Recently while studying the Scriptures, it came to mind to conduct some thorough research on what I was reading. Of course, much of the research, I’ve accessed derives from, both scholarly resources and religious historical lore. Shockingly both resources provided me with a wealth of clarity that most of today’s inner city ministers, preachers, and evangelist neglect to teach their congregations. Question is: why?
After all, in order to better educate those seeking guidance through such mediums as church leaders, those claiming to have a vertical connection with a divinity, should first understand what it is they are teaching. Yet when examining the alarming rate of gay teen suicide; as a gay Christian, I cannot sit back and witness such travesty, without bringing to mind past religious facts that still haunt our lives today.
In fact, I blame our ancestors for screwing up today’s church. Reason being, much of what has been written aforetime about most religions derives from hearsay based on anthropologist and theologians, who were privileged to attain vital details about the very fabric of most societies enrichment (religious belief). However, most of my research has also taught me some disturbing news. So much, it evoked me to write this post. Mainly because, today’s Christian church faces a peril of atrocities that continue to ravish its communities.
Sadly, amongst those ravished within many church communities are gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender teens. Many of these teens are reared in single family homes, with mother’s who invest much time, money, and energy in building strong alliances with a neighboring church, with hopes of bettering their lives and the lives of their family members. Unfortunately, the lessons learned about religion and homosexuality within these churches remains tangled webs of lies and destruction.
Take for instance, most often when Christians’ debate homosexuality as being immorally wrong; the first thing many bring up is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, found in the book of Leviticus. Unfortunately, the tales associated with this story derive from a lack of clarity, because even in 2013, most Christians still haven’t read the entire story. If they had they would know that God spoke with his angels, as it is written and conveyed to both of them, that he would spare the entire city of Sodom and Gomorrah, if there was fifty within the city who believed. The story goes on to convey that God instructed he would spare the entire city if there was one person in the city who believed. Yet of all the citizens in the city, not one believed, therefore, the city was destroyed.
Another myth, I found quite staggering, was the idea that God wrote the entire Bible. However, John 1:17 teaches us that Moses brought the law. Yet, we are still bombarded with religious zealots who lack understanding in what it is they profess to believe in. As a result, young gay teens are committing suicide, because they are being rejected by their families, who voluntarily join these non-truth offering congregations that only want their membership, because they know such persons will voluntarily give these non-truth offering churches their money.
And what makes matters worse is the fact that most inner city churches are ran by unlearned Bible teachers. After all, many of today’s inner city Bible teachers seem to be more driven by greed than educating their congregations about the Scriptures and why they were actually compiled. The truth is the Scriptures were written to give us hope. In fact, Romans 15:4 conveys: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Yet it seems most of the hope within many churches has diminished, and instead have become beckons of warfare, because there seems to be more hatred rooting within many churches today than ever before. Oddly, I cannot help but wonder is it true when the Scripture teaches us that Satan will become the minister of light. After all, there seems to be an endless amount of deception interweaving itself into the fabric of the church.
So, why aren’t ministers teaching their congregations the truth?
Personally, I think most church leaders are afraid of the feedback that will erupt within the fabric of their organizations, if people knew exactly what the leader really knows. But the Scripture offers us great understanding if only each of us who profess to trust in such data, invest real time researching every aspect of the information. In doing so, the church could finally regain its wealth of leadership and possibly begin steering the world towards an existence of peace and truth, enveloped in unconditional love.
After all, Corinthians 2:14 teach us: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Moreover, Colossians 2:8 teach us: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
So, why do so many Christians give in to the commandments of men? After all, Mark 7:7 teach us: Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Meanwhile, according to Jewish Encyclopedia.com, the Ten Commandments derive from Judaism’s 613 commandments (jewishencyclopedia.com, 2013). In fact, if you view the web site, you will find a list of what Jews consider to be mandatory commandments. Additionally, another resource informed me on the history of the first five books of the Christian Bible, which actually derive from the Torah or Pentateuch, or the Hebrew Bible (holybible.com, 2013). Yet quite often, many Christians assume the entire Bible was divinely conceived by God himself.
However, John 13:34-35 teach us: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (biblegateway.com, 2013). So, why is the church promoting intolerance towards gays and lesbians? After all, Christ died on the cross for our sins, right? If this is so, then anything we do in the flesh is forgiven. Yet, Romans 8:8 teach us: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (biblegateway.com, 2013).
Yet most Christian ministers continue preaching that being gay is immoral. However, according to the Scriptures, anything we do in the flesh is immoral. But why hasn’t one minister explained how homosexuality became an issue within the church in the first place. Surprisingly, my resources taught me that during the 19th century, St. Thomas Aquinas established the idealism that sex that wasn’t for procreation was sinful and handed down punishment to those who engaged in such behavior (en.wikipedia.com, 2013).
Still this doesn’t convey why the idea of homosexuality was added to the Scriptures in 1973 (wiki.answers.com, 2013). But like most things woven within the Scriptures, most Christians still neglect to comprehend that today’s Bibles are watered down with bias opinions rooted from each Bible committee that revises the Scriptures. In fact, the word theologian’s use for revising the Scriptures is hermeneutics, which means: the study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the Bible); a method or principle of interpretation; something, I learned while studying 12 world religions at, both Florida Technical University online and Capella University (Merriam-webster.com, 2013).
Now with all of this valuable information, when will real Christian’s stand up and take the initiative to bring an end to the public slander this current church continues to endure, based on unlearned ignorance of many church leaders, who continue monopolizing the pulpit to trash folks that engage in sexual behavior that many of them are engaging in themselves. In fact, Romans 2:1 teach us: Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things (biblegateway.com, 2013).
Perhaps this is why there have been an endless number of attacks on ministers who have been found engaging in sexual activities with members of their congregation, as we have been bombarded with over the years in the media, with Catholic priest and many other religious organizational structure leaders. Therefore, isn’t it time the Church take back its official copyright manuscript and stop allowing laypersons to publish unlimited revised editions of the Bible. After all, with so many revised editions such as: New International Version, New Living Translation, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Bible, Joyce Meyers Bible, International Standard Bible, and many others that continue misleading countless souls down a path of utter hopelessness, would not hold as much weight in the heart of Christians, because they would know that King James revised the Hebrew Bible in 1611. Funny though, how did King James understand Hebrew? After all, King James was Scottish and lived in England.
Meanwhile, two leading Bible publishing corporations in the world: Zondervan L.L.C. and Thomas Nelson Publishing have been bought out by Harper Collins Inc (christianitytoday.com, 2013). Now tell me, after all these years, how is it that these two major Bible publishing houses, who always released their Bibles’ opposite of each other, even after revisions were made to those Bibles’, end up being bought by one publishing company whose headquarters is located in London, England and is considered to be secular? Ironically, this is the same publishing company that has published such bestsellers as: The Devil in the Grove and To Kill A Mocking Bird (harpercollins.com, 2013).
So tell me people of the Christian Church, how much longer are we going to allow our church to face such embarrassment? After all, if the church isn’t controlling the publishing of the Bible, why is the devil doing so? No wonder the church is in turmoil, they’ve allowed Satan to become the bearer of light.
Therefore, in 2014, as a Christian congregation, isn’t it time each of us put forth the duty to begin researching our beloved religious history: in doing so, we each can attain a better level of clarity, and cease church ignorance.
Reference
Jewishencyclopedia.com, 2013. Commandments, The 613. Retrieved from: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/
Holybible.com, 2013. Summary of the Books of the Bible. Retrieved from: http://www.holybible.com/resources/KJV_DFND/summary.htm
Biblegateway.com, 2013. John 13:34-35. Retrieved from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2013:34-35&version=KJV
Biblegateway.com, 2013. Romans 8:8. Retrieved from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:8&version=KJV
En.Wikipedia.com, 2013. Catholic teachings on sexual morality. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_teachings_on_sexual_morality
Wiki.answers.com, 2013. What year did the term homosexual get added to the Bible? Retrieved from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_year_did_the_word_homosexual_first_appear_in_the_Bible?#slide=10
Merriam-webster.com, 2013. Hermeneutic-definition. Retrieved from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermeneutic
Biblegateway.com, 2013. Romans 2:1. Retrieved from: http://biblehub.com/romans/2-1.htm
ChristianityToday.com, 2013. HarperCollins Buys Thomas Nelson, Will Control 50% of Publishing Market. Retrieved from: http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2011/october/harpercollins-buys-thomas-nelson-will-control-50-of.html
Harpercollins.com 2013. Best Sellers: Award Winners. Retrieved from: http://www.harpercollins.com/Book/Award_Winners.aspx
