Thread by @JoLuehmann

Lies from Sunday School

The Bible is clear - No, it is not. People have argued issues in the Bible for as long as the book has existed. On any given issue you can argue for or against using the Bible. Even the books in it are still argued amongst different denominations.

1/

The Bible is the word of God - this assertion is nowhere on the Bible. Considering the collection of books was curated hundreds of years after the individuals books were written, it makes no sense to read any verses to mean the Christian Bible is the word of God.

2/

Christianity is the only true faith - There is as much evidence to back this claim up, as there is to back Hinduism, Islam, or agnosticism as superior beliefs. Faith is helpful so long as it enhances our spiritual life. This assertion is rooted in supremacy culture.

3/

Jesus died so we didn’t have to go to hell - Jesus the Jewish man didn’t believe in hell. And an all powerful God that demands human sacrifice to have a relationship with their creation isn’t all powerful. Jesus died because he stood against systems of oppression.

4/

Christians have to proselytize - No, Christians have to live out their faith, which means loving God and loving neighbor as self. If coercing people to be Christians is the goal, how come Jesus didn’t proselytize? And the Great Commission isn’t about proselytizing.

5/

It is loving to tell people of eternal hell - the idea of hell has changed vastly. The idea of a place eternal torment for those who don’t do what the church says is a later invention and it is psychologically traumatizing, nothing loving about traumatizing people.

6/

Jesus is the only way to know God - the Bible speaks of God being love. Love is rather universal. Love and divinity are interconnected. Jesus isn’t the only way to know love, or divinity. Love and divinity extend far beyond Jesus. Even the Bible says so.

7/

Pastors are paramount to a relationship w/God - No, peers are paramount. People who hold us accountable, support us, grow and learn with us; and love us well. Those can be vocational pastors or not. There is no inherent authority given to vocational pastors.

8/

Church attendance is mandatory to have a relationship w/God - Church is a people, a way of life, a commitment to community, not a place. You don’t attend church, you belong to community; that community can be a corporate church or not. Community is what is paramount.

9/

You can’t know morality outside of Christianity - not only is this proven wrong by looking around, but listening to the marginalized and practicing emotional intelligence will lead us to ethical behavior with or without Christianity.

10/

You can’t know truth outside of Christianity - Truth when it comes to faith is absolutely subjective. Beyond that many non-Christians know a lot of truth that is factually corroborated. Christianity doesn’t have a monopoly on facts or reality.

11/

God expects our blind obedience - The words for obedience in both Hebrew and Greek mean to listen intently. People often use obedience to demand submission to authority figures. Obedience is blind, it’s a means to manipulate. Listening is healthy and an acceptable request.

12/

The heart is deceitful, you can’t trust your emotions - Emotions happens spontaneously in several parts of the brain, they aren’t something to subjugate or deny; they inform us of what’s going on within us. The heart is an organ that has nothing to do with our emotions.

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You need permission to make decisions - This is translated to needing permission from authority figures. If God is within us, permission was granted when we were created with free will. We don’t need permission to make decisions; we need to ensure we aren’t harming others.

14/

We respect authority figures - We don’t owe respect to anybody due to rank or position. We respect all humans because that’s the right thing to do. Honor others’ humanity; that’s respect. If people abuse or cross boundaries, we get to hold them accountable, that’s not disrespect.