I don't get it

Easter is almost upon us and I have to admit I just don't "get" Christianity. I'm too rational, I guess, and Christianity isn't rational--to put it simply, Christianity just doesn't make sense.

Now I'm sure that kind of statement is going to piss some people off. After all, that's at the crux of the entire Evolution versus Creationism controversy. For anyone out there that "thinks" that Creationism makes sense--you're frickin' nuts! LOL

Christianity is a Faith. It's not supposed to make sense. If it was rational, then you wouldn't need faith. To wit, I don't need faith in Gravity. If I fall, I hit the ground. It happens every time. No faith needed. You need faith for things that don't make sense, that are beyond the realm of reason and rationality. Like Kierkegaard said, there's a "Leap of Faith" involved in accepting Christianity and I've never been willing to make that leap.

Easter involves one of those leaps, indeed perhaps the biggest one. Since Easter is the celebration of the anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and death is widely considered to be a one-way passage, having faith that Jesus was in fact returned to life before entering Heaven is a leap of faith in the most fundamental way.

Prayer is another thing that puzzles me. If God has a plan--and since He's omniscient and omnipotent you'd have to figure it's a perfect plan--what's the point of asking God for things that are apparently outside the plan? To me that seems incredibly arrogant. It's like telling God that his plan has been great up to this point, but maybe He needs to rethink this matter of little Jimmy having leukemia.

I admit it, religion just confuses the heck out of me. But I like Easter anyway--any holiday with Chocolate Bunnies makes sense to me. I like to bite off the ears first...

Comments

rennratt said…
Yes, God has a plan. He is omniscient, omnimpotent and omnipresent.

But He is not a jerk. In the middle of his 'always here, all power, everywhere at once' plan, He also allowed for free will.

Thus your choice to not believe in Him - and my choice to follow the opposite path.

The Bible tells us that we are to approach God as 'little children' - and that allows us to ask for things that most people would consider rude, presumptuous or impossible.

Are all of our prayers answered as we wish they were? No. BUT.

We can't understand the heart, mind or intent of God. It's not our place.

I can't say that I fully understand it. In fact, most days I don't understand it at all. I would also be lying if I didn't admit to my share of screaming "It's NOT FAIR!" at God while shaking my fist.

He loves me in spite of it. And yes, he loves you, too. Even if you don't believe it.
utenzi said…
LOL Free will is just a cop out, Renn. It's pretty obvious that if God has a plan then all our actions are predetermined and good and evil aren't real. That'd toss morality out the window and the powers that be can't have that--thus, free will enters the picture along with original sin. Of course if we have free will then God isn't omniscient or omnipotent... it's all quite confusing.
David Edward said…
dave, God loves us even when we are confused, as I was for many years. if you wish to discuss this more I am happy to do so, and will try to surprise you with my candor.
(use email) I don't know for sure about evolution either. I am not so worried about HOW God created the beautiful world around us, I am just glad I have the ability to thank Him for it every day.
( i posted a picture of Easter eggs)
Very well said Dave...And I respect you for being so honest in what you feel and expressing it so very wonderfully. I must say that the part I really really agree with is the part about The Easter Bunny And Chocolate! (lol)
Anonymous said…
Yes, I hear what you're saying. Love how you put, yes omniscience, one just this one tweak to the plan here. There is a brain-breaker in the power dynamics. If god knows every thought then why have to go thru formality of directly asking in prescribed method. I'd love to help Jimmy out of the well but you didn't say pretty please with sugar on top so my hands are tied. There are too many * sub-clauses.
Anonymous said…
The term "praying" represents a very successful marketing / branding campaign introducing a synonym for "hoping".

When you cut away the marketing jargon, religion looks (even more) silly.

Cheers from Vancouver,
Jan Karlsbjerg
www.jankarlsbjerg.com/blog/

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