I am a Christian

Like the title says, I am a Christian. That means a lot of stuff though these days. Depending on who you are, that could mean that you think I am a radical right-winger, who is an intolerant, bigoted, homophobe who hates everyone who isn't also a "Christian" of the same denomination as myself. Or, it could mean that I am someone who subscribes to one of the many "spokes of spiritualism" that all lead to God, wherever "she" might reside.

So, I though I would lay out what I believe.

I believe that the Bible is the Infaliable Word of God. Written by humans, inspired by God.

I believe that Jesus is both fully God, and fully human.

I believe that he came to Earth as a man, endured and lived life as a man, and went to his death as a man. After that death I believe he was raised from the dead, conquering for all time the truth that the wages of sin is eternal death.

I believe that if somone accepts Jesus, they are saved from that eternal death.

I believe that God, in the form of the Holy Trinity, is active in the world today.

I think that is it in a nutshell. There is much much more to it, but that is the basics. I'm not a homophobe. I'm not bigotted. I don't hate anybody. Behavior certainly, but not the person. People say that the Bible is exclusive, that it teaches hate. I have spent a lot of time reading scripture, and I haven't found the hate part anywhere. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Scripture certainly makes no allowances for people's behavior. There are two kinds, that which brings you closer to God, and that which takes you further away, or sin. And really, I guess scripture is exclusive. But it would be towards the behavior of people, as opposed to themselves. There is not a person who would be excluded from God. Their behavior is the determining factor.

I can hear my friend Fred's voice in the back of my head saying, "What if a person is gay? God would turn away from someone he created a certain way? The Bible preaches that homosexuality is wrong, how can a loving God do that?" I believe that homosexuality is a choice. Behavior is ultimately a choice. I believe that homosexuality is a behavioral choice. The same kind of behavioral choice as anything else that takes somebody further away from God. Sin.

In all of scripture, sin is identified as that which seperates people from God. Not the people themselves, but their sin. Take that and look at it from an angle that the world won't. God hates the sin, not the people. In that sense he is open to everyone, excluding no one. Choices are what seperate people from God.