I am not a smart man...

Perusing through the responses from modern evangelical church leaders about the current debates over homosexuality and same sex marriage, I see a lot of "so and so has not been to seminary", "so and so is not theologically trained", and other similar statements. So, the dividing line between correct interpretations and incorrect is being theologically trained? Going to a seminary? If so, then to paraphrase Forrest Gump, "I am not a smart man". I am a theological idiot (no replies from the peanut gallery on the idiot part please).

Call me stupid but I thought that part of the point of Jesus was that we could now have a personal relationship with God through him. That we didn't need anyone to intercede for us. That we didn't need a go between. That we didn't need an "interpreter". After all, the Jews had had such for a long time and obviously were getting a lot wrong, hence part of the reason for Jesus to come along. Most of Jesus most scathing diatribes and condemnations were for the so called "Theologically trained", leaders of the church (or faith) who were keeping people out with their rules and prohibitions.

When condemning the Pharisees Jesus never said they were wrong (or right for that matter), what he called them out for was the wrong focus. They were keeping people out of heaven by their "holier than thou" attitude and behavior. I don't question that they truly believed they were serving God and fighting for God, but all they were doing was driving people away and making it impossible for them to see the light. Maybe it is time, we take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves, "Is this exactly what we are doing today with our reliance on seminary and "theological" training? We can have all the right thinking and training we want, but if all it does is alienate people and drive them away, where is the good in it?

But now, 2000 years later, if you disagree with the "brain trust", but haven't been to seminary you are ignorant and wrong. We may in fact be wrong, but it isn't because we have or have not been to seminary or are "theologically" trained.

Not to mention that there are plenty of seminaries to choose from.. there are super conservative seminaries, there are super liberal seminaries, and more in between. Which ones are right and which ones are wrong? Who decides? Who watches the watchmen?

I don't see the calling out of not being "theologically" trained for those who agree with the "brain trust"? If one agrees but has not been to seminary or been "theologically" trained then where did one get such right knowledge? How can one have the right knowledge without going to such a place? Oh wait... that's right, they got it from you who HAVE been "theologically" trained at a seminary.

Last time I checked, I understood a personal relationship as meaning that it was between me and some other person. That only the 2 of us understood the fullness of it, and that only the 2 of us knew what it entailed. Anyone else could only observe from the outside and make judgements based on sch incomplete evidence. For example, if myself and a friend, were observed berating each other and insulting each other and calling each other some of the most demeaning things, an outsider could only interpret that as we were about to throw down. However, in truth, that is how my friend and I interact. WE both understand this and accept this and know that neither of us mean any of it and that we would have the other's back in a heartbeat. But without that intimate knowledge one can only truthfully see a fight getting ready to happen.

So, if I have a personal relationship with Jesus, then NO ONE else can speak to that or tell me how to live it since they aren't part of it. And if in that relationship, I don't feel Jesus telling me to shame my LGBT friends for their lifestyle then where do you get the right to tell me I am wrong? Oh wait.. I forgot, all that theological training at seminary gives you that right. My apologies.

Not to mention, now, 2000 years later, who's to say that we haven't still gotten something wrong. The truth is, even the theological training and doctrine  most of us accept and follow still started out as someone's interpretation. I am not saying, any interpretations are wrong or right, I am not qualified enough to make that judgement.. my point is that neither are you. Even if you have been to a seminary.

Seminaries help in certain ways, of that I have no doubt, but they are not the be all, end all of theological training or knowledge. And attending one does not make you any better, any smarter, or any closer to the truth and God than anyone else.

I still choose to believe that my relationship with Jesus trumps your theological training and seminary degree, and I am tired of being treated as an idiot when I disagree just because I have not been to one.

I want a refund.

I think I got ripped off when I bought my Bible and am thinking about taking it back and asking for a refund. Judging (oops, I am judging already, see where an incomplete Bible is already getting me) from the talk of a lot of mainstream, evangelical Christian leaders such as Al Mohler, Pat Robertson, Denny Burk, and others, my Bible is apparently incomplete and I am missing some sections.

My Bible (the one I purchased and have been reading and trying to follow at any rate) does not contain a version of the 10 Commandments where homosexuality and same sex marriage are forbidden and outlawed. It also omits the parts of the Gospels and Jesus sayings where he specifically called out LGBT individuals and their lifestyles. It omits the prohibitions against same sex marriage. I am also missing the sections where divorce is still OK with and approved by God, especially if the person has committed adultery, or heaven forbid gets Alzheimers.

I must have either bought a poorly edited version or a faulty one because it contains NONE of those things I mentioned above. But apparently these wise Christian leaders have the complete versions with the missing sections, that must be the kind you can only get by going to seminary. This must be the reason I can never find complete happiness and joy in life outside of Heaven. It must also be the reason I am so conflicted in how to treat people, see the Bible I have teaches me (and convicts me) that I should treat EVERYONE equally. As Human Beings created and loved by God, AS THEY ARE. As fallible, emotional, lonely, seeking, loving creatures. It teaches me that I am NO better than any of them are, and that I have no right to judge them (well, mine does allow me to judge and belittle graduates and fans of the University of Texas, the Oakland Raiders, the New York Yankees and Detroit Red Wings because they are all obviously spawns of Satan) in ANY capacity.

Now, my Bible does mention relations between same sexes but it also says I shouldn't eat Pork (sorry but I love bacon far too much to give that up), shouldn't eat shell fish (sorry, but I enjoy Joe's Crab Shack and Red Lobster far too much), amongst other prohibitions. But wait, those are ok for us now... since Jesus came, we are no longer beholden to those, but we are to some others? I don't understand.. so some are ok to ignore but not others? Who gets to decide that?

I am told that my relationship with God through Jesus is a personal relationship, just the 2 of us. So doesn't that mean I get to interpret such stuff? Or I am missing yet another section where that is explained to me?

I try to follow the 10 commandments (as best as I can, which isn't anywhere near good enough) and I try to follow the red words in the New Testament. Outside of those things the rest is just someone's interpretation (I await your angry comments and emails), and thus not any better than my own.  I may be proven wrong one day but when and if that happens, it will be by God himself (again, just using the male pronoun I am most familiar with) and not another human being. Until then, I will leave the judgement up to him and just try to love my fellow human beings as well as I can. Maybe it is some thing we should ALL try.

My God can beat up your 3rd Grader

In the interest of honesty I want to say that I write this as a believer in Jesus and someone who tries his best to follow his teachings and example.

Everyone has a different view of God and what He wants and likes. I use the pronoun He for God because (a) I am a guy and that is the one I am most familiar with, and (b) it just seemed wrong to refer to the Supreme Being as an It. If you prefer to refer to God as a She, go right ahead, you won't offend me seeing as how God is truly neither and both.


Since everyone has their own view of God, they also have their own interpretation of what we wants from us, what he expects us to be, and how he wants us to behave. They range from the Ultra-Liberal interpretation that believes that God is ALL of us, that we are ALL God. They can be recognized by the botox smile that is frozen on their face and are usually found handing out flowers. I don't subscribe to this kind of God because I know most of humanity and if we are the best we can expect, then count me out, I hope to be better than I currently am. The other end of the spectrum is the Ultra-Conservative interpretation who are better known and "Fundies" or The Fundamentalists. This group can be recognized by the continuous scowl on their face, and their multi-purpose "Christian Army Bible" that can function either as a thick club in which to beat all heathens until they submit or as an actual "Sword" in which to send someone to their eternal judgement where they will learn the error of their heathen ways.

Now, the fundamentalists interpret God as wanting them to convert all heathens (read anyone who doesn't agree with them) in the most forceful, intensive, tough love method possible.  They operate under the assumption that since Christianity began with a rigged trial with trumped up evidence, beatings, false assumptions about what constitutes sin and blasphemy, mocking, scourging, and ending with a crucifixion that that is obviously how God wants the faith to be propagated as well. They rationalize this with the claim that "if it was good enough for Jesus, it is good enough for the rest of us". So following this playbook they will tend to corner a suspected heathen on a street corner, or dark alley armed with their Multi Purpose Christian Army Study Bible and immediately put you on trial. They will then bring trumped up charges about your sin and blasphemy and how it offends God, they will follow this with false evidence claiming how your belief that you have no right to judge anyone will lead to humans marrying animals and sacrificing their children to the Xbox 1 in their living rooms. If you still persist in your blasphemy and sin they will wash their proverbial hands of your fate, after all they have done their best and it is your stubborn love of sin that condemns you, and hand you over the wiser elders to be crucified in the court of public opinion. You will be shunned and banned from all good society and will only find respite amongst the great unwashed.

It is a curious symptom of today's Christian society that the worst treatment of one another we will ever witness is when we are attempting to defend God. Why exact God needs defending is never adequately explained by those doing the defending. Why the supreme creator of everything would need weak, fallible, confused, sinful human beings to defend him is a conveniently overlooked item in one's holy crusade to force everyone else to agree that MY interpretation is right. After all, the church has forcibly converted people all throughout history from the Vikings to the Native Americans and that worked out well... uhm.. didn't it? Oh that's right, it didn't.

Maybe it is time we actually read the red words in the bible and try to honestly follow them. If your Bible doesn't have red words in the NT section, then you might want to consider getting one that does. Your whole world and way of looking at the world and at your fellow man just might change for the better. No one has EVER been converted because they lost an argument with you, or by hearing how worthless, evil and sinful they are.

Jesus came to show us a better way.. a way of love, respect, and acceptance of others.. as they are, for who they are, without change. He loved us so much that even at our worst he loved us so much that chose to die for us rather than live without us. Maybe it is time we felt the same about each other as Jesus did about us. Maybe it is time we choose love, and acceptance instead of condemnation and force. After all... if it was good enough for Jesus, isn't it good enough for us?