A Struggle

[oi_antz]

I mean like animals in that they just lived to serve a Master - like a dog as it might be.

A couple of things come to mind with this statement. First, does every animal live to serve a master? Second, from a Christian perspective (that being the teaching of Jesus Christ), everyone lives to serve a master.

John 8
46 Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”

 

[Star of the Dawn]

everyone lives to serve a master.

That's what I didn't like about it. Well, seeing God as a Master was all right, it was just the rules I had to abide to. Every day it felt like I was committing a sin, I felt awful. I just thought surely if God is God then he doesn't care when we have sex or what we do or don't eat during a certain period. I thought such an awesome creator God would be above such things. I like to compare it to Islam, where everyone must get rid of their underarm hair.
...why does God give two figs about their underarm hair? He created it!

 

[razeontherock]

That's one detail of Islam I could've done without knowing

I often say this is one of the biggest reasons people don't come to Faith: they don't want anyone telling them what to do. We can see this illustrated again and again in the Gospels ...

And yes it is indeed a struggle! Worthwhile, though

 

[oi_antz]

That's what I didn't like about it.

Who are you serving when you say that? (Seriously, who is it? Do you know? Ask for his name).

Well, seeing God as a Master was all right, it was just the rules I had to abide to. Every day it felt like I was committing a sin, I felt awful.

Then you didn't really experience the mercy of Christ?

I just thought surely if God is God then he doesn't care when we have sex or what we do or don't eat during a certain period.

Then you suppressed it. It is not that He doesn't care, but perhaps you don't quite understand the purpose of His law.

I thought such an awesome creator God would be above such things. I like to compare it to Islam, where everyone must get rid of their underarm hair.
...why does God give two figs about their underarm hair? He created it!

You cannot compare the two by that criteria, you will at least have to find a comparable statistic. There are good reasons why fornication and adultery were condemned in biblical times: it left solo mothers unsupported and it did and still does cause emotional harm. The rule about keeping the sabbath has always held significant value to its adherents, even in the modern world. It is important to note what God means when He says "keep it holy", which does not necessarily mean to prevent turning light switches on and off. Nor does it mean you can't pick an apple off the tree. Remember when Jesus' disciples broke heads off wheat and ate it on the sabbath? He was condemned by the pharisee's but justified by his faith.

I think if you investigate seriously, you might find that your legalistic education doesn't necessarily represent the practical nature of Jesus and His teaching. What do you think about that idea?