Painful Truths.

Painful truth.

            I am and will be until further notice a Christian. I am and will be devoted to the teaching of Christ. But at this point I am leaving the cultish churches of my past. I want to be blatantly clear. My parents only assented to the nonsense of their ilk because of their chosen profession. Said my mom, “Honey, the only people doing Christian schools back then were Baptists and Catholics. We made our choice.” I will also point out that when my parents were given a freer hand they made Highland Christian School. Under their care, it became a place where questions could be freely asked, ideas could be exchanged without judgment, and simple truths were taught. This blog is not about Joe and Eloise Delinski. Know that right now. This blog is about the churches we were temporarily a part of and that I knew of through a friend.

            I will get to the heart of the matter with this LOVELY quote from the very controversial man H.P. Lovecraft. Here I have a visual aid. 

Ouch. I have seen it with my very own eyes. It is here that I must clarify the difference between what I believe about that oft repeated phrase, “Relationship vs. Religion.” Religion says that we have to have some way to make a path to Heaven. We must convince people that this path is the only path. They must bow, scrape, give up the simple pleasures that this world affords, they will be controlled by what we say they can think. I listened to the restrictions of the churches they read like this, “No dancing (of any kind). No secular music. Ladies at all times must keep knees and décolletage covered. Men must keep hair trimmed above the ears at all times; beards must be neatly trimmed and respectful if one must have a beard. Music must be in quiet tones. Drums come from Africa and African religions. They are a link to paganism and have no place at all in the Christian home and MOST certainly NOT in the church. Hymns will be added after scrutiny of lyrics and musical stylings. Artists like Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant that claim to be ‘Christians’ only pervert young minds and encourage them to backslide away from the decent truths of Christ. We are to avoid all appearance of evil and music that sounds evil IS evil. Do not even THINK about alcohol.”

            Now I do agree that the ten commandments are summed up by Christ’s teaching on the Greatest Command to “love God and love each other.” I am right now talking about domination, fear, and mind control. I saw these played out right in front of my eyes in my friends’ lives and could do nothing to stop it. I could only be ready with tissues.

            My peers lived in a nightmare where exposed knees and bopping up and down to a music video could be punished. Severely. They lived in a nightmare where simply saying what they saw as clear logical truths could have them sent to special classes and quite simply put, reprogrammed. I would like to say that things have changed that I don’t see this kind of nonsense anymore, BUT I DO! Now, this is not about my church. I have found a rare and wonderful haven where thoughts are not feared and questions are encouraged. I never knew such a place existed, but it does. NOPE. This next bit applies to people who tell me that I have to deny all the basic science and known laws of the universe to be saved. It applies to the horrendously insecure person who told my friend that her need to take anti-depressants made her “no Christian at all.” It does apply to all that would keep people from using birth control in their marriages and dictate how they are to live in all aspects of life. NOT OK.

            The Bible says nothing at all about ANY of that stuff. You are making it up out of the TOPS OF YOUR HEADS AND TELLING US WE NEED TO BUY IT TO BE A “SPECIAL KIND OF HOLY.” God forbid it. You have added words to God’s truths and therefore bear the consequences of it.

            God offers us a relationship that is a choice. You can choose to believe as I do or choose to not. I can only choose for me and cannot impose on anyone else. If anyone wants to know the reasons I stay, tune next time. But know, I will not tolerate any of that nonsense in my life anymore.

There is one who helped me immeasurably. Thank you friend.