"But You Swear You Loved Me More..."

[psalm_onethirtyone]

Right.

I'm going to be an ass, I know I am, but--oh, for heaven's sake. I'd just like to say--I'd like to say.

I'm a Christian. I'm certainly a Christian. And one of the things I believe as a Christian is that loving thy neighbour means not attacking thy neighbour with religious pamphlets, or hostility, or any kind of bias or prejudice. I don't want to convert anybody. I don't believe that's what the point of Christianity is. The point is to love.

I just want to know, am I the only Christian who can coexist peacefully with Jews and Muslims and agnostics and atheists and Catholics? Why do we go around shouting at people and hurting people and trying to convert people and getting offended over the tiniest little things and assuming we're some sort of oppressed minority and we have therefore to protect our values like whoa crazy or the evil pagans will take over the world? Why do we fuss about people demonstrating their own religions? Why to we get so upset at people trying not to offend other people by assuming that not everyone in the world is Christian?

I'm just getting a little exasperated with us. Can't we stop throwing ourselves about self-righteously and concentrate on the much more important things?

It's just--you'll notice that the ten commandments say thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not covet, thou shalt respect--they don't say thou shalt convert. They really don't. Whatever else God's doing in the Old Testament, he's not making a priority over everybody having the same religion. He says, of course, that thou shalt have no other Gods--but really, I think that's sort of a way of saying Hello, don't say you belong to this religion and then go off and participate in that one.

That makes sense, doesn't it?

Also, to-day's Old Testament reading was from Genesis, reminding me once again of why I hate the Old Testament. The Abraham and Isaac passage is almost my very least favourite. But our New Testament reading was from Paul's letters to the Romans, and it was pretty; and so were our hymns. We're a bit off concentrating on How dreadful we are and a little more in to How we shall give ourselves to Thee, o God, which I think is better, at least I do.

And now I will stop being stupid and post the real reason for my post, which is that--

Comments

[meteorspark.livejournal.com]

M. Soujin, I'm relatively positive that you're completely incapable of being an ass.

Also, you're wonderful, and the best kind of Christian, and that makes perfect sense to me (although I can't claim to be a Christian).

Also also, eeee, I got Soujintoes and a flower. I love you. ^___^

[silverdragon262.livejournal.com]

...is it bad that I giggled because she was barefoot?

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhhhhahahaha. Ha.

Ohh, but-- thank you. I just get so tired of us hurting people.

^__________^ You're welcome...! It's a balloonflower. It's not quite right, because I didn't have one to draw from the way I did the pansies and the snowdrops, but it's the right colour and shape and things--! I love you.

[silverdragon262.livejournal.com]

You're not, you know. You're not the only one-- it's just that some are louder than others, more visible than others, that's all.

Ohhh...! Kittens! Eeee... I want to snuggle them, because that's what one does with kittens, even ones made of chalk. They're so cute and there's a heart in the corner--!

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

I wish they weren't. I so much wish they weren't. I'm tired.

^________^...! I hoped you'd like them! The brown sleepy striped one is Horatio, the excited leaping bright one is Hamlet. And of course there's a heart--!

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

I think you make an excellent point. I'm an atheist, and I go to a Christian school (don't ask me why -- I don't know!), and their top priority is to assume anyone who does not believe in their concept of god has something wrong with them, and that they must be converted. I don't really go around asking for trouble of that sort, but it's a topic that's bound to pop up in the required religion course.

I personally have no problem with Christianity, because I think it's a wonderful thing for people to have faith and something to believe in. But when I'm constantly surrounded by people condemning and converting me left and right, I'm grateful that there are still people like you in the world.

And you make beautiful drawings. :-)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ;__________; I just get awfully frustrated about that sometimes, because conversion is not really the whole point of Christianity. Now, understandably, since the OT and the NT both suggest that if one isn't Christian, one will go to hell, people assume that it's better for other people to go to heaven than hell by being converted. But if that's true, I like to imagine that people who aren't Christian will go to the first level of the Inferno, and, at any rate, I've always believed that there's a different heaven for every religion or faith, and people who are good go to a place that would be happy and ideal for them.

*gets off soap box*

^__^ Thank you...!

[metaphora.livejournal.com]

You're probably one of the like, three Christians I know that has that view. Hurrah for the midwest being a Bible belt.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Probably. >_> Congratulations. I'm very, very sorry, on behalf of my entire religion and the fruitcakes in it.

[erinpuff]

...I love you. <333 I got my very own Soujin!chalkdrawing! ^____^

I've got to run, so I'll be back to comment on the religion bit later, but to summarize... WORD.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Of course you did...! Good lord. Although Waen pointed out afterwards that my dots are on the wrong side of the bass clef.

<3333 Thank you. See you!

[karla-yonit.livejournal.com]

I wish everyone thought what you did about religion. (Actually, about many things.) The world would be a much better place.

(Although Dante's Divine Comedy is a poem about religious stuff and a thing of great awesomeness.)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Ah, well. I promised that I wasn't going to try to convert any body, and that probably applies to views, too. :P (--eeep?--) But yes, I'm afraid I'm fairly convinced of that.

(Dante's Comedy doesn't count. <333333333333 Yes.)

[mhari.livejournal.com]

Entirely too many people passing themselves off as Christians, and indeed as Muslims and Pagans and Jews, are in fact devotees of the Church of I'm Better Than You. Stupid knows no boundaries.

I am no theologian, but you make perfect sense to me, and I suspect that Christians like you and nanni and my maman are the reason God hasn't smote us all in exasperation and decided to start over with amoebas.

And you drew me flowers. <3 you, Miss.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

You know, that's a perfect way of putting it, and really does explain matters.

I haven't met you Mum, of course, but Nanni for sure. ^__^ She always restores my faith.

Snowdrops and crocus and crane's foot. ^__^ I didn't have any white, so they're yellow snowdrops, but...!

[little-lady-d.livejournal.com]

proud of thee. ^_^ (i never liked the story abraham and isaac much, either. but more importantly -- proud of thee. the silly taoist-existentialist agnostic has spoken.)

and oh, chalk hearts and colors like stained glass, and a swirl in the y of my name -- and pictures for everyone -- ! it's (you're) the sweetest, loveliest thing. :D

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

love thee. *is a broken record, don't mind--don't mind me* (I don't know. it's not fair at all, and it's just--it's not right. But what's funny is I talked about it with my family, and they all mind it for different reasons. Waen minds it because Abraham, she thinks, shouldn't sacrifice his son--I mind it because I don't think God should have asked for that in the first place and then said, essentially, 'just kidding'-- and Mum minds because she thinks that God is as powerful as he is, he ought just to be able to read the heart of Abraham without tests-- Well, hello, there, I'm babbling..!)

Your name is perfect for writing beautiful. I love you, I love you, I love you.

[josiana.livejournal.com]

*clings* No, you aren't don't worry. You are also very good at phrasing things in an expressive yet inoffensive way.

And your chalk drawings are lovely. :D

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

^^;;;;; Oh, dear. Thank you.

^____________^! I feel rather ashamed sometimes because--well. My icon? is one of Waen's chalk drawings.

Thank you

[my_daroga]

You are an example of a real Christian, and I have to say it's good to have people like you around, because there are so many horrible things done in the name of "religion" that make me sick, and make me wary when people approach me for money or help with some "Christian" cause or organization. I hate that I feel suspicious of these people, because of a certain minority of Christians who make a bad name for the others. So thanks for saying that; those of us who aren't have to remember the world/country's not filled with hateful, bigoted fundamentalists.

Re: Thank you

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[bewareofitalics]

A few months ago, the rabbi at my synagogue gave a sermon about something-or-other and at one point he talked about legislating morality. He said something like, "We know that murder is wrong. Can we make laws about it?" A big "Yes" from the congregation. "How many gods are there?" he asked next. "One," said the congregation. "Can we make laws about that?" "No!"

I wish I remembered the context more... ah well. But I think the point was that you can believe want you want to believe, and firmly believe that you're right and that other people are wrong, and it's okay for other people to be wrong (if that's what you believe). And also, Jews believe that Jews are the only ones who have to follow Jewish laws. Hence the phenomenon of the "Shabbos goy" - non-Jews who turn the lights on for us on Shabbat. *g* (...also, if we tried to make everyone else follow our laws, there would be even more people who would want to kill us, because our laws are nuts.) (And I'm not saying that Jews are perfect, of course - after all, there are the crazy ultra-Orthodox who'll throw stones if they see a woman wearing shorts or someone driving on Shabbat... *sighs*)

...aaanyway, yeah. It should be possible to live together without everyone trying to convert everyone else. And thanks for being one of the ones who does. Live that way, I mean, not try to convert everyone. Obviously. Er.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

I love you. Thank you so much. (...can I say that, in a way, it's reassuring to know that Christians are not the only ones with crazies? Should be obvious to me, but sometimes it's not--oh.) ♥

Incidentally, I suck. I knew there was someone I'd forgotten to draw for. I will go out and make you one on Tuesday, for I shall have Time on Tuesday. Soujin fails!

[lunaedraconis.livejournal.com]

You pretty much rock, and you need to run for public office. That wasn't a compliment, it was more of an order. *g*

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Social anxiety is not exactly a desired trait among those running for public office. :P

[jiasachan.livejournal.com]

You're not an ass. I don't know that you could be, if you tried. You seem to be an incredibly nice person.

And-- I've wondered about this myself, after being told, essentially, that I was going to burn (and having the person saying so telling me that she felt it was her duty as my friend, as someone who cared for me, to tell me so-- we aren't friends anymore) but I think-- well. It's not as overwhelming a majority as it would seem to be, that think that way. I have also been told, frequently, by other people, more reasonable people, that they think as long as someone is a good person, who tries their best to do the right thing, that's all right. And by other people still that, while they'll always personally feel that their way is the right one, they also feel that it's wrong to try to convert someone, because a person's beliefs are between them and God, and whoever else they care to share them with, and you can't force it on anyone. It's just that, unfortunately, the intolerant tend to be the most vocal. But there are still so many loving, wonderful people, people who realize there are loving, wonderful people who believe differently than they do, and that that's okay. And unfortunately, the people like you, the ones who are reasonable about it, tend to get outshouted by those-- but hopefully you won't ever be judged on the actions of those.

--Anyway. You are much better at phrasing these things in a sane and decent manner than I am, and at not being an ass at all. I tend to snap at people about it, and then my point doesn't get across at all, because it makes me look like just another rude, abrasive, Godless heathen. XD

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

You know this already, I know you know this, and yet on behalf of my crazies, I need to apologise and reiterate: you will not burn. Good people go to their own heavens regardless of faith. When I was about--seven, I think? Seven or eight?--I asked Mum didn't God really care more about whether you do good things to other people than whether you believe in whatever kind of God? I don't remember what she said, but now I believe that.

...she said, babbling uselessly.

But thank you so much. ♥

[eremon-lass.livejournal.com]

As far as the religion rant, you make some very good points about certain Christians giving the rest of us a bit of a bad name, and I'll not say more than that because I'm hormonal and sleep-deprived, but yay Soujin.

And your chalk drawings are very pretty. You should travel the world and everyplace you visit, leave a chalk drawing. It would make the world a better place.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

--Thank you.

^___^ I should have to have the money to travel and buy chalks...! But I should like to do that. Perhaps when I am old and eccentric and have amassed a great fortune I shall.

[vivelabagatelle.livejournal.com]

Thanks for standing up for Sanity! Intolerant, preachy people were the main reason I stopped being a Christian. You seem to be handling it in a far more mature way than I did - go you!

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

*ducks* Thank you awfully much.

[(Anonymous)]

You win. You really do! You're the kind of Christian that i can love! (but you did activate one of my pet peeves: Catholics are a kind of christian >.>)

[tomecatti.livejournal.com]

That was me. Forgot i cleared my cookies last night.

[julietveiled.livejournal.com]

----catholics are christian, too--- (auto-reflex, sorry--)

------pansies. <333

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

I was joking. *giggles* The Catholics don't believe I'm a Christian!

--And rosemary, and columbine. Also stars, for thou'rt mine.

[weaselwoman13.livejournal.com]

I love ya and going to a Unitarian Universalist church constantly reminds me how many Christians like you there are out there, even if the rather misguided ones are a bit noisier. Keep spreading the faith in a good way. ^_^

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Ohh, thank you so much. ♥