Failed Missions And Needless Loss
As I look around at global news sources, I see, time after time, some Christian Missionaries in prison, being held, tortured, or killed.
The simple reason that they are being imprisoned, tortured, or killed ... is because they do not belong there. They are not welcome in these countries. These countries have their own traditions and religious beliefs that have been in place for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Modern Fundamental Christianity has it in their minds that they must "save the world" and convert everyone to Christendom. They believe that accepting Jesus into your heart, and reciting the "Sinner's Prayer" ... gets you a ticket to the Heaven of the Afterlife simply by accepting that Jesus is God. The other option is, you will have eternal torment in the furnace of Hell's fiery depths, screaming and writhing in pain and agony forever. But, as George Carlin once said ... "God loves you."
No where in ancient scripture is it said that you must believe in Jesus to be saved. Nor does it say saved from what? The 7 Year Tribulation? The Flames of Hell? The Rapture of the Saints, not being left behind ... these are ALL allegorical, metaphorical, and metaphysical events. They are NOT literal. The only thing anyone needs to be saved from is the ignorance of not knowing they are Divine. That they are already a child of God/Source and all we have to do is enjoy life and do our best to be sure everyone else does too.
If Bob believes that Bunny Rabbits are the God of the universe, then that works for Bob. Bob need not push or sell his belief system on anyone else. This is where trouble starts with all Christian Missionaries. And how they end up dead or tortured and then dead. They go where they are NOT wanted or invited and start trying to convert people from their native religious beliefs to Christianity.
The Roman Church did this in every land they invaded. Become a Catholic or die. At this point, they seem to have given up this habit. Probably because they own the entire world now anyway, so there's nothing more to gain.
But these Pastors who go to Somalia to preach the Gospel of Jesus are walking into a fiery furnace all of their own accord. They know the risks, yet in their ignorance, they say "the God/Jesus of the universe will help me and protect me." In a way, they're right. GOD/Source has proven to them time and again why NOT TO GO. Natural instinct and intuition tells us this is a dumb idea. But ... they do it anyway.
Then they get jailed, tortured, people pray for them, they become martyrs for the "Word of God" and yet ... their GOD/Jesus does not save them from their perils. Why? Because they transgressed natural intuition, defied intelligent decisions, ignored so many who told them it would be dangerous and stupid ... but they did it anyway. And they will probably die. So who do we blame ... God? NO.
We have been given a mind of reasoning to help us to discern right from wrong ... through our own experiences and through others. Sometimes, the ignorant choices will ultimately involve tension and trouble between two countries. The bottom line is this ... stay home. Go to your church. Live your lifestyle. But stop trying to convert the world to what your beliefs system is.
You don't have it right, I don't have it right, nobody has it right. So live and let live. Let people find their own spirituality through the experiences they have in this life. Who are you to tell a Muslim that he must become a Christian or spend eternity in hell fire? Who are you to tell an Atheist that they must believe in God to save their Soul?
There is no "Good News" (The Gospel) in telling people they will spend eternity being punished by some imaginary guy in a red cape aiming the flamethrower at you forever, and ever, and ever.
The GOOD NEWS is that all of this is fable. It is masked as literal storylines through myth and allegory. You don't have to win a prize to enter the afterlife. You are eternal energy. You're the age of the universe and will continue on long after this shell of a body has served it's purpose. The only thing you need to be "saved" from is the ignorance of not knowing who you already are.
Stop building homes in the direct path of a hurricane. Stop building cities at the base of a volcano. Stop settling residential communities in tornado alley ... and stop going to foreign countries where you are not welcomed with the intent to convert their people to your religion. More people's lives will be saved, by using your God/Source given human reasoning to discern danger from safety.
Just a thought ...
~Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.
