It was just another day in class, destroying brain cells by endlessly scrolling through the friend-stalker known as Facebook. I went my merry way, liking, commenting and complimenting... and then there it was... the dreaded soap box post. And I couldn't scroll past it. It ate at my mind. I needed to put my two cents in. My valuable two cents that I hoard to myself because it's mine to have. And I put it in the pot. I ended up putting in more than I bargained for, but I think I won something in the end.
In the original post, a Facebook status, the poster was very much angered by a hypocrisy seen in the church. As she sees it, the debate over whether the American dollar should continue to bear the motto "In God We Trust" takes precedence over caring for the poor and helpless in the community. And, as a believer, I agree with her on that count. I care less about what is printed on my countries currency and more about what I choose to do with the money I earn. It's fair point, even in the words of Jesus -- what is Caesar's belongs to Caesar's, and what is God's belongs to God.
While I would be highly disappointed that "In God We Trust" is removed from my money -- the symbolic meaning of its removal being that the country no longer honors God -- the money isn't me. The money does not define my faith. The slogan removed is neither detrimental nor beneficial to American society - her nations leaders will glorify or damn the name of God in whichever ways they humanly choose. And they can do that with the currency because that is theirs to do so. They, however, cannot shake my personal faith or dictate my personal choices (yet). I give myself to God, and the best way to show that is to give to other people, for in giving to them we are giving it all to Him.
At this point, the conversation deviated from simple separation of church and state into whether evolution, science, religion and intelligent design should be taught in public classrooms. Party One (the original poster) insisted that religion should be shoved into an all-encompassing, while the second party (a Christian angered by those who are stubbornly ignorant and brusque to her about her beliefs) desired that both theories be taught in a classroom, especially from the Christian point of view. The posts were laced with personal attacks, and the debate was turning into an ugly rant at this point, instead of an intelligent and enlightening discussion with the original poster scoffing at assumed resistance to evolution being taught in a church.
I interjected at this point that I, personally, would allow evolution to be taught in my church. I'd rather give people a choice, an informed choice, before choosing to follow. It makes the choice more genuine, more faithful. And here I laughed because the original poster felt it appropriate to tell me that there are those who unite the idea of creation and evolution.
I am one of those people. I have seen that there's enough proof to make an argument for creation in what we already know and have seen in this universe. Whether it's a good argument is up to the hearer. I've seen legitimate arguments with reasonable proof go both ways. Belief is faith and choice, even when it comes to observable science. Religion might less be science, but it's viable human history and completely human right. Keeping either from connecting to the other produces crass, biased and unrounded elitists with closed minds and hardened hearts.
I walked away from this conversation having been told that I will go unblessed by God because I choose to let the gay agenda persecute the church with their removal of "In God We Trust" from the dollar bill. That, I can assure you, is the least of my worries. The other hand holds me in a place where someone's mind has opened up to the fact that there are faithful and educated Christians who are logical and not blinded by this petty war of words that keeps us from ministering to those in need to God's love.
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