cars are stupid – i can prove it – they have been used to kill people – drunk drivers in cars have recklessly taken thousands of innocent lives in our country alone – old cars get rusty and dangerous because people often can’t afford to give them proper maintainence and take them off the road when they should go – don’t get me started on woman drivers – or men drivers – in fact we have broken it down to this very generalised generalisation – that when women drivers drive badly it is because they drive badly (or on occasion too carefully and slowly and so cause accidents) – when men drive badly it is because they drive recklessly (usually too fast and without taking decent enough consideration of others) – i have had a number of really bad experiences with cars even just this week (overtaking on the left up a hill when there was one lane, taxi overtaking four cars in one go on a solid white approaching a corner, countless people driving right up my bum metaphorically speaking, and so on…) – a car killed one of my friends in school on his eighteenth birthday when he went out for a cycle – cars break down and cost so much money in repairs (money that could be better spent on the poor and needy) – people have been highjacked and raped and murdered in cars – my uncle drowned when his car went off the road and into a river – and i could go on and on about bad things down by car, in cars, in the name of cars…
on the other hand, i have found that when i drive my car properly it gets me from one place to another, i can use it to give other people lifts, i have had some cool chatting times to the beautiful val in the car, i have driven kids to camps and visited people in hospital and offered complete strangers a ride and and and…
and all this is not really about cars at all, but about the church and Christ-ianity… just because stoopid people have done stoopid (and hurtful, and abusive, and racist, and damaging, and thoughtless, and and and) things in, through and with church and in the name of God or a specific denomination or the church, doesn’t make it a bad or stupid or useless or ineffective or abusive thing – it just means stoopid is as stoopid does
because i have seen the church in action and i have seen Godly men and women doing incredible revolutionary life-transforming things in the name and through the power of God and His Holy Spirit – i have seen people fed and clothed and visited and prayed and cared for and xenophobia-attacked people welcomed in and looked after and and and…
You said: ” cars are stupid”. Hmm, what about people who are driving them? I cannot believe that cars are stupid!!!
Confucius say, “him who read article before commenting… something something something”
Haha! love it 🙂 I shall forward immediately to all my car hating friends!
[…] Why I hate cars (Irresistibly Fish – Brett Anderson – @brettfisha) […]
Wow, Brett, so succinct in such a complex phenomenon facing the church! Great analogy, I’ll be remembering this for a long while, thanks!!
In case you’re wondering… “who is this Paul??” I’m Bruce Collin’s and Ulrich Fobian’s (Oreo’s) friend! Don’t worry, I know who you are 😉
Thanks, many of your blogs have been uber inspiring to me!! Be encouraged to keep it up!!
Cheers,
P
Ya I hear what you’re saying, but what about people who ride motorbikes? Or ride donkeys? Or people who dont use cars. Much less accidents when there are no cars involved. Too many drivers who are drunk telling everyone to get into their car on a Sunday to go for a drive. You have to pay for petrol for the car, and everyone is made to give a contribution to the petrol. The driver takes us wherever he wants – maybe to a bad area. When driving in the car, you feel separated from the world around you – not as free as say on a bike (which is more dangerous), or even walking on your won two feet. So maybe I’ll ride a bike instead – much more free and I get to drive it myself and not have to be a passenger. Maybe there are too many cars – too much pollution from cars, and too much noise. Why is it that when a pedestrian collides with a car, the car is always better off? It is better to walk than go in a car – you get more exercise and enjoy the scenery.
So ya, I understand your analogy, but look at mine as well. You can still get there without a car.
I would rather be on a donkey or walking in the right direction than driving (or being drive) around aimlessly by a drunk driver.
hey morne
an analogy is only as effective as the point it is trying to make – the point here being just because someone has had a bad experience of a car doesn’t mean cars are not effective or good modes of transport – you have carried the analogy a whole lot further than it is meant to be and so it stops making sense, so rather just see the point it was intended for and agree or disagree with that. the bottom line is that the church is God’s chosen implement to work His kingdom into the world – does that make sense? not a lot of the time but God in His wisdom, grace and sovereignty has decided to go that way so who am i to argue – so it is impossible to be a Jesus-follower and not be part of the church.
Church has been killed millions of people, many more people than cars have. Church has had paedophiles, rapists and other power mongers in it leading people astray. It has been the worst enemy of Christ’s teachings ever. People committed the most disgusting crimes against humanity, the earth and all its beings in the name of Christ. Christianity or Church as a word has been ruined. Christian should be in the thesaurus under hypocrite. This goes for most Christians. There are however some that are decent but that is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
One can rather call themselves a Jesus follower. This is more acceptable, even amongst Muslims and other cultures. It doesn’t carry the baggage of Christianity and it does not separate people or put up a wall (also known as Christianity). Other people see that you are following Jesus by your actions, and they say, “Hey, lets join in and also follow and see where we end up”.
You can call yourself a Jesus follower, but then if you murder and rape, people will say, “hey, this guy is obviously not a follower”. Very easy.
If a Christian murders or rapes, it is usually covered up by the Church, or people say, “hey, he is still a Christian, it was the devil who made him do it, forgive him and release him into society.”
Then we have Christians who believe they must tithe to a Church. Now this is a joke. Why should one have to give money to priests? Did Jesus say this? I don’t think so. Jesus worked as a carpenter, so all these priests expecting a handout should also get jobs.
How many people are there out there that have been burned by the Church? They are tired of giving money to the Church, being surrounded by hypocrites and risking having their kids molested by paedophiles. These same people go out there and do a lot of good to others, and the world we live in. They may be following Jesus, but not be a part of a corrupt system of Church.
Christians claim that the Bible is the word of God. And when one challenges a Christian on the many contradictions and other verses that are blatantly ignored (oooh it is out of context you know…), then the Christian always has an excuse.
Christians love to have Church bands and other charismatic speakers, and lift up their hands in public and pray. But this is all for show. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room (or closet.) and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret…” (Matthew 6:5-6 RSV).
Women are speaking in Church, when it clearly states in the Bible, “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak”– 1 Corinthians 14:34 So how can it be called a Church if women are speaking in it?
Why are Churches always planning and plotting? Give your tithe, lets prepare for this function or that…
“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or that ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on… Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, not gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedth them. Are ye not much better than they?” –Matthew 6:25-34 & Luke 12:22-31
Then in the Bible it states “For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven”-Matthew 5:18-19 RSV). Now where is this OLD law? In the old law, there is talk of stonings and other things.
Eating pork is forbidden (Deuteronomy 14:8). I’ve never met a Christian who DIDN’T enjoy bacon and eggs. So why the hypocrites?
SO do you follow all the old testament or just follow whatever you feel like? How do we know that all the old testament was included in the Bible? Maybe the guys who put all the old scrolls together though that they’d leave out some things as it may challenge their power base or leadership at the time.
To be a Jesus follower requires one to pray to Jesus and open their heart to Him, and accept that he is the son of God and will save your soul, and then follow his ways. He will speak to you and lead you. If some of the Bible helps you, then so be it. If you don’t feel like reading it, then surely Jesus will lead you in other ways. So its really about whatever floats your boat. Maybe some people get there by different means according to their personality. Some prefer to be in groups – some don’t. Some like the limelight, some don’t. Some like reading books written by men, some dont. Some like going to a building and singing songs, others dont. But hopefully we’re all on the same path. The people who are in conventional Churches must stop Bible bashing so much – its hurts people’s heads.