What is your Perspective of God?

I’ve come to the conclusion the God presented and defined by religion is not the God of the Bible. I believe that the various religions of the world have concocted who God is by whatever upbringing they have experienced. What has happened is that religions have made gods of their own making. Sad to say, some leaders in Christianity have fallen into the same trap. Is the God of Christianity really the God of the Bible or a God of their own choosing?

Religion is completely patriarchal, this means that it is a system of society designed and controlled by men to control people. Breaking from this system proves to be very difficult, emotionally. The threat of hell and punishment is everywhere in the corners of your psyche. The God of religion is portrayed by leaders in the churches as a punishing daddy who wields a rod of chastisement like nobody’s business. Oh the preachers all say God is merciful and loving, but isn’t that speaking with a forked tongue? It’s to prevent reasonable people like you and me from running from the “church”.

It is common for religion to compare the relationship between humanity and God to that between husband and wife. God is the “man” of the house to whom humanity owes obedience, respect, and honor. Usually this relationship is portrayed as one of love, but in far too many ways, God is more like an abusive spouse who only knows how to love through intimidation, control and violence. However, religion has vested interest in keeping adherents under their control. How else would the financial empires survive or the “spiritual gurus” get homage paid to them as great spiritual giants?

If you listen to these leaders you can easily accuse God of being an abuser. Abusers instill fear in their spouses; believers are instructed to fear God. Abusers are unpredictable and given to dramatic mood swings; God is depicted as alternating between love and violence. Abused spouses avoid topics which set off the abuser; believers avoid thinking about certain things to avoid angering God. Abusers make one feel like there is no way to escape a relationship; believers are told that there is no way to escape God’s wrath and eventual punishment, unless they remain in their particular flock and obey all the rules that are laid out.

There is something destructive in the bible literalist, who demands and demands others become what he wants them to become, unnaturally and without mercy.The “true God” and the god preached by millions of bible literalists every day is not one and the same.

The god of religion cannot bring peace to lives of people without first denying who they really are at the core. It is impossible to live and truly worship your abuser. Folks the difference between the god presented by religion and the TRUE GOD is the god of religion is void of relationship and you attain his favor through fear and obedience, the religious observances, rules and regulations.

On the other hand, the True God is a God of relationship Who Himself is LOVE. The true test of godliness is LOVE! He is not hiding with a big stick waiting to pounce on you to punish you whenever you do wrong. Instead, His arms of love and mercy are extended wide to accept you by His grace. More people will be won to Christ through a relationship where His love is portrayed than a religion that tries to win people to Him through His perceived anger and wrath!