My Facebook is lighting up with praises to God for saving the ministry headquarters of Summit Ministries. Summit is a Christian organization that claims to have absolute truth on everything in life, purportedly receiving its direction from the Holy Bible. Thus, they look at themselves as blessed by the Almighty because, after all, why wouldn't the Almighty bless those that are perfect in purpose?
Then, the Colorado wildfires.
Summit Ministries was spared. Sure, they had to move their classes to another facility for a while, but no property damage was reported on their campus. Thus the praises to God on my Facebook.
Why does God care more about Summit Ministries than the hundreds, even thousands, of families and businesses that lost property and even homes - everything they own. Why would God burn the forests, home to millions of rabbits, dear, bear, bugs, spiders, birds, and even bees. Why would he do that and then create this magical wall around some ministry that is doing what he wants?
I bet if you took a poll, there were many families and business owners that were praying profusely to their god - more than likely the same god Summit Ministries pretends to know perfectly - and yet their livelihood went up in smoke. Why them and not Summit?
What would the rabid excitement be like on my Facebook wall had Summit Ministries evaporated in a wall of flames? Would the same crowd that praises their god for sparing their pet ministry also praise that god for taking it away? Or would they ask for lots of money, rebuild, and then praise god for giving them lots of money to rebuild and make things better.
However you slice it, a Christian ministry can never be judged by God and yet, everyone else gets his judgement. The hypocrisy is sickening to me.
Let's all agree that stuff happens, fires burn, lightning strikes, winds blow, and people die. It's life people! It has nothing to do with a higher power. If you're spared, grab a shovel and help those who weren't as lucky. Stop the sanctimonious and finger poke in the eye praising of your god who seems to be pretty picky these days with whom he spares and whom he doesn't give a crap about.
That is all.
Love,
I. C.
Then, the Colorado wildfires.
Summit Ministries was spared. Sure, they had to move their classes to another facility for a while, but no property damage was reported on their campus. Thus the praises to God on my Facebook.
Why does God care more about Summit Ministries than the hundreds, even thousands, of families and businesses that lost property and even homes - everything they own. Why would God burn the forests, home to millions of rabbits, dear, bear, bugs, spiders, birds, and even bees. Why would he do that and then create this magical wall around some ministry that is doing what he wants?
I bet if you took a poll, there were many families and business owners that were praying profusely to their god - more than likely the same god Summit Ministries pretends to know perfectly - and yet their livelihood went up in smoke. Why them and not Summit?
What would the rabid excitement be like on my Facebook wall had Summit Ministries evaporated in a wall of flames? Would the same crowd that praises their god for sparing their pet ministry also praise that god for taking it away? Or would they ask for lots of money, rebuild, and then praise god for giving them lots of money to rebuild and make things better.
However you slice it, a Christian ministry can never be judged by God and yet, everyone else gets his judgement. The hypocrisy is sickening to me.
Let's all agree that stuff happens, fires burn, lightning strikes, winds blow, and people die. It's life people! It has nothing to do with a higher power. If you're spared, grab a shovel and help those who weren't as lucky. Stop the sanctimonious and finger poke in the eye praising of your god who seems to be pretty picky these days with whom he spares and whom he doesn't give a crap about.
That is all.
Love,
I. C.
Boohoo... no one's allowed to be happy anymore, especially Christians. Go suck your thumb.
ReplyDeleteObviously, you missed the point of the article. This isn't about happiness. It's about thinking past praising God for your gains when it means others have lost and lost much.
DeleteIf we didn't praise because others have lost, there would never be a moment of praise. There's always someone who has lost more than us. Football games wouldn't be any fun anymore.
DeleteTake joy in your good fortune (or bad fortune if you are really a "good Christian"). And work hard to better the others' worse fortune. Isn't that all the mantra that is ALSO coming over your facebook waves?
No, I didn't miss any point.
Yes. You did miss the point. I'm not against happiness for good happenings. I never said that.
DeleteOk... your point: "It's about thinking past praising God for your gains when it means others have lost and lost much."
DeleteWhy do you sense it is needful to think past praising God/being happy, even when others have lost in the same event (my football analogy, the CO/NM/NV fires, the Duluth, MN flooding, etc.)?
One can be happy that worse things didn't happen to them. For example, up in Minneapolis last night, some 5-yr-old black kid got shot while laying on their couch. Having kids myself, I cannot imagine the grief that the family is feeling. I catch twinges of it as I try to put myself in their shoes as if it were my kid.
Another reaction that I can have is to be happy/praise god that I do not live in parts like that or that my child hasn't been a victim of violence. These are not good things that are happening, but rather bad things that are begin avoided.
Is it correct to assume that your problem is actually with the public display of happiness about one's good luck of not getting hit by the fire while others are? Otherwise, I am still missing what is riling you so.
And, as I said (and you suggested in your last paragraph), most of the people out there in CO that I have been communicating with ARE grabbing a shovel in tandem with their praise.
Simple. The fact that Summit Ministries deserves to be saved by God more so than others.
DeleteOh... wait... Jesus says not one sparrow will hit the dirt outside God's (note the capital G) care or knowledge or will. Title purports too much expertise about a god that is described in the Christian holy book. How about "MY god does not care about your buildings."
ReplyDeleteIt's less hypocrisy than sheer narcissism on a sociopathic scale. They only care about themselves and no one else
ReplyDelete