This series of Essays will be dealing with teachings poorly founded on misinformation, or ones that have long been misunderstood owing to dubious interpretation of the Bible. Sometimes this involves delving into subjects where no clear conclusion is available, yet where Christian organizations have adopted various, but totally dogmatic positions. Alternatively, they will be subjects avoided by mainstream churches frightened to stray onto controversial ground.
May I say that rarely are the conclusions of any of my essays what I expect them to be when I start writing. Usually, as I start researching and praying for His guidance, my perspective changes from what my preconceptions were. “Climate Change” and “Science” are typical and it is exciting to realise that having an open mind can give greater insight. “Unconditional Love” had been sitting on my hard-drive for at least eight months, while I was hoping for some loophole to become obvious, proving me wrong! “Rapture” has also been a work in progress for some time, and the amount of learning that has resulted from writing it, and the personal growth that stemmed from that, has been enormous.
I trust that my readers can approach these subjects with an open mind as well, and be blessed accordingly.
Climate Change
The amount of misinformation published, and scare tactics employed, to serve the agendas of just a few is enormous. What is the truth about global warming, and how does the Christian perspective fit into the scheme of things? What should be our response?
Science
For too long we have been led to believe that some things are ‘scientific’ and ‘fact’, when really they qualify as neither. Much of the ‘information’ brought to us by the media, the schools of learning, and the political arenas is there to serve hidden agendas. Am I paranoid? Am I a conspiracy theorist? Judge for yourself.
Rapture
There are so many different perspectives on when this event will take place, the mind boggles. This is a journey through the Bible prophecies relating to that event, trying to make as much sense as possible out of the texts, viewpoints and conclusions drawn by others.
Unconditional Love
We have been told that God loves us unconditionally. We believe when we marry that we should love our partner unconditionally. We know we love our kids unconditionally. Is any of this true? Or have we been brainwashed by idealistic dreams, influenced by the wishful thinking of parents, pastors and peers?
The Hard Bits in the Bible
The God of the Old Testament is very difficult to reconcile with the loving Creator and Saviour we know personally and have fellowship with on a daily basis. The principles taught by Jesus, of loving our enemies, I can’t find in the O.T. Does that mean God has changed somewhere along the way? Sure, we were to love our neighbor under the Old Covenant, but ‘our neighbor’ didn’t seem to include idol worshipers and those who stood in His way, in those days of old. I was determined to find answers, re-read the entire Bible and summarised it in 36 pages. Here it is, 9 months work. We can’t change God, but I am now more at peace with the all-sovereign, all-knowing, all-powerful God He is, and has always been.
Truth
I watch and read everything I possibly can that supports views opposing mine, including the plethora of programs promoting Darwinian evolution, neo-Darwinism, nature documentaries, science programs, genetic discoveries, religious web sites, as well as sermons and philosophical expositions. I am sure I have not even begun to touch so much as 1% of the information available, let alone fully grasped what their authors are trying to say. In the end, having witnessed human behaviour up close for six decades on this earth, like everyone else, I am forced into the position of drawing conclusions as to what is TRUTH from the severely limited data at my personal disposal.