Insert Witty, Eye-Catching Title Here.

So, I was halfway through a Society Rant Based on the Teachings of How I Met Your Mother blog post, when some stuff changed my mind. I know, you're all disappointed. I'll write that post another time. So, a very religious couple I know often find themselves in facebook arguments about religion with both their non-believer and believer friends. They are some intense arguments. I read a couple tonight. One argument including two friends of mine. Of the "non-believer" persuasion. Now, the first argument I read made me angry. With both sides of the argument. I don't think anyone dealt with it too well. But, interestingly, the second argument made me cry. Three times. Only small crying sessions, but I cried. It wasn't that that argument was any worse, really, it was just all of it put together. Maybe also the fact that two of my friends were involved.

Now, I actually didn't agree with most things said by anyone on these arguments. They argued about whether God hates or loves people on one argument. They argued about whether God actually exists on the other. I cannot stand science vs religion arguments. I just cannot stand the ignorance of people. On both sides, but I'm not going into that. I hate going into that. I think that's what made me cry.

This year's been quite religious for me. Well, not religious, but yeah. It might sound dumb or cheesy, but a band really did help me. Yeah, a band. Relient K. STORY: I got an album of their's last year for Christmas. One night I listened to it and a few certain songs made me realise crud about myself. Bite My Tongue- Made me realise that I really need to watch what I say, ask God for the right words and just bite my tongue. If I don't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything. Give Until There's Nothing Left was the biggest one (listening to it now). LYRICS:

No one told me

The right way

The right way to go about this

So I'll figure it out for myself

'Cause how much is too much to give you?

Well I'll may never know

So I'll just give until there's nothing else

Yeah I'll give, give, give (until there's nothing else)

Give my all (until it all runs out)

Give, give (and I'll have no regrets)

I'll give until there's nothing left

I'll give

No one told me

How bad I need you (need you)

But I somehow arrived

To that conclusion all by myself (all by myself)

And I want

All you have to offer (to offer)

So I'll offer myself and I'll just give until there's nothing else

And I'll give, give, give (until there's nothing else)

Give my all (until it all runs out)

Give, give (and I'll have no regrets)

I'll give until there's nothing left to

Give, give, give (until there's nothing else)

Give my all (until it all runs out)

Give, give (and I'll have no regrets)

I'll give until there's nothing left

Sometimes it seems

Like all I ever do

Is ask for things

Until I ask too much of you

But that's not the way (that's not the way)

I wanna live (I wanna live)

I need to change (I need to change)

But something's got to give

Yeah something's got to

Give, give, give (until there's nothing else)

Give my all (until it all runs out)

Give, give (and I'll have no regrets)

I'll give until there's nothing left to give

Give, give, give (until there's nothing else)

Give my all (until it all runs out)

Give, give

Give until there's nothing left

I'll give 

The bit that really got to me is the "sometimes it seems like all I ever do is ask for things until I ask too much of you. That's not the way I wanna live... etc" It kinda slapped me in the face. I realised that I only ever tried to talk to God or pray when I wanted something. I'd go, "I'M FREAING OUT OVER MY EXAM TOMORROW! Dear God, I pray you'll help me do well, amen." But I never thanked God or just prayed for other people. I've changed that now. I try to pray every night when lying in my bed. I try to pray for people around me and for me to remember God's with me etc. I've kinda opened my eyes to what God does do for me and it's all so good.

Now, I don't go to church a lot. I often stay home to do school work etc., but I don't believe this is bad. Sometimes, it's good at church. I'll learn something and see other Christians. But, I feel like it isn't very relevant to me very often. The messages are good, but I don't feel they really speak to me. Again, it might sound stupid, but a lot of the Relient K music relates to me more. Now, I am not following this band like a church cause that ain't cool. I just feel it speaks to me and I think God speaks to me more through the music.

After my weird realisations through music last December, I spent one night at a Youth Conference by the begging of a friend of mine. It was good. I had my friend and a friend of hers (who I'd met once) hug me and pray for me and it touched me. I realised that God had spoken to me in different ways, ways that would get to me. Music and friends. Two big parts of my life and I'd finally gotten a wake-up call.

Now, I am still doing SO many things wrong, but I feel comforted thinking about all this.

I've learnt a lot about my personal beliefs this year, too. In my RAVE class about a month ago, my teacher told us about what he believes it means to be a Christian. My class had a little uproar about what he had to say but I agreed. He said that he believes that if you believe these four points, you are a Christian and will go to Heaven. Let's see if I can remember them:
1. God is all-knowing
2. God is all powerful
3. God sent his only son Jesus to Earth to die on the cross for our sins
4. 3 days later, Jesus rose from the dead.
My teacher said if you believe that, you're a Christian in his eyes. My class complained like crazy after class saying things like, "So, he's saying if we don't believe all that, we'll go to Hell?! Ugh, I hate him," and I had to restrain from yelling, "Yes. Christians do believe that if you don't believe that stuff, you'll go to Hell, so stop moaning," and I have to say, this teacher is actually quite good at not forcing his opinions on everyone, in my opinion. Everyone else says, "He's always forcing his opinion on us and telling us we'll go to Hell." He has never said they'll go to Hell. He never said he's right. He actually told us the other day in class that he could be wrong, about everything but it's his belief. It may be weird, but I actually find his crazy strong faith quite inspiring.

I've been thinking and I really think Christianity can get so over-complicated. In my opinion, it's pretty simple. You accept that God is your saviour. He created you and loves you. He sent his son to Earth. His son died on the cross bearing the sins of everyone. He rose 3 days later. If you accept this as true, you'll go to Heaven. Therefore, you have accepted the existence of God. If you believe He exists, you want to do things to please Him and try to sin less and help others etc.

I believe that religion becomes too much of a big thing. The actual religion part. I think it should all be more about a relationship. A relationship with God. I have changed most of my views on this stuff so far this year and I'm seeing things differently. I have become kinda enlightened. Things like Easterfest, mentioned AGES ago (well, at Easter) got me looking at the huge group of people singing songs of praise and I have never felt more confident in my faith. Watching sunsets and seeing the natural beauty of the world makes me so confident.

These days, I love lying in my bed at night, listening to some good God-related Relient K music (like the stuff I'm listening to right now) and pray and thank God for the good stuff he's done.

I just wish it wasn't all so over-complicated. I wish these kinds of hypocritical arguments wouldn't take place. Sigh. Just got some lyrics from a song for the arguing Christian's on some of these facebook arguments:
"Because the judge of you is someone I could never be, is why you should thank the Lord that it is him, and it's not me" 

Definitely not what I intended to be blogging about 3 hours ago when I started my HIMYM post, but the fact that these arguments made me cry kinda got to me.

Someone on these arguments said something about homosexuality and this got me reading things. Many non-Christians state that "God hates gays," etc. and I disagree. So much. I've been reading an article on the issue, written by a homosexual Christian. It's pretty interesting, actually. I have never been very open or comfortable on the issue of homosexuality until this year when one of my best friends in the entire world came out. It got me reassessing things and chats with him tonight about these subjects continued my reassessing. I think the parts of the Bible that talk about this (which is very very small parts) are in context of the time it was written. A LOT of the Bible is quite relevant today, as it was written regarding standards held then. I still believe a lot is relevant too. I truly do believe that my God loves everyone. He hates a lot of the things we do, however. Back to my earlier point, in my opinion, if you believe those four things outlined earlier, you will go to Heaven despite your sexual orientation, despite your past crimes etc.

Anyway guys, I have a Maths test tomorrow. I could write so much more about this stuff, but I haven't studied much today...