The major problem I have with religious fundalmentalists is how they make God sound like a chronic complainer or whiner who hates everything. Imagine having God ready to lower the boom on anyone on a moments notice even if they get out of line just a bit. It’s one thing to have strong opinions but this can’t be confused with the honest or absolute truth. Plus it’s okay to hold unpopular beliefs or claim to go against the grain but to expect others to keep the exact same viewpoint is a sign of a cult in my mind. Under these circumstances I find being banished a viable option if not a welcome relief.
Things have to be kept in context or perspective. The Bible is primarily a historical document; therefore as in all recorded history, one has to ask if this is what really happened.
Fundamentalists seem to like projecting onto others what they don’t like about themselves. Some of the words that come out of the mouths of Christian leaders after the incident at Sandy Hook can only be described as verbal barf. How would they feel if a gunman struck during a church serice in progress? I have to ask what kind of God would allow innocent children to be killed because of the acceptance of gay marriage or not allowing prayer or reading of the Bible in school. Plus it is like saying God is like us, subject to mood swings – kind one moment, cruel the next.
I don’t know if just reciting the Ten Commandents or uttering prayers alone can stop violence from happening. Violence could just have easily occurred if Christian lifestyles were involved in schools. What exactly does it say if God refuses to intervene in places like Sandy Hook just because God was excluded from the classrooms? I wonder about the attitudes of Christian leaders when they made calloused remarks on the aftermath of any disasters. I can’t see it reflecting well on the Christian community at large. I am sure the majority of Christians were just as horrifed like the rest of us. I much rather believe in a God who is actively in charge and participating in daily life, not some petty deity who lets people die just to prove something that doesn’t seem to have a clear point.
Ron Murdock