Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Adam & Steve

Disclaimer: My views are a lot different now.I wrote this blog a few years ago when I was more religious. I no longer see things as "sin". And to be honest... who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks? As long as it is between two able-minded consenting adults... do what feels right in your heart. 



Why they mad tho?


It seems like homosexuals are public enemy number one these days. And it’s in due time. Every ‘minority’ group will have their turn in the lime light, and it looks like homosexuals are on center stage. You would think THE GAYS were the reason taxes where increasing the way some people hate them... Like 'GAY' did something to them personally. And what's the motive behind this entire pillory? Many people would point to the good book. Is the Holy Bible the reason why people hate gays? It reminds me of slavery and how slave holders used some scriptures in the bible to justify their actions. Should a believer of Christ ignite makebate? 

The pharisaic SELF-RIGHTEOUS have the most to say about THE GAYS. As an active reader of the bible, I have seen it written that a man should not lay with another man (Leviticus 18:22), and that it is an abomination. This goes into the dialogue of whether one sin is greater than another… Some believe that sin is imponderable. In my humble opinion, there is severity in certain sins and by labeling homosexuality as an abomination is to say that this sin is more severe than others. Webster dictionary defines an abomination as extreme disgust and hatred. On the contrary  I may be mistaken, but I was always under the impression that God hates all sin whether it was labeled an abomination or not. And technically… the bible doesn't say that a man liking a man is a sin, but rather, it states that a man lying with another man is a sin. So actually, gays aren't sinning unless they are actually having sexual relations. So what about a woman lying with another woman? Is this too a sin? The bible doesn't distinctly mention ‘women’… so should we assume that when it says ‘a man shall not lay with another man’ that women are included?


Whether you believe homosexuality is a sin or not, it is up to you. However, if you read the bible it says that it is. Now, is this the reason why people hate THE GAYS; because they are sinning? We all are sinners. He without sin cast the first stone (John 8:7). I believe that people need to hate something in order to help them feel better about themselves. You have your insular people that hate blacks, Jews, Latinos, and the list goes on. They hate what’s different; what they don’t understand. Presumably it is because these minority groups pose a threat to what they would consider uncontaminated. They have their image of a picture perfect world... the American Dream... and it doesn't include what many 'minority' groups have to offer. They can hate you without knowing you as an individual, and this is the definition of bigotry.

All the sinning in this world and homosexuality gets singled out. And so many people have their theories as to why people are gay. They have every pastor debating whether they are born that way and if they can change. I, for one, can never speak on this subject because I am not gay. And I don’t think anyone who isn't gay should speak on behalf of the gay community unless he has a PhD and has done extensive research. Being gay isn't some impetuous choice for most… but rather a feeling that I believe gays initially battle with before they learn to accept their true feelings.

You can’t force someone to believe what you believe. The bible means nothing to someone who is atheist. So to deny them their right to marry based off of the bible is denying them their rights as human beings with out probable cause. You cannot force someone towards salvation. You can’t make someone follow the law of God. Who is God to a non-believer? God gave us free will and with this free will we make our own decisions. And I personally don’t care for the government’s exploitation of the bible when it’s convenient for them, because every other circumstance they prefer to separate church and state. And if the bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman… let THE GAYS have a civil union. The same thing as a marriage, just called something different. The SELF RIGHTEOUS should not have a problem with that, since it would no longer be called marriage. Their biggest argument is that the bible defines a marriage as a union between man and woman... Therefore the state should define a civil union as the union between a man and a man.


There are more gay people in this world than you may think. So many people will die and never let anyone know that they are gay. Some people live a double life... And I am sure that the propensity is due to the backlash and fear of being ostracized that they may anticipate. It’s sad because people use the bible when it’s conveniently justifies their actions. But when Jesus came he stressed the importance of loving one another. We shouldn't judge. Because you may hate your neighbor that’s gay but in your own home your son may be gay and you wouldn't even know it. Condemning someone because they are homosexual is too easy. Condemn yourself for the hate dwelling within your heart. Our hearts should be filled with love not hate. 

Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. (John 8:15)

They say ‘hate the sin and love the person’… but it should really be ‘love the person and hate your own sin’. How can you take the plank out of someone else’s eye when you have a piece of wood in your own eye? I could only imagine what homosexuals have to endure every day. The pain and hurt they have to endure just because they desire the same sex. It’s not up to us to judge or to declare what human rights they should not have. They deserve ataraxia. God will judge us all accordingly at the end.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Almighty Dollar




"Cash Rules Everything Around Me. C.R.E.A.M. Get the money. Dollar, dollar bills y'all." – Method Man


Money Over Everything.

Everyday I’m Hustling.

Steady Getting Paper.

 We praise you, Almighty Dollar. 


Sounds crazy, right? I’m praising money. In fact I worship it. No, I don’t light candles and sacrifice a lamb to the Almighty Dollar, but I pursue it. I need money. I want money. You see, we may not realize it but a majority of us have the propensity of making the Almighty Dollar our God. I didn’t realize how much I loved money until I started going to church and the issue of paying tithes came up. Initially, I felt as if paying tithes was just a part of the churches get rich scheme. Why on earth would God put in the bible to give 10%? How did they even come up with that percentage?


Well, to make a long story laconic, at one point I was paying my tithes and then I stopped. I was now able to take that 10% that would have went to the church and spend it on myself. I was so excited to be able to keep this money. But something funny happened. For some reason I never got a chance to see the extra 10% that I was now able to keep. It would just evaporate. I didn’t know where my money was going. I would get paid and a few days later I would be close to $0 in the bank account. 


And then I had an epiphany. No matter if you think paying tithes is just a bunch of BS someone made up or not… paying your tithes is a test of your faith. Who are you going to put your trust in? The dollar or God? It took a lot for me to get back on track but one of my New Year resolutions was to pay my tithes faithfully. I am not going to sit here and say now that I pay my tithes I have been blessed with more money. No, that hasn’t happened. But I can say that I am not struggling. I pay my tithes and I can still pay all my bills, go shopping, have a little fun and even put a few dollars away in savings. I’m not hurting. I learned a valuable lesson; walk by faith and not by sight. Even when your bank account says you can’t, God says you can. And if you trust in him, well, he is going to take care of everything else. It’s a test of your faith. And even if some greedy priest added the whole 10% tithe passage into the bible, I don’t think God is going to hold it against you, if you show him that you are trying to follow what is written in the bible. In fact, I think he will be impressed by your willingness to serve him. But you must believe that the bible is guileless, its the only ground you have to stand on as a Christian. 


And then I came across this verse in the bible: 'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matthew 6:33) and I realized then, that so many of us have our priorities in the wrong order. In this verse, Jesus pretty much says that all you need to do is seek God, and he will give you everything else. So when I sign-on to Facebook and I read down my timeline, I realize that so many of us are chasing after the wrong things. I am sure you have seen it. The Facebook statuses that read ‘I’m chasing this paper’, ‘Money over everything’, and all that other noise. We can declare our love for money but when it comes to declaring our love for God we become reticent. What they really should be saying is ‘I’m chasing God’, ‘God over everything’, and all that praise. The bible says that you cannot severe two Gods: "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24) But we can’t see that. We are too blind in this land of the living dead. We want money because it provides a false guarantee of ease, treasures and power. We want the material things that ostentatiously declares superiority. The diamonds. The cars. The clothes. But the bible talks about that too. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) 


And just to make things a little more clear, I want to reference a few definitions. One of Webster Dictionaries definitions of God is ‘a person or thing of supreme value’. Webster defines worship as ‘to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion’.


We say we believe in God but what we really believe in is the money. On this earth, wealth seems to be the answer for everything. But it’s all an illusion and its not perennial. You will never be satiated with riches alone. Money doesn’t buy you happiness. It can provide you with convenience and luxuries, but happiness comes from within. And as we see with so many celebrities, wealth is sometimes onerous, pulling them farther away from God.  I am not saying having money is a bad thing. But having a penchant for money will corrupt your heart.