A Testing of Faith

(The Irrelevant Rant of an Ambiguous Old Man...) During the late sixties and early seventies my faith was severely tested and much of what I had been taught was put in doubt...Long ago I envision the religious community as that of a group of people standing on the bank of a river shouting to a drowning man, "Swin, Swim". When calling into question as to why, the response was. "The book says all you have to do is swim and you won't drown." Days later after they recovered the body, his wife was overheard saying, "He just didn't know how to swim".  

Coming of age in the sixties was a traumatic experience for many, yet it was the birth of the new religious experiences during that era, that shook the very foundation of religion and the faith of many. Growing up in a Christian environment, I was taught to believe in the Bible. I was also taught that it was impossible to understand everything in the bible and this created a level of contradictions and confusion that caused many young people to just simply run away from the church. 

During that time God was also tested, and when God failed to step forward and avenge his name, many concluded and publicly stated that God was dead. The door was then opened for the hustlers, the players and yes the pimps, and even the used car salesman to come marching in all claiming to be a miracle worker and extracting hard cash from the sheep pouches. The Hollywood style entertainers took center stage and a new religious order began to emerge.  From the flamboyant Rev. Ike to the irresistible Jim Jones they came in droves. Their message was the same, “Give me some money (plant a seed) and God will bless you.” Nobody had the gall, then and now, to stand up to these men, because if the preacher said it, it was right. .. And there they are, on local and national Television pimping their wares.  Many times while listening to these messages I close my eyes and see a man struggling in the water, drowning, crying out for help,  while the preacher preaches, "He woke me up this morning, (aHaw) and he started me on my way (aHaw).  Ain't God good.  The church erupted in a shout as another Cancer ridden struggling soul sinks beneath the Religious waves of confusion. 

Sitting in on the religious service I was impressed at the young man's ability to work the crowd. It was a simple message of, “God love you.” The congregation was constantly reminded to touch someone and tell them that God loved them. Once the excitement began to build the message changed to, ‘God loves a cheerful giver.”  The feeling evokes the same type of euphora as that of attending a Jame Brown concert, the only difference was James Brown was honest, you knew up front it was a show and it was all about the money. You knew what you were going to pay before you walked through the door.