"PUTTING CHRIST BACK INTO CHRISTIANITY"

JESUSISM: A type of Christianity in which belivers adhere to the life and teachings of Jesus as the true and perfect foundation for their spriritual walk.

While in theory every Christian believes this, modern evangelical Chrisitianity mostly adheres to the teachings of Paul. A Jesusist holds the words of Paul and all others scribes of the Bible as wisdom gleaned from that person's encounter with God, but believes that the words of JESUS are esteemed above the words of ANY other person.

Jesusism views the LIFE, the TEACHINGS and the WORKS of Jesus as the only infalliable way, truth and life by which we should live. It is our life, our path, our guide and the only source by which we place our faith.

In short- what Jesus said and did is more important than what anyone else said or did in the Bible and if there seems to be any contradiction between words of Jesus and another person's words in the Bible; then what Jesus said is what stands as THE truth.



Sunday, January 20, 2008

We Are Borg (oops! I meant CHRISTIAN).. You will be Assimilated.

On Star Trek- TNG there is an alien race known as "The Borg." This race is made of of beings that were once human, but thanks to many very carefully placed computerized/robotic/ cybernectic parts, they are now cyborgs or more correctly "Borg." As if this wasn't bad enough, they travel the universe making every other race of people they meet part of the Borg race. And if someone does not want to be half robot and controlled by a central processing unit, who cares?? Their motto is "resistance is futile." After all, the borg consider themselves to be superior to every other lifeform and consider it their duty to assimilate everyone them meet into the borg collective. They will not allow anything to deter them from that mission.

Has Christianity turned into a real life version of this futuristic alien race? Lets look at it. I was taught that as a Christian we are not of this world. (that would make us an alien race) Christianity, in general, teaches that Christians should believe the same things and do the same things. (a collective)Otherwise you are a heretic heathen like me. Christians feel it is there obligation to go into the world trying to bring more people into their world and way of believing (assimilation?) They consider themselves to be "God's chosen" as if God wants no-one but them. We believe that "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord (which means resistance is futile).

As I read about the life and teachings of Jesus, I often wonder if he called us to be robots. I hope not. I believe that He came to give us abundant life and that we as his followers should be as unique and dynamic as He was. Not just in our jobs or our natural life but also in our spiritual life and our relationship with God. Your life is not my life. Your abilities, Your hopes, Your dreams, Your struggles are different from mine so your walk with God will be different than mine. Your personal relationship with God should not be a carbon copy of anyone elses. It should be as unique and original as you yourself are.

Have you ever just asked yourself who you really are in this walk of faith? What does your PERSONAL Relationship with God look like? Are you a Carbon Copy of everyone else or does your walk with God have its own unique flavor? Are you part of the collective or are you the original, one of a kind person God has called you to be?

3 comments:

Brother Catfish said...

This is brilliant. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

If Star Trek TNG was known to the people of Jesus' time, surely He would have used this analogy too.

Any ideas as to what He might have alluded to with the concept of "abundant life"? It seems everybody breathes and lives just the same, regardless their spiritual or religious outlook.

Anonymous said...

This is perfect! Also, have you ever stopped to really listen in church when the whole congregation is praying together? The way that all those voices talking at once reverberates in the church TOTALLY reminds me of how the Borg sound when they speak on Star Trek. Coincidence???