Yes, at age 17, I was told that in order for me to get baptized, I had to do a number of things. I was given a list. I did them. I was given another list and told that I had to complete those too. I did them. I was given yet another list. Did those too. Finally, I was told that because I wasn�t ready... I wasn�t there yet, I wasn�t... I don�t remember the exact word he used. But, I was told I wasn�t ready to be baptized.

heh

If I remember correctly, Jesus didn�t tell people they had to fill out an application, pass the entrance exams and then take the exams two more times before they would be baptized. If I remember correctly, Jesus was kind of like... �You want to be baptized? Okay, you willing to get those clothes wet? Okay, good. Do you understand what you�re asking for? Okay... let�s go. You want me to plug your nose, or do you want to do it? Are you allergic to water? Nevermind, you�re healed of that, let�s go.�

*chuckles*

I can hear some Bible Thumpers out there practically crackling with hatred because I�m �blaspheming� or being �disrespectful� But come on, folks... Do you honestly think that God doesn�t have a sense of humor? Do you honestly believe that Jesus doesn�t smile?

Back off me a bit, folks. I�m just gettin warmed up. *grins, waggling her brows*

Erm... anyway... *winks*

I know, for an absolute fact, that Jesus has a sense of humor. I know, for an absolute, undeniable fact, that Jesus thinks of me as His kid sister. I know that. *grins to herself* And I love it.

Anyway. So, people make mistakes. Ministers, preachers, founders, teachers, singers, children, adults, dogs... well, okay, so dogs aren�t people, but don�t tell Joey.

People make mistakes, so it is necessary to do your own research rather than expecting someone else to research for you. It�s like a relationship with your boyfriend/girlfriend. You can be going along just fine for hours and years and decades at a time, or something. But you just cruise along doing your thing.

Enter mother-in-law *watches The Professor wince*

Mother-in-law starts telling son/daughter what the spouse/significant other really means, what they�re doing and why. Son/daughter gets the wrong information. Spouse/significant other can�t do anything about it because son/daughter isn�t paying any attention to spouse/significant other, son/daughter is just listening to M-I-L because M-I-L is a voice son/daughter recognizes.

IF the son/daughter wants a solid relationship with spouse/significant other, the son/daughter is going to have to do their own research. The son/daughter is going to have to break out of the comfort zone and listen to a new voice. A kind, loving, tender voice. The voice of one who loves them so much they would do anything. But, until son/daughter is willing/able to listen to spouse/significant other in order to get the truth straight from them, the relationship will continue to fail until it is nothing but a cesspool of nothingness.

In the case of brand new relationships where the friends/relatives are the familiar voice and the kind, loving, tender voice is of someone who has watched and loved girl/boy for many, many years: Often, though the girl/boy�s interest has been piqued, the sound of friends/relatives� voices can completely drown out any and all communication attempts from long-time admirer. Until girl/boy is willing to step outside the echo of friends/relatives� negative words (not necessarily intentionally negative -- In fact, often the M-I-L and friends/relatives have the absolute best of intentions) and truly listen to long-time admirer�s voice, no relationship will ever truly grow.

As an extension, those who run to long-time admirer or spouse/significant other out of rebellion against M-I-L or friends/relatives aren�t listening to the real words either. They�re still listening only to what they want to hear. It is their responsibility (boy/girl or son/daughter) to listen and then act not just to react.

Or something.

*smiles sweetly*

Yes, I�ll try to limit my use of the slash in the rest of this entry. *grins*

So, when we don�t listen, when we don�t take the initiative and choose to do our own research, we don�t get the full story. That�s one of the things I liked best about my conversations with Phil. We didn�t talk about what the Minister had said. We talked about the scriptures, what the scriptures meant, how people could interpret them and how each of us interpreted them. We talked about how people could mis-interpret them too.

One of the reasons why I want my own church to be different. I don�t want a church where some single person is the head of the church. Because, God said, Christ is the head of the church! So, I don�t want men or women in authority in the church. I�d have secretaries and the like and I would have something like a correspondence course thing.

Really. Instead of some �church doctrine� I�d supply some kind of booklet with a bunch of verses, a list of various people�s interpretations of them mine included. Then, the work of the correspondence course... you have to read, you have to do the research, and then, you tell me what YOU think it means.

If I want people telling me what I want to hear, I�ll actually get off my ass, record a CD, send it to Sympatico and ask him to call me and sing my songs to me. When it comes to God, the focus is on God, not me!

Oh, don�t get me wrong, I do love it when the focus is on me. When I want it to be. *chuckles* Like, when I sing Karaoke... you�d better be focused on me. And you�d better be applauding and whoopin it up. *grins*

Or something.

It really bothers me when people who observe a Sunday church tell me that they have the power to save me. They don�t have the power. God has the power. God has all of it, baby. You might get to USE the power, but it�s not your power. Just like it�s not my power. I didn�t heal Susan. God healed Susan. I didn�t pray because I thought to pray. I was led to pray. Trust me, I didn�t go outside with the intention of my prayer healing Susan. I went outside with the intention of saying a little prayer and asking God to put His hand on the matter. He did, but using me to give voice to the words which would heal her.

I don�t have the power to save someone. I have access to the power. I am not pure because I�m a wonderful person. I�m pure because Jesus died to purify me AND because I got baptized (i.e.: accepted His death as my being washed in the blood of the Christ).

The reason I say �the Christ� is because �Christ� is His position. Christ is His title. His name is Jesus. That�s one of the things which many fundamentalist churches haven�t tapped into. The person is Jesus.

Regardless, the thing about many Sunday keeping churches which bothers me so much (already talked about the Sabbath, that�s the BIG thing) is that most of them have an attitude of laziness. I�m not talking about one specific group. I�m not talking about any specific denomination. I�m talking about specific church groups... the congregations. There are many congregations, regardless as to

====(And folks, please take note, the word is �regardless� not �irregardless�. There is NO SUCH WORD as �irregardless�. === lo and behold I am WRONG! *chuckles* I just decided to look up the word in my dictionary to cover my ass so I wouldn�t make such a blanket statement. There IS such a word as �irregardless� It means the same as �regardless�. It is a word which started as slang or, as the dictionary states it, �dialectal usage� as early as 1927. It is a word used primarily in spoken word but once in a while, someone will use it in print. The dictionary also suggests that one use �regardless� rather than �irregardless�. It says that the word is still thought of as a non-word. So, I hang my head in humble apology to those who have been so abused by my silent pet-peeve-ness and I will do my best to not be peeved by your chosen format of the thought) *breathes, then continues* Heh, after the spell check? Spell Check says �irregardless� isn�t a word either. *smirks*====

There are many congregations, regardless as to denomination, location, doctrine, which seem to espouse the idea that religion is an hour a week. They have the feeling about them of people attending do punch their time card and accrue enough hours to get paid in the end. Their seeming form of payment? �Heaven�.

There are many of these in this specific area. Not everyone who attends every church here has this attitude. But the churches themselves seem to foster the attitude. Go to church, listen to some people talk. Sing some songs. Crack your Bible if you can find it, take a note if you can manage to lift your hand, then go home. And once they go home? The church clothes come off and they go about their business as if nothing happened.

That�s not what religion is about. That�s not what Christ is about. That�s not what the whole Savior-Who-Died-For-Your-Sins is about.

There are some groups out here who believe that if they read their Bibles through enough times, that will give them extra credit. WTF? It is NOT a competition.

Contrary to some people�s beliefs, religion is not a contest. The one who dies with the most converts does not necessarily win. The church with the richest members will not be first out of the gate, nor will it necessarily be first at the finish line. There is no contest here.

There is a finish line. That line? (In my opinion) True relationship with Jesus and God the Father.

The Bible is chock full of examples of people who strive to do everything right, only to fall flat on their faces. Why? Because (again, in my opinion) they are trying to earn their way into God�s life. You can�t earn a parent�s love. It is a given.

For all of you who have children: Is there a time in your life, since you had the child, that you didn�t love him/her? Oh sure, there were times when you were frustrated. Sometimes you were irritated. Sometimes you were confused or puzzled. Sometimes amazed. Sometimes so completely overjoyed at just the very breath of the child... But did you ever stop loving them?

Were they able to earn your love? Or is it something that you feel no matter what? Do you love one child more than another because the one child brought you roses instead of dandelions? *smiles softly* I personally don�t think it�s possible for a parent�s (not talking about a person who gave birth or simply donated sperm, I�m talking about parents) love to be bought with deeds, purchases, words of flattery?

If your child were good for one hour out of the week, and bad the rest, would that make you love them less? Be frustrated and confused and wonder what you were doing wrong, possibly, but love them less? I don�t think so. If your child were good all the time would you love them more? Adore them, dote on them, spend more time with them, possibly, love them more? I don�t think so.

Love, real, true and honest Agape love is not something you can buy.

Don�t tell me you�re a true Christian if you don�t read your Bible, pray and listen to what God tells you. I don�t care how many hours you spend in church. I don�t care how much money you give to charity. I don�t care how much you sacrifice in order to look right for church. If you don�t do the work, you don�t understand the commitment.

Again, all of that is just my opinion!

There is more I was thinking about writing about, but I�ve been sitting here listening to music and typing on and off for about six hours. I�m tired and I think I might grab a little nap. Don�t get me wrong, I haven�t been writing up this specific diary entry for the past six hours, I�ve only been working on it for a couple hours or so. But I�ve been on this computer, playing games, typing and transcribing for most of the afternoon. I will be posting this entry when I get back up from my short nap. Until then, darlings, enjoy yourselves.

Peace unto thy hearts.