The God Complex and the Jesus Scam

"Be humble, for you are made of earth, be noble, for you are made of stars." Serbian proverb.

My father used to say the only trouble with the word of God was how man interpretative it. And because of recent experiences I would have to add the only problem with Jesus is what people do in his name.

You probably have noticed all the WWJD - What Would Jesus Do - bumper stickers. Note they are on the back of the cars so you can ask yourself that question. I seriously doubt any of the drivers of those cars give it a single thought as they break all the rules of the road and risk your life. They think Jesus is on their side. And as a result of their prayer they get to do all they want to do. And if you do not pray to Jesus what they do to you is justified. 

Mother used to say you could not go wrong trusting in God faring people. I think you should definitely not trust them.  My last three tenants have thought they had Jesus Christ on their side. They used their respective churches to borrow money, enlist help, and beg forgiveness for their wrongs. But quite obviously they never asked God to make them an instrument of his peace. They do not know charity unless they are the beneficiaries. And they believe all they have to do is pray and everyone must forgive them. They work their Christianity as a scam while living a life that is anything but holy.

It used to be that this sort of behavior was limited to what Mother called the Sunday Christian. But now it seems to be all visible members of virtually any Christian sect though the fundamentalists are by far the worse. And they believe they are entitled to be spared from the floods, survive the fires, be forgiven for murders and thefts. They get to lie, cheat and steal and ask you WWJD.

The woman whose house was spared as a forest fire skipped through her neighborhood proudly announced to the world media that she was spared because Jesus answered HER prayers. The assumption being that anyone whose house burned to the ground was deserving of such disregard. Such a vengeful God Jesus has become. And Christianity is more like Zoroasterism these days.

Some years back I stopped using businesses that had the fish on their cards. I was always getting cheated by them. And now I am finding myself questioning applications for tenancy where a church is listed as a reference. Let your faith be known by your works. Not by your bumper stickers or words. Be humble and noble and charitable.