The offering of a sincere heart

After reading Sa-go-ye-wat-ha’s heart rendering speech, I couldn’t help but to have gained a little bit of insight. What struck me the most was when he declared that the Seneca Indians believe that forms of worship do not matter to the Great Spirit, but what really pleases him is the offering of a sincere heart. This is something that I have been questioning recently, having grown up in a Christian household, I was fed Scripture and led to believe everything that was in the Bible. Of course, as we get older and our innocence fades, we become more doubtful about the faith that we thought that we once had. Or at least, I have become this way…I just recently wrote an email to one of my girlfriends from high school:


“I don't know if I can believe that God would be so ruthless with his ultimatum: to get to Heaven you must confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God and believe in your heart that He died for your sins. Let's say that Jesus was/is the Son of God (and not just a prophet like some religions believe Him to be) then that would mean that EVERYONE else who doesn't believe this goes to H-E-double-hockey-sticks. So all of the people who have never even heard of Jesus before, go to hell. All the unborn children, all the mentally retarded people... or is there an age of consciousness, an age of decision-making capabilities? What about a perfectly able deaf woman, who isn't able to receive the message of Jesus, despite the fact that those around her have, because there is no way of communicating it to her, she dies and goes to hell? shouldn't that be God's fault, because His Holy Spirit failed to enter her and perform a miracle to show her "the light"? Or for example, let's say from a Muslim perspective. They believe in the SAME God, and were brought up in their religion and faith, believing that their activities are sanctioned by God, in their heart they have followed Him faithfully. Yet they go to hell? According to Islam, I'm going to Hell. I've had the opportunity to hear about other religions and other Gods, but because I don’t accept the other religions then, according to them, I am to go to hell. So who am I to condemn an Islamic man or woman who doesn't accept my religion because of the way they were brought up, just as I don't accept theirs....

Is there a "right" and "wrong" belief? Some of us really do believe in the same God, with differences of course. I want to believe that God looks at our hearts, but then the Bible says that good intentions don't get us anywhere (especially not Heaven) but isn't that what we're all about? I have good intentions in my faith and in my followings of Christ, just like a Jew has good intentions while (s)he is trusting in God as well.”


I believe in love. I believe that love is the strongest thing, power, out there. And if there is a God, I would want to think that He’s a God of love, but proof shows me otherwise. There is love, but there is only love for “His children”, and the rest are condemned to hell. So I suppose that instead of having God as my source of love, I would have to admit that Love is my source of God. Perhaps the only religion that has peace with their God and believes in a “Great Spirit” who only looks at a persons heart are the Native American’s. If so, sign me up.