Hrm, well I never finished that one, and I can't remember what I was going to say either, so obviously it can't have been that pressing or urgent.

Bf once asked me, "Don't you get encouraged when you talk to other Christians?"

Maybe I'm just talking to the wrong people, but the answer to that question most of the time is a resounding NO. No, dammit, I don't find talking to the Christians that I encounter particularly helpful at all. This is because I seem to get sidelined by the fact that everyone is so damn sure that the way they do things is THE RIGHT WAY. The ONLY way. (See entry of July 16)

Something I was reading kinda sparked off a fresh wave of feeling on this issue. I was reading a throwaway comment about a book that I had heard was really good dismissed as a " sensationalist piece of fiction based around a distorted interpretation of Revelations". Disparraging, huh? From what I gather, it was written based on a vision that someone had to encourage "Christians around the world to pursue that intimate relationship we have available to us with Jesus Christ" (from the author's website). Now, how can there be two such differing views by two people who (presumably) share the same faith, with the same fundamental principles, namely, that we are sinners only made right by Christ's death on the cross and His ressurection? I mean, I realise that this isn't a fundamental issue of faith or anything (more opinion on a piece of writing!) but they can't be both right simultaneously. So how does the first writer know that their opinion is true? And how does the second writer know that their vision was correct?

Ok, I'm losing eloquence here. In a nut shell, I don't find it encouraging to talk to Christians generally because they are so set on their own views that if someone presents a differing view, they close their mind to it, regardless of the differing view's veracity. Hence, I always encourage my kids (ex-kids?) to not shy away when people ask questions of their faith. Ask questions people! Consider why you do things! It just might lead you to a deeper understanding of why you do the things you do, OR correct your way of doing things.



Of course if you're an open-minded, willing to engage in conversation and examination sort of Christian, then you're most welcome. =)