My Rant 01-21-20200

 Okay, this will be my rant on fanatical Christians. While I respect their absolute devotion and their unwavering belief in their version of Christianity and that they have found their path in faith, their fanaticism borders on tyrannical.

Here is where my issues are with this mindset. They have found their way to their faith and their beliefs through something that happened to them. Whether it is through a good pastor are a good Bible study group are from Individual reading of the scriptures they have suddenly found a deep personal faith. Personal being the operative word. This now makes them feel wonderful inside.  They have a joy to themselves and they want everyone to share in it. The problem is that they believe the only way for other people to share the same feelings they now have is to do obtain it the same way. Interpret everything the same way. If you don't they chastise you, accuse you of heresy, and then accuse you of not being a True Believer are a true follower of Jesus. All because you do not agree with every single thing they did to get there. I am not saying that they are not wrong for themselves, but they may be completely off base for others.

So let me explain my viewpoint, and it is only my viewpoint. Keep that in mind. In the Bible, it states that man was created in the image of God. It did not say that we were clones and exact images. I'm not even sure the word clone existed at the time the Bible was written. What the Bible is saying is that while we are created in the image of God, God created us as individuals in His image. As individuals, we develop our own methods of thinking patterns and Logic on how we receive faith and belief. So I can read one scripture are set of scriptures and come to the same conclusion as another person or come to a completely different conclusion as another person. Are in some cases we all agree on what it means we just have different opinions on how we got to the same conclusion.

What should it matter how we get there? It should not matter is my feelings and opinion. I can have the same conclusion as some of my more fanatical friends without having to follow all of the Dogma, the checklists, the rituals that they feel are necessary for a person to get salvation, or Grace in to do the work to be a true Christian. I say this is wrong. We each have our own path because we are individuals. I can come to the same conclusion as them without all of the other peripheral items someone else may need and go through.  I can read the same scripture and understand what it means the same as they do but have a different interpretation of how it should apply to my life. The problem that we are facing in Christianity and most of the Abrahamic religions right now is that they have become so bogged down with the checklist, proper behavior, rituals, and applications of other requirements that they have lost the true essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ.  The true requirements that God put on us to obtain heaven and to be with him in the next life.

I think it's time that we put aside our demands that we do certain things or we're not a good Christian a true Christian. We need to start asking the questions of are you following what Jesus taught us to do to be with him and the father. That is all that is ever required of us. That is just my opinion again and how I look at it. Thank you for listening to my rent