Faith Statement

As you know, I have been asked to write a faith statement. I have decided to write mine on how my faith differs from other religions. Unless you have been hiding in a hole for the last eight years, you know about the war in Iraq. It is a regular thing for bombs to explode there in the streets and cause casualties. If you look at these people you realize they give themselves up for what they believe is a right and holy cause as part of their faith. They think they should commit suicide and kill others. The bombers, who are usually Muslim, believe if they give up their life for a holy cause they get a free ticket to go to heaven. What makes this so sad is that these men and women have been exploited since their youth. They are taught that America and other religions are evil and should be exterminated. It makes no sense to kill others in order to get to heaven. In Christianity we are taught the opposite. We believe in Jesus and are told to love one another and then we go to heaven. It doesn't matter what we did in our lives, we only have to accept Christ and believe that God is in our hearts and minds. If we believe in him then our sins are forgiven and we go to Heaven. If you look at other religions, such as Hinduism, it is really hard to go to heaven. In Hinduism you have to die and be reborn many times before you even get close to going to heaven. Christianity is different because you have only one life and if you believe you get eternal life. Even other branches of Christianity make it hard to go to heaven. In some groups, like Jehovah's Witnesses, you have to follow a long set of rules and even if you do, you might not get in. I am very happy that United Methodists recognize that Jesus paved the way for everyone, not just a minority. I am also glad that as a United Methodist I believe in free will. For these reasons, and many more that I cannot list now, I am grateful that I am a Christian and a United Methodist.

by J.C.