Category Archives: Religious

Most anything dealing with the religious nature of life. This could be interesting, or not, or enlighting, or perhaps, inbetween

Is the U.S.A. a Christian Nation 2015-81

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Is the U.S.A. a Christian Nation   2015-81

First off, most people would probably say YES to the question of whether or not the United States of America is a Christian Nation. But I then ask, “Are we really?”

The USA was, after it became a nation following the Revolutionary War, considered or thought of as a Christian nation. It was NEVER declared, as such, then. The Declaration of Independence called the nation or invoked God in its dating as “in the year of the Lord” but that was about it then as far as a tie in with Jesus Christ, in any way. This use of “the Lord” was a common way of dating in the 1700”s In fact, the original founders declared in the Treaty of Tripoli which was upheld in the Constitution, “the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion”. In essence, we were NOT founded in the context of Christianity.

OK, this is referring to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but I again ask, “Are we a Christian Nation and I add “today”? I am not trying to have an opinion of the legal senses of whether or not we are, but instead, will relate to the thought of the people of the country themselves as their being Christian.

I wrote earlier about “What is a Christian” in post 2015-79 and that, somewhat, relates to people in general in America today as a definition. But, how many of us are Christians in reality? Do we believe in God, which encompasses Jesus Christ? More importantly, do we practice our Christian faith that we believe in or just say we are Christian, without commitment?

More and more people are “dropping out” of their religious faiths, meaning people that were Catholic, Lutheran, Methodists, Episcopalians, and all the other major faiths.  It was once popular to go to church and then the numbers changed and less and less people do so today. I could ask, “is going to church a Christian thing?”, presumably that the church is a Christian one. I hate to use the word Church in relation to being a Christian though, because you CAN be a Christian without going to church…….

Can we call ourselves a Christian nation whereas the majority of the people do not practice the Christian beliefs and teachings? The numbers are out there for the totals that attend church, share the faith in Christ, read the Bible, attend small church groups or Sunday School and they are not only down, but very much below the 50% level. That is telling in so many ways.

The crucial role of Christianity in this nation’s formation is not without dispute, although as Revolutionary leader Patrick Henry said: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship.” The problem is that he could state that then, but today, it has no merit in some ways.

Only the principle of church-state separation can protect America’s incredible degree of religious freedom. The individual rights and diversity we enjoy cannot be maintained if the government promotes Christianity or if our government takes on the trappings of a “faith-based” state. I understand that fact, but feel that with religious freedom comes the responsibility. What do I mean by that? There was a news item on Yahoo.com that stated a political group was considering making a change to the Constitution that would declare the U.S.A. having Christianity as a national religion and it was at the 57% level.  This would not be a good idea as far as I am concerned.

We have the freedom to NOT attend church or involve ourselves in religious undertakings. I don’t want to have the requirement that I be a member of a certain religious group to live in the U.S.A.  I want the freedom to attend the church of my choice or not. If I want to be Buddhist and study Zen Buddhism so be it; I can in the U.S.A.  If I want to deny there is a God or say there never was a Christ, then I want that freedom to do so; I can do so in the U.S.A.

We are so very lucky in the U.S.A. of this freedom and I cherish it.  Some places in this world exact the final solution of death, for not believing in a certain god or their religion. Death is the answer for them in some cases, or at least is the extreme punishment. That is severe and somewhat archaic thinking of what to do to someone for their religious beliefs or non-practice of their faith. This could also apply to blasphemy or additional acts that go against the mainstream beliefs of that faith.

One of the quietest times on our road where we live is on Sunday morning at about 7:30 A.M.  A normal work week day would involve a busy and hectic travel at this time period. The only area where it is evident of their being some travel is on Sunday morning near or at the golf course on the way to church. This is just facts presented without any judgmental thoughts added.  It is a way of life today, period.

One of the things I look at as a positive thing of going to church is the “community”, that it offers. This means, the overall togetherness of fellowship, prayer, discussions, enjoyments, and all the rest of the things that make up a religious get-together.  There is nothing wrong about meeting like this and there are continued periods of joining with the same people later in the week that are part of this experience.

I do not want to look at our country as a non-Christian state of being, but perhaps it actually is in reality. This could be for many reasons, which have been reported on, but the fact remains that more and more people do not have a belief in a man named Jesus Christ, that died for us so we may have a chance of eternal life. Perhaps the promise of living forever is not a big draw today; don’t know.

Den Betts

What is a Christian? 2015- 79

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What is a Christian?  2015- 79  

Christian, what is one?

The easy answer is one who believes in Jesus Christ and practices the faith of a believer of Jesus. A Christian is a person that is a follower of the world’s largest religion with about 2.4 billion adherents.  Christians believe that a man named Jesus is the Son of God, and was fully divine and fully human and became the savior of humanity. His coming as Christ or the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament of the Bible. To my non-Christian followers, let me expound on this subject for a moment.

“Christian theology is expressed in ecumenical creeds. These professions of faith state that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead in order to grant eternal life to those who believe in him and trust in him for the remission of their sins. The creeds further maintain that Jesus bodily ascended into heaven, where he reigns with God the Father, and that he will return to judge the living and dead and grant eternal life to his followers. His ministry, crucifixion and resurrection are often referred to as “the gospel“, meaning “good news” (Greek: εὐαγγέλιον euangélion). The term gospel also refers to written accounts of Jesus’s life and teaching, four of which—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are considered canonical and included in Christian Bibles.”   This per Wikipedia Click on blue words for more info on it.

Many people say they are a Christian without really knowing what a Christian is and the history of the religion. The Bible New Testament was compiled from writings and sayings of those that lived after the man Jesus died. Jesus is quoted from what is believed He said to them at the time. Most Christians have not read the Bible in its entirety, or usually read portions of it as deemed fit at the time. Some of the Christian thoughts have come from those sayings in the Bible and the Bible is used to make certain points or so in daily life.

The feeling of how Jesus relates as the Son of God, in relation to God and the Holy Spirit is not easy to fathom for some. This concept is sometimes hard to understand and to some, to accept. Other religions do NOT see this concept, as a fact and deny the Christian beliefs as not worthy of respect and these differences of opinion have created much discord in the world today.

“The central tenet of Christianity is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ). Christians believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, was anointed by God as savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus’ coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish concept. The core Christian belief is that through belief in and acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.

While there have been many theological disputes over the nature of Jesus over the earliest centuries of Christian history, generally Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and “true God and true man” (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become fully human, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, but did not sin. As fully God, he rose to life again. According to the Bible, “God raised him from the dead”, he ascended to heaven, is “seated at the right hand of the Father” and will ultimately return  to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and final establishment of the Kingdom of God.”  Per Wikipedia

I cannot add to what I have shown above, but as a self-admitted Christian, I believe in what I have written. To those of other faiths, I do not care what you believe or do not believe. This is not a cruel thought, just a fact. We all have beliefs! Some people do not have a belief in God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit and that is a belief in that way of thinking. So be it if that is the case. Others of different faiths believe in a different God or many God’s and if so, that is your belief. When we can get together, talk, discuss and acknowledge our differences without discord we will be on a path of understanding that will go beyond belief; and that will be great.

Den Betts

The Happening 2015-69

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 The Happening   2015-69 

The history of “The Happening” is told below! It is something that happened and in the happening, changed me forever. I offer this to all now, on my 120th posting of my blog, which I started three months ago, on Dec 16th, 2014. It is the longest post I have made, but I hope you persevere and read it in its entirety. This is about the 5th year anniversary of the event. This week of the Bible story of the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a good time to bring this story of what happened to me to the light. Why, because it changed me in a way that I will never forget and will continue to be affected by the change. This is when I brought Jesus Christ into my life on a personal level beyond belief. Read it, think about it and I hope realize that what I experienced was real and not something I made up as a story to present to you for whatever reason.

My story of “The Happening” begins actually from way back as a child.  I never went to church as a child. Christmas and Easter were days where presents and eggs occurred, but they had no religious significance to me.  I joined Beulah Evangelical United Brethren church in Dale, Pa, when I was close to being a teenager, when my Aunt Norma on my mother’s side made my mother more than encourage it. I was a foot taller than any other kids joining that day, after only a couple of weeks of lessons. After I joined, I never went back to that church or to Sunday school, but I was a member of the church and a real Christian in some people’s minds. Or so I wanted to think, perhaps.

Anyhow, I went into the Marines and never went to church and once out of the service, I only went 2-3 times with my Aunt Grace, my mother’s sister, who asked me to go when I moved to Cleveland area. I had no upbringing in a religious nature of reading the Bible, knowing stories of Jesus or anything like that.

I got married and my wife asked me to go to church with her once I was married and I did. I was never “into it” to a degree, but went.  We made our kids go and they did so and willingly as part of their lives.   I kept going, and even was on the church council at one time. All my married life I was a pew sitting church goer, without any conception of why or feelings for God or Jesus Christ.

Fast forward to not that long ago from today. 

During Lent in 2010, it was March 3rd, I went to our church where we live and go to now.  I had been going there for about 7-8 years.  We had the service on Wednesday night and it was going to be followed by a soup supper.  The Pastor asked us to meditate and think of the passage of the Bible he had been talking about, then told us to quietly go into the Narthex for the supper and then meet in the Sunday School room and discuss the meditation we had experienced.

I sat, closed my eyes, and meditated.  That means that I tried to close my mind of other things and concentrate on what the Pastor asked us to think about while doing so.  Then something happened. I had a vision that came to me that was as clear as the Sun in daylight.

I looked at the altar up front or envisioned it.  There, in front of the altar, was a table with men eating and talking to one another with food and drinks on the table. A figure rose and came toward me – walking THROUGH the pews.  I could NOT see his face, but he was dressed in a white covering.  As he came toward me the men at the table stopped talking, turned, and watched and listened to what was happening.

This is obviously a representation of the Last Supper and Jesus Christ coming toward me and I realize that fact now.  It, being Lent, I was influenced and admit it. BUT!!

The man, who I know now was Jesus Christ, stopped in front of me.  He bent down and kissed me on the forehead. I could feel his right cheek on my face as He moved further and whispered in my ear, “YOU WILL”.   With that, He stood up, turned and walked back towards the front of the church. As he did so, the vision of the table, the men there, and of Him, slowly disappeared.

I sat there in a trance. I finally opened my eyes totally and found that I was the ONLY one in the sanctuary, except for a lady at the rear of the church.  The whole congregation there at the time before, had left. I found out later that the lady (L. S.) with me had an experience that same time, but she told me about it only when I told her about my happening months later.  I could hear people talking in the Narthex where we eat, and I got up and staggered out and joined them. I got a bowl of soup and ate it myself as I thought of what had just happened.  The Pastor later asked us to move to the Sunday school room, which we did.

We sat down and the Pastor said, “OK, we are well fed, so let’s begin by telling each other what you experienced during the meditation.”  Nobody said anything, which is sort of normal for groups at times. I raised my hand and he asked, “Yes, what did you get out of it?”  I blurted out, “I saw a vision of Jesus Christ come to me through the pews; He stopped, bent over and kissed me on the forehead. Then He said, “You Will” to me and turned and went back to the table where men were eating.”

The Pastor’s mouth fell, and stayed open.  He blinked and said, “Ah, what do you think that meant?”    I said, in a flippant way, “Maybe it means I will die on the way home tonight” trying to be funny about it.  He got upset and told me “Don’t say that.”  Someone else said, “Awesome”. The conversation went on to other things, and I finally went home.  My wife was not feeling well and did not go to church with me that night and when I got home I told her what happened. She said, “Maybe, you saw Jesus Christ” and left it at that.

Not the end of the story!

I did not know what “YOU WILL” meant. I know I heard it, I felt His cheek on mine, but what did it mean?  For a couple of days I went around wondering what it meant, asking myself “Why ME!” etc. Then I was in my den, just sitting there and something else happened. Out of the blue, without any forewarning, words started to come to me.   One after another words were in my head. I was “hearing” words that I could only attribute to the “YOU WILL”.   The voice was not a booming one, sounding like thunder or deep, or like Charlton Heston with his full voice like Moses.  It was just a voice, telling me words.  I wrote them down and had a total of 26 words.  As I wrote, I had one come to me “Live” so I wrote a next one “Die” and my hand went up and scratched the “Die” out, it was MY word, not His word.   So, I have “YOU WILL” and I now had words. But, what were the meanings to the words?

I did not know if I was making all this up or if it was actually happening to me the way it appeared to be happening, but it was sort of scary to a degree, hearing these come to me.  I thought about the words, wondering what they meant. I tried to guess, but nothing came to me. Upon thinking about it, I would like to believe it was the Holy Spirit talking, but I can’t say for sure, of course, but it is logical to think this way.

Then later in the week, I put the words on my computer and arranged them in alphabetical order from A to Z.  I looked at them and NOTHING came to me at that time.   A day or so later, I was sitting at the same place and then the “meanings” did come to me as fast as I could write them down.

I WILL –  APPRECIATE–  then came the meaning, LIFE IN ITS FULLEST.

I WILL – LIVE – came to me as meaning THE WAY GOD WANTS ME TO LIVE

All 26 words had their meanings revealed to me as I wrote the meanings to the words down. I copied the meanings onto the computer and printed them out.  I cut the paper into one inch strips with about 5 words to a strip, with their meanings.    NOW WHAT!!   I had NO IDEA what some, most or all of the words with their meanings meant.  Some were obvious such as the word APPRECIATE with its meaning, but not really.  How will I live my life in its fullest???       Anyhow, we went on vacation  to Alaska and Seattle, about then and I took my stapled pieces of paper with me in my wallet. Every now and then I took them out and wondered what they meant to me.  I remember looking at the frozen glaciers calving and wondering what the words meant. We got back and I still had them in my wallet, and was still wondering.

 The final part of the Happening. Or as Paul Harvey would say, “And now the end of the story.”

I was now thinking differently about God and life more than ever before. Up to then, I was a Christian in name only.  Before, I said the Lord’s Prayer by rote in the past, usually mumbling it as others said it around me. Now I started to really try to understand what I was actually saying. I still did not understand the words or their meanings and the vision still haunted me as something I did not comprehend at all.

In June of 2010, I was sitting outside on our swing. It was after 8:00 PM and the sky was dark from storm clouds coming from the west. The clouds were moving pretty good and it looked like rain soon.  I had been sitting and still thinking about the words and meanings given to me.  I was getting upset that I got them for some reason, since I did not fully understand them.

I looked up at the sky and challenged God!  I said to Him, “God, if what happened with the vision of Jesus Christ, then the words and the meanings to the words were REALLY true and from You, then I want you to strike that tree down in the back of my yard, and I will believe!!!!”  The tree was at the tree line of our yard and woods.

The clouds were rolling overhead, the wind was blowing and I sat there!  I thought about how I saw the vision of Jesus, the words and meanings and then I nodded my head and said, “God, spare the tree, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE!”  I started to cry with my emotions at that moment.

Then, something happened that I will remember the rest of my life.  As I looked up at the sky that was broiling with black clouds, an opening in the clouds appeared in the shape of an oval. The opening stayed in one place as the clouds pushed around it, sort of like a ship prow having water go around the front of it as it passes through the water.

Beyond the dark clouds there was a vibrant blue sky above the dark cloud layer showing in the oval that was above me.  I looked up in awe as I saw that the blue sky was just a small part of the sky that I could see.  Then, something else happened.  A pure white cloud appeared at about 4 o’clock in the oval and stayed there.  It was in the shape of a fist, which slowly started to change shape into what I thought it was going to be a “cross”.  It kept shifting and it turned into what ONLY, ONLY could be called what looked like — an angel with wings outstretched looking down at me.

I got on my knees and yelled out, “God, God, I do believe, I do believe!!”  I stayed there bawling my eyes out as the oval then collapsed into itself and the dark clouds became one again. I got up from the deck and sat on the swing.  Then, to the west the sun started to set and rays of light came UNDER the dark cloud deck and hit the top of the trees in my back yard, like a halo of light around me. It was like a final goodbye to me from Him above………………. It really was awesome …..!

Since then, my life has been changed forever.  I have told this story as a “witnessing” thing to my congregation, told it to dozens of people that I have met and know, and more importantly I have become a Disciple of Christ.  I have studied mystical writings and authors, have started to read Scripture, somewhat regularly, and have started small groups of various things at church and outside church, and basically changed my life.

I still look at myself as the same old me and feel that God has a purpose for me that I do NOT really know. I have had coaching sessions with my Pastor to fully understand just what this all means. I have only had one person discount what happened to me, and that person has faith issues himself, which I acknowledge as a fact.

When I meditate now, which is daily, I also pray to God and listen for Him to respond, which He does, at times, and I hear Him.  Usually enough to know that He is there and listening to me. My life now is to serve the Lord in any way He desires me to do so. My wife knows this and supports me 100% of the way.  I am the President of Congregation and the Church Council (the lay leaders of the church), where we go. I am involved in outside groups and I am doing what I can do and going from there to somewhere.

You can read this and think I am nuts, which would be a normal reaction. What occurred to me was real and not a figment of my imagination; it happened and that is why I call it, “The Happening”. There IS a God and His Presence is with us always.  

May the Peace of the Lord be with you all !

Den Betts

Religion versus Man (Humans) 2015-68

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Religion versus Man (Humans)  2015-68

I guess what intrigues me when I hear people blame religion for this and that on the news is how they assail religion for doing the thing they do not like at that moment, but forget or do not mention the actual people doing the thing itself.

Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. There is history relating to religion, stories, symbols, icons, and many other things that try to explain the meaning of the origin of life, usually about a deity.

How can I blame religion or something a person does that is perhaps a part of that religion? Did the religion do the dastardly thing or the person? It was the Priest that is found to be a pedophile and not the religion. It is the evangelist that is the breaker of the rules, not the religion itself (I think of Jim Baker of years ago, the televangelist, who was involved in a sex scandal that led to his resignation from the ministry. Subsequent revelations of accounting fraud brought about his imprisonment and divorce). Was it his religion that did the acts or actually him?

Religion or People Hypocrites?

I somewhat believe that the people making the accusations against religion have a problem with religion in general and do blame religilon for actions taken by people. I know someone, named Henry, that stated “Everyone of that religion are nothing but hypocrites!”  I then asked him, “Have you ever done something that involved hypocrisy on YOUR part?” He thought and replied, “Probably”.  I therefore proved and stated to him that it was not a religious thing, but a human thing involving the part of the human mind doing something against a belief. I could have said feelings, standards, qualities, opinions, behaviors, virtues, motivations or other characteristics that one does that do not actually hold true and to give an overall blame to religion is ludicrous.

Blame Religion?

Needless to say, the news is rife with people blaming religion for actions done by people. I think if I were an unbeliever, I would blame religion for something I thought was incorrect. I know an atheist who does NOT do that, and admits that many of his ilk do so.

It is easy for a member of one religion to blame another religion for things THEY do not believe in themselves.  It is common I think, and in the thinking I am against doing so myself, or I try very hard not to do that. For instance, it is so very easy, for some people, to blame the Islam religion for actions of those that, today, pervert that religion themselves by doing atrocities where they use the religion as a reason for their actions. I could add, Catholic’s, Protestants, Hindu’s, also do this, and the list goes on and on.

In this thinking, it was not the Catholic religion that was part of the Crusades so long ago; it was the people of that time that did the acts, not the religion itself. The fact that Catholics were the mainstream Christian religion of that time, gives credence to the thought, even though it is wrong to blame that religion for the actions then. There WERE Catholics that did not agree with those stomping through Europe at the time, killing many people for an ideal?

If I took the time, and really gave it some thought, I could see the real thoughts behind the actions that are given news time on TV today.  It is TOO easy to blame religion for the modern day horrors and other things that are reported on, and not the people involved that are doing the acts. Too easy!!!!  Are we guilty of doing this?

Den Betts

Dying for a Belief??? 2015-63

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                                             Dying for a Belief???   2015-63

How many of us would be willing to die for our beliefs in Jesus Christ? Not many, I would think. That would be a drastic act — to commit oneself for a belief, such as saying, “I believe in God; enough that I will die for this belief”.

Many, of the Apostles did so. It is not important how they died, but the fact they WERE willing to die for their faith/belief.  I really do NOT believe they would die for something they did not firmly believe in and something they knew was not absolutely true or more so, just a blatant lie.

Did the Apostles witness, first hand, the resurrection of Jesus Christ? If not, would they have been willing to die the gruesome deaths they encountered at the time? Beheading, being crucified, stabbed with a sword, whipped to death, stoned, scourged, and even being boiled in oil (did not work, BTW) are all terrible ways to die, which are the ways they did. Again, all are terrible ways to die, if you thought you were being decimated because of what you believe and KNEW it was not true.

The Apostles WERE willing to die these horrible deaths, they did refuse to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ, and they stated to all that they witnessed the crucifixion and later the resurrection of the man named Jesus Christ, who was their Rabbi teacher.  That is faith!!!

Putting your life on the line for what you believe in. Wow, that is more than just using a word to say that one has faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. That is commitment!

I would hope that if I was about to be put to death for what I believe in, that I could have the courage to tell my executioner that I am a believer and why.  I cannot say I could, just saying I hope I could. I truly hope I am never but to the test, but if there was no way out, no hope for being pardoned, and a foregone conclusion, I do hope I have the guts to tell the one about to commit the act that I believe in God,  the one God of the Universe, before the end occurs.

Another thought!

On the other hand, how many of us are ready and willing to LIVE for Jesus Christ? I mean, REALLY live for Him! That is also a scary type thought, is it not?  To commit oneself to Christ and to carry His cross, and to proclaim the fact that – you not only believe in Him, but are ready to live the life of submission to Him!  Wow, that would be something!  I do NOT go to church ALL the time. I do NOT always stay at church when I attend; contribute to the community things that are available there ALL the time. I have NOT totally committed myself to Jesus Christ in my way of living, ALL the time.

To do so, is a commitment to living the life of being a follower of Jesus Christ as a disciple of Christ. That takes work. That takes again, commitment!  Not many of us are willing, able or inclined to do so. Once more, living for Christ is something that most of us are not ready to do; simple as that. We can say we do, or are trying, but are we?

We have our daily lives to live. Our soccer games to attend, our parties to go to, basketball or baseball games to go watch, etc.  We are not ready to spend our lives living for Jesus and that is the way it is today.  We are not prepared to spend the time that other members of groups take to be totally committed. We are not Monks, Friars, or other type reclusive members of religious societies that do have the time to do the things they do, in the name of Christ.  Somehow, I think God knows this.

We, (and I actually mean ME when I say that) could do more though. I could take the time to do many things that God would like me to do. I wrote about the Disciplines that can be done. Richard Foster wrote a book “Celebration of Discipline” that gives some guidelines to follow that would REALLY make God and Jesus Christ, happy if we applied ourselves and did them.  I have them in this blog site  and included them in a summery way that I posted in December.  I offer them to you, again to read, and in the reading, perhaps try some of them out.  These do not require you to stand on your head while you recite the Lord’s Prayer or other strange things, but instead are very simple things to start or continue to do. (See Posts 2014-15 through 2014-27)

God will love you regardless; He loves ALL his children of all races, creeds, religions, and beliefs.  He LOVES to hear from you (that is praying of course) and if you listen, you MAY hear from Him too. Try it out, and don’t give up, try again.

Thank you for your time!

Den Betts

Confusion with Reality 2015-58

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              Confusion with Reality    2015-58

Let me say this. I am sometimes confused about what I believe in regarding something of faith. I KNOW what I say to others and I actually believe in what I expound. I KNOW what I have experienced in life regarding God so I don’t have a problem with my faith in Him, which I identify as the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.

What I do have issues with are those things that I hear and read that cloud the overall feelings that I profess too.  I do NOT think that this is unusual, but is not openly said or expressed by many Christian believers.

I was NOT a Christian believer or a “good” Christian (in my mind) until relatively recently (4 years ago). I have openly stated that I was “going through the motions by rote before then. I am not overly proud of this fact or ashamed, but just stating a fact as I see it now. I said things then, did things and probably believed things as they should have been said or done as a Christian.

No easy answers

OK, where am I going with this?  I feel that God is NOT going to lay it all out for me in a secret way, but it would be terrific if He did so. I am NOT going to get a set of golden tablets telling me all, to share with the world (sort of like Joseph Smith claimed, of the Mormon faith).  Those things and others I do not expect to see or happen.

I have done, what I feel, is extensive (somewhat) research about the Bible. This makes you also get involved in history of the past and what was happening at the time certain people were alive. It also brings forth the temperature of the moment in history as to what was going on, when someone was alive and affecting the Christian religion. An example would be St. Jerome writing The Vulgate in the fourth century.

This makes me admit that I have some reservations about certain, or many, aspects of belief of how things transpired and how it is perceived today. I honestly believe that religious leaders of various time periods did not transcribe accurate or truthful statements or writings of their time period.

How can I prove this; I cannot, simple as that. But do have questions that cannot be answered wholly or accurately without fail and I believe this is normal to have these thoughts. The thing is, I am stating them aloud for others to see and this makes me a little uncomfortable.

I state another thought that I have made before. I believe in God and have a profound and personal experience that gives me an unbreakable and absolute belief in Him, which NOBODY can change my mind or opinion on this subject of faith. So faith is not in question here, but something else.

We do NOT have time travel that would allow us to go back and witness certain things and happenings of the past relating to faith issues.  It would be great (in a way) to have seen and experienced the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for one.  I don’t know if I could handle that though, emotionally. It would be terrific to question His Apostles and follow them close by as they spread the word of the Teacher, Jesus. Knowing me, I could not keep my big mouth shut and I would be forced  to yell out something that I thought was different than what I have been taught, read,  or think I know.

The questions I have without insight or of knowing what I read are many.  Many theologians have ideas of the –who, the what, where, etc., but they give theories, which cannot be accurately proven.  Other, know it all’s, or those that think they know all things, do the same thing, giving their spin on how it was in the distant past.

Normal questions!

What were the names, actual names and credentials of those that made the canons of what is today’s scripture? What did they leave out and why? Did they add something that was thought to enhance a segment of the Scripture for the sake of knowledge (on their part)? Does the Catholic Church have a list of things that would prove or disprove something written in Scripture?

There was NO paper to write on until it was discovered and brought to Europe about the 11th century. Before that, many products were used, such as wood, metal, papyrus (plant used before paper in Egypt and elsewhere).  So, what was written on, how were the writings of the Gospels (for instance) recorded in a correct and complete manner? Word of mouth was one way things were passed on, but did those doing the mouthing of the words add this or that to their sayings?

I AM, repeat, AM a believer of the Triune God!  I know that He, in the form of the Father, and/or the son Jesus Christ, and/or the Holy Spirit has His Presence with me always. That I believe without any doubt, because I know this is true.  I am still allowed to question various things that bother me though.  I have that right and feel that it would be not a good idea to take ALL things I am told or what I read as absolute facts. I believe the Bible is inspired by God, but written by man and that leaves a lot of leeway for crap to happen. I realize this, but still maintain a Christian faith in God, regardless.

I started this by titling this “Confusion with Reality”. I will keep it that way, because I have some doubts and as my Pastor once said, “that is not unnatural, but a way of life”, or words to that effect. The Pastor may never read this, so it is close enough.

It is NOT wrong or incorrect to think thoughts that go contrary to decree by the church. The church, any church, does not have a direct line to God, so it cannot absolutely contradict any thoughts you may have. I am NOT, repeat, NOT in a hurry to die and see God and ask Jesus some neat questions in person, but I relish the thought of having the opportunity to do so.  If He wishes to whisper in my ear, certain things now, that is ok with me. Until then, confusion with reality will reign and I will wait and wonder.

 

Den Betts

God Loves ALL 2015-55

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God Loves ALL   2015-55

God is a lover of mankind! That being said, let me explain.

God loves His children that he helped create so long ago. Perhaps man evolved, it is a perhaps, and no more. Theories abound as to when and how and why. The Biblical story of Adam and Eve is a story. A story told down through the ages and finally written and tweaked, canonized, and translated into what it is today. It is actually a neat story to read….

The thing is, something is forgotten. He loves ALL of mankind!

There are those that truly believe that He loves only them, their sect, or religion or denomination. It is so far from the actual, and has created so many turmoil’s in life, in the past and present. I think of those that claim they are unbelievers and point at the religious people for so many injustices, killings, and other atrocities in the name of religion, but remember, it is not the religion, it is the people!

I guess, or would say, it may be so, the ranting’s of faith. The thing is, it is not God that is doing the things, it is, again, the people themselves. It is sometimes, if not always, in support of their own personal beliefs. That is sad.  It would not have to be the case if people would let loose of their primitive feelings about God.

God, I said, loves ALL. That includes the atheists, the radical extremists, and the God believers that feel they have a hold on God as being only their own. I know someone that feels that way and it is impossible to talk with him about it, because he gets highly pissed off when you try.

How God can look at His children and put up with us is beyond me. Over and over and over He sees the people acting and performing the way they do, contrary to what He would like. I look at God in the form of Jesus Christ (since I consider myself a Christian), and see so many, including myself, conduct themselves in difference to His teachings and just wonder what His thoughts are constantly.

The word LOVE, comes to mind. God in the form of the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, LOVES ALL of us, is what I believe. The word ALL means ALL, no exceptions, no exclusions, no differences, no nothing. He, God, loves those that deny Him and He looks at them as his children.  How can He do that!!!!???? Because, He loves ALL of us, without putting up man-made rules as a block, as a hindrance, or blinders or whatever words you want to use here. I would like to add — this is unconditional love on God’s part.

We use our feelings learned from childhood to put a slot in life as to who God is and what He believes and that is the way it is. Who started to write the rules down, to hobble our thinking? Who was it that thinks they have an inside track with God and how He thinks?

Ten Thousand years ago, there was only ONE God, the god of the Universe, as there is today. We as humans got around to putting names and faces to Him. We created what we thought how He is and how He performs. The ancient traveler, prayed to this God and he called him names. Names like Moon God, Cow God, Harvest God, and the list goes on. We gave Him a face with a flowing beard and chiseled features showing strength and wisdom, as shown on a chapel ceiling in Rome. We tried to make Him as human as we could at times. We show God as Jesus Christ, as a handsome man with flowing locks and grandeur stature (looking like the ideal movie star portraying Him). Why, because we are human and want to do so, to make us feel good.

I do NOT know how God thinks about this, but can only imagine. We are innocent human children of His and we act it out daily. We act out the need to do so. We use God as an excuse for our actions at times and He does not condone what we do, only observes. I wonder, are we so really stupid or think we are so highly intelligent that we know what God thinks? Reading Scripture of the Holy Bible, I see passages (especially in the Old Testament) whereas they are written down as God’s thoughts and decrees. But are they just stories handed down over time? Perhaps!

I have other thoughts, but will leave you with these to contemplate, ponder, and if you wish reply and give me your thoughts about what I have written. Remember this though, God loves you, ALL of us, without reservation, regardless of what we think or say, or do !!!!!

Den Betts

The Doubter 2015-51

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The Doubter  2015-51

The doubter, Henry,  said to me, “it is difficult for me to believe!” That bothered me and I told him that I would try to help him. It did not work.

For over a year, we went back and forth, via email, to give and take our thoughts about belief. I found later that it is dang near impossible to make a valid point via email. When I sent the doubter an email with about four points in it, he came back to me with a thought about just one of them.  I asked Henry about the other ones and he made no comment.

Such is life.  It taught me something though about how to communicate and make points to another person; not via email for sure…..

What is a doubter? The easy answer is “one who is in doubt or uncertain of the truth, perhaps. The Spiritual doubter is one who is probably skeptical in his/her mind regarding belief in the deity or religion in general; again—–perhaps…….

The mostly known story of “Doubting Thomas” in the Bible gives us an idea of how someone can doubt. Thomas spent about three years getting to know Jesus and watching Him do his miracles and hearing the various prophecies about the Lord’s coming death and resurrection. He still had to ask to see proof that Jesus was on the cross and that He had risen. Then, and only then did he state and say, “My Lord and my God” in John 20:28. Jesus told him or commended him for his faith, even though it was based on sight. What a doubter he was……

I do not blame (cannot do so and would not) those that doubt about God. There is NO certain proof that God exists. I wish God would let those that doubt know, that He is around, His presence is there, He can hear us, He will answer us when we ask a question, and all the other ways that it would take to realize that God is a factor. That is NOT going to happen on a regular basis for all of us to fathom. Just is not going to happen; He does not work that way. Although we have the Spirit within us, we can still experience doubt. This, however, does not affect our eternal standing with God. He has known since Adam what humans are like and takes this knowledge into consideration.

This week, something occurred that made me pray to God, asking for advice and help. I made it a point to specifically ask for guidance on a subject that I had at the time. I was in turmoil in my mind and it was making me consider doing something that I did not want to do. To clarify, it was a decision I was thinking over that would affect my relationship with others in a way that would have been noticeable and would have affected those around me. I prayed to God and asked for an answer. I wanted the answer almost right then and not later.

Well, it did not occur when I wanted it to do so and the answer was different (in a way) from what I expected. I called my Pastor beforehand and we talked about it and I hinted as to the decision I was considering. She advised me to also consider the St Ignatius statements that I had learned over a period of time (another story), and I said I would do so. I did and in the process, I prayed to God and asked for His help.

Here is where the doubting came in. I admit I doubted if God would help me and I would have to or would then make a decision that I did not really want to make. I prayed and prayed and eventually meditated about the situation. It was a process to a degree. Then, God intersected by thoughts and a period of peace and tranquility came. The answer was there, with His help.

I emailed my Pastor, and in the email I only had three words that I put in it. “The Devil LOST!!!!” An email came back, stating, “YAY, Go Jesus Go!!” It was like a football game where I was a Cleveland Browns fan and I said ‘The Steelers LOST” and the reply was “Go Brownies Go” (Sorry Steelers fans, but had to use a team as an example).

I was going to church that night for a Lenten Soup Supper affair, and when I arrived, the Pastor was across the Narthex talking with someone and saw me. A hand went up and a smile was shown to me. Without a word, we both knew what we had said and what we meant in the emails.

The point is, I KNEW that God was involved and in His way and His time; he gave me my answer to my predicament. In effect He answered my prayer and with the answer. I defeated the desolation that was in my mind, that was bothering me. Could I have done it without Him? Perhaps, but not in the way that it occurred, and the outcome that transpired. By the way, St. Ignatius uses the word desolation in conjunction with the Evil one (Devil) that preys on us mortals on a daily basis.

I really would advise those that read this to consider getting a copy of the book “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. It is a Christian apologetic novel written by Lewis. It is written in a satirical, epistolary style and while it is fictional in format, the plot and characters are used to address Christian theological issues, primarily those to do with temptation and resistance to it.

Back to doubters!  There will ALWAYS be doubters about God, myself included.  Whereas I do not do so regularly, there are, at times, periods where I am unsure if God is listening to my prayers and I admit it. I think He knows this and forgives me and realizes that I am human.

I wish I had a magic wand that would help those that doubt, like I sometimes do.  Alas, I do not!  I can only pray that those that continually do have these doubts will find a way to get around this.  The one key is to pray, pray and pray again. It may not work right away, but it, I believe wholeheartedly, will work eventually. Or, at least I believe so.

Peace,

Den Betts

Being Saved – Lenten Thought 2015-43

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Being Saved – Lenten Thoughts     2015-43

What is Being Saved? Depending on your faith; be it Jewish, Christian or Islam, there are different thoughts about this question. All are basically different in their theology. Different denominations in the Christian faith have variations of this theme also, which can be confusing to some. I will write about the Christian faith that I follow…..

What do we mean by “Saved”?  It, in its simplicity, could mean, being rescued! It also could suggest that those of the Christian faith would experience being saved from something and also being saved to something. Think about that thought…..

If a person is being saved, it might mean they are to turn away from a life that is without God. I feel I was saved a few years ago because then, I was not connected with God and did not have a relationship with Him. When I finally believed and knew that I DID have a relationship, things changed for me. How? It can be complicated to explain, but the easy answer is that I became one with God. I allowed Him to enter my life and in the process, I was saved. I left behind my ego, thoughts of power, feeling of importance, the thought of needing things, some comforts, and instead centered on something else; Him……

The somewhat easier answer is found in Scripture of the Bible. I do NOT take any of Scripture lightly, and will include it here. I have heard and read, (such as in John 3:16) that we will be saved if we believe in Jesus Christ.  Someone could say, “OK, I believe in Jesus, so I am saved; right?” Well, not exactly in my mind. You can SAY you believe in Jesus, but do you really? Do we also live the life that Jesus wants us to, or are we just going through the motions, like going to church, or not going to church, but still saying we believe in God and Jesus? Just a thought!!!

For over 65 years, I did not believe in the way Jesus wanted me to do. I went to church, I said the Lord’s Prayer, took communion, gave some money to the church, and other piety type things by rote. BUT, I did not have a relationship with God or Jesus Christ.  When that did happen, I mentally and honestly believed I was starting to walk with Jesus Christ instead of trying to just follow Him and say I believe in Him. There is a difference……

I posted on Feb 16 on my blog, an article about Disciplines. I wrote these in the past and posted them when I started my blog in December of 2014. I suggest to those that may have their own questions of believing or questions of being saved, you go to that blog (#2015-40) which refers to the Disciplines written and posted in Dec 2014.

At the blog they are listed under DISCIPLINES and the posts are numbered from 2014-15 through 2014-27. If a reader goes to the “About” page on the top Menu, and on the right sidebar, scrolls down to where the Disciplines are listed under Spirituality, you will find them.

These disciplines are a start. They are something of a way of beginning to have a relationship with God that might be different than what you have now. Just a suggestion……………….. If you truly believe that you are saved and don’t need any help, fine, I am glad for you.

Den Betts

Christian Disciplines for Lent 2015-40

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Christian Disciplines for Lent   2015-40    (Neat that it is #40)                

Don’t want to give up chocolates for Lent? Or, pizza, cookies, TV, Internet, etc? These are a sampling of things people give up for Lent. These are something we choose to not have to perhaps show God that we are sacrificing something for the purpose of denying ourselves for the remembrance of Jesus Christ and what He did for us up to the time we celebrate Easter.

I question—- are these things, by giving them up for 40 days, bringing us closer to God? This has been debated by church people over and over again. Let me also ask this. How about doing something different? Instead of giving up a trivial thing, could we DO something for Lent that has meaning and DOES get us somewhat closer to God?

Our pastor suggested this and gave us some examples of what to do.   Everyone can try doing what was suggested. What is it????

Let us all endeavor to follow a Holy Lent whereby we honor sacrifice by taking on disciplines that will enrich our life with Christ and help us more fully appreciate the suffering and death of our Lord and the glory of resurrection on Easter morning. This is a different type of doing!  I challenge you to try this!!!

Last year in December, when I started this blog, I posted twelve disciplines that can be attempted. They are listed under DISCIPLINES and the posts are numbered from 2014-15 through 2014-27. If a reader goes to the “About” page on the top Menu, and on the right or bottom area,
scroll down to where the Disciplines are listed under Spirituality, you will find them.

I think that some of them are appropriate to try and I have summarized them under each title. Which ones to try????  Well, I will use the ones Pastor suggested. Meditation, Prayer, and Fasting are good ones to look at for now or pick another one if you wish.  I realize now that ANYONE can partake of these disciplines, as a way of life, regardless of any faith or belief, if they have a god to listen.  Just a thought…….

Quoting Pastor, “Resist the temptation to go all out or expect too much of yourself in the beginning. Disciplines are something that we grow into… they take time to work over our old habits and instill new ones!! Choose one, and do your best at it throughout Lent.  God calls us to center on Him, to listen for the voice of God calling out in the wilderness. God’s voice is there. Come journey with us as we seek to quiet our lives more attentively to the voice of God.”

Since I Meditate and Pray daily anyhow, I am going to try Fasting as a Discipline. It will be MY Lenten way of sacrifice, but it will be a MODIFIED fasting one, which I have done  before. That means I will adapt it to my age, my health and will not be a somewhat Normal Fasting that is written about by others. It WILL be between God and I and He will understand..   Another thought— “To be able to fast is another gift from God” This Fasting is a Spiritual fasting and not a lose weight type of fasting, BTW…….. Ask me, if you have questions, ok?

Den Betts