Through the Eye of a Needle
By Carol Harper
Published by Tate Publishing
$10.99 (plus $2.75 S&H)
Digital download: $6.99
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E-mail: crharper@gmail.com
"We are not born atheists..."
Batting Zero...
Okay, I have some thoughts about this whole "mosque near Ground Zero" thing.
First of all, freedom of religion is Constitutionally protected by the First Amendment. If someone owns property, they have every right to build whatever they want, whether it's a home, a school, a church, a synogogue, a temple or a mosque.
With some help of Wikipedia, I'm gonna take a look back at some moments in US history:
- Was it okay for the KKK to build burning crosses on peoples' lawns, or hang black men, women and children in view of the public?
- What about the "Know Nothing" movement?
- Was it okay for the Catholic church to build missions on Native lands, call them "heathens", compel them to wear white mans' clothes, forbid them to speak their Native tongue? Was it okay to drive them from their lands in the first place? What about the "Indian Removal Act" and the "Trail of Tears"?
- Was it okay for Timothy McVeigh to blow up the Murrah Bldg in Oklahoma City? Was it okay to string up Matthew Shephard on the prairies of Wyoming and leave him there to die?
- Is it okay to bomb abortion clinics and murder abortion doctors?
Maybe American "patriots" should stop and think about this nation's own terrorist past before brandishing the ol' torch and pitch fork, claiming the desire to "honor and protect the Constitution".
Our troops - our children - are out in harm's way, protecting the freedoms that this nation enjoys...the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Those freedoms aren't for a select few:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." (First Amendment, US Constitution)
If you truly believe what the Constitution and our flag stands for..."with liberty and justice for all..." then these Muslim Americans who wish to build a mosque and community center at Ground Zero or anywhere else can do so.
I know plenty of people who don't necessarily like the Indians building gambling casinos. There are people who don't necessarily want Christian or Catholic churches, LDS temples, or Jehovah Witness Kingdom Halls built in their neighborhoods or communities. But they have every right to do so.
There are so many Christians these days, willing to climb onto political bandwagons thinking they're right and everyone else is wrong. That they are "chosen" and saved, and those of other religions, races, genders, creeds and cultures are wrong. All it takes is a look at history to be convicted of the truth.
"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind."
And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, "Are we blind also?"
Jesus said unto them, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, 'We see'; therefore your sin remaineth." (John 9: 39-41)
To tell the truth, I'm more fearful of the extremist, right wing Christian than the peaceful Muslim desiring the freedom to worship as they wish. Makes me wonder who the real terrorists are...
...again, how is that "love our neighbor" thing coming along? Apparently, not so great.
Carol Harper
---
Eye Love You
By Carol Harper
One of the first things my son, Kevin, did when he got back from Iraq was buy a car…a very nice car. Now, you have to know that Kevin and cars have had a love-hate relationship through the years, but one story in particular stands out in my mind.
Ah, those teenage years. Gotta love ‘em.
David and I had been gone for a day trip and were on our way home when we received a phone call about 45 minutes out. It was Kevin: “You’re not going to be very happy when you get home…” was all we could make out until the cell service had dropped (we lived in a forested area, and cell service was often patchy), but his message left us wondering what we were about to come home to. What did he break? Was there a fire? Did he have a party and trash the house? For 45 minutes we were left to wonder, and of course, as parents of teenagers, you have to prepare yourself for anything. Anything...
Writings:
"Christianity Without the Religion"
...it's kinda like America without the politics!
To believe, or not believe...
Not necessarily the question.
There have been several readers offended by a passage in my book where I use the analogy that the Old Testament is Jewish Scripture and the New Testament from Acts to Revelations is Catholic scripture:
"With all the studies I did on Judaism, I really didn't care what was said in the Old Testament; I'm not a Jew. Those are their books. And with all the studies I did on early Christian history, I really didn't care what Paul or any compilation of books from Acts on had to say; I'm not a Catholic. Those are their books. The Gospels, however, are the scribed accounts of Jesus Christ. Now, those books do something for me."
("Through the Eye of a Needle" p. 98)
Granted, this is one of the most controversial sections of my book, as most people offended by this passage assume that I don't believe the Bible. However, this is entirely untrue.
First of all, Tate Publishing wouldn't have published my book if they didn't feel I held a standard of belief in the Bible that didn't meet their own values and standards as well.
Secondly, you have to understand where I came from. As a Mormon, I not only had to believe the Bible (KJV only, with Joseph Smith Translation footnotes), but other Mormon/LDS scripture as well (Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).
There are several religions in the world that require belief in scripture, tradition, ceremony and ritual. However, once you leave a belief system where innate faith was once held captive, there are several trust issues that become revealed and need to be dealt with during the deprogramming process. And one of those issues deal with what is considered "holy scripture".
Many, many Christians still cannot comprehend the fact that I once believed Mormon/LDS scripture just as strongly as they believe the Bible. They don't understand what it is like to firmly and unyeildingly believe in and testify of a false Christ. And, if they were raised Christian, they don't realize how extremely blessed they are to know the true Jesus Christ full of grace and truth (John 1: 14), the Jesus they accepted with a child-like faith.
God didn't say "whoseover believeth the Bible shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life..." It is Jesus Christ that God gave the world. I don't have to believe the Bible to believe in Jesus; that is why I claim to be a Jesus-believing Christian, not a Bible-believing Christian. Yes, His story is contained in the Bible, in the Gospels. And those books still do something for me! In fact, the story of Jesus means everything to me. Take the Bible away, and I'm still a believer.
To me, belief in a book of scripture is important, but it is secondary to my belief in God. The question is not whether I believe the Bible or not...it is how I believe the Bible.
Unfortunately, the Bible has been used, abused, exploited and commercialized, and has become such an idol that I've often seen it worshipped more than Jesus Christ Himself. Maybe it's time we get back to Jesus, crack open the Gospels, and start with the basics. Since the world still hasn't learned how "love God, love your neighbor"...love just might be a good place to start. You think?
(I hope so.)
NOT THAT IT MATTERS...or maybe it does:
Isn't Glenn Beck a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon church)? Because the last time I checked, many Christians (especially Southern Baptists) had billed the Mormon church as a cult. Many books have been written by Christian authors about the "cult of Mormonism".
Now it seems there are so Christians rallying around him. I guess I'm confused...
Perhaps this is the "gathering" that the Mormons have hoped for...maybe it is time for Christians to see the truth and convert to Mormonism after all!
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