My Questions on Christianity

The older I get the more I know that I don't have all the answers that I once thought I did. I had lunch with some Christian women friends at one of their houses. One of the ladies is from India. She told us this story.

She was in India I believe. I am not sure if it was India or another country, but she had been told that she had colon cancer. She was standing in front of the alter of her Christian church where she was praying and crying about the death sentence that had been given having cancer. She had her hands in the air, gripping her nails into her palms. She was praying and crying and looked down to see that she had blood dripping down her arms onto the sleeves of her white shirt. She collapsed and was taken to the hospital where they saw that her palms were not cut by her fingernails. The blood was not her's. It was she believes Christ's. I being the all-curious one would have loved to have the blood samples analyzed!

Later when she was tested there was no trace of cancer found in her body. She believes that Jesus healed her.

She still goes to the Hindu church with her husband and she goes to her Christian church. She told those ladies that she feels that there are other ways to the one true God, Like if someone was going to Indianapolis, I might take a car, someone else may take a bus, and someone else may fly or walk or ride a bike.

I really don't know the answer. I know that Jesus is the way for me but I know too many people that live as Jesus told us to live that are not Christians. They are loving and kind and some are a lot more loving than those that profess to be Christians.

In the Bible it says that it is only through Him that you can get to the Father. Some interpret that to mean through His teachings. I just know that there are billions of people that have lived and are living and will live before Jesus comes back and many of them have not heard of Jesus and God created them all. I just can't believe that they are all doomed to hell because they didn't know Jesus.

I guess that is the best answer I can give you. I try to love as Jesus wants us to. I try to share my gifts and talents that he has given me. I try to be open minded and if I am wrong, well I guess I am wrong. I ask God and Jesus to show me the ways that I am wrong and to help me to understand the Bible and scripture the best I can.

For example I have always had trouble with God sacrificing His son and watching him suffer, even if it is for our salvation. What I can accept is that He really did come himself, the father as his son, the trinity, basically to sacrifice himself to show us how to live and to forgive us of our sins. But the idea of a father sacrificing his son, even though the son was willing is just too awful for me to bear. That is just one of the things that I have trouble with.

Another example of a Bible story that I have trouble with is Adam and Eve and how they sinned so we have all been punished for their sin is just too hard for me to accept. I say I do, but I don't think I really do. I am lying if I say that.

What I can believe is that when God created mankind he cut them a little slack, on sinning because they just didn't really know right from wrong, kind of like young children need to be taught right from wrong. When man reached a point where he understood right from wrong then he was held accountable.

I respect other people's religions as long as they do not harm others. There are those who question Christianity then when we go to war or put people to death in prison. Does that make me a hypocrit? These are just some of the things that I ponder on. Can I judge others and how they worship God?

Even as a Christian I have some different beliefs than some other Christians. I do not believe in capital punishment. Does that make me wrong? There are many Christians that believe in capital punishment. I don't believe in war yet there is a time for it. If I had to kill someone unless it was in self-defense or in defending someone else that was in front of me, I don't think I could do it.

I know that God gave us brains and to question is good and healthy. I believe that God would be disappointed if I didn't question, by questioning I am trying to get to know God better and to be closer to HIm. I know that it is okay to get angry with God over things that I don't understand or things that I feel are unfair. God is big enough to handle it. I don't want a God that doesn't allow me to express all of my feelings to HIm. I don't believe in the adage, "It is not our's to question." I believe it is our God given right to question.

These are just my feelings and thoughts and I hope I haven't offended you by expressing these beliefs. I really value and respect your feelings and beliefs. I also can accept that you may not accept how I believe. God bless you all Shana

I love the bumper sticker, God bless the whole world, no exceptions.