The local newspaper editor who invited me to write about why I don’t go to church anymore has shared his own views on going to church (or not) in today’s newspaper:
I really liked what he wrote. I remember reading about him taking his Mom to church in an editorial of his a while ago so I wasn’t surprised to read that taking her is a significant reason why he goes to church. I think that’s a pretty good reason to go!
The God of the Bible is said to value obediance more than sacrifice. But that verse, so often taken out of context, says more about those who put the appearance of being religious ahead of what God really wanted from them. The knew the letter of the law, but made a mockery of its meaning.
When I think of God, I imagine he would like honesty, if for no other reason than he sees little of it in many human transactions. Sometimes it seems harder for people to tell the truth to themselves than to anyone else.
But if there is a God who values honesty, perhaps it is because honesty leads to openness and openness to self-examination, and self-examination to growth — or at least the desire for growth.
Comment by: jim
1 09/20/06 7:09 PM | Comment Link |Very honest and heartfelt. You have started a trend
Comment by: Helen
2 09/20/06 7:31 PM | Comment Link |I really liked what he wrote. I remember reading about him taking his Mom to church in an editorial of his a while ago so I wasn’t surprised to read that taking her is a significant reason why he goes to church. I think that’s a pretty good reason to go!
Comment by: Eliza
3 09/20/06 7:58 PM | Comment Link |Very nice essay & thoughts. How nice of him to take his mom, which it sounds like he would do even if he didn’t like this church so much.
These thoughts of his seemed particularly interesting or, imo, insightful:
Comment by: David H
4 09/20/06 8:12 PM | Comment Link |The God of the Bible is said to value obediance more than sacrifice. But that verse, so often taken out of context, says more about those who put the appearance of being religious ahead of what God really wanted from them. The knew the letter of the law, but made a mockery of its meaning.
When I think of God, I imagine he would like honesty, if for no other reason than he sees little of it in many human transactions. Sometimes it seems harder for people to tell the truth to themselves than to anyone else.
But if there is a God who values honesty, perhaps it is because honesty leads to openness and openness to self-examination, and self-examination to growth — or at least the desire for growth.
Comment by: Helen
5 09/21/06 4:58 AM | Comment Link |I liked the comment about honesty, especially because in context the editor was celebrating mine :-)
I also thought it was provocative (in a good way and a way that I enjoyed) to say God values honesty more than obedience.
Nevertheless, my rsponse would be: being honest is being obedient, according to the Bible.
Integrity is consistently honored in the Bible. I like the beginning of Psalm 15: