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Every day, I hear the same complaints from those against the Christian religion. We’re too close-minded. We’re too unappreciative of diversity. We’re too exclusive. We’re too confined.

And you know what? I get it. Some of that is true for some people. I’ll even say that a lot of that is true for a lot of people. But (and there always is a but), is that the religion’s fault or is that the fault of interpretation?

When you’re looking at any religion and deciding whether or not to follow it, of course, the “rules” are important. If you’re going to become a Christian, your so-called rules are the ten commandments. Thou shall not this and thou shall not that. And they’re pretty decent rules. Some people have problems with how other interpret these rules (ex: does “thou shalt not kill” mean unborn fetuses?), but in general what Christians aren’t supposed to do is pretty clear, at least according to the Bible.

And I think God meant it that way. You can just see Him (or Her) all up on a throne saying “This list is perfect. So freakin’ clear. They better not mess this up.”

Yet we DID mess it up. I think that the ten commandments assumes that the leaders of organized religion would teach people what not to do, and then do the opposite–teach them to do the rest. It seems like the ultimate list, and maybe God assumed to much of us. Thou shalt not steal. So, thou shall help those less fortune, right? Thou shalt not lie. So, thou shalt make sure that the truth is known in every situation possible, right?

God forgot the 11th commandment: Thou shalt not NOT. Or, “Thou shalt”

For example, God gives us the commandment “Thou shalt not use the Lord’s name in vain.” But doesn’t that mean we’re supposed to do the opposite of that as well–use the name of God for good? Yet, we often don’t.

Or take, for instance, the commandment “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” That’s all good and fine, but what about the opposite side of the coin? Thou shalt make time for your spouse and work at your relationship. Couples don’t do this enough. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be quite so many divorces as there are today.

And this is why so many people are put off by Christianity. We’re often so focused on what not to do that we forget what to do. Of course God wants us to open our arms to others. Of course He (or she) wants us to be happy and to spread that joy to our neighbors. It doesn’t matter how you interpret the Ten Commandments–if you truly want to find God through Christianity, you have to do more than NOT doing things. Say you sat in a room all day and did absolutely nothing but watch Christian programing on TV and pray. That doesn’t make you a very good Christian. Even if you aren’t breaking the rules, you are not following their opposites.

Just a few thoughts. You opinions?

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