Interesting discussion today with a friend of mine. Apparently, this person is absolutely certain they are going to heaven when they die. They base this on Jesus' mercy towards 'the good thief', stating that this shows that all one has to do is say, "I believe in You, Jesus' and BAM - you is in, no questions asked.
The guy is serious and told me this because he is very concerned that I am all caught up in this Catholic rig-a-marole....you know, the old "man made" accusations. I am doing all this 'stuff' that mere men made up, see, and so I am not really Christian.
I get the dilemma. The idea that we may have to do more than just say a sinner's prayer (which is, by the way, made up by men) really rubs people the wrong way. No one, least of all Americans, likes having to do something, even if it is good for them. It feels restrictive and that feels wrong.
When I came to believe truly and totally that Jesus was not just some sort of cool guru, another philosopher or just a part of some weird pattern of spirituality endorsed by Oprah, my attitude towards obedience changed. Being obedient to a philosophy, a guru or vague spirituality seems odd to me - dangerous, even. Being obedient to God and accepting the historical reality of God stepping into time and space to be both fully human and fully divine, puts a different spin on it. I am not going to just do one tiny part of what He asks if I think He is Yahweh moving among us; rather, I am going to accept that belief in Jesus means belief in His Church. He founded it. He gave it His Authority. I may not understand it all, but I accept it.
So when I suggested to my friend that I believe Jesus is not bound by the Authority of His Church or its Sacraments, and so may allow those who experience a conversion under extraordinary situations to enter into His Kingdom, but that I AM bound by what HE says to do, he got a funny look on his face. He had never had anyone say that to him before, he said. He went away shaking his head, not in disgust but in wonderment.
So I am hoping.....
1 comment:
You: I am bound by what HE says to do
Me: Jesus said to partake of BOTH ELEMENTS. You take only one. Thus, you are a liar and don;t really give a rat's tail what Jesus wants you to do.
And kindly do spare me the crap answer that he is in every little teeny tiny piece of bread and every teeny weeny drop of the wine. THOSE ARE DAMNABLE EXCUSES that will not stand up on Judgment Day.
You are religious, yes, but just as lost as were the 5 foolish virgins in Matt 25.
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