Last week I listened to a radio 4 programme dealing with the issue of the deaths of babies and still births. This took place in the island of Ireland up to a relatively few years ago. I listed with hurt and anger at how a churches doctrine had caused so much pain to the parents-parents whose lives were already hurting through the death of their babies. One I'm sure "well meaning" leader actually came up with the doctrine going past the idea of Limbo and stating that the babies had gone direct to hell.
During the week my own brother was put out of the church because he had the audacity to let his adult daughter stay in his house after converting to the Muslim faith. Some "well meaning" leader pointed out that this was contrary to his interpretation of scripture and so it was his duty to maintain the purity of the faith.
Is it only in Ireland that we are cursed with such hypocritical, legalistic blinkered self righteous individuals who feel they have a direct line in understanding God. Do they forget we are all sinners saved by grace and justified by God and added to HIS church and nothing can ever separate us from him?
As a result all week I've struggled with hurt and anger at what so called people of God are capable of.
Today at the table we read these verses " 1st John 4
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
Where is Love???
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Whoops, my comment about our daughter went away. Don't know if you received it. Hope that all is going great in Ireland just as it is here in Indiana except for very dirty air.
Pauline Wells
pwells127@aol.com
Hi, Nope...not just in Ireland. Such sentiments are alive and alas well in the midst of the Canadian Bible Belt!! Have you read Velvet Elvis yet? Do....good read. Heather
Hi,
In the first value sorry for my "poor" english, I arrive in here in my walking by de blogsfera, your words are right, today the people forget the way of salvation and waste of time with a empty doutrines, i like very much of your texts, congratulations from Brasil...
Marcos
contlucas@hotmail.com
Post a Comment