About Ranting And The Term Idiots…
Definition:
A rant is a speech or text that does not present a calm argument; rather, it is typically an enthusiastic speech or talk or lecture on an idea, a person or an institution. Compare with a dialectic.
Rants can be based on partial fact or may be entirely factual but written in a comedic/satirical form. (Wikipedia)
Ranting is good for the sole, or so say I. Michelle normally gets to the hear the more creative ones, but there are things that frustrate and it’s cathartic to get them out onto the blog. They may not always be fully vetted, and they may ramble but I’m not going to apologize for doing a rant. It gets it off my chest, and I can move on.
Michelle read one of my posts and commented on the word “idiots”, she had a right too. I know better, in fact I know it’s a sin:
Matthew 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[a]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,[b]’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
The word “Raca” roughly translates to “airhead”, and it’s it’s definitely a sin to call brothers in Christ airheads (at least that’s what I’ve always been taught).
But It Must Be Said that some people in this society have stopped thinking for themselves, they get blown by the wind and the waves. They are looking for anyone, someone to tell them what to think. I run into them on a daily basis and it breaks my heart. It also makes me angry, because so much is at stake, even long time Christians will eschew theology. Which is just silly. We all have theology, we all believe something. That’s all theology is, a belief system, nothing more, nothing less.
Our churches are full of people content to let others guide them around by the nose, they don’t question, they don’t ask. The idea of the bereans is foreign to them, and unfortunately that makes me mad. This isn’t about any one church, I’ve seen it in all of them, even the Catholic Church. It’s sad and disappointing.
I’m not qualified to teach, but there’s such a large hole in our understanding that I constantly feel the call to do something about this situation. It’s why I started taking theology courses, and bibliology and hermeneutics and all the other stuff I’m working on. It’s so I can learn, it’s so I can help.
Amazing things can happen when you start asking questions, I’ve challenged two fundamentalist about anything other than the King James Version of the bible and still have yet to get a decent answer why my old New King James was a heretical translation. It’s why I left the baptist faith, I couldn’t stomach the hypocrisy any longer (that’s another story for another time). We have searched now for a full year, I was mortified with Calvinist theology. And when I asked hard questions, I got bad answers back.
But at least I asked, I will never forget one Pastor who was elated that we wanted to ask him doctrinal questions. He said that he wished more people would choose a church based on doctrine and not the style of ministry. We didn’t stay at his church but I was more amazed that he was amazed. Does anyone care what they believe anymore?
I let me passion get the better of me, I really want the best for people. The gentlemen who asked why he should join the Catholic Church is someone who could benefit from just a little research. I’ll give the RCIA props, every meeting they bring in lots of books about conversion and other Catholic topics to get people interested. Some are, but most just want to be told what to believe. That’s OK I guess, but maybe, just maybe someday I can help 
Ranting over, I feel better now.
Night…
-Paul-
