My bible study group took a break from meeting, but last night we met again. It was my first time back in bible study since July.
Not everyone was there, one of the ladies who has the most interesting personality was not there, nor was her husband. There are different people there every time actually, but the two of them are usually there. The people at bible study are very friendly towards me, and it kind of makes me feel bad because I wonder if they would be so friendly if they knew I didn't believe exactly what they believe about the bible. But going to this bible study is such a learning experience that it is worth it. I learn both from the part where we actually study the bible, and in listening to the stuff they say.
I'm trying to think of a word that describes how these people are. The word that comes to mind is sheltered. Not sheltered in the sense that they have never had real hard issues or problems in their lives, that's not what I mean. Sheltered in the sense that they don't understand what other people would think of the stuff they say.
For example, last night they were talking about belief in God. Now, those of you who read my blog regularly know that I believe in God. But it was this reason they had for believing in God. They said there had to be a god because Earth is just the right distance from the sun, and has just the right environment to support life. They said that even scientists are starting to recognize this necessity of a creator, but that they are being silly and some are saying aliens put us here. WTF? Who says that?
I probably don't even need to explain why the Earth thing is a crappy reason to believe in God. Obviously, life sprung up on Earth because it was a place that had the right conditions to support it. If the conditions hadn't been just right there would be no life. And the universe is so vast and huge, there has got to be some place, at least one place, with just the right conditions. And that is where life would be.
Other ways they don't understand what other people would think. One of the bible study's sons was at public school. I don't know what it was, but there was something that referred to "a god." The son made a huge fuss about it and insisted that it should say "the God." Apparently it turned into something that was like a big deal. Dude, you're at public school. You need to be open to the fact that not everyone has the same beliefs.
That's the thing about them, they don't understand this. They act like legalizing gay marriage is somehow infringing upon freedom of religion. If you are against gay marriage, don't marry someone of the same sex. That's what I think.
They feel the need to save people, and they don't seem to understand that a lot of people think that their attitudes and beliefs are kind of cooky. I don't know if it's because they don't realize this or because they just don't care, but I think it might be the former.
Anyway, I'm not trying to be mean to these people. I think they are nice people. All I am saying is that I don't think they understand certain things.
I'm leery of "I understand something these other people don't" line of thinking. It is too close to "I'm better than they are because of my beliefs," which is exactly what many religious types believe. Unless your purpose is to dismiss these people entirely, I think it's enlightening to understand their chain of logic. For example, Leviticus condemns crop rotation, cutting beards, and homosexuality, so why is it they now embrace two out of the three?
ReplyDeleteI feel too shy to point out the flaws I see in their logic.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Christians dismiss some of what the Old Testament says, like the dietary rules. Homosexuality is also condemned in the New Testament, in Romans.
I'm thinking about it and I think that if I really saw the people at bible study as inferior to me I wouldn't be able to go, because it would make me feel bad that I thought so little of people who were so nice to me. I have a weakness for people who are genuinely kind and that is how these people are, the pastor is the guy who said the thing about the Earth being the right distance away from the sun and the pastor is someone who is really really nice to me. They are really nice but they also seem strong in the way they are and the issues that they talk about dealing with. The pastor runs the assisted living center that I used to volunteer at so you figure a successful businessman can't be stupid. It's just odd that he would use that argument for God because that's such an easily refuted argument.
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