The Seven Great Lies of Organized Religion #2

[deacon blues]

Lie #2:
'God is huge and unapproachable, and He wants you to labor, struggle and live in guilt.'

2000 years ago, they wouldn't even dare say the word 'God.' God was distant, remote, and terrible.

But Jesus had his own words for God, and he used them freely. They were controversial, even scandalous.

His words for God:

'Daddy.'

And 'Your heavenly father.'

So when the Religious Gestapo condemned him for hanging out with ruffians and women of ill-repute, he told an even more scandalous story:

'There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Dad, I wish you were dead. Why don't we pretend you are dead, and give me my share of the family estate.' So the father divided his property between them.

A few days later, the disrespectful son packed his bags and headed for a distant land. He squandered his inheritance on wine, women and song. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he got hungry.

So he got a job feeding pigs. (Jews considered pigs to be repulsive.)

This young man would gladly have eaten the pods that the swine ate; but no one gave him anything.

But when he came to his senses, he said to himself, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I'm here starving! He went back to his father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

The son said, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

But the father said to his servants, `Go get the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and have a huge party; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.'

Jesus sums it all up like this: 'I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who comes back than over ninety-nine people who are already good.'

The father in the Prodigal Son story was not concerned with his dignity. He was not concerned with what was 'fair.' When his son wanted to go his own way, he let him go. But he was watching out the window the whole time, hoping he would come back.

That's Jesus' picture of God – just like the father in this story. Loving. Forgiving. Approachable. Not distant and condemning.

Another great thought. Too often we religious folk don't make God very approachable.