Socially, I'm at a point where I am surrounded by a lot of people who believe they are Christians, but philisophically, or theologically, I am having a hard time understanding their belief in God. They typically see God in one of a few different ways;
A) They understand God to be a single humanoid type being, with superpowers, living somewhere up above.
B) They understand God to be this Great War General in the sky, commanding religious armies and individuals to do Gods bidding.
C) They understand God to be some kind of puppet master,placing trials and tribulations in our path, just for spite.
D) They understand God to be a vengeful, demeaning being that only shows grace towards certain people who have either paid their way into heaven (penance), or have signed some kind of contract that signifies a firm understanding in the trinity (The Father, Son, & Holy Ghost).
E) Then there's those who take the Ancient Aliens approach to God, and actually understand God to be an race of creatures from outside our world.
Now I may not be the worlds foremost expert on what God actually is, and I will never claim to be such a person, but I am fairly certain that God is not any of the things above. If you can go through your life blaming God on every hardship or negative event in your life, then I think its time to take a step back and gain a little more perspective on how you value what you might already have and how you might be missing the boat when it comes to aligning yourself positively with the world. If you can say that you always do the right thing and God still puts roadblocks in your path, then I would have to ask you how you are teaching others to do the the right thing while facing hardship. Or a better way to put it would be, how can you always be doing the right thing, if you are still facing up to wrong things happening in your life?
The majority of the Christians I know, typically believe that God is in complete control of their lives, and this way of looking at things allows them to "pass the blame" on to God, for anything they might not completely agree with. This is not how I think God operates, and I find it hard to even think of labeling myself with the "Christian" branding that so many others who do not even have a loose understanding of what God is do. I will not be labeled with the same name as those that believe God will not accept those that have not heard his word and testament. I will not be labeled along with those that believe Gods will is to wipe out entire families and bloodlines, all for some kind of perverse property dispute. I will not be labeled the same as those who believe God is a vengeful, jealous, ruler that requires you to pay your way into heaven.
What other word, or label can I possibly use to signify that the God I believe in is full of grace, love, understanding, perspective, and wisdom. A God that shows us what we can do in our lives to maximize our positive influence on others through actions and not just words. A God that can help us understand what true enlightenment/heaven/etc. really is, and how we can achieve it. A God that shows us how to embody all the qualities of Christ. Since the Christian label has been ruined in my eyes by those that use it, I am looking for a better word that actually fits what I believe.
Suggestions are welcome...
