and sinful. But if you agree that an anachronistic murder that happened thousands of years ago was all your fault, the one who loves you most in the entire universe won’t have to torture you for the rest of your life. You never deserve to be loved, let alone live happily in this world. By the way, did I mention that everything wrong that happens to you, your loved ones, or your country is your fault because you weren’t feeding the being that loves you enough money or love?”2
In all honesty, isn’t this a messed-up message to proclaim? Sure, it may comfort children that someone is watching over them and cares about them no matter what they’ve done. At the same time, it could also cripple their self-esteem.
This opens up a can of worms where Christians can suffer from spiritual abuse at the hands of what is fittingly called “worm theology”— this is when it seems that God’s holiness is set against our sinfulness to the point where the only appropriate response seems to be self-loathing.
If I have to give my opinion, it would be better for children to grow up just learning the ideas behind different religions and choosing what they want to believe in after they mature.
---
In addition to this, a particular phrase has been popularized in the media: “There’s no hate like Christian love.”
When you think about it, it is ironic and sad that Christians are commanded to love—yet so many people see them as a hateful group.
And it is unfortunately understandable. There have been multiple cases throughout history where Christians twisted the meaning of the word “love.” Some Christians say it is loving to beat your kids because they’re teaching them. In the case of conversion therapy, some Christians will call torture “love.” And they’ll say that it’s loving to shun someone who leaves the faith, or condemn them to hell because that might push them to come back.
...Except all these actions aren’t precisely Christian love, and they only serve to turn people away from the faith (for obvious reasons).
The point of Christianity is to grow up and mature into a balanced human being alongside others who are also learning the same things. It’s about realizing that life means far more than having material possessions and being distracted by minor obstacles. It’s about loving God and loving your neighbor—and learning to rely on them so you can grow in understanding in your faith and life.
In other words, the simple answer is that Christians are supposed to love God and love everyone.
---
Yet, at the same time, there are many “Christians” who use their religion as an excuse to commit actions stemming from personal desire. As a result, they may hurt other people trying to find God on their journeys. For example, they can easily twist the words of the Bible, saying that “everything is part of God’s plan.” There are many situations (ex. a child dying from cancer) where this could build resentment instead of trust in God.
Of course, not all Christians are like that. It’s not that all of them are evil; it’s the fact that they often remain silent and unwilling to call out the ones being actively harmful. And when someone tries to bring up the hurtful ones, they tend to first defend themselves against the person by acknowledging the toxic side rather than trying to fight against the negative behaviors.
I guess some are too scared to speak up, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that they’re still bystanders. The most damage done to Christianity is from the “Christians” who set a bad example and harass people away from trying to find answers regarding their identity and religion. It’s the responsibility of Christians to stand up and fight against the ones harming others, rather than shutting up the victims who want to be helped.
---
Jesus is the Word of God. The narrative of the Bible is a tradition passed down through generations as a way of carrying that story across.
In all fairness, you can pick out any verse to prove almost anything, including that slavery is acceptable (Ephesians 6:5-8), that virgins are meant to be loot after a war (Numbers 31:16-35), or that sacrificing your firstborn son is a suitable means of redemption (Genesis 22).
But that’s not what our faith is about: it is about the story of grace being extended to all people through Jesus Christ. The narrative of God’s redemption is consistently about bringing in those who have been left outside. That is who God is. Even when it doesn’t seem like it at times, God intimately loves and cares for you.
You’re made in his image, and you’re His child. Feel free to give yourself a chance to connect with Him. Try to see yourself the way he sees you. Over time, you’ll find that God treasures you for who you are no matter what. And when you are struggling, He would want you to get help as well. Why else would mental health practices exist? Or community support services? Or the existence of loved ones to support you?
(Here's a random photo of a church window.)
---
1 - Jesus Christ had died from crucifixion (execution of a person by nailing them to a cross), and He rose from the dead three days later on what is currently known today as “Easter.” The weekly gatherings are the churches that Christians attend every Sunday where they sing to celebrate Him (worship). And flesh and blood refers to the bread and wine Jesus had passed over to His disciples the day before He died.
2 - Bible verses this paragraph is drawn from include: Psalms 51:5, Psalms 58:3, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:3, 1 John 1:8-10, Romans 5:8, Revelation 21:8. (Of course, there are more.)
Comments