Faith Is Free

I couldn't of imagined that there would come a day when I had something to say about faith.  I spent eight years writing a book entitled The Privileged about pedophiles in the Catholic Church and I grew up with my sister, Rev. Marianne Edgar-Budde, who is now the diocesan bishop at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  I grew up watching her read the Bible and going to church in her middle and high school days.  I also grew up watching her wanting to put a knife in her stomach due to our father's alcoholism but she didn't talk about that stuff during her interview with the church now broadcast on YouTube.  I can't have faith in anyone who lies to me, especially my own sister during her interviews with the church when she said she was raised by a single mom and didn't have a brother.  If she despises me so much why does she try to follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook?  Then there's #JoelOsteen who seems nice but who is not someone I'd want to hang out with when the laughter stops. Now that Joel and Victoria are receiving support from Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey, the Empire has begun.  The commonality between the both of them is their promises utilizing "if-only" statements.  Joel says, "if only I stay in faith" which I take it to mean "If only I keep paying you money, then God will continue to believe in me."  All of this is ridiculous when you think about it because faith is free but their lawsuits cost money.  As I sift though all of this, I find myself not in the position of some atheist or hate crusader for a particular religion or faith but as a seeker of truth.  If you, for instance, rely on Joel or my sister to tell you what God likes or doesn't like about you, then I have to ask you, "Why didn't you read the Bible for yourself?" The Bible is actually quite interesting and like other novels, it is meant for your own personal enjoyment.  It's like going to the movies and then sharing with your friends whether or not the movie was any good.  Some like it and some don't.  It's the way it goes. Some would watch it twice even and some will never see it again.  It's the way it goes. But it shouldn't cost you a penny to express whether or not God is right for you, and it should never cost you a penny to express to your friends if you believe in faith or you don't.  It's a personal decision that should never be in the hands of another.  This is strange to me because it feels like I have just been given a ministry, perhaps I should refer to it as a mission to bring others to their own decision about what faith is and what it isn't. As I embark on this journey not having a clue what will happen, I will begin by telling you that Faith is Free.