Thursday, November 8, 2007

Forgive the Rant, I Just Can't Take it Anymore

Let me start by saying that I adore my family and cherish my friends. But if I get one more e-mail that promises me "blessings" if I say the prescribed prayer and then pray for 12 people while I forward the e-mail to them, I just might scream.

I usually get these from people I have not seen in years or distant family members. People who have not picked up a phone or sent me a personal e-mail in X number of years. Why bother? I know that there is that sappy "forward" going around claiming that getting forwards are a way of someone saying, "I'm thinking if you". Can't fool me, it's just a forward.

I don't mind getting the forward e-mails as much as I mind the content. It is what I would call, "Christianity Lite" (if you can even call it Christianity at all, which usually you cannot). Someone knows that I am a believer so they send me anything that they have been sent that has the words, "God" or "Jesus" or "love" or "angels". What bothers me the most is the name of the Most Holy being thrown around so casually. The name of our King has power and I am seeing it and someone's rendition of His earthly image sent around in e-mails that sometimes are adorned with cutsie teddy bears and an animated "Jesus".

Where do we draw the line? When are these things simply blasphemy?

I have gotten to where I do a quick scan of the e-mail and if I pass 52 forwards I automatically delete it without even reading it. If I actually see content, I scan it for anything cutsie and then delete it. If I actually read the content, the minute it says anything like, "Remember God loves you and sent His angels to watch over you today", I hit delete faster than I would jump over my couch to rescue the last piece of chocolate from one of my children's grubby hands.

How can we have the audacity to proclaim to know anything that God the Father is doing for us today if we have not even stopped to consult Him? Does it say in scripture that sending eight e-mails in the next ten minutes will get me a blessing? Nothing remotely close in my Bible.

I am getting so sick of "dumbed down religion". Forgive me for ranting, but I just had to get it off my chest. Just once, I would like to see someone e-mail me with something "hermeneutical" and with some meat if we are going to "talk turkey". Anyone up for a discussion of Jan Hus or John Wycliffe and their contributions to the planet? How about just the Gospel? Not watered down, but biblically accurate? I have a feeling I may never be e-mailed again after this.

Again, excuse my rant, I really do welcome e-mails of almost any caliber, just nothing with teddy bears please....

3 comments:

Angie Dagenhart said...

PREACH IT SIESTA!!!! I am so on the same page with this!!!!! What gets me is that the people that send this stuff to me would never ingage me in a SERIOUS talk about ABBA (unless they were talking up Sweedish disco/pop)- let alone say "JESUS" out loud.

Shirley Șerban said...

YES, YES, YES!!! Amen and then again! :)

I absolutely resonate with all you've written here. Have you read the book, "Cat and Dog Theology" by Bob Sjogren and Gerald Robison? It highlights probably what the main misconception behind these fluffy forwards is - the warped idea that God lives for us, rather than the other way around. Challenging stuff, but worshipping the Almighty God of the universe who is holier beyond our imagination is way more exciting and fulfilling than glittery pictures of angels and cute teddy bears! :)

Jamie said...

I am right there with you. Sometimes, rarely I'll read a forward and it will be a good one, but then it has all that 'send this to x amount of people and God will bless you' junk. As if. Do people really think that? I rarely even read forwards, I just don't have the time to sit there all day reading them. If they're going to speak of God, why not do it with respect of Him and His Word and in the right manner. How many times have we gotten emails explaining how to be saved or something like that?