When Man Answers God's Door

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When Man Answers God’s Door

Monique Smith

Copyright © 2012 Monique Smith

All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2016905305

ISBN-13:9781523823253

DEDICATION

For my dad my hero, my children who are my biggest blessings, and my husband Steven, who supports me in everything. Thank you for loving me.

CONTENTS

1. How do we know?

2. Truth or scare?

3. There’s a speck in your eye

4. This little heart of mine

5. Eeny, meeney, miney, moe, pick the right path, or to hell we will go?

6. Introducing… Bible God

7. Do as I say, not as I do

8. Digging Deeper

9. United we stand. Divided by Religion we Fall

10. Out with the Old, in with the New

References

About the Author

How do we know?

Many people believe that the Bible is from God, and the only way to know him. Does skepticism mean we’re rejecting God? Is it possible the Bible was unintentionally misinterpreted, or even blatantly fabricated?

Old Testament, new testament, this religion that religion, there’s so much confusion! Which path do we follow, and does the Bible have the answers we are looking for? How much about the Bible do you really know? I believe that man answers God’s door, by interpreting the Bible in his own context, so it becomes confusing, frustrating, and discourages people from seeking him out.

What does the Bible really say, and how many people have read the entire book? I have, and will reveal the context as I interpreted it, and why it frightens me. The Bible horrified me so much, that I nearly became an atheist.

After careful thought, I realized that atheism was not for me. I realized that denying the existence of God would be close-minded, because evidence of him could always surface to the contrary. Though, I was still uncertain about what to believe.

I want a God to exist and try to stay hopeful that he does. Sometimes, I even pray, but I just can’t conform to biblical or religious ideals. I have so many questions about God and the Bible. I decided to seek the answers to my questions. So many people believe that the Bible as God’s word, and before I read it, I did too. I hoped for the spiritual awakening that people say they’ve had.

I was told that God’s love is the greatest love of all, and completely unconditional. It only makes sense that a God would feel that way towards us, otherwise, why would so many people yearn to serve him?

My reasons for wanting a relationship with God are many, but primarily I want to know what happens when we die? I want to believe our lost loved ones are in a better place, and I want to be reunited with them someday in a better world. It’s scary to live with no hope for something better than this.

My desire to become closer to God grew stronger as I aged, and I decided that it was time to read the Bible. I no longer wanted to rely on people to tell me what God wants, because nothing they said resonated with me.

That’s what led me to title this book When Man Answers God’s Door because, when man answers for God, there are so many conflicting answers and uncertainties. There are so many different religions and rituals, and conflicting beliefs. Bible verses didn’t pacify me.

I wanted to examine the scriptures myself, and in all fairness, I couldn’t expect to know God or his wishes, if I didn’t read the book claimed to be his word. I became excited about my journey and hoped for the spiritual awakening I thought lied ahead.

Like many people seeking a relationship with God, I had so many questions about him, about religion, and how to worship. It makes me sad to see people grieving for lost loved ones, and their uncertainty about what happens to them after death. I never understood how God can watch us hurt and allow it to go on. When will the suffering finally end, and why must we endure it for so long?

Why do so many undeserving, God loving people experience so much pain, and what motivates them to continue to love and serve God? Why do so many good people suffer, yet praise trust this unknown entity just because they’ve been told to do so? These are questions that no one could answer to my satisfaction.

There is so much sickness and death in the world it’s heart-wrenching. Innocent children are abused and dying. As a parent I can’t imagine a greater loss than that. We have to say goodbye to our grandparent’s, parent’s, brothers, sisters, and friends, yet we have absolutely no evidence that we will see them again.

There are so many unanswered prayers, so many people in pain, yet the Bible’s promises of something better remain unfulfilled. Many have asked but have yet to receive. What compels people to still believe? All the pain in this world has caused me to question if God even exists. I have never dismissed the possibility of God, but I still question.

I always believed the Bible would answer my questions and alleviate my doubt. Many good, intelligent people trust in it, so admittedly, I put blind trust in it too. I always believed the scriptures would reveal the reasons we suffer and offer the comfort and hope I so desperately wanted.

The thought of finally reading it gave me so much excitement about life and the future. I completed the Bible in a few weeks front to back, both old and new Testament. Just as I suspected, the Bible changed my life, though not in the way that I had hoped.

After reading the Bible, I was devastated to learn that my hope was nothing more than a false sense of security. Instead of filling the God void inside of me, the Bible terrified me. I could not believe what I had just read, and what the Bible revealed. My first thought was that I must be misinterpreting the Bible’s intended message.

I read and re-read the questionable scriptures, hoping I misinterpreted the context. Sadly, nothing changed, and I felt distanced from God. I couldn’t believe what this God in the Bible had done! I looked at the Bible in my hand and wondered how it comforts so many. I began to loathe this Bible-God, and I began to doubt God’s existence completely.

I couldn’t understand how so many people believe that the Bible came from this loving entity, and I figured that whoever does believe has not read the entire book. More than ever, I was convinced that people relied on man’s word, rather than reading it completely. Do people really know the God in the Bible?

I didn’t want to become an atheist, or hate God, but I didn’t believe the heart-wrenching evil in the Bible came from God.

I just wanted to know the truth, and how to connect with the loving God I was told about my entire life. The Bible does not even remotely depict a God who is kind and loving! How can I teach my children about God, life, and death, and give them hope if I have no hope myself? How do I accept the loss of the people I love? What becomes of us, are we just living to die, end of story?

People should be valued, and not just disposable beings replaced by future generations. The Bible didn’t offer me the comfort I was promised. People told me that the Bible was supposed to alleviate my fears, but instead it intensified them. People told me that the Bible would comfort me, and offer me the answers I was seeking, but it didn’t.

I became sure that people didn’t know the extent of evil in the Bible. I can’t be at peace with such a God, nor can I believe others would be if they really knew. Do they really know? Do you?

The thought of being eternally separated from my loved ones is hard to accept. Never knowing where they go when they die, or if I will be reunited with them again is a scary thought. The thought that we may someday become nothing more than an old picture in an antique store basket is devastating to me.

I had an entirely new dilemma. How can people who dispute the Bible as the word of God become close to him? How can I believe there’s a God, if I don’t believe the Bible is his word? Where can I turn without being condemned and rejected for a lack of belief?

Most everyone I know who believes in God, believes that the Bible is his word, and I have been raised in a society that believes the same. After reading the Bible, even I found it difficult to separate God from it.

I knew it would be challenging to get answers from people who believe in the Bible, because many get frustrated with skeptics like me. I had little hope, nowhere to turn, and I felt like I didn’t even have the prospect of God anymore.

I was appalled and frightened by Bible-God. People shouldn’t fear God in such a way. I couldn’t believe the things I had read about the God in the Bible. Later in this book, I will share many scriptures with you, so that you can understand why.

Before I wrote this book, I wanted to be sure that I understood it in the context the Bible was written. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t misinterpreting the Bible’s intended message. I went through the Bible several times, making a concentrated effort to interpret it as I felt it was meant to be read.

Unfortunately, reading it again only supported my fears, and I was further convinced that the Bible is the most terrifying story ever written. There could be nothing more frightening than a God who possesses a vengeful loathing toward the very people he created, and who has our fate in his hands.

I was extremely discouraged, but I refused to give up on the loving God I had always envisioned. There has always been something inside of me that has held on to the premise of God, and I intend to seek him out despite my biblical discord. I can’t ignore the logic and science that conflicts with the Bible’s writings, but I can’t dismiss God because of it either.

Even Charles Darwin himself humbly admitted, In my most extreme fluctuations, I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of God. I feel most deeply that the whole subject is too profound for the human intellect. A dog might just as well just speculate the mind of Newton.

Darwin was a true scientist, because contrary to his evolutionary findings, he still didn’t disclaim God’s existence. I don’t believe that any scientist should be closed minded to the possibility of a God, otherwise they aren’t practicing true science. Science must be open minded to potential disputes, inaccuracies, and theoretical changes. Though, how do we connect with a God with no Bible to guide us?

Admittedly, there are several things in science that conflict with the Bible’s claims though, science also hasn’t been able to disprove a God. I believe in the species evolving, and I believe in science, but just because there is proof of evolution doesn’t mean that there is no God. The reverse argument also applies in support of science verses the Bible.

Just because we’ve been told that the Bible is God’s word, doesn’t prove it is, especially if science or logic dictates otherwise. If people trust in God as they claim, and believe he will guide them to what is right and good, then why are they not trusting their God given heart as a guide?

I need some clarification about many things in the Bible because, I can’t understand the God depicted there. I have so many questions. What is God’s stance on gay people? In Leviticus Chapter 20 verse 13 it says, If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are both to be put to death; their blood on their own heads. Yet, there are some religions that don’t agree, and promote love to both gay and straight people.

How about suicide? Is it a sin to take your life? There are people who believe it is, yet I don’t recall anywhere where it says that in the Bible. Do not murder, is not equivalent to suicide. Wouldn’t a perfect God have made it clear if it was important enough to be his command? Or is that just man’s interpretation?

There are so many conflicting beliefs argued by people who believe in the same Bible. A Bible that is claimed to be the word of a perfect God should be perfect. A perfect book should not be ambiguous, outdated, or divide people. Is it necessary to believe in the Bible to maintain a quality relationship with God?

Do we really need a book to love God, and be of moral character? Sure, a guide that is truly and indisputably the word of God would be a wonderful tool to have, but we don’t have evidence of that.

I expect that many people will dislike my views, and I accepted that when I decided to write about such a controversial topic. People should read this book to better understand why the Bible is rejected by so many. I don’t believe anyone should dismiss the idea of God because of their biblical discord, but I do believe that people should make an informed decision.

I believe that a loving relationship with a God, without relying on the Bible, is possible if we use the goodness in our hearts to guide us. Disregarding the Bible is not an effort to avoid church or spiritual accountability; in fact, it’s quite the contrary, because it means there will be more work to learn who God is and what he really wants.

I have many blessings in my life, and I don’t attend church or believe in the Bible. I’m not opposed to church, but most churches use the Bible, so I don’t attend. My life is not full of strife and discontent because I am not religious.

I have so many things to be thankful for. I have a great husband, beautiful and healthy children, an amazing dad, and a fulfilling career. I try to be kind and honest, and I do that without the Bible to guide me.

It’s not difficult to allow our conscience to guide our behavior and reject what doesn’t feel right. Some of the most immoral people have transformed into good people. Many people credit the Bible for such transformations, but I don’t agree.

Positive transformation is the result of someone’s innate desire to change, and not because of the Bible. Granted, the premise of God often plays an integral role in positive change because of the person’s desire to do so, but not because they read the Bible.

Claiming that the Bible is the reason someone becomes a better person, implies that people can’t transform on their own. It implies that people needed the Bible to change and could not have otherwise positively transformed.

When people have the desire to be kind, and when people are ready to change their lives they will do so. If we credit those who change for the better because of the Bible, then we must also credit it for those who are bad because of it.

As a drug and alcohol counselor, I have witnessed many people who relapse and come back several times, and then, finally get it. They get it because that last time they were ready to apply the changes, and they wanted it, not because the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous made them do it. Sure, the Big Book plays an integral role in many people’s successful sobriety, but it is not the reason they succeeded. They are the reason they succeeded.

If you give the Bible to someone who has no desire to change or connect with God, the Bible won’t change them. It isn’t the Bible that changes people, it’s people that change people.

Any guide that promotes genuine love and goodwill should suffice as a guidebook for life. A life guide does not have to be fear based to