I love school-I really do. But I feel like I am schooling my life away! I can't wait to be normal and go to work and come home. But I now myself and I'll give it six months before I'm bored! What to do with this personality! I always want to be learning or tackling something new. I think that's ok I just need to get out of the realm of the academic. It's way to expensive to keep going back, not to mention it is a complete time sucker! Please remind me of this in a year when I start talking about going back to school!!!!
I needed a ride to the airport today and I realized that I had no one to ask because I haven't hung out with anyone outside of school in sooooo long! I have school friends and now I have theater friends. They are all great but what's going to happen when school ends or when the play is over? It's kind of depressing. I suppose then I will make work friends and random extracurricular activity friends along the way. Don't you hate how friendships fall apart when you aren't forced to see each other everyday?
Friday, August 20, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Freedom
I am a Christian, but I don’t want to force anyone to live by my moral standards. I want the government to allow our people to choose how they live their lives so that I might have the freedom to live mine as I choose. When you force someone to choose the road that your faith deems right you take away any semblance of love. When your restrain those who do not feel the presence of your indwelling God, it only leads to rebellion.
Some have said that the majority of Americans are Christian so the laws should reflect Christian values. To them I say that laws made based on the majority are dangerous because that majority can always change. What if the majority of Americans were child molesters? Should we then change the laws to favor them? There was a time when the majority of Americans were pro slavery. Thankfully our laws on this issue did not reflect the majority.
Many have strong religious objections to allowing homosexuals to marry. I understand these objections because I know what the Bible says about homosexuality. From a church standpoint I get it. I think churches should always have the right to decide whether or not they will condone gay marriage. If it is opposed and it is decided that this interaction is not compatible with the Christian faith then I fully support that decision.
But I do not think that the United States government can approach this subject in the same manner as churches do and be faithful to values of freedom. It is the nature of this great land to allow freedom of its inhabitants. Not only freedom for one way of life, freedom for many ways of life. We may express ourselves differently and align ourselves with different religions but we MUST stay focused on the one thing that this government has allowed us to share-freedom. We have made an attempt to live differently yet coexist peacefully.
We can see this in the American’s reaction to terrorism. I don’t always agree with the way these situations are handled by our government. I don’t ever advocate killing or bombing others. But I do understand that the enemy that is being fought is that voice that says, “Its not ok to believe what you believe. You must believe what we believe or you must either change or die.” When people stand up with this voice it is contrary to everything in the American psyche. Yet American Christians do the same thing to non-Christians and gays everyday (with the exception of the penalty of death in some cases). It is constantly being said to them that it is not all right for them to believe what they believe. Think of the reaction that you would have to this statement!
My point is, we cannot force lasting change. We must support a government that allows for our freedom-everyone’s freedom (unless that freedom means harming someone else). In this climate of freedom, Christianity can flourish and others are free to be called by Christ through love instead of being forced and condemned. That love is what changes us forever.
Some have said that the majority of Americans are Christian so the laws should reflect Christian values. To them I say that laws made based on the majority are dangerous because that majority can always change. What if the majority of Americans were child molesters? Should we then change the laws to favor them? There was a time when the majority of Americans were pro slavery. Thankfully our laws on this issue did not reflect the majority.
Many have strong religious objections to allowing homosexuals to marry. I understand these objections because I know what the Bible says about homosexuality. From a church standpoint I get it. I think churches should always have the right to decide whether or not they will condone gay marriage. If it is opposed and it is decided that this interaction is not compatible with the Christian faith then I fully support that decision.
But I do not think that the United States government can approach this subject in the same manner as churches do and be faithful to values of freedom. It is the nature of this great land to allow freedom of its inhabitants. Not only freedom for one way of life, freedom for many ways of life. We may express ourselves differently and align ourselves with different religions but we MUST stay focused on the one thing that this government has allowed us to share-freedom. We have made an attempt to live differently yet coexist peacefully.
We can see this in the American’s reaction to terrorism. I don’t always agree with the way these situations are handled by our government. I don’t ever advocate killing or bombing others. But I do understand that the enemy that is being fought is that voice that says, “Its not ok to believe what you believe. You must believe what we believe or you must either change or die.” When people stand up with this voice it is contrary to everything in the American psyche. Yet American Christians do the same thing to non-Christians and gays everyday (with the exception of the penalty of death in some cases). It is constantly being said to them that it is not all right for them to believe what they believe. Think of the reaction that you would have to this statement!
My point is, we cannot force lasting change. We must support a government that allows for our freedom-everyone’s freedom (unless that freedom means harming someone else). In this climate of freedom, Christianity can flourish and others are free to be called by Christ through love instead of being forced and condemned. That love is what changes us forever.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The Rule Follower
There are rules all around us. They are set before us in our childhoods and we learn quickly that if we don't follow them, there will be consequences. This carries on into our adolescents where we decide whether we will be rule breakers or rule followers. As most of you know, I have always been a rule follower. When I found God I took comfort in His rules. I fell in love with God and I saw the merit and the goodness in his law. I saw that it protected me from many of the hard times that those around me went through. I am grateful for that but at the same time there is a conflict brewing within me. Over the years I have seen first hand how rule following can quickly stamp out any semblance of grace and replace it with self righteousness. I have found yet another dichotomy, one that splits me deeper than anything I have ever experienced. It is in my nature to take pride in my rule following. Not only that, but I have always used it as a proof, to myself and to God, that I loved God. To me, love has always been defined by a person's actions. When I was young I decided that things were very black and white-if you loved someone, you'd act like you did. You wouldn't do things to hurt them. I have internalized this and I decided that if I loved God, it would have to be made plain with my actions. But the closer I come to Him the shakier the ground I am standing on becomes. The things that I traditionally used to comfort myself and use as examples of my dedication are gone. I am no longer going into full time church ministry-that's a big one. There are even others that were nearer and dearer to me that are too personal to share. How can I know that I am on the right path without these? Galatians says that the whole of the law is fulfilled if we love our neighbors as ourselves. What kind of rule is that? How can I keep track of it or make sure that I am following it so that I know and am comforted that I am where God would have me? Faith gets more real with each passing day. The things that once stood as living proof of my faith are disappearing and I am left with only the knowledge that it is alive and well within me.
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