Are Christian Religions Failing Americans?

Christian Religions (church’s) in the world and in this free nation (USA) seem to be failing those who go to church and desire more than preaching of the Word. Seventy seven percent of people in this nation claim to be Christians but only 19 percent of Christians attend church more than one or two times a year.

Jesus Christ did much more than preach and teach the people. He healed many souls but never put on display his works for others to admire. Christ raised the dead, brought sight to the blind, gave strength to the crippled, feed the hungry and nourished those who were morally bankrupt, with forgiveness.

He gave his life for the world if we but take advantage of his offering. I have seen ministers on television do their magic acts and not really empress me with the displays. Would Jesus Christ perform such displays for people to watch?

John F. Kennedy told America, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” In reality he was saying a nation that requires no sacrifice from its people is a nation doomed for eventual failure.

Christians who worship become members of a theocratic organization (religions government) and most of those systems are failing by their basic systems that require very little sacrifice of its members. .

We are coming into the season of Lent when Catholics give up something for 40 days. People go to church, pay or donate offering and leave until next Sunday and then if they feel like it they go to church again. What is required of Christians in this world today? Certainly not 40 days of giving up chocolate or potato chips.

What does your Pastor ask of you, other than money or to pray for the sinners? For most people a minister is a paid servant of their church. If they don’t satisfy the people they usually don’t last very long.

Christ told the Jews the greatest commandments are, first was love God and the second was to love thy neighbor as thyself and upon these two commandments hinge all the prophets.

This simple statement is profound and also involved in these two commandments is a third commandment. Before a person can love God or love others they must be worthy to love themself.

This is easily said but for many very hard to accomplish. Most people are self critics and find it is difficult for them to love because of who or what they have become…

A person must first do one very important step in the process of perfection. They must take out the bad and replace it with good.

To love God one must come to know Him and understand why commandments exist.

To know him is to love him and if we understand his love for us we are compelled to love him… His love for us can and will motivate us to change a desire to become a better person… If a person truly repents and chances their ways the Lord blesses them with his spirit.

Now how can we know a God that we have never seen? The first principles of a Christian should be faith and repentance. Loving our neighbor no matter who they are or where they live seems easy but to love others requires a loving heart and in this we find the secret.

Any person who loves themselves as they are commanded has taken the necessary steps to free themselves from the burdens of sin that hold most people back. When they feel the loving forgiveness of Jesus Christ it has a profound effect upon one’s life.

Christ told the women who was about to be stoned, “go and sin no more.” How many ways can we sin? They are so numerous it would take weeks to list them. We can overcome sin one step at a time.

True love requires a clean mind and heart that helps people to love others. When sin is gone they have the next step and that is to forgive themselves of the previous sins and commit to themselves and God, (covenant) they will no longer continue in sin. This is true repentance and from this point they can build upon the process of loving others as they learn to love themselves.

If one can forgive themselves they can certainly forgive others who may have offended them or hurt them. If your sin is heavy burden you might need to talk to you minister and ask for help. He gets paid to help you.

I’m sure most people have a waste or trash receptacle. I call this a waste paper basket others may have another name but it is used to throw away unwanted items. . . Changing is much like throwing away trash. We need a waste container to dump our trash into daily.

People need to throw away their bad feelings and get away from their sometimes complex life and just think, ponder, pray or go somewhere alone and find peace and solace. The idea is to make peace with God and yourself.

I have a Den and spend many hours a week just thinking and trying to find ways to help others. I am not any different than normal person who has to throw away my trash that I picked up walking on my path of life. Find yourself your good points and think about how to become a better person.

I spend at least 30 minutes alone every day and take an accounting of myself and how to become a better person. Oh believe me I have done dumb things. I have pissed off many souls and been rude and sarcastic, irritating and indifferent but when I think(vision)the person I want to become and see in myself as the man I desire to become and then looking forward one year from now, it becomes more attainable.

Take time to know yourself and then dump the bad and replace it with the good. You will become a better person and stick with this and notice how others are attracted to you, the new person.

Robert D. Ashford was a Marine during the cold war and is now retired, after 50 years of construction management. He is a keen genealogist and loves humor. He watches the political horizons and likes to write commentary on what’s next.