No More Rules

          
            It seems like a lot of people have the erroneous concept that  Christianity is all about following a lot of rules. Many believe that to be a Christian you have to sign up for doing this and not doing that - a standardized set of rules handed down from God to humanity through the church. In truth, historically the church tried to control its congregants through lists of ethical and moral standards. This church dogma was for the most part well intentioned. The church wanted us to avoid falling out of relationship with God and thought these rules would keep us out of trouble. The problem with these sets of standards is they don't fit. People are not standardized. What each of us needs to avoid is that which separates us from God. All of us unique human beings have different weaknesses, different issues that can get between us and God. Therefore, there is no one standard that fits all people. As in any relationship, the standards are unique to the individuals and the situations in which they find themselves. God handed down very few commandments - love God and love one another. The ten commandments and all other laws are encapsulated within these simple two.
               During a lifetime of considering how best to live and love God and others, I have discovered what it takes for me to be involved in these love relationships and have developed my own personal standards for living. There are things I need to avoid and there are things I need to do in order to keep my life on the right path. However, to try and apply my personal standards to someone else would be absurd. We are all different and our relationships with God and others will also be different. To try to force the world to follow my life rules makes no sense. What is right for me is not necessarily right for anyone else. For the church to try to force human dogma on all people with the threat of damnation if anyone wavers is a sin in itself. Forced dogma separates people from each other and makes people believe God has turned God's back on the individual who believes differently than the church. The dogmatic church breaks the two great commandments of loving God and each other by driving a divisive wedge between us. To quote the Rev. Phil Snider, "I believe in the separation of Church and hate." We need to stop being so concerned with who is in and who is out and follow the role model of inclusivity lived out by Jesus as He revealed God to us. www.fcccarrollton.org