A Letter, explaining Faith

Dear You-Know-Who-You-Are,

I just wanted to tell you that the comments you made today made me sad. It made me sad for you and those who agreed with you. It made me sad for me and for those who say the agree with me.

If the experiences you have had with those who claim to follow the Christian religion have been so bad that you feel one of the worst thing that could happen in your child's education is for her to learn about God and talk about Jesus, that makes me sad. But to say you want her to be able to choose her faith herself later on, yet not teach her about God and Jesus is unfair. To say that learning about God has no place in a young child's education is doing the child and society a huge disservice.

I truly believe that teaching religion in schools and at a young age will help nurture a more tolerant society, regardless of what religion you practice. Intolerance comes from not truly understanding and education can go a long way to solving that problem.

God has no place in childhood? I call foul. If God has any place it is in childhood, when we can see the world most honestly. No God in childhood? Pshaw. How are we supposed to face the rigors and hardships and stress and negativity of adulthood without such a foundation of Hope? Jesus himself called us to be more like the children, to have a child-like faith. You called it brainwashing? Not only did I grow up learning about God and Jesus, but I was also taught about other religions. As I got older, I inevitably questioned my faith, as we all do, but no matter what I kept coming back to my roots. The Christianity I follow, allows that. And I am all the stronger for it.

I belong to a religion that is mocked incessantly, derided on a daily basis. "Don't take it personally. It is just in fun." It has become a comedy staple to make fun of what I believe in, of what I base my whole life on. It doesn't get much more personal than that. People take more offense when you mock their favorite sports team than their God.

Unfortunately, I belong to a religion who's public face is that of radicals and extremists like Harold Camping, "The Army of God" and the "Westboro Baptist Church." I can tell you most certainly that they, and the countless others like them, do NOT believe in the same God I do. The God I believe in is a God of Love, of Hope, of Grace, and Understanding; a God who provides help in times of need. The Jesus I follow was Loving and Giving and Inclusive. We are not perfect and that's all the better. "Come as You Are." Jesus hung out with criminals, he hung out with the outcasts, he welcomed with open arms those others have cast aside. He loved unconditionally. No exceptions. (Hey Westboro, Jesus wouldn't be protesting with you. He would be inside comforting the grieving families.)

If your experience with Christianity has been so terrible that you won't allow you child to learn about God, then I'm sorry. On behalf of a religion of millions, I am sorry. Just like any religion, there are bad seeds and hypocrites. But don't be so quick to judge the whole faith on those people. Don't be so quick to dismiss it entirely. Don't be so quick to mock and deride.

I'm not here to convince you to be a Christian. I'm not here to start a theology debate. I'm here to explain what I believe. I feel the nature of God and Jesus has seriously been misrepresented to a wide audience and all I ask is that you try again. Try to understand what Christianity is really about.

I promise, we really aren't so bad.