> Hi Victor-I understand that you had a liberal experience of Xtianity but
of all the
> various sects of it(apart from Jehovah's Witnesses), (there may be others
I don't know
> about)the belief in Jesus' death as a sacrifice to God and as a payment
for our sins is
> central to it.
Agreed. I recently went to a Methodist church and was really turned off by
the sermon, in which the preacher brought up the topic of the death of
Jesus(surprise, surprise...) and then alluded to a little story about a
woman whose betrothed was about to be executed at the sound of the bell.
When they tried ringing the bell it wouldn't ring so they went up and they
found her bloody, battered body, wrapped around the bell. Of this he gave
graphic detail, which I found unappropriate and seemingly manipulative.
I didn't mention it earlier, but I spent several years going to unprogrammed
Quaker meetings while in college, which were very liberal and while there
are some core beliefs, particularly in non-violence and conflict/resolution,
the belief structure is otherwise very open. There is no quoting of
scripture, no leader, and basically anybody can share anything...a story,
prayer, hymn, poem,...who ever is inspired just stands up and breaks the
silence. This preoccupation with the blood of Jesus I don't really
understand either and the idea that some people are "saved" and all the
others are "heathen" and therefore "evil".
I dated a girl several years ago who belonged to the Church of Latterday
Saints and went with her to church once. After the service, I went with her
to a little "bible study" group that apparently every body went to and the
main thing I got from it was that all these people were so distrustful of
anything that didn't follow their system of beliefs, and they kept on about
what a dangerous, evil place the secular world is. It is this kind of
thinking that scares me and seems to divide people instead of uniting them.
Victor Johnson
http://www.cdbaby.com/victorjohnson
"Just beyond the morning falls the river of your dreams,
Escaping from the day these wild creatures run away."
Victor Johnson
