I think we created a religion where god
is an abusive spouse and parent.
the idea of tearing you down and teaching you
that you are nothing without him,
then building you back up in his image,
promising you his power in you.
blasphemy? it feels like it.
why did we claim to believe the entire bible
yet throw out "the created in god's image" tenet
within the first moments?
original blessing ditched for original sin.
we traded "made in god's image"
for "born an enemy of god"
simply because of the garden?
in the blink of an eye
we took the basis for the entire relationship
and traded it for something
more easily understood.
i'm afraid that for simplicity's sake, we would rather
earn love than be given it as a gift. because we can
grasp that.
is grace really grace if you have to be torn
down to nothing
and saved from dangling over the pit of hell
to receive it?
sounds like earning to me--or at least a trade.
all you have to hand over is your entire life, self
and value to receive it.
why does there have to be a hell to have a heaven?
because we wouldn't understand good
without punishment?
i think we took a god and made it a human
to fit within our own minds' limitations,
then underestimating our children's minds,
we passed it on and on and on.
ironically, they may have been the
most likely to believe a free gift
had we not been an obstacle.
i'm both sorry and furious.
i feel like we've created something
that would make a true god weep.
and for that, maybe we need forgiveness,
not for our nature and existence.