Three men died and went to heaven.
The Christian looked around, "Oh look, I was right all along! Ha! You atheists are going to regret rejecting Jesus. And you..." He turned to the gay man, his voice dripping with malice. "You're an abomination, a sin. Instead of repenting your degenerate ways, you chose to seek the sin of the flesh with men. Disgusting! Two of you are going to burn in hell!"
The angel appeared before them, "God approaches."
The three of them turned to see the blinding light and then a figure appeared. God looked at the gay man and approached him, "Thomas, do not fear young man. I knew you when you were born, You are most welcome in my kingdom. Be at peace." Then he turned to the Atheist, "And you, brave and deep thinker. You do not let fear control you and you live your life not letting anyone control you. You question the words of the bible because you understood the complications of it. Now you can be at peace."
The Christian looked aghast and confused. "But God, They were sinners. And the Atheist mocks you!"
God turned to him, "No, my son. He wasn't mocking me, he was mocking the idea of a God which you believed."
"But the bible, it said that those who disbelieve will burn and those who are gay will burn."
"Who wrote the bible?" God asked.
"You did."
"No, it was the men who wrote, then translated, then rewritten and changed everything. All to create an idea of a God they want to worship."
"But... if... if that's true, then why didn't you intervene and correct them?"
"And what purpose would that have served? Humans are such interesting creatures, capable of many things, both good and bad. I did not intervene because I want to see how you all grow. You created the idea of me in your religious texts."
The Christian was silent, his mind reeling. He thought back to all the Sundays in church, all the times he'd condemned others, all the times he'd judged...
"But.. isn't homosexuality sinful?"
"It is only sinful to you. But not to me. Why would I be concerned about two men or two women in love and building a relationship?"
"I... I don't know. But it was in the Bible."
"If the bible contained nothing against them, if it had not said anything about killing nonbelievers or adulterers or even homosexuals, would you have been still of the mindset to hate and condemn them?"
The Christian thought back to his childhood, to the sermons he'd heard, to the way he'd been taught to fear and obey. He thought about Thomas, who seemed like a kind man, not a sinner at all. He thought about the Atheist, who seemed brave, not lost.
"It's not me, I'm just following your teachings!"
"You followed the teachings of a religious text, out of fear of being sent to hell yourself. What is important is what you choose to do with your life. Believe in me, don't believe in me. Live your life as you wish."
"But... if people didn't believe or accept Jesus Christ, they would..."
"And who was it that told you to do that?"
"My pastor..."
"You pastor, who has done terrible things himself, a hypocrite who chose to have a moral superiority and condemns others to hell while committing heinous acts to children!"
The Christian felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He thought about the times his pastor had railed against sinners, the times he'd spoken of God's wrath. He thought about the rumors he'd always dismissed, the allegations he'd ignored.
"I... I didn't know."
"No, you wouldn't. He never admits anything he did wrong, but instead uses the power of authority to take control. Is that the right person to follow his words?"
"No. I can't believe that he would do such a thing. But... how can I know? Why did..."
"You were raised as a child to believe the things your parents, your teachers, and your pastors tell you. That was not your fault. You do have a responsibility to yourself."
"So... I wasn't supposed to believe them?"
"You weren't taught to think for yourself. You were led to accept but never were taught that some things are meant to be questioned. Do you remember what you said earlier when you three just arrived?"
The Christian knelt down, "Please forgive me, I didn't..."
"Stand up!"
He did slowly, feeling a weight on him.
"Why did you do it?"
"You told me..."
"You obeyed out of fear. That is your weakness. I just told you to think for yourself, to question it. Is it right for a parent for example to demand their child to do exactly as he or she is told without questioning or even understanding why they're being told?"
"Well no..."
"And if the pastor tells you to take a stick and hit a kid because he is gay, would you have done it?"
The Christian closed his eyes, remembering the sermons, the condemnation. He thought about what he would have become, what he might still become.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because that is wrong. I didn't understand about sexuality, but ... I think I understand what you're saying. I wish to apologize to those two. I was a fool."
"Then be at peace."
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