Holiday greetings
It's my birthday and I get a card from my well meaning aunt: "May our lives by impassioned only by faith... be influenced only by God... be taught only by Christ... Max Lucado". Open card. "May your day and coming year be filled with Him! Happy Birthday"
Aside from the card's oddly (and possibly offensively) worded message... These things come to my mind....
My aunt is an example of a person who credits her life's positive turn around to finding God. She was a drunk, drug addict, abusive mother, etc. She is now a grandmother and adoptive mother. She divorced her alcoholic partner. She goes to church events and retreats and now praises God for any little thing.
It saddens me that she doesn't see how hard she worked to get where she is. She credits God's work. She says God has changed her life. And in line with this, she also blames the negative on bad influences and lack of her faith in God rather than taking credit / blame for her own bad choices. This is one of the biggest problems I have with religion - the lack of personal credit / blame.
Aside from the card's oddly (and possibly offensively) worded message... These things come to my mind....
My aunt is an example of a person who credits her life's positive turn around to finding God. She was a drunk, drug addict, abusive mother, etc. She is now a grandmother and adoptive mother. She divorced her alcoholic partner. She goes to church events and retreats and now praises God for any little thing.
It saddens me that she doesn't see how hard she worked to get where she is. She credits God's work. She says God has changed her life. And in line with this, she also blames the negative on bad influences and lack of her faith in God rather than taking credit / blame for her own bad choices. This is one of the biggest problems I have with religion - the lack of personal credit / blame.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mecca on -
Yes - I can not agree more. I have friends who after they have done well in an exam going "Thank You god". I think to myself - how about thanking yourself for all the hard work you put in?
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Permalink Reply by elaine kilshaw on -
Oh dear, I tried praying to a god not to let any more children starve to death. Nothing happens, why is he so selective. Why not blame god for the bad things you do, oh no it is either the devil or you were bad in a previous life. If it is fact then let them prove it
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
I know this is a stupid question Reggie, but are you a dog or a fox?
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on
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didn't know that breed till now, thanks, I'm an info junkie and to learn something new is almost as much fun as foreplay.
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Permalink Reply by Shine on -
It really frightens me when recovering addicts adopt religious fanaticism as their drug of choice. Like you said, it completely removes any credit for her own hard work and ability. What happens if something challenges her faith in god? I realize that being addicted to Jesus is generally less destructive than a narcotic addiction, but I still see it as placing responsibility and control for one's life on an external source.
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Permalink Reply by Dale Miller-Alderman on -
Absolutely. I can't stand it when people thank god for every little thing that goes right, and blame the devil whenever they screw something up. I mean, I get that some people need to believe in god to have the strength to do things, but they're still doing them on their own, and it feels like the sooner they realize that, the MORE they'll be able to do.
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Permalink Reply by Danielle on -
It's one thing to thank god for things that you personally made happen, if you want to give credit to someone else for something you did on your own, fine. It just seems so disrespectful to me when people thank god for things OTHER people did. Like when people get better because of doctors, or their lives are saved because of firemen, or a homeless person thank god for food they've received from other people. That's what really irks me.
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