What's it all about?
WE live in an age when people are exploring alternative religions in
unprecedented numbers, wanting to find purpose, a spiritual dimension, to their
lives and turning to alternative religions, philosophies and ways of life. And
I got to wondering why it is that people are rejecting the religion they have
closest cultural links to? Is it easier to find fault with the one you know
best? Is it a rejection from a position of knowledge or from ignorance and if
so, why is their understanding of Christianity so limited?
Christianity is about an inner life of the spirit reflected in practical daily living with other people: it gives life meaning. So: Why are people ignorant of its true meaning? Schools, both state and religious, have a poor history of religious education and the institutions of the Church have made some spectacular mistakes in the name of Christ. But are such incidents a true reflection of what Jesus was teaching? How is it that Christianity has survived this long in spite of the bad publicity? What was Jesus teaching? The only way to know what Christ was about is to go back to source. How many Christians know the Bible as well as Muslims know the Koran? The Bible is a very different book from the Koran; it's a record of one particular people's gradual understanding of their relationship between man and God, written by fallible people of their times. A book inspired by, rather than dictated by God. And it took a long time to reach the point at which Christ was teaching. Is it any wonder then that it is full of contradictions? It is however, frequently quoted, often selectively and invariably without interpretation.
The Bible offers a very firm foundation on which to build one's life. It's about answering to a higher purpose, looking to the good of others, caring about how people live and are governed. So go back to source; read Mark's gospel for a first hand "I was there" account of Jesus' life and teaching. Read John for an intellectual interpretation of Jesus' words and his understanding of God's message. Read Acts and Paul's letters for an interpretation of that message into daily life. Then go back to the Old Testament to see where it all came from. Then you are better informed to choose or reject. The Church doesn't have all the answers, nor does it always get things right, but Christianity is bigger than it is often perceived and shouldn't be rejected out of hand.