I'd like to share a part of the affirmation from my previous regular church, Victory Christian in Tulsa Oklahoma.
"I'm here on purpose because I have a purpose"
What is a purpose? I ask out of genuine confusion. I'm not confused as to the meaning (checks dictionary).
According to Google a purpose is, "the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists." Which kind of implies that something is created. I suppose my stance is ultimately humanist as I find that concept very silly.
Biologically the facts state that a person is born because life wants to reproduce. Why? Because life affronts basic entropy by trying to stick around regardless of what sort of issues come up. So if you want a scientific reason for existence, this is it: to exist.
So this gives a much better answer for why bad things happen: stress testing. If I don't make it, I didn't deserve to and thus my failure is justified. Which is actually the EXACT SAME ANSWER that Christianity has for why God allows life to fuck with us.
1 Peter 1:6-8 says: "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,…"
So we might then conclude that the Christian purpose for life is to suffer... which again is too simple.
Christ said "I come that you may have life and life more abundantly"..... and I was going to jump on a rant about how Christ came so that life would be okay, but it does not say that. It says we would have life and have it abundantly... Which depends on what your definition of life is.
Again the Google definition is: "the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death."
Was there anything in there about getting rich? How about romance? Peace? Happiness? Safety? No?
Because all that is crap. The only thing Christ says about it amounts essentially to "don't worry about it and it will be taken care of well".
The other often quote scripture says that God has a plan for you, plans for hope and a future. The problem is that scripture was directed to a specific group of people. Heck, I can go one better, read the promises of Isaiah. There is a SPECIFIC LITERAL PROMISE to make you rich. To encrust your walls with precious stones. Go to God and try to claim that promise. Go on, it'll be fun..... Oh he didn't do anything about that? Maybe that's because that specific promise is directed towards some specific people that aren't you or me.
Fuck. I'd love to believe in some sort of magical purpose God has for my life, but realistically the only reason I am here right now is that I survived. If I had put a gun to my head God's plan would move along just as well. If there is a plan where is it? If God actually has some kind of shit he wants done by me would he allow such a fucking strong desire to die to exist? Fuck no. A purpose denotes importance, forethought and possibly love. I don't deny that God loves us. I heavily question whether that love includes a future, hope, happiness, or life EVER stopping hurting. It doesn't have to happen. If it did, it would. As always I may be proven entirely wrong. I would love for that to happen. I'm not typing this up because I'm on the attack with God, I'm on the defense from life. God can either be on my side or on the sidelines. He's good so he can't attack me directly. In fact he can't through inaction hurt me. All he can do is show up later and say there was a purpose to it........ I struggle with this. I've been asking questions and am still yet to get an answer.
Here is what Kurt Vonnegut came up with in Cat's Cradle:
"In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness.
And God said, “Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done.” And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. “What is the purpose of all this?” he asked politely.
“Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.
“Certainly,” said man.
“Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this,” said God. And He went away."
Seems as good an answer as any.
"I'm here on purpose because I have a purpose"
What is a purpose? I ask out of genuine confusion. I'm not confused as to the meaning (checks dictionary).
According to Google a purpose is, "the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists." Which kind of implies that something is created. I suppose my stance is ultimately humanist as I find that concept very silly.
Biologically the facts state that a person is born because life wants to reproduce. Why? Because life affronts basic entropy by trying to stick around regardless of what sort of issues come up. So if you want a scientific reason for existence, this is it: to exist.
So this gives a much better answer for why bad things happen: stress testing. If I don't make it, I didn't deserve to and thus my failure is justified. Which is actually the EXACT SAME ANSWER that Christianity has for why God allows life to fuck with us.
1 Peter 1:6-8 says: "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,…"
So we might then conclude that the Christian purpose for life is to suffer... which again is too simple.
Christ said "I come that you may have life and life more abundantly"..... and I was going to jump on a rant about how Christ came so that life would be okay, but it does not say that. It says we would have life and have it abundantly... Which depends on what your definition of life is.
Again the Google definition is: "the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death."
Was there anything in there about getting rich? How about romance? Peace? Happiness? Safety? No?
Because all that is crap. The only thing Christ says about it amounts essentially to "don't worry about it and it will be taken care of well".
The other often quote scripture says that God has a plan for you, plans for hope and a future. The problem is that scripture was directed to a specific group of people. Heck, I can go one better, read the promises of Isaiah. There is a SPECIFIC LITERAL PROMISE to make you rich. To encrust your walls with precious stones. Go to God and try to claim that promise. Go on, it'll be fun..... Oh he didn't do anything about that? Maybe that's because that specific promise is directed towards some specific people that aren't you or me.
Fuck. I'd love to believe in some sort of magical purpose God has for my life, but realistically the only reason I am here right now is that I survived. If I had put a gun to my head God's plan would move along just as well. If there is a plan where is it? If God actually has some kind of shit he wants done by me would he allow such a fucking strong desire to die to exist? Fuck no. A purpose denotes importance, forethought and possibly love. I don't deny that God loves us. I heavily question whether that love includes a future, hope, happiness, or life EVER stopping hurting. It doesn't have to happen. If it did, it would. As always I may be proven entirely wrong. I would love for that to happen. I'm not typing this up because I'm on the attack with God, I'm on the defense from life. God can either be on my side or on the sidelines. He's good so he can't attack me directly. In fact he can't through inaction hurt me. All he can do is show up later and say there was a purpose to it........ I struggle with this. I've been asking questions and am still yet to get an answer.
Here is what Kurt Vonnegut came up with in Cat's Cradle:
"In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness.
And God said, “Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done.” And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. “What is the purpose of all this?” he asked politely.
“Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.
“Certainly,” said man.
“Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this,” said God. And He went away."
Seems as good an answer as any.
No comments:
Post a Comment