The truth

Okay, you’ve all heard the story about a group of people who claim that when you die you either go to a good place called Heaven or a bad place called Hell, and you have to join them and pay them money to get into Heaven. Oh, and something else about a guy who died and wearing a cross around your neck. It’s all a blur.

Then you hear about how a bunch of these people are getting mad somewhere at someone for no good reason and doing awful things: picketing funerals, throwing rocks through windows, blaming people for natural disasters, eating babies, that kind of thing. Everybody knows that Christians love to fight. They even fight each other: there are like 50 different kinds of ‘em, and they like to call each other stupid. Like a lot.

Maybe you’ve seen them having a meeting, singing songs about love and God and then they ask you for money. They always ask you for money. When they get enough money, they pay for TV ads and shows where lots of people sing and ask you for money. Apparently it works, because they hop about and pretend there’s a guy called Jesus there and thank him for the money. And for some strange reason, people keep going to church for ‘spiritual support’ or something.

They have this book, and it’s really long, and it’s been rewritten like, five times already but they don’t seem to mind. Apparently the book takes over a thousand pages to tell you that you are stupid and worthless and something about money. A friend told you that, said he heard it from a friend of his dad’s. So what’s the point?

I am a Christian. I have spent most of my life hearing descriptions like this from people who have probably never met a real Christian. So for anyone who ever thought Christianity was a bad idea, this is what it’s really about:

There is a God. He existed before the earth, and he created the earth. He holds the earth together every moment of the day, and if he ever stopped we would all die instantly. He created the earth for us to live on, and all the animals and plants on it. He gave us free will, because He wanted us to have the choice to love him or not, and we were immortal. He also created angels to serve him outside of our world, but the greatest angel, Lucifer, chose not to serve him and led a rebellion. God easily defeated the angels who followed Lucifer, and banished them to earth. Lucifer, now called Satan, convinced one of the two humans, Eve, to disobey the one rule God had given them. Once she had, the mere concept of disobedience, or sin, was allowed into man’s heart, and he could never be perfect again. From that day, every man has died and every man shall die, save 2 men that God honored by taking from this world.

Although God still spoke to certain men, the world was in darkness until Jesus, God’s son came to earth and was born as a baby. He became a man, and was crucified by men, having done nothing wrong. Three days later, he rose from the dead, and the power of sin over man was broken. There are now two options available to the human race. Many people were killed for believing in Jesus Christ, because believing in the truth means denouncing everything else. Thousands of people believed, and many sold their homes and lives to spread the word. And men did great things with the power God granted them, “So that they may know that I am God.”

So what happened? Why aren’t Christians the most friendly, decent, good-smelling people around? Because we are human. We mess up a lot. The truth is a thin line drawn in the sand, not to be trifled with. Some things in the Bible are clear, like “Homosexuality is detestable to God” (yes, it actually says that, we didn’t make it up.). Some things are less obvious, like “Do not cook the calf in its mother’s milk.” Besides the fact that it’s a sick idea, and also found to be very unhealthy, we probably won’t go to Hell for it. People just like to add their own spin to the Bible when they read it, and then pretend that it isn’t clear. People just get it wrong a lot.

The thing with Christianity is it’s not what you call yourself, it’s what you do. If someone says they’re a Christian and then murders someone, they aren’t a real Christian. If a Muslim murders someone he’s still a Muslim, because the Koran actually says that they should “Conquer your enemies and make them your slaves.” (As opposed to, “If a man strikes you on the cheek, turn to him your other cheek that he may strike it also”)

Anyone who tells you Christianity is a bad idea is not talking about real Christianity. Real Christianity is pretty hard to find these days, but I assure you it’s out there. Some people who call themselves Christians are simply not, and their actions do not mean that we are like that.

Anyone who tells you Christianity is a lie is either lying, in denial, or just plain wrong. Christianity has never been disproved in any way, and only recently has it been rejected by so many 'philosophers.' Most “Smart people” today are atheists, but Christianity has been around a lot longer than they have. For centuries, people have challenged Christianity and failed. Most of them died Christians themselves. Only recently have people decided Christianity is not scientific, and convinced themselves that somehow, somewhere, some guy proved that it was all a bunch of crap. Christianity is wrong, they’ve proven it and why would you ask, haven’t you heard by now?

Everybody wants to disprove Christianity because it’s the truth. If Christianity is right, they all have to change their lives and admit they were wrong and give us money, right? They don’t see a Christianity that is worth following. They see Christians that aren’t what they say they are. We have it tough: we are trying to be perfect, and we never will be, it’s as simple as that. But we have to try. That’s what Christianity is really all about.
To be a Christian, you must simply accept that Jesus was who he said he was, and that there is no other way to heaven. After that, all of Christianity can be summed up by two rules:

1: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

2: Love your neighbor as much as yourself.

All decency, all truth, all justice and all mercy, every good word and action known to man came from the God I serve. Does that sound so bad?

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are all staking our lives on what we believe.
If I am wrong about eternity, what will I lose?
If you are wrong about eternity, what will you lose?

-me