the salem witch trials

yesterday i watched a movie portraying the events leading up to the salem witch trials. i've watched a lot of movies regarding this tragedy, and have read a great deal about it. what it all boils down to is a group of girls and their church.

religion if not perceived correctly can be deadly. these girls were taught by their church of the punishment of GOD and sin only. the bible that was taught to them was just about the "hellfire and brimstone" not the grace, or love that JESUS so desperately wanted them to have. having a relationship with CHRIST can be so beautiful in one's life if they continually seek to learn from HIM.

as believers we have a great responsibility to learn and apply the words of scripture correctly. if you are going to church and just relying on what your pastor, rabbi, priest, or teacher are only teaching you, how do you know what they are teaching is correct? if you are just reading this everyday, but not reading GOD'S word how do you know my perceptions and opinions are correct? that's why it is so important in your walk with CHRIST that you read scripture. human perception may be different than GOD's truth. all of us can take something out of context if we don't educate ourselves to the whole truth.

look at what happened on 9/11. these men had been taught through their lifetime that the united states was evil by their clerics. what has ended up happening is that as americans we view all muslims as enemies. evil does exist; the devil is always waiting to play with our ignorance. 9/11 is an extreme example of how religion can shape us, but this even applies to our day to day lives.

this past week i made an error in judgement about an individual that i knew 20 years ago. thinking about this over the weekend i realized that my perception was based on what i used to think of them not how they may have changed over the years. i know as a christian that i was wrong in making that judgement, because i know nothing about this individual's life. now this person may be the same, but that doesn't give me the right not to be kind, or to judge them about what they were like as a teenager. over time i have grown up and accepted HIM to guide me not live life by my own perceptions and opinions alone.

the old saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" is true. don't judge the bible as just being about punishment, but it is also about true love. what this journey is teaching me is that i don't have room for mistakes, but that i will make mistakes but i need to learn from them. if i have an error in judgement, or perceive a situation one way, but don't question it, how do i know if it's correct. if i can't humble myself before others and GOD than i haven't learned anything.

we should look at our government this way. if one way works why change it? i seriously doubt our constitution was written in just one draft alone. if there is a problem then solve the problem before adding to it. the problem with our government is that they think they are GOD, so they will continuelly try to change our environment to suit them. you should question that always.

if the girls had just said that they were scared of GOD and how he was going to punish them the puritans may not have killed 20 innocent lives. what if they had questioned their church if GOD really loved them? maybe they would have found out that even though they sinned HE does love them!

"if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask GOD, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." james 1:5

"evil men do not understand justice, but those that seek the LORD understand it fully." proverbs 28:5

"now i commit you to GOD and to the word of HIS grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." acts 20:32

"the LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: i have loved you with an everlasting love; i have drawn you with loving-kindness." jeremiah 31:3