holy jeebus.

My boyfriend is so smart. I mean, I already knew this, but he has a way of repeatedly proving it (go figure). I’ve posted about the struggles/frustrations I’ve had here, being one of the very limited number of people whose life is not steeped in great faith. And when I talk with people, both expat muzungus and nationals, about faith I tend to feel even more on the outside of a great big bubble, that I really have no interest in popping. But I am never able to acutely discern what it is about faith that makes me so uncomfortable.

Phil, my smarty pants boyfriend, can. I told him about the conversation I had with my new friends, Jeannie (from Georgia) and John and Erica (a couple heralding from NJ, KY, and TN combined) – three of five other Americans in Arua, who are all part of the same missionary work – who very diplomatically explained some areas about Christianity that I never knew anything about. If you are of the Christian mindset, you may want to stop reading this post at this point, please continue instead, by feasting your eyes on the work of my friends via their blog.

I was able to articulate a few specific things about the Christian religion, as presented to me by the “A-team” (Arua missionaries), that grind my gears – like the fact that because I don’t believe the same thing they believe that I am bound to the fiery pits of hell, and that homosexuals have the choice and will-power to control/stifle their desires, and that all other religions of the world are intrinsically wrong – but Phil, steeped in his Atheist yet Catholic-school-educated ways, was able to put forth something that really is unsettling. Why would God create man to have choice, if the only choice is to suffer or succumb? I think it’s a load of hogwash. [A-team, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry to offend! Also, A-team, please DO NOT pray for my salvation.]

While I am able to respect that these friends of mine are ‘called to mission’ by their God, I really have a hard time respecting what some of the outputs of this work are. I think its fine to talk with and help transform surface level Christians, into those whose faith is more deeply routed, with the outcome of “knowing Jesus,” but it just straight up infuriates me to learn that they will be teaching abstinence only sex-ed to secondary school students. In a district with a 20% HIV rate. I mean honestly, where is the logic? How can you not teach people to protect themselves, if, in the name of God, you are trying to do something good? If there was/is a kind, all knowing, mellifluent God, wouldn’t he want people to be healthy, if for no other reason than to be able to effectively serve him? If we are here for the sake of loving God, and procreating to continue the cycle, don’t we need to do so in a safe manner?