Kind of rant on Christianity
After having to be around Christianity a lot again this year (especially with funerals), I think I wouldn't be so put off if it was accepted that (the Christian) God is neutral.
Like fr
Speaking at least for America (and extending to the African diaspora because I see it there too), there's so much settling for contradictions—too much. He's all unconditional, but here are all the conditions. He's all powerful, but has struck down those who challenge His power. He's all good, but allows evil to exist in the first place. He's all knowing, but doesn't stop what could be stopped. He gives free will, but your choices are "do what I say to receive my gift to you or suffer." He's all loving, yet He's jealous. He created us in His image, but can only be "He" and will let those who do not fit suffer. He is perfection and we can't be perfect, but we're supposed to strive to be like that perfection that we'd never reach.
Like it's too much. Especially when you're actively working on yourself, coming to learn red flags, and seeing them all over the place in these contradictions. Or when you learn about the purposefully mistranslated/misconstrued passages. How Christianity has been taken to oppress and kill others. Predators use it to hide their lies and personal agendas/the way abuse is passed down through this religion here. The defining part of being unable to question authority figures especially because they're supposed to be "human forms" of God and you can't question Him either or be smited. How can I sit there and just be like "Oh yeah, this is fine?"
And it's the resistance to acknowledge or accept the fact that the contradictions are even a thing. One of the most aggravating parts to it.
I would be much better if it was just okay to be like "God isn't necessarily all good" because deities aren't supposed to be like us and we can't be like them. They aren't bound to our morals and trying to place them there won't work the way it's believed. Some people say "It wouldn't happen to me because God wouldn't let it" but if He does? It has happened to others; what makes you so special that you're immuned? What excuse can you give to say those a bad thing happened to "deserved" it? What gives you the right to appoint yourself superior to others here?
Big example: Haiti. For how many times Haiti is cited as the devil's playground whenever a disaster happens... Haiti is mostly Christian. Even a lot of those who practice Vodou are Christian (typically Catholic). You're telling me the all-loving, free-will-giving, always good God would greatly harm the Christians who fully believe in Him and everything He does because of the actions of other people who could be as far as hours away...
If that's the case, then love and goodness isn't what we think it is.
Or the other big example of God needing to "save" black enslaved people... But didn't. And allowed the atrocities to happen in the first place and go on for centuries. C'mon now.
Not even adding the other facets of original context of God and such, but this grip on believing that the God I was raised with is just pristine and fine is not even a thing. There's a higher power that does good, but good does not exist without evil, and as the source, that power is capable of both and none. It shouldn't be forced into a small box of contradictions. It shouldn't be made into an obligation because of fear. At least look at what traits directly affects others and go into that.
