A Third Of Christ, And Some Dude Named Chad

This one is going to sting. It’s not meant to. It’s meant to get you to think. Having been a follower of Christ for the first part of my life, I at some point moved on. Not because of a life event, bad experience or anything else that I could put my finger on. I just started to ask questions.

I’ll start by saying that I outgrew the Bible by age 15. To me, it was poison. Horrific stories against humanity. Yes, humankind has many shortcomings. But the God of the Bible has so many petty human emotions, that I could not {with rational thought} continue to read it. Not to say that it doesn’t empower and inspire others. I hope it does. Anything that gets one to act in kindness is good.

I picked up a degree in divinity in my 20’s. I became a chaplain in my 20’s as well. I have written about this many times. I by far was the worst chaplain. I never thought my job was to convert or lead you to Christ. I just wanted you to know that you are worthy, loved, and that there was a place for you on this earth. Everything else was a distraction to my calling.

Some people walk away from religion because of the followers. Not so much for me. Although I spent many years counseling clergy, who were excommunicated for various reasons. I never sat in judgement. But I did wonder how a person of the cloth, could do some fucked up, vile shit to someone who was seeking shelter. It is bad enough to be betrayed by your doctor, therapist or lawyer. But clergy…

I have seen the dark side of religion. But that is not what got me to walk away. I mentioned questions. Like the story of Horus from 1280 BC. Born of a virgin, had 12 disciples, walked on water, performed miracles, was executed and raised from the dead. Oh, and born on December 25th too. Come on, a thousand year before Christ and has a remarkable resemblance to him. I’m telling you, questions…

I’m not mad at it. I do however doubt it. I love Christ. Do I believe He is real as the Bible said? Nope. But here’s the thing. I don’t need to. I know I fall short of what I aspire to be. And truth be told, if Christ did only a third of what the Bible said, that would be good enough for me. Cause I got a long way to go. But for all I know, Christ could have been some dude named Chad. It certainly doesn’t help that the first books of the New Testament were written 40 years after the death of Christ. Hell, I can’t remember 40 days ago, let alone 40 years. It’s a stretch if you ask me.

I believe in the spirit and love the concept of Christ. But I had questions. Today, not so much. My message for as long as I can remember was peace, love and kindness. Some may call me a hippie. I call myself human. And who knows, may be one day I’ll be called Chad.

Think about it.