DRAWING CONCLUSIONS: “NON-PRACTICING” BELIEVER
.
1. What is your religious background?
I grew up Methodist. Currently, I really don’t have an affiliation. I believe in God and… whatever. But as far as being a practicing Methodist or Catholic – which is what my wife is – uh, not really. My wife is not active in the church either.
.
2. Do you currently practice a religious faith? If not, why?
A lot of it is the hocus-pocus in the church. I mean, it seems like it’s all about money. But like I say, we believe in God, you know? I say my prayers every night. I just feel that I don’t have to go to a structure in order to practice my beliefs. I can do it in my living room, you know?
I’ve [also] had an association with Jehovah’s Witnesses, which, in a way, is more along the lines of what I think church should be…because they ask you for nothing. And they’re strictly there talking about the scriptures and everything. They have a few off-the-wall things, the way they look at life, but, you know, to each his own. They would come by the house and do studies with me. It was after my back surgery when I started talking with them. And like I say, they would come by, and as friends, sit down and have Bible studies. Never asked for anything in return. Never expected anything of you. They weren’t judgmental. They all knew that I went to Atlantic City [to gamble] and that’s not part of their beliefs, and we used to joke about it, you know? And I used to bust their shoes sometimes, and they took it all in fun. {laugh} I think they enjoyed coming to see me as much as I enjoyed them coming by, so it worked out. It worked out. {laugh}
3. What comes to mind when you think about God?
Creator of Heaven and Earth. He gave his Son for our sins. If you follow the story of the Bible [and see] the evolution of the way things went, in the Old Testament God used to kick you’re ass if you screwed up. You know? {laugh} After His Son was here, [there’s] more of a forgiving sense. And then again, if you look at what’s going on in the world today, some would say we’ve ticked Him off again, and now you’re experiencing all the natural disasters and things like that. So, what are you gonna say? {laugh}
I realize nobody lives forever. I don’t get offended, thinking, “Why did this happen?” If I did that, I’d probably be in a nuthouse right now, or I’d have went “postal worker” and killed a bunch of people. My sister passed away. My parents are both gone. My older brother passed after two weeks in the hospital. And then I look at me. I figured I would be been the first one in the family to go, with everything that’s happened to me in my life. I’ve been close to death four or five times. So, you know, He’s just not done torturing me yet, getting evil at me for all the evil stuff I did when I was little. {laugh} But no, I just roll with the punches. Go with the flow. Whatever it is, it is, and you’re not gonna change it.
4. What comes to mind when you think about Satan?
I think there’s a little bit of Satan in all of us. There’s a little bit of good in all of us. You know? You have to decide which you wanna be, you know? A lot of these disasters and everything that are happening, some people say God does it. [But] if you look at it objectively, maybe it’s Satan doing it, just to get your attention…to try to sway your beliefs.
I believe that no matter what you do…I won’t say no matter what…yeah, I guess, no matter what you do, as long as you ask for forgiveness, you can get yourself straightened out. At least that’s the way it was presented to me. Are there some individuals who you think don’t deserve forgiveness? Yeah, there probably are, but you have to think, Jesus would have forgave them…had they asked for it. Hitler, Manson, Gaddafi…there are certainly individuals who don’t deserve to be forgiven, but who am I to judge? I’m not the one passing judgment.
Satan is supposed to be…the archangel or whatever? Fallen from grace with God. Whether it’s a real person…uh, in the Bible it says it was when it confronted Christ. Tempted him all the time. For us as individuals, it’s part of us inside. If you don’t choose to open the door for him, he’s not gonna be there.
5. What comes to mind when you think about Heaven?
If you believe in anything, you have to believe in Heaven. I find it hard to believe that we’re here today and gone tomorrow. The energy that’s inside of us…what happens to it? It’s tough to accept the fact that you’re here today and gone tomorrow. You have to go somewhere, I would think. Whether you evolve and start running on another plane or something, who knows? I don’t. At one point in my life, from an injury I sustained, I was floating above myself, looking down at myself in the hospital bed, and then I came back. What that was all about…was it a dream? Was it real? It’s hard to say. I experienced it, so something’s there. You would like to say that you believe in [Heaven]. I guess we’ll find out but we won’t be able to tell anybody later. Who knows?
[I picture Heaven as having] a thousand virgins… {laugh}
You know, you rejoin your family and friends, and it’s just…it’d be great if it was like a beautiful spring day all the time. Other than that, I’m pretty simple. I don’t need Maseratis and stuff like that to ride around in. My life is pretty simple. I have no big expectations. Just a nice experience, that’s all. Maybe there’ll be no knuckleheads to tick you off. {laugh}
6. What comes to mind when you think about Hell?
It could be a bad situation, as far as an assortment of discomforts. Whether it be mental, emotional, physical; totally stressful; possibly like a warzone experience. Nightmarish in the sense of what you could encounter as far as visual effects, you know? I guess that pretty much covers it. It wouldn’t be pleasant. {laugh} Unless you’re Hitler or Jack the Ripper. I guess they’d think it was a playground. But you know, its hell. {laugh}
7. What comes to mind when you think about the Bible?
It’s a tutorial aid to help you live your life. A little tough to read with some of the old names and everything. {laugh} You know? {laugh} If you get through pronouncing them then you’re in pretty good shape. {laugh} It’s a tutorial aid as far as a way to live your life.
8. What comes to mind when you think about Jesus?
Compassionate. Approachable. If you’re gonna put somebody on a pedestal to idolize or try to live up to, it would be him. I wouldn’t kid myself into thinking that I’d be able to come close. {laugh} You know? {laugh} I think I’d fall way short. {laugh} That’s about how I look at him.
[He came] for people who were blind, to snap them back to reality. To let them see their faults and try to correct themselves to come back in favor with God.
9. What comes to mind when you think about the purpose of life?
Haven’t got a clue. Just to, uh, I don’t know. To try to accumulate as many true friends as you can, and to serve your fellow man. People think they’re rich if they’ve got a lot of monetary wealth. [For me] I consider myself rich if I have a lot of friends. Because, in life, you’ll probably only ever count your close friends on one hand. If you have more than five close friends, you’re a very wealthy person. [Friends] who would actually go to bat for you and help you at a moment’s notice. I would like to think that some of the people that I consider friends look at me that way. We do have limitations on what we can and can’t do for people. But if it’s at all in my power, I’d like to think that I would help my friends best I can, and I’m there for them. That can be family members, strangers, whatever.
I don’t have my wings but I like to think I earn a feature now and then. {laugh}
10. On a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being no confidence, and 10 being complete confidence), how would you rate the level of confidence you have that your beliefs (regarding questions 3-9) are accurate?
I’d have to say ten. If it’s what I believe, it’s what I believe, you know? If I wasn’t confident in what they were, I wouldn’t believe in them. {laugh} Now, whether they’re right or not, that’s another story. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder. {laugh} You know?
11. What would you say have been the biggest obstacles in your search for truth?
My wife! {laugh} {sigh}
Just every day experiences. Every day is a new experience, and it’s something you have to get through. How you weather the storm depends on what your frame of mind is that day at the time that it happens. And you make the most of what happens. I don’t worry so much. If something is bad, it’s bad. If I get ticked off and yell, then I get ticked off and yell. Like I say, it’s just the way you handle things when they come up. That’s your challenge.
My biggest thing with the church is the money. I’m not looking to knock the Catholic religion, but…if you look at the Catholic Church in the United States, they own more prime real estate, they have more wealth…more money than God, so to speak. But if you’re not giving them a check or an envelope every week, nine out of ten don’t wanna know you. You know? And to me, that’s – maybe I’m old school or something – but that’s not what makes the world revolve. In my way of thinking, the church is supposed to look out for their congregation, whether they’re going through hard times or good times, not judging one above the other because of the size of the envelope they put in the basket. If a family can’t afford to send their kids to school because they don’t have the funds, I don’t think they should be excluded from the Catholic schools. I don’t get into all the hocus-pocus with the big garb and all that stuff. That’s over the top as far as I’m concerned. You can have a tent in the back field and hold your services there. I don’t see why you need a two million dollar cathedral to go and to pray, and ask for a handout at the door on the way out. That’s probably my biggest hang up, the money end of it. It’s a racket. I hate to say it, but it is.
12. Hypothetically, if you were to stand before God today, how would you feel about meeting Him?
It would take Him a week to get through the book! {laugh} “You did what?” {laugh} I might have to stand there and tell Him, “I am what I am and that’s all that I am.” {laugh} Take the Popeye stance.
Are there things you’d be proud about? I’m sure. Are there things that you wouldn’t be proud about? I’m sure. You know? You take your lumps. {laugh} You can’t change it. Hopefully you did more good than bad. And if you did more bad, hopefully you got your prayer. {laugh}
If you notice I’m laughing, I have to make a joke out of it. Because that’s just life. You can’t change it. You know? I’m sure there is that rare individual out there that lives his life perfect, but I’m not one of them. And I don’t think [God] expects you to be one of them. He expects you to be a knucklehead. You gotta make decisions. That’s why you got a brain. Do you always make the right decisions? Noooo. {laugh} It is what it is.
13. Hypothetically, on what basis do you believe God will or will not accept you into Heaven?
I have no idea. Honest answer. I have no idea. You look at Jesus on the cross and who he was up there with. A couple thieves. A murderer, or whatever. One gets in, one doesn’t. Who knows? That’s His choice. I mean, He’s got His own criteria, so, you know? Maybe a tall fat guy [gets in Heaven] that day. {laugh} Whatever His agenda is for the day. I don’t know. Maybe He needs a bald guy. “Okay, you get in.” {laugh} “You and you, flip a coin. You’re in, you’re out, whatever.” {laugh}
14. If you could ask 1,000 people who are not Christians one question, what would it be?
“What are your beliefs? Why not?” Did they find something better? I realize Baskin Robins has got 31 flavors, and there’s enough different religions out there that they could believe in something.
This morning on the news, it was about the atheists up in Rhode Island. They wanna have the cross taken down at the memorial for firefighters for 90-something years. They’re complaining. And they want the firefighter’s prayer to stop being read. Hey, bite me! I mean, if you don’t believe, that’s your decision. But, you know what? You’re not the majority, so get over it. There’s a democracy here. This is what it is. If you don’t like the way things are here, go to another state. Go to another town. Make your town. Make your own country. But stop trying to influence what goes on in my life and everybody else’s life. It’s pretty simple.
15. If you could ask 1,000 Christians one question, what would it be?
“Do you expect something [of others] for believing and going to church?” Do you feel that you’re buying your way in?” Here comes the almighty dollar once again. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m not charitable when I make these statements. I do give to charities. I just have a hard time with it being an expectation, where…they’re asking for commitments on things. I may not have it this week. And next week I might have more. You know? That’s not what I think God expects of people.
16. If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
There’s probably dozens of questions you’d wanna ask Him. You’d wanna ask Him one that’s not stupid. {laugh} That would be a sure fire ticket down. {laugh} You ask Him a stupid question… “I don’t want that idiot in Heaven!” {laugh}
It depends on how you look at things. A lot of people would ask, “Why do You allow all the war and the killing?” Well, who says He’s allowing that? Not if you believe in good and evil. You have to be objective about it. I’m sure it’s not [God] so much making [evil] things happen…as it is the other half [Satan] doing it. And now you have to make a decision on how you’re gonna go. And that’s where free will comes in.
Maybe I’d ask, “Why did you make so many different species?” That would be of some interest to me. “Fish, birds, animals,” I’m just curious, “What was Your thought process?” That’d be interesting.
17. Would you be interested in participating in an Investigative Faith Study at your convenience?
Yeah, I would.
Subscribe to the blog and receive notifications for each post via email.
