Scattered Thoughts: On Religion

"....there may well be a God somewhere, hiding away. Actually, if he is keeping out of sight, it's because he's ashamed of his followers and all the cruelty and ignorance they're responsible for promoting in his name. If I were him, I'd want nothing to do with them." — Philip Pullman 

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." — Mahatma Gandhi

I understand these quotes very well.  The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the ruling of England from Henry VIII to the Glorious Revolution, Martin Luther burning Jews, the Puritans, the group right now that's invading soldiers' funerals.

Every generation of the Church has had its Tragic Failures.  And it's the radicals that make the news.  The county preacher who's actually filled with the Holy Spirit, never did anything "really" wrong, doesn't get an article written about him.

This morning, my mother put on the kids' version of Christian TV.  Charlie the Church Mouse.  And Monster Sunday School.  (Because, like Monsters need Jesus more than anybody, I guess.  Certainly more than vegetables and fruits ;).  )

The show really bugs me.  It always seems to be only 1 monster doing wrong, or only 1 putting his foot in his mouth.  He's the Designated Failure.  The rest just seem to be perfect.

Annoying.  Nobody's perfect.  I would've liked it a lot more if several of them were constantly messing up.  (Not that the little that I've seen didn't show another messing up, but one kept messing up.  Why not another one?  Bad writing.)  Sure, there's the people who seem to have it all together, but I tend to shy away from those people.  We have nothing in common, after all.

I wonder if the children that are worrying about being sexy and cool are too young to hear this and should they hear it?:

"We are closest to Christ when sharing the world’s misery. Think you Jesus came to remove our pains? Wherever did you get that notion? The Lord came, not to remove our suffering, but to show us the way through it to the glory beyond. We can overcome our travails. That is the promise of the cross." — Stephen R. Lawhead