What's Your Opinion On Pregnancy Outside Of Marriage?

Okay so. I'm what one might call an evangelical christian. God is my reality - the foundation upon which my life and my identity is built. And it's pure love and joy.

But sometimes, being a christian really sucks. I feel guilty, like all the time. I feel guilty for stuff i do. For stuff i don't do. For stuff i've done. For stuff i haven't done. For who i am. For who i'm not. Sometimes i just feel guilty, just like, in general? No reason. I'm just chillin and feeling guilty without any idea why. I think that is due, in no small part, to my christian upbringing.

And it really fuckin sucks. the story of God's love for humanity is all about redemption and freedom and perfect unity with God themself. but humans' interpretation of that story is like, "wow, we are shitty. we are all so shitty. we're, like, the worst. we have to feel very bad about this and hate ourselves and punish ourselves for this until we die." Like, way to miss the point!?

And then, kids like me grow up in that environment and end up feeling guilty all the time for no reason! It fuckin sucks!!

RANT Warning: indelicate language and imagery. Okay, so apparently as much as 54% of men and 42% of women are STUPID. I'm sorry but I'm not gonna be all politically correct about this. Anyone who answered yes to any of those questions is STUPID. STUPID AND WRONG.  For anyone out there who's a little bit confused....

RAPE IS NEVER OKAY. 

No matter what. No matter who long you've been dating, no matter how much money he spent, no matter what her level of sobriety, no matter what he's seen of her or done with her, no matter what mixed signals he's gotten, NO MATTER WHAT. It's not okay to force sex on a woman who does not want it.  And let's just stop and examine two of the conditions up there:  a) He is so turned on he thinks he can't stop. b) She gets him excited sexually. 

Ohmygoodness. MAN UP. Newsflash: Guys get turned on all the time. It's not exactly a novel thing. Guys can get turned on for no apparent reason. 

As a guy, are you seriously gonna try and tell me that you couldn't help it?  (This is where it gets graphic) ...That your dick was hard so you just HAD to ram it inside of her? That's bullshit! (I get vulgar when I get angry).  Oh, you were horny. Oh you poor baby. My heart bleeds for you, it really does.  MAN UP.

You're not an animal. You're not a robot. You don't HAVE to do everything your body wants you to. As a human, you SHOULD have morals. And you are able to reason and make choices. If you know that rape is ALWAYS WRONG (which it is) then you CAN walk away. You are not so weak that you are helpless against the primitive desires of your flesh.  So when I hear someone say something like "he's so turned on he thinks he can't stop" or "she gets him excited sexually", you know what I think? I think that "he" is a cowardly, lazy, spineless, weak, pathetic BOY. Because any man who cannot master his body and decide to respect women despite his physical urges is no man at all. 

Terrorism is terrorism is terrorism is terrorism. Hate is hate is hate. There is no variation in form of terrorism or hate. They exist as independent phenomena - free floating entities. They are darkness and evil and depravity. They cannot have any religious affiliation, because no religion deals in hate. Anyone who truly believes in a higher power also believes in love and grace and compassion and altruism. Terrorists and hate groups worship the powers of hell, not of heaven. So whether it’s Hitler, the KKK, the Westboro Baptist Church, or ISIS, they are not religious organizations. They are hate groups. They are terrorist groups. But never religious organizations.

Thanks for the follow. Blessings!

No prob bro! Thanks for stopping by :) 

I received an Anonymous question...oh, quite some time ago...asking me what I thought of Mormons. Well, I didn't know what I thought of Mormons; had never even asked myself what I thought of Mormons until I read the question. I have since embarked on quite the daunting quest of discovering the differences between Mormonism and mainstream Christianity, i.e. Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Anglican, Salvation Army, etc.). I'm quite interested and I'm trying to become as informed as I possibly can, to give you an unbiased answer. Please be patient with me :) I'll get there!

Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he had truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted.

The Last Battle, C.S.Lewis // in which Aslan represents God and Tash represents the devil.

Katherine's Favourite Things - Favourite Musical Artist

Okay, you probably wont ever catch me posting about music every again because my tastes are pretty eclectic, and I don’t have a very extensive knowledge of music, but this one time, I really really really wanna write about music.

 My favourite artist is Macklemore. This is unabashedly, unashamedly, a Macklemore appreciation post. And I know that if I’m a Christian I suppose my favourite artist should be like Tenth Avenue North or something (don’t get me wrong – I love Tenth Avenue North, and Sidewalk Prophets, and Bluetree, and Mikeschair and all of those fantastic people) but it’s Macklemore. Furthermore, at least four of the people in my life who are the closest to me have expressed concern at my recent obsession with the poor guy.

 Hear me out.

 Reason #1 why I love Macklemore: He is independently produced.

And the fact that he always has been, and chooses to remain, independently produced and the reasons he does so, tells you a lot about him. Take a look at some of his lyrics…

 “I’d rather be a starving artist than succeed at getting f***ed.” – Jimmy Iovine, Macklemore

 “Not gonna lie, that s*** sounds so nice, but I got creative control and my soul’s mine.” – Victory Lap, Macklemore

 “If I’d done it for the money I’da been a f***ing lawyer.” – Make the Money, Macklemore

 “I was put here to do something before I’m lying in the casket. I’d be lying on the beat if I said I didn’t know what that was.” – Vipassana, Macklemore

 “I make a living off my words and do what I love for work.” – Ten Thousand Hours, Macklemore

 “If I’m not making music, why the f*** am I existing?” – Inhale Deep, Macklemore

 “People fear that if they’re steering away from the mainstream then their album won’t sell. Well I could give a f***. I’m just gonna freestyle and spit what’s in my gut.” – I Said Hey, Macklemore

 Please note, four out of seven of those quotes were taken from songs that were written after he actually became successful. As you can see from his writing, he’s independently produced because this is not about the money for him. He makes music because it’s who he is and what he was made for, and because it’s the only way he knows to express himself. He was actually offered a record deal and turned it down because he prefers to write what he wants instead of what will sell. Admittedly, he has said “I’m not dissin anyone who’s trying to get paid; I’m trying to get paid too.” (BBoy) and “I’ll be honest, I’m tryna become famous.” (Ego) and that’s perfectly understandable and acceptable, but he does it on his own terms, and that deserves mad props.

 Reason #2 why I love Macklemore: He is conscious of the responsibility associated with his platform as a rapper.

Anybody making music for the general public could be called a “role model”. I’ve heard the arguments that it’s not their job to raise your kids and that they never asked to be a role model, and honestly, I call bulls***. Whether you like it or not, the minute you picked up that microphone, stepped into that recording booth or onto that stage, you made yourself a role model. Kids are listening to your lyrics and those words are infiltrating their psyche and shaping their worldview and you better own up to the responsibility that comes with that. It’s up to you what you do with it, but be aware of it.

 And Macklemore gets it. And he uses his power for good and not evil!

 “And if you want to you can go and label me cautious, but remember there’s a kid at a bus stop beat boxing whose life will be affected by what’s inside of his Walkman.” – I Said Hey, Macklemore

 “Us as rappers underestimate the power and the effect that we have on these kids.” – Otherside, Macklemore

 “How can I talk about the problems of someone else when I don’t have the motivation or confidence to change myself?” – Inhale Deep, Macklemore

 “Not to say that I’m a role model, but I know these words are power.” – Contradiction, Macklemore

 “Am I building the empire up or using my fire to burn it down?” – Contradiction, Macklemore

 That last quote there is probably one of my favourites ever of all his lyrics, because it demonstrates his entire philosophy towards making music, and I find it extremely gratifying to know that he is aware of the power in his lyrics and that he’s consciously trying to write things that are productive and edifying and positive.

 Reason #3 why I love Macklemore: He addresses the duality of Caucasian culture.

My mom calls me a reverse racist, because instead of thinking my race is superior to all others, I think that mine is inferior to all others. She’s technically right, but I would like to tell you that that’s not entirely accurate. Okay, from an esthetic point of view, I have to say that white is my personal least favourite. That’s not the point. The point is that I’m kind of uncomfortable being on the privileged side of injustice. You know? My skin colour has such a history of hate and judgment and inhumanity associated with it. My skin colour still gets treated better. And I don’t understand it and I don’t think it’s fair and I don’t know how to deal with that so it manifests itself in this subconscious desire to not be white.

 And I like to think that Macklemore knows what I’m talking about. He wrote an entire song called “White Privilege”, specifically about the “cultural appropriation” of hip hop music by white people, and in that song, he said that we’re “so scared to acknowledge the benefits of our white privilege.” In the song “A Wake”, he says “white privilege, white guilt, at the same d*** time.” I’ve probably never heard a lyric more accurate in describing my feelings towards my pigment.

 Here’s the extended quote:

 “And my subconcious telling me stop it

This is an issue that you shouldn't get involved in

Don't even tweet, R.I.P Trayvon Martin

Don't wanna be that white dude, million man marchin'

Fighting for a freedom that my people stole

Don't wanna make all my white fans uncomfortable

But you don't even have a f***in' song for radio

Why you out here talkin race, tryin' to save the f***in' globe

Don't get involved with the causes in mind

White privilege, white guilt, at the same d*** time

So we just party like it's nineteen ninety nine

Celebrate the ignorance while these kids keep dying”

 Snap.

 Reason #4 why I love Macklemore: His transparency.

In the song “Can’t Hold Us”, he says “I shed my skin and put my bones into everything I record” and that’s a pretty good way to describe it. He’s completely genuine in all his writing.

 “A lifelong passion, journey and drive; an emcee. People ask me what it means/I don’t know where to start – it’s the deepest connection between my soul and my heart”

…

“This s*** ain’t complicated man just be who you are.”

…

“Now who’s got the passion? Stand the h*** up! Cause I wanna hear somebody rappin who’s got it inside their cuts. Or you can get intricate displayin your fancy cadences, but if you’re not speakin truth you might as well not be saying s***.”

…

“If I don’t speak me, what’s the difference between my lyrics and what you hearin on MTV?”

-I Said Hey, Macklemore

 “Whatever happened to the heart that pumped the passion into the art?”

…

“If you gotta think to feel, that’s not rapping that’s acting.”

…

“In the end what’s classic? Radio bubble-gum or a voice filled with passion?”

-BBoy, Macklemore

 “I use my veins to create the colour I paint from. Delve into something til my heart becomes my paintbrush.” 

…

“I stare into this paper instead of sitting in a cubicle/take all the ugly s*** inside and try to make it beautiful/use the cement from rock bottom and make it musicle/so people can relate to where I’ve been, where I’m going, what I’ve seen, what I’ve heard.”

-Vipassana, Macklemore

 “Now for artists and musicians you see the target’s to listen to the heart and then script it with no margin or limits. To make the pain, strengths, sunrays a part of the picture and convey it in every shade and take it farther and vivid.” – As Soon As I Wake Up, Macklemore

 To me, this demonstrates a respect for the art form and his true passion as an artist. You will never find a song on one of his albums that doesn’t draw either from his own experiences or his own convictions. He’s adamant about the dangers of talking about things in your music that you haven’t lived yourself. And now I know a lot about him and his life just by listening to his lyrics and what I see through those words inspires respect and admiration.

 Reason #5 why I love Macklemore: His humility.

I have mad respect for people who strive to remain humble, especially when they’re routinely performing for thousands and thousands of screaming fans. He wrote an entire song (“Ego”) about the ego associated with hip-hop culture, and the evidence of that same ego inside of himself, and the struggle to conquer the ego.

 “Put those gloves on, sparring with my ego.” – Ten Thousand Hours, Macklemore

 “I got my city right behind me. If I fall, they got me. Learn from that failure, gain humility, and then we keep marching.” – Can’t Hold Us, Macklemore

 “I’m just a flawed man, man I f***ed up. Like so many others I just never thought I would.” – Starting Over, Macklemore

 In case you didn’t know, Macklemore used to be a drug addict and an alcoholic and went to rehab and got clean and was clean for 3+ years and then relapsed. The song Starting Over is about his relapse. It’d break your heart. The first time I heard it, I kinda just wanted to give him a hug. Some of the lyrics:

 “Everyone that put me in some box as a saint that I never was, just a false prophet that never came.”

 “Will they think that everything that I’ve written has all been fake or will I just take my slip to the grave?”

 “I’d rather live telling the truth and be judged for my mistakes than falsely held up, given props, loved and praised.”

 “God wrote Otherside, the pen was in my hand. I’m just a flawed man, man I f***ed up. Like so many others I just never thought I would. I never thought I would. Didn’t pick up the book, but doing it by myself didn’t turn out that good.”

 “If I can be an example of getting sober, then I can be an example of starting over.”

 It takes great strength and vulnerability to be so open about your failings, your mistakes and your struggles to millions of strangers. He doesn’t mind being imperfect, even in his position as a popular musical artist. That humility will keep him grounded, and it will protect him from the pressure in his culture of music and media. There will never be a scandal about him because he’d probably be the first one to admit his mistake to his fans, in a song. That integrity is rare and valuable.

 Reason #6 why I love Macklemore: His commitment to his fiancée.

They’re engaged after seven years of dating. ‘Nuff said.

 Actually, not enough said. Let’s talk about this girl – Tricia Davis – shall we? This chick is phenomenal. I can’t imagine it’s easy sticking with someone through addiction, rehab and relapse. And she’s been with him since his humble beginnings all through his rise to fame. The way he talks about her in songs like Love Song and The End is truly touching and so an extension of my respect for Macklemore is my respect for his fiancée.

 Reason #7 why I love Macklemore: He uses his struggles to help other people.

Okay, so he screwed up. We all do. The truly amazing thing is that he’s completely turned his life around and is using his past mistakes for good. He’s very open about his battle with addiction in his music and the song Otherside has reached thousands of people who either struggle themselves or know someone who struggle with addiction. He’s a shining beacon of hope for everyone who is trying to quit or kick the habit. How many of us can say that we can take our failures and turn them into something positive? That’s just his attitude towards life – keep marching, keep looking forward, and use everything that’s behind you to propel you onward. Incredible.

 Reason #8 why I love Macklemore: the sheer quality content of his songs and the fact that he tackles tough issues head-on.

This is the reason I’ve always loved rap more than any other genre. Because I am a very words oriented person, I appreciated the songs with a story and with profound messages than the fluffy worship songs that were just the same three lines over and over again. It’s just me – a well-constructed sentence, not a pretty tune, tugs on my heartstrings. So when I discovered (very late in his career, I am ashamed to admit) this rapper on pop radio, I was astounded and impressed that the same guy who had a song on the top hits with Ryan Seacrest, was rapping about these topics:

Homelessness (see “City Don’t Sleep”)

Racism (See “A Wake”, “Claiming This City”, and “White Privilege”)

Homophobia (See “Same Love”)

Consumerism (See “Make the Money” and “Jimmy Iovine”)

Materialism (See “Wing$”)

The justice system – specifically juvenile incarceration (See “Soldiers)

Politics – through satire (See “Bush Song” and “American”)

Religion (See “Church” and “Neon Cathedral”)

Drugs (See “Vipassana”, “Inhale Deep”, “Otherside” and “Starting Over”)

 Like, are we not gonna talk about this? I’m so proud of him because someone who actually talks about stuff that matters made it to number one on iTunes! He’s the type of artist who makes you want to go right out and change the world. So I’ll leave you with one final quote of his:

 “You wanna see change? Then put your ones in the air. Then point em to yourself cause change starts right there.” – City Don’t Sleep, Macklemore.

 And he lives it.

 Sooooo….in conclusion: dear friends and family, I think the question here is not “why do I love Macklemore so much?”, it’s “Why don’t you??”

 Who’s your favourite band/musical artist?

My Commitment as a Christian

Just wanted to share this. It was written by a young pastor in Africa and tacked on his wall.

 I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

  My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

  I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

  My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

  I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me - my banner will be clear!

Are you aware of the process of courting before engagement? It's like hands-off dating until you're engaged and then only hugs and hand-holding until you're married. How do you feel about this, is it something you would do?

Hello! I am indeed aware of such a process! In fact, one of my best friends is Muslim and that’s basically what they do…it’s like hands-off dates with a chaperone. I know it sounds sooo tiresome, but the whole point is to find out whether you are interested in spending the rest of your life with this person. And honestly, it sounds to me like they’re perfected the art of dating.

I am very incredibly interested in what it would be like. I think I really would try it. I don’t think that it’s necessary to remain pure, and I’ve always looked rather askance at the concept of saving your first kiss for your wedding day (simply because I think it’s a tad extreme, and unnecessary). So I don’t exactly think that it’s the right way to do it, but I think it sounds very interesting. It might be a good idea :P

I find that the physical aspect of a relationship has the potential to cloud judgment. Provided I can determine whether or not I’m physically attracted to someone and be aware of it (which I can, I dunno bout you :P) - because physical chemistry still is and always will be a very important part of a relationship - I think that it’s a “smart” way to do dating. You spend your time productively finding out how your values and worldview line up, and discussing thoughts and ideas instead of just, like, macking. :P

Because as important as physical chemistry is, it’s not what holds a marriage together. Mutual respect, appreciation, admiration and commitment is what holds a marriage together. And it’s possible that the way most people do dating focuses too closely on the physical aspect, and doesn’t prepare them for the future. So I think the process of courting *could* potentially produce stronger marriages. 

So in theory, I’m all for it. In practice…….

Honestly, I don’t even know if I could do it :P Well, I guess I could. I probably wouldn’t like it though :P When I’m in a relationship, the mental energy I devote to the physical part is divided evenly between paranoia about PDA and “I can’t wait to kiss him again”. So I think in one way, it’d be best kind! In another, it would annoy me. Thankfully, my love language is not physical touch! It’s words of affirmation, so I think that as long as I got to talk and text, I’d survive. 

Haha that was probably a long of information about me you didn’t need to know. But hopefully, it helps you understand my perspective. :) 

Thanks for the question! Peace and love! -Katherine 

Why worry about pleasing "God" and living your life to his standards instead of living for yourself and fulfilling your dreams and desires? I can't imagine living by someone else's rules and standards for a spot in an afterlife that i'm not even sure exists. I understand how strong faith can be, but why live by God's standards for a potential afterlife instead of living by your own standards now in the definite life you've been given.

As a Christian english geek, I am severely suspicious of your use of quotation marks. Because your entire question, in fact your entire world view, can be summed up by your usage of quotation marks in that question.

First up, do you know this “God” that you condemn to dubious ideology with your intellectually patronizing punctuation? Is “God” a lie or a fairytale to you? Is He a made-up story you tell kids, like Santa Claus or the Easter bunny?

Is He a vague, nebulous idea, filed away in your repertoire of knowledge, to pull off the shelf in time of crisis for some warm fuzzy feelings, like Love, Peace and Destiny? Because if you call Him “God”, it’s no wonder that you “can’t imagine living by someone else’s rules and standards for a spot in an afterlife that [you’re] not even sure exists.” Let me tell you about God. GOD cannot be contained to a cute little pair of quotation marks. GOD cannot be banished to history books and fairy-tales by academic snobs. He’s not just an idea made-up by people to control other people’s behavior. He’s not a historical figure in a book written thousands of years ago. He’s not a story or a religious figure or a symbol of the power in all of us, or a name for the forces of good and evil conflicting in the universe. And He’s not even just “someone else”. See, I don’t worry about pleasing “God”. I have the immense, undeserved blessing of knowing GOD:The architect of space and time. The composer of the stars’ song and the choreographer of the planets’ dance.The sovereign ruler of all that was and is and is to come. The infinite, almighty, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, transcendent orchestrator of the universe. He who wove strands of DNA into a person. He who breathes life into our bodies.He who supplies our very power of thought. He who commands the winds and waves to fall silent and they obey. He who can stop the earth spinning on its axis and start it again. He who said “Let there be light” and there was.Because He is light. He is life.He is love. Before you were, or I was, before Jacob was, before Isaac was, before Abraham was, God IS. He always was. Always is. Always will be.All of what we know exists in the mortal world sprang from His imagination.  So I know who He is. And I know that He loves me. Wait…what? He loves me? He loves me! He loves me!!!! I know that He loves me in a crazy, scandalous, outrageous, incomprehensible, all-consuming, unconditional, inclusive, tidal-wave kinda way. Not only that, but as one person out of 7 billion on a planet that is only one millionth the size of the sun. The sun is only a small star among billions of stars in the Milky Way. And the Milky Way is one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. Okay, so just take a second to grasp the scope of how massive that universe must be. And then stop and try to grasp that the God who created that universe out of His head knows me and you personally. He knows the number of hairs that are on our heads. He pays very particular and very close attention to our lives and knows the intimate details of our hearts. He saw our unformed bodies before we were even a thought in our parents’ minds. He knit together our unformed bodies in our mothers’ wombs. He knew every single second of every single day of our whole entire lives before we were conceived. That’s how important and precious we are to Him. Okay, so not only do I know WHO He is, and HOW MUCH He loves me, I know what He DID. He died. He stepped out of heaven, out of paradise, out of light and love and perfection…into the dirt and dust and disgustingness of our world. Into the rape and the murder and the genocide and the abuse and the poverty and the injustice and the pain and the shame and the guilt and the ugliness and the wretchedness. Why? For all those reasons. For all the crap and the gunk. For all my mistakes. For every time I hurt someone I cared about. For every time I hurt myself. For every time someone else hurt me. For every single careless word we wish we could take back. For every sleepless night ending in shame and guilt and fear. For every panicked feeling of helplessness. For all the bitterness. For all the anger. For all the feelings of worthlessness. For “every daughter whose innocence was stolen by every son who couldn’t help himself” (Jason Gray). For all the fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins and friends who betrayed the trust of a young girl and left her despoiled, abandoned, feeling like garbage. For every affair that shattered a marriage into painful, jagged shards. For every child who was left on the streets because their parents died of AIDS, sniffing an oil-soaked rag to numb the hunger pangs in their stomach. For every child who was abducted in the middle of the night, had addictive opiates ground into cuts on their arms, handed a gun and told to shoot their mothers and brothers and sisters. For every child who was packed into a shipping crate and sent across the ocean like worthless cargo to a brothel where they were assigned a number and put on a menu for people to choose from for their perverse desires. For the thousands tortured and killed in the most inhumane ways by people who thought they superior beings. For every scar on my friend’s arm. For my friends porn addiction. For my friend’s eating disorder. For my pride and arrogance. For your broken heart. GOD, the architect of space and time, transcendent, perfect being, who need not even concern Himself with us, stepped right smack dab into the middle of our colossal mess. And He allowed us to mock Him, whip Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, nail Him to a tree, and let Him suffocate under His own body weight, when He grew too exhausted to lift Himself up to inhale. He could have commanded angels to rescue Him, but He didn’t. He suffered a humiliating, barbaric death and the complete human experience when God the Father turned His back on His son and dumped ALL our sin on His shoulders. So you know that huge list of terrible things I listed back there? That was ALL dumped on Jesus. He felt it ALL. Generations upon generations of pain and hatred and hurt and shame of all humans since the beginning of time and until the end of time stacked on top of each other. More psychological and emotional agony than you or I will experience in an entire lifetime, or even billions of lifetimes. All of it, on Him. Can you imagine the immensity of that soul-wracking Hell on earth? Nope. None of us can. By that point, Jesus was probably BEGGING for that physically-excruciating death. Whose fault is it? Who put Him there? We did. We didn’t mean to. We’re just trying our best. But we don’t really know what we’re doing and we screw up a lot. And we’ve messed up our world, so we can’t go to heaven when we die cause heaven’s perfect and we’re imperfect. But God is like “I know a way. It hurts and it’s terrible and awful and painful but it’s the only way to save these pitiful human creatures that we love so much for no reason other than that we created them.” And Jesus is like “whatever you say, I’ll do it. I love them. I love Katherine and Rebecca and Joshua and Anna and Daniel and Rachel and Kate and Laura and Jessica and Emily and Jonathan and Adam and….” …and all of them. Every person who every existed. Even for a second. Even if they didn’t make it past their mother’s womb. Even if they had no human name, all of our names are written on the palm of His hand. The same hands that took the nails. And so, instead of being bitter or blaming us on that cross, He remembered the names on His hands and He remembered what the nails were for. And He said “Father, forgive them, for they know now what they do.” THEN, not only that! But He went to Hell. Heck yeah, He went to Hell. This is like the Disney Hercules movie for goodness sake! He went to the Devil’s turf, his territory, his playground. And HE TOOK THE FREAKING KEY! He took the key to death. He went and trashed the place! He stole victory from the devil. He conquered life AND death. He broke every chain the devil ever had on us. Then He came back, and now we can live forever with Him in Heaven. My point is that if you’re still putting God in quotation marks, you DON’T understand “how strong faith can be” because you don’t even know what my faith is in. 

If you’re still putting God in quotation marks, you don’t know God. And now that I’ve tried to explain who He is and what He did, it has NOTHING TO DO with “[living] by God’s standards for a potential afterlife instead of living by [my] own standards now in the definite life [I’ve] been given.” I live a life of complete surrender and worship to the God who made me and saved my soul because it’s the ONLY LOGICAL COURSE OF ACTION. If you knew what I know, you would live your life the way I do too. Once I understand what He did for me, I can’t help but pour my whole entire life out as a living sacrifice of praise. Every breath I take, every move I make, every thought I think, every word I say, is only by the grace of God and I am aware of that. I’m just trying to give back all that I can for a debt that I can NEVER EVER repay. So yeah, that’s why I “worry” about pleasing “God”. Ha. Because He’s the only thing in the whole world that matters. Also, the bible says that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18) so I would say that the afterlife is more definite than this one. If I accept that God is real, I accept that heaven is real, and I accept that He loves me and died for me. Therefore, worship is the natural, instinctive response of this wretched human heart responding to His love and grace. On a side note, from a purely human point of view, living by God’s standards sure as heck hurts myself and other people a lot less. It gives me a moral code that saves me from addiction and heartache. It makes me a kinder, more generous, more compassionate, more loving person. It gives me empathy and a passion for helping the less fortunate. It gives me hope and peace. And it has been scientifically proven to improve my health and extend my life. Why the heck wouldn’t you live life by these standards? They’re awesome! If everybody actually lived by these standards (instead of twisting them through their own corrupt worldview, ahem WBC…), this world would be a beautiful place, and not the terrible place it is today. Jus’ sayin’. ;) To wrap this up, if He was just “God”, I wouldn’t bother trying to please Him either. So I can’t really blame you for your question. But your misunderstanding comes from a place of ignorance. I hope you understand a little better what I believe now. He’s NOT just “God”. I know I may have sounded vicious in this post, but I’m not mad, just passionate. Always, Peace and love!-Katherine