False Hope. (discussion follows the topic)

I am often disturbed by the stories that are told to give people hope.  As children we were told that Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy were characters that brought us gifts.  I sometimes equate the religious versions of God in much the same way and ask myself the question, are those Gods mythical characters just to bring glimmers of hope?

The tragedy is that in adversity we grasp at anything to give us hope because when all hope is gone there is no reason to live.  

Unfortunately I have seen the other side of the Christian versions of hope where people are twisted and screwed up even more from it.  

Telling people lies of hope is setting them up for failure.  Telling people they can live healthy and happy lives under the law of God is simply not true.  Many Christians take these ideas from the mythical story of the Israelites wandering in a desert for 40 years.  The Bible claims that their shoes didn't even wear out.  By obeying God's law, they were told their lives would be happy and without illness.

Many Christians claim that God wants to intervene in people's live to remove illness and make relationships whole.  As a result many people are conned into Christian faith, in hope of these false promises.  The end result is even more despair and pain.

Have some thoughts?

It is my firm conviction that man has nothing to gain, emotionally or otherwise, by adhering to a falsehood, regardless of how comfortable or sacred that falsehood may appear. Anyone who claims, on the one hand, that he is concerned with human welfare, and who demands, on the other hand, that man must suspend or renounce the use of his reason, is contradicting himself.

There can be no knowledge of what is good for man apart from knowledge of reality and human nature — and there is no manner in which this knowledge can be acquired except through reason. To advocate irrationality is to advocate that which is destructive to human life.

George Smith, Atheism: The Case Against God

Thanks REK

So does that mean we create a heaven to make us feel secure.  Sounds strange to me.   

Funny you say about being terrified.  My own mother in law is terrified of dying too.  And she’s a Christian.  There will always be a fear of the unknown, but I have personally been with people close to death who were looking forward to it.   I spent some time with a neighbour of ours a couple of years ago who was dying of cancer.  He was curiously welcoming of death. 

I am looking forward to death to see what, if anything lies beyond.  I’m not worried at all about the ideas of heaven and hell any more than any of the other religions ideas of after life.  The fact is that I will live on.  That’ll be through my children and the people I’ve influenced.  My atomes will move on to be something else too.  Maybe a lot of my elements will become a tree or something.  Maybe there’s good reasons why the Hindus and Buddhists believe in a life cycle.

 It is true that belief in a future path creates a measure of peace in our minds.  But how long can we continue to fool ourselves with these stories that we know can’t be substantiated.  Eventually belief in Santa and the Easter Bunny fades away into reality.  I tend to think the same about all the ideas of after life. 

 You seem to be concerned about living the Christian life.  You are obviously torn.  Leaving the Christian faith is always difficult, especially if that’s all you’ve known for so long.  It’s just the same for a drug addict or a married person.  Change is always difficult.  However, you should not try and escape from you deep feelings.  Face them and ask the questions that need to be asked.  If you feel that the Christian faith is what you should be doing then do it and don’t mess around.  However, I get the feeling that you feel that deep within you the Christian faith does not have the answers you were told it did.

 So you are in transition.  That’s fine!  Don’t try and hide from the journey you want to take and ask the questions that need to be asked.

 I struggled with the pain of transition for a long time.  Possibly a year or two.  But then I found the other side to be fresh and exciting.  I am re-learning about life and am enjoying it.  I hope you can do the same.

REK says 15/2/06

well thanks - i think - but u don't help matters much Mike!  Yep I am in turmoil - end of the day I die - nothing happens I suppose!!!!  I have been a good person and helped others - yep I have - I guess where do u go from there???? anyhow, off to beddie bies shortly i spose - look forward to chatting soon......................heaps of stuff to discuss - just hate it that u make me feel stupid and on the defensive all the time........

Thanks REK.  All the discussions are to some extent personal.  I have obviously touched a nerve.  I would never apologise for that.  I know when people touch a nerve in me it usually means I’ve got something to learn.  I can recall some stuff back a few years where a couple of people in the church influenced me big time.  It was this that started me on the social justice road and I’ve never looked back. 

You have a right to feel on the defensive, because you are trying to stand up for things you believe are right.  That’s good, but none of us are always right.  That’s why I think it’s worth weighing up the other options. 

I wrote this on the front page of the site at one stage.

This site is not designed to give people answers because I am resigned to the reality that many questions, not all, may not have answers.  I want to provide opportunities for people to consider some of the many other possibilities.  If you go away from my site a little confused, well I have achieved one of my goals.  In my experience, I find that people are ignorant of other views and opinions.  We are all ignorant, it's just that some people are more ignorant than others. 

Don’t be put off or offended.  The points you make are important and need to be said.  Let’s not be afraid of speaking our thoughts.  I know that in my family life as a child it was wrong to speak what you thought was truth.  It was all about the right words at the right time.  The again, to quote a Bible verse, I do think we need to speak the truth in love. 

 Anyway don’t feel put off.  I have to be me and it would be hypocritical to be anything else.

It might seem like I’m listening with more understanding to some.  I guess that’s what you are saying.  It’s just that these issues you raise are close to what I’m about as a person.  I always speak very decisively about social justice issues.  A bit like Jesus, Ghandi, Mandella, Martin Luther-King or any other social reformers.  They all provide a bit of a model for me.

DEMETRIA SAYS 5/3/08

Mike:  I agree with the part of your article that addresses the fact that parents lie to their children about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.  You are right they are a pack of lies.  My parents did the same thing when I was growing up however, they also place in me something else and that was hope in Jesus Christ (the Son of the Living God).  Through that I was able to research for myself and discovered that there is a Blessed Hope in addition to False Hope.  Just as we have the truth of a matter there is a lie.  My Bible tell me that I would know the truth and the truth will make me free (John 8:22). It also tell me that wisdom is the principle thing and in all my getting to get understanding. God is not a fairy tale nor is He human like you and I.  He is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  You are thinking that this person is on a soap box and preaching to you about a God or a Jesus that you really don’t want to hear about and that’s okay because if I have gotten you to read this much then the seed has been planted.  Now, you know that Jesus and His Father (God) are one and He is alive and it is because of Him that you move and have your being (ability to be) if not then I challenge you to pick up the Word of God and read it with a open heart expecting to receive the power of the Holy Spirit as it moves through you and you will see for yourself that He is not a Santa Claus, Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy.  I don’t expect to hear from you but my Hope is in Jesus Christ and I expect that you will receive the gift of salvation through the Holy Spirit and I will see you in heaven.

Sign, The Challenger