Now that the blog is back, time to explore some of the issues that the visits bring up. Issues usually being the theme of the Mass or service and analyzing the thesis statement of the sermon. Before I get into that though. Blessed Sacrament really is a beautiful church, I arrived early today for the church visit so explored the grounds again and found more Mary statues, one of which was in a garden. The day was beautiful as well and not too hot.
When I arrived at the Mass I found the parking lot pretty crowded. Inside the church it was as well. It was largely made up of older folks with one or two families present before the music began. The Mass also started ten minutes later because two of the ministers didn't show, which annoyed the priest who was doing the sermon understandably.
We all stood, there was a song about being the City of God, the "Peace be with you," "and with your spirit." Call and response...the readings which were based around Jesus asking his followers to deny themselves in order to be like him and to follow him. I'll get into this more in the analyzing of the sermon.
The sermon was based around why Jesus is needed. That humanity's sin at the beginning was infinite so needed an infinite sacrifice to atone. The priest followed it up on why there was the Sacrament of Atonement and the Sacraments in order so that we can be saved through God.
How can any finite action go on infinite? This seems to be the basis of original sin, and part of why I don't believe it. Is it right to punish a child because one of his parents was a murder? This is basically the actions we see take place in the Bible and the psychology behind the atonement.
The idea of the atonement that I also have is how it allows a get out of jail free card. You could be a psychopath or serial killer, but if you accept Jesus in the end, you are okay. The saving through grace and belief really doesn't involve much work if it is taken just at it's word.
I am at the point now, where humans overall and throughout history have done a lot of terrible things to each other. They have also done good too. I don't see how paradise or Hell is really just either way and that the legitimate problems of murder and rape aren't really dealt with...
The final thing is on the denying oneself for God. What is being denied? For many Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other communities...this means if you are Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Queer or otherwise, denying your love for your partner. This isn't healthy and is in no way good. It has real effects on people and is being done for reasons that can only be justified by claiming the supernatural (of which there is always the possibility of - The Supernatural - but no concrete evidence). This can also happen in regards to women in leadership roles as if she is a good leader and would be able to lead, is kept from it by men quoting scripture and asking her to deny her pride. How is this just or good? These are a few of my big issues with the denying self issue and how it is tied to sin.
Sin I guess is the final thing...again, I don't think humans are good or bad. We're very much a mixture...but sin assumes we were once perfect or that a perfect human has existed. I haven't seen that. Even the character of Jesus as he's written isn't perfect. He gets angry, he's violent and not to the killers and rapists...but to merchants. He also only ever calls a women by their name once. He certainly did a lot of good, and was most likely a mad sage who may or may not have been divine, if in fact the divine exists. For me, where I am inspired the most from Christianity isn't in the mythos of Original Sin, Virgin Birth, the Resurrection or even Jesus's miracles...for me the inspiration is in the actions that we can see as good, in the words that were good. Giving to the poor, turning the other cheek and the times the stories actually inspire the followers to do good. The Desmond Tutu's of the world like my friends who are in the priesthood in the Episcopal and Catholic Church, etc. and my friends and family who I see living that action.
I can't believe because of the issues surrounding the unproven Supernatural as well as some of the things that I don't think are ethical (treatment of Gays and women in some sects), but I do still find inspiration in some of the stories, especially when they are taken as stories and not reasons to persecute or as fact...and for the times when it does inspire equality and fighting for the persecuted and the poor.
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