Simply Christian

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

@#$%

@#$%

    I've often been struck by how clergy, more sophisticated theologians, and institutionally loyal ecclesiastical bureaucrats make Christianity sooooooo complex/confusing.

    You know their line when talking about issues of faith and morality: "It's more complicated than that."

    They say that after some, uh, simpleton says something like this: "I believe our world and nation and denomination and all of the rest would be much better off if people just, you know, literally obeyed things like the Ten Commandments, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 25, and..."

    "Naaaaaaah," they preen while sporting those stripes of credibility sown onto their Genevans, "it's more complicated than that."

    But since I've been born anothen, uh, anothen, I've kinda been struggling with that mindset as much as conventional grammar.

    I've been thinking there must be a really, really, really new translation of the Bible that they're reading: "So man created God in his own image.  In the image of man, man created God."

    Sorry about the gender stuff in the previous sentence; besides, most of my favorite feminists don't mind masculine imagery when it makes men look like...

    Anyway, I've been thinking there must be a really, really, really new translation of the Bible that they're reading: "When Jesus finished His teaching, the crowds were totally confused by all He had said.  The clergy, theologians, and other ecclesiastical bureaucrats reassured them, 'Ah, don't worry about what Jesus said.  It's more complicated than that.  We'll show you how to...'"

    Yeah, right.

@#$%

    I've been thinking more and more and more about the aforementioned as I watch Obama and Romney lie about each other.

    I've been thinking more and more and more about the aforementioned as I wonder why people can't/won't address the simple choice of this coming November: free enterprise or statism.

    I've been thinking more and more and more about the aforementioned as I'm part of a mainline denomination mirroring all of the others as well as the sideliners despite their self-righteous protests to the contrary that splits votes right down the middle or somewhere thereabouts when balloting on issues of faith and morality as if God is as double-minded as they/we are about issues of faith and morality.

    I've been thinking more and more and more about the aforementioned as I wonder why those "religious" denominationalists whose connection to Jesus and Holy Scripture is more and more and more coincidental can't/won't address the simple choice whenever balloting on issues of faith and morality: you/we is or you/we ain't gonna abide by Holy Scripture as the absolutely authoritative revelation of God's will on issues of faith and morality.

    I've been thinking more and more and more about the aforementioned as I think about clergy like me who are reading Matthew 23 and wondering what the anything but heaven we've been doing for...

@#$%

    I may be wrong buuuuuuut I've been thinking people like me like to make simple Christianity as personified in Jesus and prescribed in Holy Scripture sooooooo complex and confusing because we either don't believe it/Him for ourselves, never truly understood Christianity as being about Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture, or just changed our minds since getting into the gig and lack the integrity to admit it and go sell insurance, work at Starbucks, or something.

    Or maybe it's just that new translation of the Bible that's really, really, really catching on with clergy, theologians, and ecclesiastical bureaucrats like me.

    Or maybe it's just because being simply Christian is too much to ask for those who've, uh, abandoned it for something/someone else even while continuing to pick up a paycheck from...

    Ouch.

@#$%

    I've decided to get rid of as many of the religious trappings about Jesus as I can in favor of a relationship with Jesus enabled by paying closer attention to Him as revealed in Holy Scripture and enlightened in prayer by the Holy Spirit Who never contradicts what He's revealed in Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture.

    Or something like that.

    I feel like I'm just scratching the surface; but I'm scratchin' and sniffin' and searchin' through Holy Scripture for something a lot more than the two feet planted firmly in the air deliberations of my government, denomination, and...

    I may be wrong; but I gotta tell ya that I'm feelin' a lot better doing that than paying attention to those clergy, theologians, and ecclesiastical bureaucrats like me who have an increasing penchant for paralleling what they/we think to what He's revealed in Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture.

    Hmm.

    It just occurred to me that's why He came up with the first few of the big ten.

    Of course, I don't expect people like me who sometimes act like they know more than Him to...

    Whoa.

@#$%

Blessings and Love!