Hi,

I understand what you thought about the bible. In terms (1), I will not say anything about your points in the bible that human beings cannot understand, because it is beyond the human's imagination. However, I do not want to say "error". This is my opinion, that is the point that God hides the truth from the so-called intelligent people, because if you do not believe what happened in the bible from the bottom of your heart, you cannot reach over to God. When I started to read the bible, I tried to understand the bible, like other people. That is why I read the bible several times. However, when I tried to understand the bible, there were several points I could not be convinced. Eventually, I realized that I needed to cross the line. I mean, I have to believe in God really. I think I was in a lucky environment to face myself quietly. When I were in Japan, I might be poisoned by the wrong idea. I had a suttle feeling to God in Japan, but I was not sure, of course. As you know, the atomsphere in Japan prevents you from believing in God. I suppose that more than 90% people in Japan do not beileve in God at all, even though they claim to belong to some religious group. If you say so, you end up with being laughed, say "Are you OK?". By the way, I hated religion very much, when I was in Japan.

In terms of (2), to be honest, I have no idea what to say. All I can say is that the degree of faith is the degree of believing in and trusting God. As you know, this is easy to say, but difficult to do. Human, especially men, have a self-confidence, more or less. It is difficult to throw your self-confidence away, and to rely on God. I cannot do this completely, even now. I guess that is why women tend to receive the holy spirit rather than men. Furthermore, I suppose that this kind of faith is also strongly affected by the atmosphere surrounding you, as mentioned above. I do not think at all that you have to belong to some kind of denomination in order to receive the holy spirit. By the way, I go to church almost every sunday, but I go to church to refresh my faith. So, I think it is not too late for you to re-think coming back. I think any church welcomes you, even although you have criticized the bible up to now. If one church does not, well, try another church. .

In terms of (3), I have never thought that christian is special. Rather, the bible says that you are going to suffer because of christian. Since I bacame a christian, I have been aware of my uglyness. I might be said, "stupid". What is good for me? However, I will never throw christianity away, because God gives me a peace. This is true.

Hiromichi Yamamoto

(1) It does not require intelligence to recognize errors in the bible

This is my opinion, that is the point that God hides the truth from the so-called intelligent people, because if you do not believe what happened in the bible from the bottom of your heart, you cannot reach over to God.

It does not require any intelligence to recognize errors in the bible. You just say you see errors when you see them. It is as simple as that! On the contrary, it requires something extraordinary for believers to say they do not see errors when they in fact see them face to face. This, something extraordinary, you call "faith" and I call "pretense".

(2) Try another church?

If one church does not, well, try another church. .

You must be kidding. How many churches do you think I went to? From Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Church of Christ, Independent to even Jewish Synagogues and such controvercial ones as Unification churches, Mormon churches as well as Jehovah's witness! -- I don't know if there is any church left that I have not seen. Moreover, I even went to a College to study theology!

None has shown me a way to be in contact with God personally in reality (as is shown in cases of Adam, Cain, Moses, Abraham, Job and others in the Biblical stories). Christian churches have no answer just as you do not. They are as helpless as you, admitting that they actually do not know but only believe.

"Don't know but believe"? What does that mean? It only means you behave pretending as if such and such is true, isn't it? So, what can this "God", talked by those who actually do not know God, be? Since if they don't know they can only conjure up, it can only be an image that they carve in their minds (most likely in such a way that their personal gains ("salvation") are assured).

I stopped forcing myself believing in God. I have then found liberation (freedom to seek truths) that I cannot imagine I will ever go back to the God-searching journey, especially by the way of Christian churches. Even so, I do not deny God; as I said before I welcome him anytime anywhere. Unlike him who hides himself from me, I am here in public with my arms and mind wide open to him.

(3) Liberation from Christianity

However, I will never throw christianity away, because God gives me a peace. This is true.

I'm saying, whether peace or anything else, what is available to Christians are also available to non-Christians in actual life. There is no necessity to be a Christian to find a peace or anything else in actual life. As I said, if you are going to be a Christian for a long time like me, soon or later you will realize that Christians are as bad as non-Christians, and non-Christians are as good as Christians.

The only significant difference is that now as not being a Christian, I do not have to pretend as if I know God, Jesus, life after death and so on when in fact I do not know anything about these things. This liberated me from the greatest suffering of my life.

For one thing, I can now say "I do not believe" when I cannot believe whereas I could not say so when I was a Christian because of fear of losing personal gains (salvation). I can now say "this is true" or "this is an error" when I think so whereas I could not say so when I was a Christian because of the fear of losing divine favor. Therefore I can truly sympathize with you when you "do not want to say 'error'" even when you see it. To be a Christian is to be a merit-seeker; you have to give up being a truth-seeker.

And for another, since I no longer have to pretend that I know God, Jesus and so on, I am no longer try to change life of others (in disguise of "shareing happiness or blessing"). To stop being a Christian is to stop being a person who thinks he or she can change life of others.

To be liberated from Christianity, I found, is to cherish freedom not only of myself but also of others.

おたより、ありがとうございました。

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