The holy man guru

I just started listening to Wayne Jacobsen from Life Stream Ministries; G introduced us to it at cell last night. I have only listened to about three hours or so of it there's about eight, there are a few things that Wayne touches on that really stand out to me. One of them I think I discussed a few years in the religious post, which kind spiraled. In the second hour of the discussions Wayne talks about how religion belittles Thomas by referring to him as doubting Thomas, because he asked difficult questions. Religious people don't like people asking questions he says, which is something that has always bothered me because why pretend you get when you don't. Yes we get love your enemy don't be vengeful and all that jazz but has anyone asked the crucial question how can I love someone who hates me or worse might want to do very bad things to me? What is really wrong with asking questions about things that just don't make sense to you?

What actually really struck me the most was our perception of God and how we view him as the two very different people. The loving father and vengeful punisher, an idea that lets us exist in this schizophrenic relationship where we are always afraid of being struck down by lighten when we don't behave accordingly. Our warped view of God then has us seeing Jesus as our friend and God as someone to fear and always cower at the very mention. We live a constructed society where we try to use religion to get closer to God but the effort in itself detracts us from a genuine relationship with God. It's not only the people that pray in Jesus are heard anyone who calls out to God is heard.

I am really enjoying listening to the discussions it's just such a fresh perceptive that allows simplicity and doesn't create complication about faith.