Shalom everyone,
When I left Christianity and came to my present, Talmidi faith back in 1987, for a couple of years I was focused very much on everything I was against – against the divinity of Jesus, against original sin, against Jesus’s death as an atonement for sin, and most of all, I was “against that lying, deceiving man, Paul of Tarsus”. I was so angry with all the things I felt I had been lied to about in mainstream Christianity that for a time, I regret to say, my faith concentrated only on what I protested against.
However, after a couple of years, thankfully things began to change, as I relied more and more on my personal relationship with God, being isolated as I was from other people who believed as I believed. Being angry and protesting about something can only sustain you for so long; after a while, you realise that there is more to faith – and to life – than just what you are angry about. If we live our faith solely on what we are against, that is, as a ‘protesting’ faith based on just a few core issues, our religion simply degenerates into something hateful, visceral and angry, and this does not serve God’s righteous purpose at all; it just turns us into an extremely unpleasant God-botherer that no one in their right mind would ever want to listen to.
It is natural when you leave a religion and enter a new one, that you will have issues to work through – and that is normal and very human. Just realise that one day, there will come a time when we will have to forgive the past and move on, if we ever wish to blossom, flourish, and bear good fruit.
Talmidaism – that is, Ebionism and Massoritism together, along with any other ministry, denomination or sect that wishes to associate with us, as what we hold in common, that Talmidaism – is far more than what we are against. We are for God’s original, holy ideals in Torah, and the just principles God gave us through the Prophets; we are for focussing on Yeshua’s ethical teachings, especially on practising religion with love and compassion, his concern for the least and the marginalised in society, on the importance of the intent of the heart and less on external rules, and on repentance, forgiveness, and returning to God.
We are for a way of practising religion which is compassionate, merciful and humane; we are for a sensible and rational approach to applying religion; we are for a scholarly, honest and responsible interpretation of scripture; we are for a just, stable and fair society, based on biblical ideals of social justice; we are for the equality of women and men in society, especially in religious society; and we are for the worth of all peoples, nations and cultures before the God of all the Nations.
We are for building a close, personal and intimate relationship with a loving and forgiving God, YHVH, who is our One, True Saviour and Redeemer; we are for a religious community built on informed consent and free will; we are for valuing knowledge and wisdom as sacred gifts from God; we are for religious leaders being servants and shepherds of their flock; we are for Tikkun Olam, the repair and healing of the world, and its full restoration to what our God intended it to be when God designed and established it; we are for the peaceful cooperation of all decent religions, in order to build God’s Kingdom on earth; we are for the salvation of all humanity, regardless of what religion they belong to, or even their lack of religion; and we have hope in God’s universal reign of peace, and the coming of God’s Glory at some point in the future, which the biblical prophets told us would eventually reign on earth. And there are many other things we are for – I’m sure you yourself have quite a few of your own personal convictions you could add to this list.
Whatever emphases and values you focus on, your personal value-system should make you someone other people want to be around, a spiritual person who is pleasant and inspiring to listen to, not the stereotypical image of a religious nutter who is tiresome to even be around. Talmidaism is not a group of protesting, single-issue communities; it is a fellowship, a confederation if you like, of like-minded people who want to restore the Good Name of God, and the reputation of religion as a way of helping others to be the best version of themselves, and live a fulfilling life.
The process of moving on from what we once resented about Christianity or indeed, whatever religion we have left behind, is a divine process of learning to forgive. After we have forgiven, we are then able to grow into something better – to flourish and evolve into true sons and daughters of God.
Blessings in YHVH’s Holy and Beloved Name
Your brother
Shmuliq