In my latest thinking, I always wonder, "If my mom is from a Christian background and my dad is from a Buddhist background, how did I end up to be where I am?" There are many points in my life that could have steered me in other directions. I could have been completely atheist. Or just agnostic like my parents. As you see, both my parents were never religious people. My mom came from a Christian background and my dad came from a Buddhist background. I think at some point in their 20's, they stopped practicing their respective faith. Well, I remember my dad will do something on Chinese holidays but nothing like I would say "religious".
I remember as a 7 or 8 year old, "Where did I come from? How did I get here?" I had many metaphysical moments growing up, questioning about existence, if what I'm seeing is real, if any of the religious stuff was what they say. I used to be very melancholy about my life, always wondering what my purpose is, always thinking I was meant for so much more than just studying in school, making the grade, getting into a good college and getting a good job. I've always been fascinated by religion though, and I always knew then that there is a God...
When I was in college, I became a Christian. One of the lessons I've learned early on in a conservative church was from this verse from the Bible: "Don't be yoked by unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 6:14). In the case of a young student in college, specifically, don't date or marry someone who doesn't believe in God and Christ. In a very post-modern explanation of Corinth, which the letter was directed to, Corinth was messed up. The Ancient City of Corinth was a metropolis and a meeting point of trade routes between the East and West. Paul had his ministry in Corinth for about two years and saw many converts. But because it's a big melting pot of different backgrounds, it was full of misuse, misinterpretation, and church divisions. Paul, the author of both 1st and 2nd Corinthians, laid it on them in many ways, including the verse in the above paragraph. (There are many other letters from Paul that were much more softer in tone but it depends on what that city was going through... Paul purposely wrote to each of these regions and cities based on what the city was going through; each letter from Paul was not the same in content and tone.) Judging from the letter to the Corinthians, these folks were probably involved with the wrong crowd that were pulling the young Christians away from their initial zealous faith. This verse really speaks to the Christians as in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
I think I get the point. Don't hang around bad company. Don't be influenced by the world's
standards. Yet, you have to acknowledge that there are many couples, married, dating, or in a union, who have come from vast backgrounds and just made it work, just like my parents. There are a number of so-called Christian couples who have had their marriages fell apart and they eventually divorce.
(To be continued...)
