My whole life the cross has been at every crossing of eye, seen through the peripheral view. God Bless on the most valuable tender in my lifetime, what we kill for, what we starve for, what we fight for. The Christian religion is that followed by the dominant discourse and is imbedded into our governmental texts. The reasoning given for many actions are our spreading the knowledge of Christianity. How we tamed our animals. This constant exposure has tainted my mind. This is why I choose to delve into the Christian religion.
Reverend Linda Bartholomew is in her mid fifties (hypothesis) but still has a chic disposition. She wears a white collar around her neck and a black suit matched with colored glass earrings and a short grey bob. She seems very liberal compared to my stereotypical view of a reverend. Her purpose in life is to love like god loves, but that will take much work she says. She believes that “We will be resurrected to the kingdom of god”, we including “everyone somehow”. Based on what I have learned God is seen as the perfect being that we all should serve, similar to a monarchy. "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God" (4:24 Corinthians). This kingdom will be here on earth, and she says this spiritual air picture is a miss-conception. But I can see where people make this mistake because the Corinthian do say “UP to.” but earth is right here. On the other hand my friend Evan is a devout Christian who says the bible says that heaven is somewhere else. According to Bartholomew Hell does not exists it is just used to give the sense that their will be justice in the afterlife, which is in god's hands. She believes injustices such as the vast separation between the rich and the poor will not be present. It will be the perfect life with justice, but if the perfect life existed there would be no injustice thus there would be no need for justice.
We are an anti-animal-wild society, which strongly believes in justice for the savage animal instincts produce. For instance murdering someone or raping someone is seen as horrible acts that deserve justice. When these are our biological instincts acting, and justice is needed for such acts.
Reverend Bartholomew recently conducted a funeral for a young girl who was but a year old. I asked her what she envisions when she thinks of the afterlife, she says "right now I see Blythe sitting in god's lap." when she says this I immediately envision a man, though she does not specify "I look for the LORD; my soul doth wait for him;" (pg. 474 of psalm 130 de profundis) God being a man supports the dominating power and respect they receive in our world. Bartholomew stated, "The body is sacred, no matter whom it belongs to a poplar, terrorist or president" note she only spoke of the human species. In their eyes Death is an enemy, even though it is the vehicle that “delivers” one to the kingdom of god. In heaven "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death"(Corinthians 4:26) Reverend states that her role at a funeral is to be present and steal herself and give it to the grievers by being strong and not crying, keeping her composure, even when a little girl who is younger than a year has died, and everyone around is "crumpling". She does say that grieving from the family is important and does not like seeing discouragement of showing ones emotions. Essentially we have begun our eternal life, so death is just a break, a long time to rest. "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (Corinthians 4:16) I thought that this was really true and reflected my attitude on life. What won't kill you will make you stronger. A sense of wisdom, with experience will come deeper acceptance. Death needs to be accepted because things just are . . .. The Christian belief of afterlife is there way of accepting death, (yet not really because they don’t believe they will die forever).
Further Questionings:
Who wrote the bible is it a reliable source?
References:
The Book of Common Prayer
The New Testimony
Interview with Reverend Linda Bartholomew
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