(October 11, 2018 at 12:12 pm)Drich Wrote: Honestly I always though me being out right and honest was the one thing you all did not really question...
I read your whole story there. Some pretty awful stuff, really. I feel for you man.
One thing I would say is that the religious interpretation of matters is but one among many. For you, God became a positive force that you can rely on. And after having gone through all that, after seeing how cruel and merciless the world can be, you found a way out. You interpreted God as being the cause of your salvation from torment, and thus now you see God as a way to help others transcend "the world gone mad."
But you are just one example. There are other examples. For instance, a young woman who was rescued from the sex trafficking industry and put into a loving atmosphere where she was educated and allowed to flourish as a human being might not embrace religion as you have. She might find it meaningful to become an advocate and create an organization which seeks to aid young women and girls who are in predicaments similar to hers. For you to tell her "No, no... you're doing it wrong because you haven't accepted my laundry list of beliefs" would be a demonstration of profound ignorance, not to mention a blindness to the fact that others in the world have suffered difficulties just like you. I guess my point is: your story, while valuable, is certainly not unique. There are other, similar stories that others have told except God is not part of the resolution.
In regards to honesty, I agree that you are honest. But only inasmuch as you yourself believe what you are saying. To me, their is a deeper honesty to be had, one where one (not only) speaks the truth as they know it, but also, questions their own worldview and participates in outside scrutiny of it. I see you as more of a "tow the line" sort of Christian in that, you seek to defend Christianity from all criticism, honest or otherwise. Maybe I'm wrong about that.
