Propaganda

I read the postsecrets every Sunday and see which ones touch me and pray for those that sent them in and see how people feel the way I do.

This one touched me the post this week. It says:
I would like religion if it wasn’t so filled with propaganda.

I think why this one touched me so much is how true it is. I think of the Prosperity Bible and other Health, Wealth and Happiness teaching. How these things are around spreading in Christian circles. Then, when things go wrong we get upset and angry at God because we are supposed to have a easy life, well at least that was what we were taught but the truth is the Christian life is still hard. But no one bothered to tell us.

How about the truth: God is always with us. Now don’t get me wrong that is truth but no one goes around telling new converts “Yes, God is always with you but there is going to be times when you can’t feel him, you can’t see him, you’re bible becomes dull and boring and you can’t get anything out of it and your prayers feel like they are hitting the ceiling and no matter how hard you try, things just don’t seem to get better.” I don’t anyone is going around spreading that truth! So, when that happens people feel lost, like they have lost God, and then they fall into depression from the loss of something that learned to rely on and the thinking that they are done.

I don’t know what to do about all this happy teaching about Christianity, because a lot of it is true but some times it doesn’t feel like it, but how do you explain that to someone? How can we pass on the fact that God is not all roses and rainbows and still get them to believe? You know how, we just plant the send tell the truth and the spirit does the rest. I would say it really doesn’t matter what we say, and to some point it doesn’t but more important is to take the I out of it. Just study up and then let the spirit give you the words and do the work.

That really wasn’t what I wanted to talk about, but it’ll do.