A classmate of mine used to wear a T-shirt that says: "God is too big to fit into just one religion", with the all the symbols of the world's major religions above it.
The more I think about it, the more I think that the line should read "God is too big to fit into Religion(s)".
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Distressing Thoughts
I am having great difficulties trying to reconciliate the huge differences between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus. While it's easy to see the divinity in Christ's wisdom and acts, I find it tough to see Christ's humility and compassion in the God of the Old Testament.
While I can understand a God who abhors evil and wants only the best for the people, I just can't bring myself to accept a God who intentionally breaks down the unity of Mankind at the height of their humanistic achievement in the construction of Babel; A God who humiliate another faith's adherents by showing off his powers - casting flames down from the heavens; A God who sanctioned a community of people to conquer another nation's land; A God who commanded his people to perform ethnic cleansing and various genocides.
As much as it causes me distress to list them all down, these troublesome thoughts have been plaguing me for months. While I proudly strive to imitate Christ, I am gradually accumulating my perplexity (and God forbid, disatisfaction) towards the God of the Old Testament. I really don't know what am I to do with these... excess baggages.
While I can understand a God who abhors evil and wants only the best for the people, I just can't bring myself to accept a God who intentionally breaks down the unity of Mankind at the height of their humanistic achievement in the construction of Babel; A God who humiliate another faith's adherents by showing off his powers - casting flames down from the heavens; A God who sanctioned a community of people to conquer another nation's land; A God who commanded his people to perform ethnic cleansing and various genocides.
As much as it causes me distress to list them all down, these troublesome thoughts have been plaguing me for months. While I proudly strive to imitate Christ, I am gradually accumulating my perplexity (and God forbid, disatisfaction) towards the God of the Old Testament. I really don't know what am I to do with these... excess baggages.