Congratulations If Congratulations If

If you have CERTAINTY in your religious beliefs. I commend you. What I’m presenting here should not take away from your conviction one whit. I commend you on your testimony. This is just where I’m at.

Me

Throughout my lifetime, I have frequently made important statements that were NOT TRUE. But, I was not aware. Now I am. I don’t consider them lies. I simply didn’t realize that I was not speaking the truth. I’m referring to my statements of KNOWING things I didn’t really KNOW. Specifically relating to religious concepts.

For example: “I KNOW that God lives.” A beautiful statement. At this point, for me, to say it would be a lie…a pretense. I have now trod a similar path as the apostle Paul: “Where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” And, I now embrace Paul’s “enduring” virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

However, there is one thing in the religious arena that I do have certainty about. No pretending. No lying. I KNOW that the teachings and example of Jesus Christ embody a good and noble way to live. I’m specifically referring to Christ’s gospel of charity, kindness, service, reaching out for the “least” among us, the golden rule, standing up to the marginalization of the weak. Fortunately, a modern religious leader said that we should believe in the bible as far as it’s translated correctly. There are some things ascribed to Christ that I view as somehow being translated incorrectly. Those I discard.

So, there you go Mr. Harris, I’m no longer pretending. I am a human being. And, I am certain. It’s my 64 years of lived experience that has given me my rock solid certainty.

Acknowledgment

Thanks Missedinsunday for the meme.