Biblical Stuff

I came across a fascinating thing on Google today about laws in the Bible that most people today consider passe. One chunk of it described how members of the church were supposed to act. It reminded me of Dick.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=301661

Dick (My grandmother's husband) was a minister for most of his life. This house had hundreds of Christian books. They were all dusty and hadn't been read in years, if ever, according to my grandmother. Dick would buy them at garage sales and arrange them strategically on the shelves so people would see them and be impressed.

You'd think somebody who felt compelled to devote their life to God would also feel compelled to be a good, shining example....But he didn't at all. Dick was a raging alcoholic, abused his wife and kids, kicked out two of the kids when they were 14 years old, has repeatedly hit his own grandchildren, makes racist comments, etc etc. I've been wondering lately what sort of reception he's going to get when he dies. He's never really seemed to actually BELIEVE in God...He's admitted that part of the reason he became a minister is for the tax breaks.

I've never felt an urge to profess my beliefs, or go to church regularly so everybody would see that I was a "good Christian". I believe in God and think we have a pretty good relationship. I try to be good, I haven't killed anyone or done anything TOO horribly bad...And in return, God hasn't hit me with a bolt of lightning yet. (My mom has been struck by lightning 3 times already. Hmm, is that a sign?)

I think people take religion way too seriously. They should focus on becoming a good person, loving and helping others, judge not lest ye be judged, all that good stuff...Instead of focusing on the more arcane laws in the Bible and telling others why they'ye going to hell, to the exclusion of bettering themselves.