Ahoy to all.
Here are some stories that I wrote nearly one year ago, that I've just found.
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9/19/2005
Church Day: Nazarene

John 3:16

I’ve heard that one verse more than any other. (The 23rd Psalm coming in 2nd)

If you were to have any other religion with such a death-centric worship, the media would flock to it. They would denounce it as evil. All practitioners’ considered mindless murderers. But sadly, that’s not what I saw when I went into the church of the Nazarene for my weekly Church Day.

The last time I walked in those walls was well over 6 months ago. The same deity was shown (when I was Muslim), but with different wrapping. Wrapping is also used in Scripture to ignore or hide some of the Bible’s many blemishes. Try reading Judges to a Sunday school group.

Speaking of groups, I attended the Teen group. Many came into the small billiard room. A woman guided me to the chair I sat at. I think most thought I was a total. (As in totally blind) The youth pastor started with his discussion on having friends. Here was the gist of the meeting. Have you ever had a time in your life you battled sin? I think some thought of sin as a sword-wielding adversary standing in their way of, in my opinion, Everlasting Stupidity.

Satan was also mentioned. Aw, the good old Yang of the God’s Yin; the essential opposite and doer of evil. You need Christianity to develop a wall which Satan cannot pass. I quickly got bored and started playing with my cane. He asked if anyone had any bad behavior that needed to be addressed, and to come up to the altar. I waddled up, curious what was to happen. I sat and did not know how they prayed.

I sat, cross legged on the floor, eye closed. Feeling nothing, there began a prayer all around me. Many people came up, apparently and touched the shoulders of the ones at the altar. I looked around and noticed the youth pastor, rambling about the ‘love’ that the death of Iesa1 brought. And yay, what grand love that one should feel when a father murders his only son.

I sat down after the Teen meeting was over, and had a heart-to-wall conversation with him. I can only assume my smart-ass comments and facts were well known by him. I started with Mat 15:26 and Mat 26:7-11. He explained to me and told me about how good it felt to have Jesus in his life. It should be your primary focus and goal in life. No thanks. I’d rather live the way I have been.

I stepped into the main room and noticed the large projection screen behind the pastor. The sermon was about risk taking. He gave Jesus’ parable of the three men who were each given amounts of silver. I liked that parable, but was confused. What’s wrong with playing it safe? I see the only reason the 3rd man did not spend his money was fear of his master. That would be equivalent to a woman stuck in an abusive relationship. She is trapped in fear. If she does not do as her ‘master’ says, harsh punishment may come to her. If she does however, I think the man would be ungrateful. After all, he expected her to do something, under harsh penalty.

The pastor compared Jesus to Evil Canevil. I don’t get where the similarity comes in. How did Jesus take risks? If dying by your father’s command is risk taking, then people who committed ritual suicide were also risk takers.

After the service was over, I got up and left. In all, the church seemed like a ‘Country Kitchen’ with a warm atmosphere. I saw many children there as well. It’s lovely the things you can force on those who can’t think for themselves.

Next week is uncertain. I will find somewhere to mosey on into.
Note:
1: Iesa is the name of Jesus in Islam.
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9/11/2005
Church day: Catholic
...Taste and see. The goodness of the LORD...
With those words, I lost whatever sense of respect I had with the Catholic Church as I attended service this Sunday.
As you know, I love learning. I think I will go to one church each Sunday and see (and then criticise... er, comment on) how they worship. Sounds fun, eh?
Well. Being it September 11th, I thought there would be a guilt trip in store for everyone. I was wrong. We walked in, and my mother stopped me. She made the Sign of the Cross and then entered. (When you draw lines where your hand goes, it's an INVERTED Cross. How odd is that?
There was alot of standing, sitting, and kneeling at that church. I first thought the padding under me was a foot rest.
Again, as in the previous week, I heard the belittlment of all in front of the Almighty Invisible. More lovely morallity for ye.
"We as the church are good. Every other is bad. And by the way, we as individuals in this church are also bad."
So who is good?
The purpose of a congregation is for many people to be molded into whatever the Almighty Invisible wants.
Don't follow the Herd. Be yourself.
And with that, I believe I will goto a Pentacostal church next week. Until then, enjoy life to whatever measure you please.
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9/7/2005
Church day: Baptist

As you can see from my favorite quotes, I don’t exactly get along with religion. For the Bible-lovers, here is a passage from the KJV bible:

Exo 4:11

And the LORD said unto him (Moses), Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?

And, in Qu’ran, look at the first few Ayas of Surat Al-Falaq (113)

I seek refuge in the lord of daybreak. From the evil which he has created.

It’s in mankind’s never-ending quest to say “I’m better than you.” to others. That is where my problem lies.

I was talking with a dear friend and he asked me if I’d been in a church lately. I hadn’t so I decided to go and listen. There are two very close to my house. I found, apparently, a Baptist church. There, my learning began.

I walked in at 9, finding that the service did not start until 11. There was a place setup for ‘Hurricane People’ as someone called them. I got a meal, and figured I’d stay for worship. The service started, and I was escorted by a doorman. He sat by me, so I made sure not to laugh too loudly. There was a projection screen in the front. I don’t know when churches became so ‘hi-tech’.

There was a showing of the Tsunami effort. My anger started when I heard a phrase.

“I’m glad that by opening the earth, God has given these people the opportunity to learn of Jesus.”

My eye bulged from me. Yes, what a loving God. However, I can seem to recall in Genesis, God promised to not wipe out humans with flood after Noah’s time.

In the words of the *COUGH* Prince of Peace *COUGH*

Luk 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

That’s quite alright with me. Jesus. I love my father, my mother, my step-parents, and my brother. And since I’ve attempted suicide thrice in my life, I now have come to love my life. You can go on without me.

“Oh Lord, we are sinners. We don’t deserve you.”

As the pastor said that, I started to unfold my cane and think of leaving for the door. It never occurred to me until now. Why do Christians have the highest suicide rates? This is just my opinion, so bear with me. If you went into a place on a weekly basis, and were told that you were nothing, and not worthy of life and anything, but by the grace of God, then how can you take your moral worth?
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Cheers,
-Blind_Man