"All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness"  2 Timothy 3:16


I was in a forum recently where someone said

"I can grasp the idea of a loving God, salvation through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, but the Bible itself is problematic --it seems so violent and horrific and disjointed and weird."

Here is how I responded:

...The bible is violent and horrific at times, but if you look closer you will find that the bible clearly outlines the problem with the human condition. In James the 4th Chapter it says:

1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Human history is violent horrific and disjointed because we have made a decision to pursue everything accept for love.

I am not criticizing but...

Buddhism teaches compassion while encouraging emotional detachment from everything. Marriage is a relational attachment that contradicts this idea. I am married and have two beautiful children and I believe that the love we share is God's gift.

Islam teaches submission in exchange for love. However, Allah only loves those who submit to the rituals prescribed by Mohamed. That being the case, there is no assurance. You can submit to the rituals and still be condemned if Allah wills it.

Hinduism upholds a system of inequality in India that keeps the elite in power and the poor in poverty. If re-incarnation is a reality Karma is busted because all of us have been here several hundred times (at least) and we still haven’t figured out how to love one another.

I rejected Christianity because of the classism, racism, elitism, and outright hypocrisy that I saw in what has been called the church.

While every religion and political system has made an effort to bring about world peace, Jesus is the only prophet that has provided a solution. He died in a violent, horrific and disjointed way to pay the penalty for every unjust act that we could commit. By believing that the sacrifice that he made is sufficient to place us in right standing, God gives us the power to love.

I have to admit...it is a foolish message; maybe even a little bit weird. But I can say without question, I am completely satisfied and fulfilled in my relationship with God through His son, Jesus THE Christ.



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Written by Eric Canaday. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes in any medium without applying for permission. © Laborers In Action, Inc.