Here are some thoughts about my view of God and what he wants from us. I hope this will spark conversation.

Let’s look at Fundamentalism

            I live my life by the Bible which is inspiration from God.  I do not necessarily live my life by the rules of a priest, clergyman or any other man’s point of view.  I believe God is real and I believe it because he has made himself known to me.  This is an article I put together in a moment of passion for discussing the love of God and Jesus Christ.

            We are living in a time when it seems to be politically incorrect to believe in God at least as far as many are concerned.  I would like to scrutinize myself and my faith.  This is a test.  If I can withstand this I know my faith is strong enough to go on even if others call me a superstitious nut.

            Let’s talk about the word fundamental.  The dictionary says it this way.

                        Of or relating to the foundation or base; elementary: the fundamental laws of the universe.

                        Forming or serving as an essential component of a system or structure; central: an example that was fundamental to the argument.

                        Of great significance or entailing major change: a book that underwent fundamental revision.  The dictionary goes into physics, music and more.   I won’t keep going but let’s take what is written above and look at it.

            The same dictionary describes fundamentalism in this way:

                        A usually religious movement or point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles, by rigid adherence to those principles, and often by intolerance of other views and opposition to secularism, insisting on the inerrancy of Scripture. 

            You may be asking what does all this mean to me.  I believe that the fundamentals of true faith in God will not be as rigid as it will be forgiving.  The very fact that we have so many different denominations all of whom are claiming to lead by the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit causes us to wonder about just what is fundamental to our faith.

            There are those who believe God is an imaginary character made up by people who want more life after this Earthly existence is over.  I believe he is real.  Please notice I say he because I really do not know what to call him.  God is more than we see.  If we try to imagine him in a form that poor brains can comprehend we do not see him in his totality. 

            There are those who claim that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of scriptures written by many different people throughout the ages in an attempt to prove the existence of God.  I believe it is a collection written by many different people.  I also believe that somewhere along the way somebody said this part does not belong or we should add to it.  Our Lord warned us about adding to or taking away from the word.  Did he mean the Bible?  He announced himself as the “living word.”  With this in mind, if I judge a man who believes in Christ differently than me I am guilty of casting judgment.  If I judge you God judges me.  I believe I would rather show tolerance.

            I guess this all can be summed up in a short question. 

            What are the fundamental beliefs of Christians?  There are certain four letter words we do not use because Jesus said, “It is not what goes into a mans mouth that defiles but what comes out.”  I have read the Bible over and over.  Those four letter words are not mentioned.  There is no place where it says this word is a swear word and you will go to Hell for saying it.

            One more thought.  The marriage ceremony was not part of the Jewish culture.  If you read the scriptures you will see that Joseph knew Mary and they became man and wife.  I am not putting marriage down.  I have been married for thirty-seven years and gladly so but I will not judge others.

            I will close with one more thought from the dictionary.  It states that fundamentalism is an organized, militant Evangelical movement originating in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in opposition to protestant liberalism and secularism, insisting on the inerrancy of Scripture.  Adherence to the theology of this movement.

            Let us all get back to the basics but let us not forget that the Bible is a challenge for us to understand because God is a challenge for us to understand.  God created the Earth and all that is in it in just seven days.  These were seven of his days.  A day to God will see generations come and go.   One more example of the true fundamentals of Christianity is the Ten Commandments.  Live them and know that this is the will of our creator.  Keep in mind that Christ lived these commandments perfectly.  He never took a life. (Thou shalt not kill)  He honored his mother and father; he had no other Gods before him.  He kept the Sabbath.  Go down the list and you see the perfect man.

            Study the bible, debate what it says but let not your differences of opinion drive you apart from one another.  Learn and share what you have learned but never become so caught up in what you think is your knowledge of God that you fail to realize that you can be wrong.  All of life is a learning process.  Let us learn together.   When we let the Word drive us apart we injure our souls.