CHRISTIANITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN a faith-based religion.
From its inception, the Christian has depended on faith in an unknown and unseen God to dictate, justify and give meaning to his daily behaviour and moral and ethical choices.
To the Christian of course, God is not unknown. But in reality, when one digs beneath the surface, one would find that the Christian may know of God, but God remains unknown to him in a truly practical, physical sense.
The Christian may posit that he has first-hand knowledge of God. But upon introspection, oftentimes he would conclude that such first-hand knowledge is limited to the influences of tradition and custom he embraces.
Ultimately, is it plausible when the scholars tell us man creates God? Is this idea of God the result of a deliberate construct by power-hungry men to control and shape a people?
As far as the Christian believes, God is a spiritual being. So it should not be any surprise that this God is invisible to mankind most of the times – the Christian believes God has manifested Himself in forms before that humans could identify with.
To be a slave to the Word suggests the Christian tries to obey and believe all that is commanded and instructed by this symbol of supernatural authority thrust upon him.
There are those who freely embrace the ways of the Bible and hold it above all other books. Also true is the fact that a large number of followers of the Christ believe the Bible – the popular manuscript holding some 66 books – to be the only Word of God. There are those who believe the Bible is not the only Word of God but rather the only infallible Word of God. And there are those, including many biblical scholars, who believe the Bible ought to comprise the 66 books plus the many other books left out for various reasons by the Church.
It is the lack of freedom religions offer that sometimes enslaves their followers. You are encouraged not to question the Word. You must obey the Word. You must memorise the Word. You must regularly recite the Word. You must let the Word grow in you. You must win others for that religion using the Word. You must not defile the Word. You must accept the Word as the truth.
There is hope though for the Christian who longs to know God and have a real relationship with this supernatural being.
The late Robert Nesta Marley reminds us that it is our responsibility to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery for none but ourselves can free our minds.
Shall we remain slaves to institutionalised religion that mandates we follow the Word beyond reason? Think on these things.
– DEXTER WHARTON