Welcome! Welcome to Reflections. Here I would like to discuss my theological standpoint, which is a mixture between christianity and zen (the philosophy). This is not meant as to be a soapbox but as a discussion about how I feel about God and religion in general. As a child I was never dragged to church or told to believe a certain way. I was raised and encouraged to find my own answers with the knowledge that I would be loved by my parents no matter how I believed, and though many may disagree with that, I feel it allowed me to see the universe with less rigid boundries. Hate the Sin and Love the Sinner This is a totally bogus statement. In my experience this phrase has been uttered to defend more crimes than the supposed sinners it was used against (oh I apologize, "for"). So far, in my recollection, it was used to defend the murderers of abortion doctors, used to justify the murdering of gays and lesbians, the outright prejudice against women (feminism according to some, not only promotes lesbianism but is a sin against God), blacks (some feel the bible defined blacks as animals and therefore under the control of mankind; that is, whites), and hispanics, among other "minority" groups. I believe that those that use the bible to cause harm, strife and pain on others are themselves going against God's teachings of peace, love for your neighbor and most of all, tolerance. For it is God's position to pass judgment and NOT man's. Whoever first spoke this phrase probably had better intentions but as another phrase goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I found this quote somewhere on the internet one day: "They speak of loving the sinner but hating the sin, but it is clear that their sarcastic words ooze with hatred: they hate the sinner and don't understand the sin". The Head Cheese Many people, when you talk about God, envision God as some old guy in a flowing white robe with big feet and a long beard (a la The Simpsons). I, personally, feel more comfortable seeing God as a spirit (not like Casper). God is the mother and father. This concept complements the Zen system of balance and masculinity and feminity. Which is why when I do go to church I prefer going to a Unity church (read: not Unitarian - although I have been thinking about checking out the Unitarian churches). God, like parents should, loves us, provides for us, and teaches us (not in one fell swoop, but over the course of our lives). God shows us love since God sent Jesus, the son, to die for each and every one of us. Including believers and the non-believers alike (I know many people will disagree with that). I feel that accepting the love of God through whatever guise (zen, hindu, animism) is essentially the same act. Also, unlike modern, orthodox Christianity I do not believe that Christ was divine (son of God yes, God Himself? no). The Book (Latin: Bible) "Read the Bible and the word of God will be revealed to you". To be completely honest, I haven't read the entire Bible. However, the Bible I read expresses nothing but love and compassion to human kind. Those that say stuff like "Sodom was destroyed for X, Y and Z" obviously haven't read Ezekiel where it clearly defines why Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Or they will discuss the "grievous sins of Leviticus" yet totally ignore the rest that "don't apply anymore". According to whose judgment? Since when did Christ say "In the future you can use big magic markers and cross out the parts of the Bible you don't like". This is one of the bigger areas where my Zen beliefs kick in. I personally feel, that for whatever reason, God placed everything on Earth for a reason whether we understand it or like it. I feel that life should be lived trying our best to live by Christ's example of love, understanding and tolerance. Of course, being human, there will be times where we forget ourselves, surrender to emotion or simply don't know what to do but even then, God and Christ love us for God and Christ know us better than we know ourselves. The Hate Value? Recently I came across a web page that was entitled "Hate is a family value", citing God's wrath in the Old Testament upon the unclean as the proof. This, to me, is totally absurd. For myself, I can see how hatred and prejudice could be seen as barriers that one must overcome to reach a higher truth but hatred as a family value is totally against God's message. addendum - heaven/hell. addendum - sarcasm.