#JoinTheConversation

#NewYearResolutions

Since the New Year approachith, I figured now was a perfect time to address what the Bible says about the New Year. Obviously, I'm not a Bible Scholar so I did some arm chair googling, "New Year + Bible," I was not disappointed. It's a cherry-picking dream for quote mining. One verse that grinds my gears showed up on numerous websites and blogs, Jeremiah 29:11.

Here are two versions:

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This quote can be found on inspiring quote memes galore. Just Instagram Jeremiah 29:11 for Notebooks, Pillows, Decorative wall hangings and such in its various incarnations and interpretations. Additionally, I found a few websites and blogs that note about how this quote is often taken out of context. (Completely ignoring the fact that the sheer thought of "context" goes against the idea the Bible is the "inerrant Word of God.")

Kaitlyn Stickley, one such blogger, states how some people think this verse means: "... as if God is going to straighten out everything in your life and never let anything bad happen to you, as long as you're a Christian." I also like that she goes on to try to explain the context of the rest of the story to provide her interpretation. "...He's telling them that their suffering must continue, not that it's going to end..." Then, "...What we want to happen isn't necessarily in line with God's plan" (Stickley, 2016). I'll post the full chapter of Jeremiah below because it's pretty fucked up story. However, you can check out Stickley's interpretation linked below as well.

To some, this verse serves to give comfort to people so that they don't sweat the small stuff and to have the strength to make it through the big hurdles. These Christians mutter, "He has a plan." Others might even state, "God's plans work in mysterious ways." *insert gag face here*

I have a problem with this mentality. I don't have a problem with teaching people how to cope with the difficulties of human existence. Life is full of tough decisions and experiences. It doesn't explain how you can weather these crazy tribulations. It says that the life you lead is nothing compared to the heaven that awaits you. How can one say, "God has a plan," And still maintain that we have free will? It completely disregards a major flaw.

Follow me down this rabbit hole...

Here is how my brain processes this information:

God created every path that could ever be.

Every bad thing that happens, is created by the deity.

No sin exists until it is created.

Even Satan, himself, is created by the deity or at the very least allows the devil not only to exist but to torment people.

If God is all-knowing, they would know exactly how a person with your genetics, knowledge, backgrounds, family, social constructs, would react to the experiences on these paths.

Therefore, by creating you exactly as you are, you don't really have a choice in how you react to each individual experience. It would all be predestined choices created by God. There would be no free will. 

Chew on that cud for a bit.

However, my biggest concern is less about free will itself, but with the mentality that this life doesn't matter. I fear the Christians out there that can't wait until their suffering ends. They can't wait for their heavenly bliss and see their families again. That's some scary shit.