I love talking with people who challenge me.  I love talking with people who have great questions.  I love people whose questions challenge the core of what I believe.  I love questions that are asked, out loud, that I have asked internally but have never asked for fear of judgment.

For so long, I’ve believed what I’ve been taught.  Or at least I’ve reiterated what I’ve been taught.  Some of the things that I’ve been taught just can’t be found in the book that they are supposed to be based on.  You may have heard of it.  It’s called the Bible.

Before I go on, I have to give a disclaimer:  I’m pointing out my failings, not only yours.  If you take my words personally, as an offense, perhaps you should check your own heart before you come out swinging.  Just saying.

From various conversations that I have had with various people, I am beginning to conclude that the Church is causing people to be agnostic/atheist. 

WHAT?  Did she really just say that?  Why ever would a *gasp* Christian say such a thing?  Obviously she is living a life of sin and depravity and cannot see what the Truth really is.  Let me call all of my friends so that we can “pray” for her.

Oops…sorry…that was an insight into my mind.  Scary place.  I’ve warned you before.

Why can’t the church get together and come up with one story to tell people?  Seriously…why does it matter whether I wear a skirt, jeans, slacks to church?  Do the lights that you have flashing all over really make you more attractive to the people that you are supposed to be reaching, or does the lights make you feel more hip? 

How about this.  Let’s put pride aside and, as a group, look at the Bible, using whatever version you think is holy, and come up with some doctrine that we all follow.  Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, non-denominationals, the other three hundred branches of Christianity there are that I didn’t mention.  Let’s get together and be the church.  We can have different styles of worship, but WE CANNOT CONTINUE BEATING ONE ANOTHER UP.

Let’s stop casting stones.  My Bible says that all sin is equal.  The murders and child molestors in the maximum security prison are no more sinners than you were the other day when you looked lustfully at that person that is not your spouse. 

Jesus wasn’t actually born on Christmas.  Easter should coincide with Passover, since my Bible says that Jesus was crucified on the Friday of Passover.  The sabbath is supposed to be on Friday, not on Sunday. 

Why do we believe what we are told from the pulpit?  Have any of us really tested the words that were spoken?  Have you gone to your concordance consistently on a Sunday afternoon to make sure that what your pastor said stands up to theological scrutiny? 

Some of the conversations that I have had recently have forever changed the way that I see life, that I see church.  I’ve been scarred by the church, but I’ve not lost my faith.  I know some people who’ve rarely set foot in a church who have been run away from Christianity because we can’t get our story straight.  That, my friends, keeps me up at night.  Literally.