Framed by Faith » 2008

I was on my way to work and listening to the radio. I like to spin the dial, give each station a few minutes, regardless of whether it’s music, news or talk radio. Or preaching. If something in my variety show keeps my attention, I’ll stay with it until a station break, or until my attention dwindles. Today it was preaching.

I don’t remember the speaker’s name, but he was one of the more popular ones, like Swindoll or Stanley. I also noted that he was one of the more educated ones, a proven Biblical scholar, it seemed. He was outlining the afterlife, heaven or hell, based upon one’s decision for Christ. From my church background I know this means accepting God’s son as your personal savior, realizing that he died for our sins, and has gone before us to heaven to prepare a place for us. Non-believers are destined for an eternity in hell.

That’s when it hit me. How could intelligent men accept such statements, let alone teach them!

Framed By Faith. I know what it used to mean. But now I want it to be something different. I’ll need to change a few things though. Like getting rid of the Headlines title. And figuring out what to do with the stuff on the right. My daughter is my IT expert (along with her husband); maybe she can fix it. And maybe add a Comments button back in for those who may want to argue with me.

I originally had the bright idea that Framed By Faith would be a collection of relgious-centered news articles, with no regard for denomination or doctrinal position. The basis for this was my belief that God created us all and that his truth can be found in all religions — or no religion. The title implied that our very lives are framed by our view of faith, or our ingorance of it, or just simply ignoring it. It also represented a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that many of us are led by well-meaning, charismatic Christian preachers/teachers who might well be lacking in the truth, giving us wrong directions for our lives, thereby framing us.