Alrighty, so I thought that since this blog is going to be a little different than what most people have, I thought that this first post should be an introduction.
Basically, this blog is intended to be a way for me to share what I have learned through sermons, books, and from my own studies of the Bible. I will be listening to sermons from my own church and from some very excellent pastors online and sharing those with you, reading several books that go in depth into certain topics of the Bible and deal with issues of Christianity, and if through my own readings through the Word I find a passage or verse that strikes me I'll write my thoughts on it.
It is important to remember that this all is from the view of a young Christian. I have been a Christian for almost all of my life and have grown up in the church, so this blog is written in the mindset that the Bible is the Word of God, that the words within this book are Truth, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
That being said, I know that many things which to me will seem like basic concepts that most everyone knows may be completely new pieces of information to others who have not grown up in the church. So, if there is something that confuses you, please don't be afraid to ask me about it. I cannot guarantee that I'll have answers to everything, or even that you would get the same response from another Christian. I can only promise that I will do my best to give the best answer that I can, and that if I don't know the answer myself, I can go and try to find out.
Also, I want to make clear that I am not a pastor, I am not a preacher's wife or daughter, nor am I an official in the church. I am a college student, trying to learn more about her faith and sharing with you what she finds.
This blog is going to be a journey for me as well as for anyone who reads this. As well as sharing what I know, I'll also be learning right alongside you, and hopefully we can go on this road of discovery together. Are you ready?
About Me
- Krystal Angel
- I'm a college student attending a university that is at least twice the size of my hometown's population trying to carve out her own space. Some things that I really enjoy are small crafts such as making jewelry, knitting, crocheting, and macrame. (All fun things to do!) Currently, I'd love to be able to write a novel, maybe two, but do not possess the focus to be able to do so. Also, I'd love to be able to teach.
Yay new blog. I think I will find this all rather interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. I'll try not to get nasty in comments.... >.<
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I really have to say here is that if the Bible is the Word of God, he contradicts himself a lot.
Following the Jewish tradition (and therefore the origins of Christianity), and Christ's methods (parables), I find that taking the Bible as a collection of stories written by men trying to find God, rather than the Word of God Himself, is a better viewpoint. Some of it may be truth, some of it may even be provable.
Of course, Faith is meant to be taken without proof. That's in the definition of the word, as I recall.
Believing something self-contradicting, however, is a characteristic of Eastern faiths, not Western ones. Zoroastrianism might be a better way to follow Christ if you're inclined to that. (Christ is supposed to have gone to Asia during his unexplained absence, there beginning Zoroastrianism.)
Perhaps my thought is just that it might be better to take the Bible as a collection of parables meant to instruct rather than as historical fact.
This also allows you to take the Gospels and other books as fallible, meaning that your religion does not have to self-contradict.
This allows, therefore, if you choose, marriage, because in one book of the Bible (I forget where, exactly), one of the writers says that marriage is a sin.
On the same note, homosexual unions were apparently blessed and recognised by the Church PRIOR to heterosexual ones. (I find this more personally relevant, of course.)
Then you can take the 10 commandments as approximate guidelines, rather than reading them as something you must follow to the letter. Otherwise the Bible encourages racism and slavery and makes you the property of your husband when you wed.
I have a suggestion for your readings. [u]Murder in the Vatican[/u], by....I forget whom. It's an easy read, though poorly written, but it has a lot of very interesting observations about Christianity, and perhaps a....more reasonable way of following it. Unfortunately, I've not finished the whole book and I left it at school, so I don't have it as a reference right now, but I think that it's an important read if you plan to study the Bible.
Also the Gnostic texts and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. I've read neither, but I find them more humane than a lot of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John.
On that note, I'm going to go find a Bible and start at Genesis.
While on many points I do disagree with you, I will do my best to go in depth on the topics that you have raised. Maybe one day we can come to an agreement on several of these things, but in the meantime, I would still like to hear your side so that I may better understand where you're coming from.
ReplyDeleteI will also try to not be nasty in return. I know I have a bit of a temper.
>_>
<_<
^^;
I just wish I actually had the documentation to cite things better.
ReplyDeleteI am curious which points you disagree on, and why. That's probably better left to posts than comments, though.
Yes...Posts would probably be better for that. Hmm...I was considering going through the sermon series that my church is studying right now, but would you want me to go into specific issues first?
ReplyDeleteWow, "I've read neither, but I find them more humane than a lot of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John." It really puts everything into perspective.
ReplyDeleteSean, I mean that I haven't read the full text of any of them. That doesn't mean that I'm not familiar with the basic precises. Also, I used to attend church regularly and am familiar with enough of the Bible that I know that there's a lot about eternal damnation and fire and brimstone and general suffering. The Gnostic text gives eventual forgiveness after you pay for your sins. I find that much more humane than eternal damnation for being angry once, as the Bible would have it in many circumstances. Wrath being a deadly sin, does that not also send the Christ to Hell eternally? Constantine should have left the Gnostics in. It gives people hope, which is one of the primary purposes of religion, after the governance part.
ReplyDeleteAlso, please don't be rude to me. There have been a lot of discussions between Krystal and myself outside of this blog which might put things into more perspective. I would really appreciate being given the benefit of the doubt, at least.
I didn't know where to start... then I read matthew 7:6.
ReplyDeletePsst! You should update this blog more!
ReplyDelete(Also, I do not like Matthew 7:6, as I find it a bit insulting. Also gets applied for the wrong reasons a lot.)
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; [...] If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." The majority of Edelweiss's comments are fallacious, which one claiming to have attended church regularly would be familiar with. As she was already "trampling the sacred under her feet" I decided it would be better to stop the conversation before she "tore me to pieces." If you feel I misunderstood what Jesus was saying, feel free to explain what he really meant.
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