The Rules Are Simple! (said no one who's ever actually played)

      Before I start, I feel like, if I were a part of a company or something, I would have to write this disclaimer. So, I'll practice it.     I have no actual religious training (if that is a thing). I have not done extra research (well, not much) on The Bible. This and all posts on here are opinion posts. Enlighten me if I'm ever wrong (or if you just want to share your opinion, too) by commenting below on the post.

     



      The Rule Book. The List of Rules. The Commands. Right and Wrong. "Yeah, well The Bible says..." "Yeah, but that's not in The Bible!"

      We can defend almost anything with The Bible. We can defend slavery, discrimination, a ban on football, organized crime, pretty much anything. I mean, it's all in there somewhere, so it must be what God wants.

      I was sitting at a table with some friends, eating lunch. They were having a discussion about what they had talked about in a class earlier that day. Somehow, we (well, they, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut, so I chimed in too) got on the subject of The Bible. The rights and wrongs highlighted in The Bible. Generally, in the theater department especially (I'm sure all other majors too, but I really spend most of my time around theater majors, so, yeah), when the Bible is brought up, we discuss what other weird things the Bible says besides not sleeping with a man as he does a woman. You know, everyone's favorite verse. So, someone had said "well, The Bible bans cursing!" In which case someone else said "common misconception, but it actually doesn't. It just says to not use the Lord's name in vain." My history senses tell me that cursing got some taboo later on and is kind of a recent-ish kind of thing and that language changes things, etc. Nonetheless, the conversation dulled down.

      It's interesting how we validate certain things through The Bible and Jesus. As if the whole of The Bible is to be taken just like it was taken when it was written. This whole taking-The-Bible-literally is a pretty recent phenomenon anyway, but it seems that people have been validating their actions through The Bible even since Jesus was walking through the streets. I mean, before Jesus came, men were trying and trying to show that they were the Prophet by raging war, as the prophecy proclaimed would happen. But then Jesus came and this guy was all peaceful and stuff. Yet He was the prophet. And from our translation of The Old Testament, He was not the guy that was supposed to be the Prophet.

      So, we are taught to be like Jesus. "What Would Jesus Do?" We also have learned that the people who are "good" people are the ones who follow the rules (both in The Bible and in life).

      You know what Jesus didn't do very well, though? Follow the rules. He healed on Sunday (ON SUNDAY! No one does anything on Sunday! Bible says!). He ate without washing his hands (okay, ew a little bit, but also, guess what was traditional with the people then because of the Bible. Yeah, washing hands). He hung out with the outcasts and touched the unclean people. All things The Bible says are wrong to do.

      Now, I'm not saying you should go out and break all rules ever because that's what Jesus did. I'm saying that maybe these rules that are laid out in The Bible aren't rules. Maybe we're seeing it wrong. Or maybe they were rules we were too hung up on. What Jesus really teaches us is what is important. When choosing between being on time to class/work or helping someone jump their car, which would you choose?

      I mean, sure, the answer seems so simple "Duh, I'd help out." But it's not that simple. That's the really hard part about trying to live like Jesus. We don't always have the time or the money or the knowledge or the tools or the luxury to help out.

      So, is living like Jesus really playing by the rules, no matter what? Is that how to glorify God? Or is God calling us to do more? To see when it is important to follow the rules, and when it is important to bend the rules?

      All I know is that this whole living to glorify God thing seems only to get more and more difficult the more I delve deeper. There are more things to be aware of. More stuff to do. But if we couldn't do it, why would Jesus have come?

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."  --2 Timothy 3:16-17

Woo!

Mary Taylor

      

We As Humans

      A couple of days ago, my roommate and I were discussing what this friend of mine posted on Facebook. She was talking about her thoughts on Christianity and let's just say my roommate and I didn't agree with her point of view. My roommate then proceeded to say "your only job is to love God. You don't even have to like each other." Though I kind of agreed, there was still part of me that was thinking about all of those who are lovely people, but not Christians. I mean, are those people doomed for Hell? A lot of people in my life do not identify themselves as Christians, some with no religion at all, but they are no less some of the most amazing people out there. What about them?

      Whenever I think about almost anything church related, I think of how it affects those who aren't Christians. I mean, how can we be accepting of all religions when we talk about salvation only for those who accept Christ? So, I figure there have to be a set of Human Rules. Or at least one. Overall, I mean.

      Jesus treated every single human being the same way. He emphasized, even, treating those who are way different and think opposite you even better than you do yourself (here's a whole bunch of awesome quotes from the Bible describing what I mean). Jesus taught us, over and over and over and over and over again, to love. Love all with all of your heart and go out of your way to love. Love each other totally and completely.

      I have a hard time with people who assume who is going to Heaven and who's going the Hell. It's just a topic that is entirely beyond our understanding, even if we try our best to understand it and think it is plain to see. However, no matter the religion (or, perhaps lack there of), I have a feeling that if you lead with love and truth, then you live a good life. One thing I can't seem to shake is the fact that God loves all. That He has called all of us to love with our whole heart. That He is accepting of the fact that there are 7 billion people on this earth trying their hardest to really understand what love means and trying their hardest to lead a life of love.

      So, in my opinion, humans are called to love one another. We may disagree. We may struggle with it. But we are to love one another and show it any way we can. That's truly what Jesus taught us. To love. Entirely. Isn't that some amazing stuff?

Woo!
Mary Taylor