All else will fail you but not Him
You started out going to mass and hearing the Gospel every Sunday. As you mature, questions begin to arise that raises doubt about your religious practice. You try to look for the answers but you get frustrated every time. You guess you have eaten the apple from the garden of Eden. You have acquired the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. You begin to see ugly things in the garden-- that garden you saw once as beautiful. The beauties were just illusions, you now find out. But you still have your good heart-- so you think. And you become obligated to make the wrong things right. And you cannot do it in the garden. You did not know that you have become arrogant. You want to make another garden according to your liking. You moved out of the garden. You became an atheist.
Your process of becoming a nonbeliever was slow. You started by questioning the fate of Judas, one of the disciples of Jesus. He was so unlucky that he had to play the role of the traitor! Everybody would condemn him. He had to burn in hell. Did he have the choice in the beginning? Maybe. If not, then he must be a hero. He had to take the fall and burn in hell so that the Scriptures will be fulfilled.
The Bible foretold of the evil that would come from somewhere in the middle east and would mark the beginning of the end. And here again are the unlucky groups of people to be labeled 'evil'. They are again doomed to rot in hell. If they had no choice, they must be heroes to take the fall as Judas did.
You hear priests molesting children. You were furious of the idea that priests would advise married couples. How can they make good advices when they do not have the experience of being married? You berated the church for not adjusting to the changing times, and resulting to formation of various religious groups and separating themselves from the Church. You criticized the Church for not being practical and refusing to support the RH Bill. Has it not seen the sufferings and difficulties of the children born out of wedlock? Or how irresponsible the teenage mothers are? You cannot accept the idea that people belonging to other religious group are destined to go to hell.
How can we reconcile all these and say that there is a God? Or why does God allow so much evil in the world?
You realize that man's uniquenes is both a blessing and a bad fortune. For man, there is that spectrum and polarity. One can have the ideals of a socialist and another a communist. One can be an athiest and another a bishop. One can be so emotional and the other so rational. One can be a playboy and another a monk. The clash of ideas is so potent, it has lead to two world wars! And it seems man is not done yet, as conflicts still do exist! While man's uniqueness defines him, it also fails him.
To truly understand, you have to change perspective. You have to put yourself in another's shoes-- there has to be a paradigm shift!
For the case of Judas, you will never know why he needed those silver pieces to identify Jesus. There has to be something pressing to force him to that kiss of 'betrayal'. He did not realize that it would eventually lead to the death of Jesus on the cross. He was filled with remorse. You heard that there is a book of Judas. And that it clarifies and justifies the role of Judas as the disciple. That he is not as bad as he is depicted now. That he did take the fall for you.
That group from the middle east who will signal the beginning of the end. They are the devil so you say. It's alright. They also see you as the devil. They are more passionate than you in there belief. For them, they are the savior of the human race. They're out to eliminate those who do not believe in their cause. Those who do not believe in God.
When you change perspective, the flaws you have seen in your church seemed to have become minor roadblocks. The church has to retain the traditions. What is moral should not change with time. That's why priests should never have to marry. They should not be influenced by their individual struggles with their families. A pastor who is having irreconcilable difference with his wife may change his views about divorce. That's why monks have to isolate themselves from the world. The church should be incorruptible and free of outside influences.
Their is really no evil in the world. Only differences in perspectives and beliefs. In the end your fellowmen will fail you. Your bishop will fail you. Your pastor will fail you. Even your loved ones will fail you. You may even fail yourself. It is futile to try to reconcile all these. God did not allow evil in this world. He just made us unique. And all else followed.
You now realize that what is important is your relationship with him! All else will fail you but not Him!
Now you know your way back to the Garden of Eden!
-Dr. G.R.A
Your process of becoming a nonbeliever was slow. You started by questioning the fate of Judas, one of the disciples of Jesus. He was so unlucky that he had to play the role of the traitor! Everybody would condemn him. He had to burn in hell. Did he have the choice in the beginning? Maybe. If not, then he must be a hero. He had to take the fall and burn in hell so that the Scriptures will be fulfilled.
The Bible foretold of the evil that would come from somewhere in the middle east and would mark the beginning of the end. And here again are the unlucky groups of people to be labeled 'evil'. They are again doomed to rot in hell. If they had no choice, they must be heroes to take the fall as Judas did.
You hear priests molesting children. You were furious of the idea that priests would advise married couples. How can they make good advices when they do not have the experience of being married? You berated the church for not adjusting to the changing times, and resulting to formation of various religious groups and separating themselves from the Church. You criticized the Church for not being practical and refusing to support the RH Bill. Has it not seen the sufferings and difficulties of the children born out of wedlock? Or how irresponsible the teenage mothers are? You cannot accept the idea that people belonging to other religious group are destined to go to hell.
How can we reconcile all these and say that there is a God? Or why does God allow so much evil in the world?
You realize that man's uniquenes is both a blessing and a bad fortune. For man, there is that spectrum and polarity. One can have the ideals of a socialist and another a communist. One can be an athiest and another a bishop. One can be so emotional and the other so rational. One can be a playboy and another a monk. The clash of ideas is so potent, it has lead to two world wars! And it seems man is not done yet, as conflicts still do exist! While man's uniqueness defines him, it also fails him.
To truly understand, you have to change perspective. You have to put yourself in another's shoes-- there has to be a paradigm shift!
For the case of Judas, you will never know why he needed those silver pieces to identify Jesus. There has to be something pressing to force him to that kiss of 'betrayal'. He did not realize that it would eventually lead to the death of Jesus on the cross. He was filled with remorse. You heard that there is a book of Judas. And that it clarifies and justifies the role of Judas as the disciple. That he is not as bad as he is depicted now. That he did take the fall for you.
That group from the middle east who will signal the beginning of the end. They are the devil so you say. It's alright. They also see you as the devil. They are more passionate than you in there belief. For them, they are the savior of the human race. They're out to eliminate those who do not believe in their cause. Those who do not believe in God.
When you change perspective, the flaws you have seen in your church seemed to have become minor roadblocks. The church has to retain the traditions. What is moral should not change with time. That's why priests should never have to marry. They should not be influenced by their individual struggles with their families. A pastor who is having irreconcilable difference with his wife may change his views about divorce. That's why monks have to isolate themselves from the world. The church should be incorruptible and free of outside influences.
Their is really no evil in the world. Only differences in perspectives and beliefs. In the end your fellowmen will fail you. Your bishop will fail you. Your pastor will fail you. Even your loved ones will fail you. You may even fail yourself. It is futile to try to reconcile all these. God did not allow evil in this world. He just made us unique. And all else followed.
You now realize that what is important is your relationship with him! All else will fail you but not Him!
Now you know your way back to the Garden of Eden!
-Dr. G.R.A
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