ENG 273 RD#4: Where are His people at?

Kristine Asato

ENG 273

RD#4

Where are His people at?

Everyone has standards.  Sometimes we surpass them, and are greatly rewarded.  But sometimes we fail, and are met with a few consequences.  In this day and age, sometimes we change our standards so that it is possible or sometimes easier for us to meet them.  But every where you look there will always be a standard for everything.  However, there are times when our list of standards, are unattainable because of our growing lives, social standards, economy, or even our growing personalities.  There are people that fail at every standard set out for them.  They congregate in churches, and attempt to redeem themselves by other means.  They’ve been around for hundreds of decades, and each generation more disappointing then the last.  But they’re everywhere, and in every field of work imaginable.  Held to standards as old as the First Testament, and complex as a labyrinth.  Some are religious as the children that praise on Sunday and pester on Monday.  [THESIS] In this day and age, we could surely use more of them, but can’t seem to find any worthy enough to listen to.  [THESIS]

These people, that call themselves Christians that lecture us about doing good will, and to others, are full of shit.  There are seven Deadly Sins, nine Fruits of the Spirit, and Ten Commandments, that were all signed off by the big man to insure that we little people are worthy to be in his presence.  I’ve met a lot of Christians through the years, some admirable and some downright unpleasant, but none without any sin.  But the standards I hold them to are different than those who do not flaunt their Christian ways in my face.  There are standards, and they’re all over the internet, just type in “Christian Standards” and I’m sure you’ll get at least a million related websites.  So here’s something I learned outside of Sunday school; nobody’s perfect, not even them. 

The Seven Deadly Sins go something like this.  Used by some Christians, I’m not sure how popular they are with our new generation, but there’s wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.  These feelings or Sins, from what I understand is a spiritual standard that allows us to progress and are the starting point of the rest of our sins.  But from the way I see it, these Sins, are all apart of human nature.  These are things that we are able to feel because of our deep limbic system in our brain.  This is in no way a stab at science vs. religion.  It is merely a statement that we are going to feel some of these Sins at one point in our lives or another, whether we mean to or not.  It’s apart of life.  By doing or feeling these Sins, we may do exactly what is supposed to happen if we avoid them.  We will grow, and maybe even spiritually become better people. 

The standard consequence for Sin is the notion that we are not guaranteed a spot in heaven.  But there should be some other standards, like if my mother was murdered and her killer was not found.  If wrath is a Sin, there should be something else I should feel.  Now lust is a tricky one.  Now, when you get married, the standard night of the wedding by Western Culture would be for the groom to mount his bride like an untamed thoroughbred and ride till she kneels.  Now by simply reading it, you have a thought in your mind, and whether or not you enjoy it, the simple thought of it should be considered a Sin; bad you.  Also, the Sin of lust has an entire industry based on it, with millions of viewers, and millions of Christians, it’s only a matter of time before the numbers begin to merge.  Gluttony would be like an over indulgence in food.  Please people, there’s a cit named for this Sin, Vegas.  The other Sins are pretty by the book I guess, but it’s still impossible to find someone in the world who hasn’t done any of them.  It purely impossible to even knows of these sins if no one, not excluding those of Christian belief to have committed it themselves.

The Fruits of the Spirit is a little trickier.  These Fruits are strictly by the book, and encompass an entirety of one who lives the perfect example of a true Christian life.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodnesss, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are all tiny parts of one big fruit pie.  Now upon closer examination, our first runner up would be love.  In the English language, love cannot be summed up to one simple meaning; it can however be the main theme to an entire book.  But with love, and sometimes because of love, we can become engulfed with greed, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.  That’s five out of the Seven Deadly Sins.  Peace has become more and more distant over the years as our war in Iraq continues.  Many of our soldiers, claim their cross on a necklace to their chest, and pray to God they can return home safely.  Against the Fruits of the Spirit, these men and women over seas, are not the direct cause, but are fighting for an un-peaceful cause that gives any loved ones at home un-peace as well.  Therefore by reason, our soldiers are Christian sinners.  That’s some standard to have to uphold. 

It’s completely possible to exercise the Fruits and avoid the Sins.  I will practice self-control to avoid an over indulgence.  I will practice faithfulness to my cheating wife and church so as to avoid having any pride in myself.  I will love my family only so much so as to avoid any wrath if something happens.  Christians hold themselves to these standards everyday they are living, and I would assume exercise them at length on Sundays.  That means, free meals at church for everyone on Sundays.  You’ll probably score big bucks if you dress in rags and beg for money outside a church, they may even let you inside for a warm place to stay as you stuff their golden crosses in your pocket.  In this day and age, sometimes we can’t afford to be Christian.  A thousand years ago, it was ok to practice kindness to the person who needs a ride home.  Now with greed at its all time high, and our economy at its worst, we can’t be always afford to be kind. 

Finally, everyone’s heard of them.  They’re on every laminated bookmark and magnet out there, The Ten Commandments.  Supposedly given to Moses by a burning bush.  We all know them, or at least most, it seems unnecessary to list them, although one Commandment always puzzled me.  The second Commandment states that we are not allowed to make any sort of imagery of God because He cannot be capture in a simple picture or statue.  But the bible quotes “For I, your God, am a jealous God” and it seems as if the statement seems almost prideful with a slight hint of greed.  Although a mere statement can be interpreted into so many things, so I could easily be out debated.  There’s also a Commandment that says we can’t murder anyone.  Thousands of years ago, when the only way to kill a person was to physically harm them it seemed like an outrageous idea to even think about murdering anyone.  But now, there are untraceable chemicals, guns, cars, technology itself has made this commandment hard to abide by.  Even for the innocent lady who was texting and not paying attention to the road and accidently ran over and killed a little girl.  The court would probably rule it as murder to some sort of degree.  All the godly things however kind and patient she might have been, is no longer worthy. 

There are also the Commandments that state, “You shall not commit adultery” as our rate for divorce because of adultery skyrockets.  But there are the people who were done wrong during said divorce, and promised them in a church before God to love the other for better or worse.  Finally there is the Commandment that says to honor your father and mother.  Yes that was fine and dandy back in the days when people actually worked to make a living.  Now with the introduction to alcohol and a great number of experimental plants, it may sometimes be hard to honor your parents if they’re knocked out on the couch from the night before.  With everything that there is in the world today, it seems futile to try to uphold any of the Commandments.

Christians are very hypocritical.  Again, I have never met, or even heard of one that would be the perfect Christian in the eyes of God.  It seems more of a joke nowdays.  Anyone who believes that they can uphold that many expectations and standards throughout their entire lives must be insane.  They come and preach to you about the goodness of prayer, and how you must obey this and follow that, when they are just like you.  These people want to change the world, make it a better place, but they can’t even come to peace with themselves or even others.  It’s the only reason why Christians are so commonly categorized with politicians, but most of them are Christians anyway. 

They’re not a cult, or a gang of idiots, there just people, like everyone else.  They’re just trying to better themselves to the rules they chose to live by. 

This image that God seems to have for us is very fleeting.  No one is perfect, and everyone Sins.  If He keeps forgiving us every time we’re dipped in holy water blessed by some priest who got his degree at a college online, we’re screwed up in heaven too.  Many of us going through tough times, yearn for the help and satisfaction of someone who is always there to listen, but who’s answers your going to have to decode from one of the thousands of copies of the many different testaments.  Sometimes it just seems like an endless cycle of disappointment.