UGH!!!! Ignorant Close Minded "Christians" Need to get a Life!

I'm just going to be blunt.  How can you claim to be a Christian if YOU are right and YOUR way is THE way.

"I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE, no man comes to the father except through ME!"                  -Jesus Christ (Emphasis added) (John 14:6)

I am pretty sure that sums it up right there and you need to rethink and worry about your salvation.  How can you get away with telling other Christians that they are wrong when they merely have doctrinal differences.  How can arguing about doctrine not be futile?  There is no real way to prove that you are right or wrong (necessarily), thats why the doctrine exists.  The only time doctrine should be seriously argued is when its affecting dogma.  I understand that we cannot all agree on how we should honor and worship God.  But the real question is -- do we have to?  If I want to honor God by never having an alcoholic drink or dancing, why should you condemn me for my beliefs?  As long as you aren't getting drunk (Proverbs 23:20) or dancing provocatively (2 Samuel 6:14) how can I say you are doing something wrong?  Just because my doctrinal beliefs and practices are one way, does not mean they are the way.

Also, why does every spiritual thing have to include 100% of the Bible in it?  This is a little confusing so I'll explain a little more, then I'll close the argument.  Let's say that a group of children put on a play for a church.  These kids do a reasonable job at their play and use satire and humor throughout.  The play has clear Christian values and undertones, however, it really only addresses the topic of loving your neighbor -- thats all, nothing more.  The play does not offer a plan of salvation, does not show the miracles and works of Jesus, does not show any old testament values or laws that should be followed.  It only focuses on the issue of loving your neighbor as yourself.  Is this play heretical?  Did the kids or director do something wrong?  I don't think so.  These kids chose a topic to teach about.  (Now, when you think about it, MOST children's plays the pastor will give some kind of invitation afterwards so keep that in mind)  Just because they didn't do everything doesn't mean that they did something wrong.  Now to close the argument, think of a sermon.  Does every sermon talk about every aspect of God and the Bible?  Obviously not.  I for one have never heard a pastor try to talk about Jesus dying on the cross and Saul disobeying with a burnt offering without the prophet.  So if sermons are allowed to focus on small individual topics, why can't other approaches to teaching about God?  Why do we get so bent out of shape when someone makes a movie or cartoon and misses a detail, or leaves something for the critical eye to catch and complain about?

I tell you, arguments between Christians about trivial things needs to stop.  God did not intend for his people to be confrontational about details and things like that.  We need to come together as one.  Divided but a whole.  If God is a trinity and we follow the concept of 3 is 1 and 1 is 3, why can't we do the same as Christians?  Why can't we be many people individually, but come together on our dogmatic grounds to become one entity?  Are we not all one in God's eyes?  None better than the other?  I heard in church the other day "What can we see everyday that God can never see?"  The answer was "His Equal."  In God's eyes we were all equal sinners, and now, he loves us all equally as Christians.  Yes, we can still anger, disappoint, and upset him at different levels, but somehow he manages to never love differently.  We as humans can likely never achieve such love.  But we CAN obtain enough harmony with each other to show the world a thing or two.  I mean think about it, our churches would explode and new one built everywhere if we would accept each others differences and believed in "to each his own" on certain things.  Instead, we argue about our differences in doctrine and lose sight of the true goal.

Anyway, sorry for the slightly agitated post, but I was annoyed by some recent closed minded confrontational Christians.  I pray that I am able to see past differences and accept people as Christ followers many more times than not.

Your friend, brother, and companion in Christ,
-Zachary Haas

Dear God 2

Dear God,

I don't even know where to start.  So many things have happened.  So many things have changed.  That which was once clear is now so dark and empty.  God what happened?  I thought that I had things figured out?  I thought that I was learning and growing.  More importantly, I thought that I was actually hearing you.  I thought I knew what you were telling me and I knew what I had to do.  Was I always wrong?  Was I just making things up and hearing what I wanted to hear?  Or was I really hearing you and I just confused it all myself.  God I am so lost now.  I was feeling really great that I was learning and growing and communicating with you so much.  But now, I don't know what to think.  Have I been fooling myself?  Have I just been making everything up to myself?

And what about recently . . . God we weren't on the greatest of terms.  Is it ok to sometimes actually hate your ways?  I know this sounds sacrilegious but don't we all at some point?  Perhaps hate is a strong word, but even Jesus didn't like the fact that he had to die on a cross.  Is it ok for me to severely dislike some of the laws of nature and other aspects like that?  Can I dislike the life that we are supposed to live and carry out because we are in a fallen world?  Can I be upset because things aren't perfect?  Is that ok?  God, I do not want to be upset with you or your ways.  I want to be happy and accepting, but right now I just feel so lost and confused.  How can all this be the result of so much seeking and learning?  How can so many things have changed in so little time.  All that I once loved is changing or gone completely.  God I know that we often face tests and trials but what is this?

Even now though Lord, I am humbled.  I am almost ashamed to believe that earlier today I was so upset with you and the way things were currently going in my life.  I was so angry because of the problems I was having and was becoming bitter towards everything.  But God, you humbled me showing me that my problems should be considered nothing when compared to what some other people are going through.  Yes my problems were real, yes my problems were shared by many, but my problems were more or less temporary.  God people are struggling with death and the loss of loved ones and friends.  I have lost a dear relationship, but no life has been lost.  God I can't imagine what these people are going through.  I am now ashamed to think that my problems were so "big" that I was hating your created world.

I am still lost Lord and confused beyond belief, but there are more important things that I need to pray for right now.  God you brought my sister back home from Florida but she has yet to change.  So there is that.  I know people who are dealing with a lost life of a friend and family member.  So theres that.  The issues in my life over the past few weeks are important God, but the issues of yesterday are so stupid and trivial compared to what other people are dealing with.

God I pray that you be with those closest to me that need comfort, rest, encouragement and just a relaxing presence from you.  But God I need some answers.  The biggest problem with needing answers is the fact that I thought I was getting some.  I thought I knew how to hear you, I thought I knew how to listen, but it is seeming like I was wrong.  What I heard from you was apparently wrong in a number of things in my life.  So I guess the first thing that needs to happen is change in me.  Change me to be able to hear what you are actually saying God.  I thought that you were being very clear to me and I thought that I had been seeing things that were for you and from you but I guess that I was sadly wrong.  God I really just don't know what to think or do right now.  Where am I supposed to go, what am I supposed to do?  Clearly, I am still wrestling with you, despite having thought I was around that.

Amen.