Posted by Dena on April 13, 2005, at 9:28:01
In reply to Re: Salvation, posted by used2b on April 12, 2005, at 21:05:54
> I was forcibly indoctrinated in Christian rites as a very young child. We were forced to accept that salvation was an alternative to eternal seperation from their god.
>
> We were taught that sin, which includes virtually any mistake including having been born, is universally punishable by death, and that the reason people die is because they are bad. Though there were various theologies associated with various groups, salvation was generally represented as joining a Christian sect, which would supposedly save us from eternal torture.My heart goes out to you! What a horrible way to introduce a young child to the concept of a loving God...!
The message of the Good News -- that God loves the world (the WHOLE world), and wanted to be among us, so that we could get to know Him (which is why He sent Jesus), got horribly lost in the message that this same loving God somehow wants to TORTURE people, just because they were born and made mistakes...
NOT the Good News at all!
I'm so sorry that you had that experience -- one that I imagine scarred you badly...
Having been "in those same circles" for many years, I can empathize.
I hope that you, and I, and all others who long to connect with a supreme Someone who loves us (& delights in us!) will find that Someone.
Thanks for daring to write about your own experience. I only wish that more Christians could see how badly they represent God...
Shalom, Dena
poster:Dena
thread:482296
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20050312/msgs/483678.html