Years ago, I worked in an office with a man who would frequently refer to himself as the father and referred to everyone else as his children. For the sake of this man’s anonymity, we will refer to him only as Wolf.
Wolf’s alpha-male persona was his defining characteristic. It was the root of his personality that everyone grew to expect when encountering him around the office. This man literally referred to himself as a god.
“Good morning, my children”, he would say. “You just let your dad take care of that for you”. Dozens of little comments like this, several times a day, constantly reminding everyone in the office that he was our father. Admittedly, often times it was quite funny.
Wolf was also well known for his constant belittling of others. Not so funny. For the most part, everyone enjoyed Wolf’s company and conversations in the same way most people enjoy a good celebrity roast. My direct supervisor even once referred to him as “comic relief” in our weekly team meeting. This was the common perception of Wolf; he was funny, and he was fun to be around.
The company where I worked was a medium sized public company and the human resources department was well aware of Wolf’s often offensive language and foul behavior. The truth is, they didn’t care. As far as anyone could tell, Wolf was one of their own.
Wolf and his pack of agnostics and atheists were a majority in the department where I worked. Together, they created a very loose atmosphere where godless conversation was rampant and every topic imaginable was put up for debate on a daily basis. It was an ‘anything goes’ environment.
When it came to the topic of faith in Christ, I was fundamentally alone. I knew of at least two other men in the office who were professing Christians, but they would never stand up to the wolf pack. In fact, they would often engage in the same disgraceful dialog we heard every day. After all, who in their right mind wants to rail against the status quo in the office, right? Why rock the boat when you’re receiving a good paycheck?
Often, I would respond with what I believed was the appropriate Christian response. Other times I didn’t have the energy to put up with it. I would either remain silent or to my own folly, flat out lose my cool and say things I shouldn’t have. Ultimately, being on my best behavior wouldn’t have changed anything anyway. Wolf would give his pessimistic and godless views on life, and I would offer my own views. It was a constant struggle to endure Wolf’s consistent attacks. Though it was a good learning lesson, I wish I had been more diligent at times. In the end, neither of us were able to persuade the other to a different way of thinking.
One day early in my employ at this company, the topic of the bible’s authenticity came before the proverbial water-cooler. I was ready for this. The majority were essentially stating the bible cannot be trusted as a factual record of events to have taken place. It was quite entertaining in fact to hear these men unknowingly expose how little they really knew about the bible while at the same time dismissing it as ‘a book written by charlatans all plagiarizing each other’s work over the centuries’. I am generalizing their comments a bit, but that is in essence exactly what the wolf pack were claiming. They claim the bible is nothing more than a work of fiction written by multiple different authors, copycatting each other’s work over the course of several centuries all espousing the same ignorant religious hysteria the former authors had been referring to in years past. That is to say, the people who wrote the bible were parroting an ancient belief that there is an invisible man in the sky who loves us and takes care of us. Which as they believe is all nonsense. That was their way of thinking. The wolf pack claimed to believe in an all-powerful God was derived as a means for the wiser few at the top to control the gullible many at the bottom – to make people feel better about themselves and their often-horrific conditions in this life. They believe the bible is nothing more than a story of imagination told over and over throughout the course of time combined with the fiction of the New Testament era which would later be compiled into one book (the Holy Bible) and then propagated as a system of control over the masses. They believe, what would later become the Holy Bible, is nothing more than an age-old fairytale. A children’s story not to be believed. In a nutshell, that is precisely the commentary I heard from the wolf pack.
This group, the wolf pack, absolutely loved trashing the gospel. They knew for certain, there is no God, and they were always willing to tell me about their faith in atheism without consequence. For nine hours a day, five days a week, for nearly five years, I would sit in the cubical next to these men knowing full well that at any moment they would deliver yet another witty quip about
how Christ never existed, the gospel is a fantasy, and the alpha males in society are the only true gods of this world. My hat is off to these men as I have to admit; they are not entirely wrong. It is written that Christ said, “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). And as Paul once wrote, Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
A year or so after my termination, I had begun to reflect on my encounters with the wolf pack. It was only then I began to understand how fortunate I was to have spent time with these men. I am grateful because it allowed me the opportunity to realize firsthand, it is not our job as Christian to change the hearts and minds of others. It is our job as Christians to plant the seed of the Gospel (Luke 8:4-15). It is only then where God the Holy Spirit can water that seed and allow it to grow. If we are neglect in our responsibilities as Christians, there will have been no seeds planted and therefore no harvest to reap (John 4:35).
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38)
So, that is what I attempted to do as often as I was able; plant the seed of the Gospel. Some days it felt like I was only making a fool of myself. Other days it felt like I was making a difference. I could see a slight glimmer in Wolfs eyes on occasion as he briefly contemplated some of the things I had said. I could see the wheels begin to turn. Though these moments were rare, it felt good to experience the thought of helping someone in that way.
I remember at one point specifically, a new question dawned on me. I asked Wolf quite suddenly if he had ever read the bible for himself. After all, he and his pack had such strong opinions about the Holy Bible. Perhaps they could enlighten me. I’m sure in all their wisdom they must have at some point read the bible for themselves, right? Wolf chuckled with cynicism and said, “no”.
I then asked Wolf quite frankly, “how can you write a book report on a book you have never read?” Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he responded, “I don’t read fiction”.
Over the course of the next few months, I attempted to introduce Wolf to the vast amount of archaeological evidence proving the stories of the bible to be historically accurate, but my testimony fell on deaf ears. My efforts appeared to be futile. By the time I left the company, Wolf was no closer to a relationship with Christ than I was at becoming a world-renowned hunter-gatherer. It just wasn’t going to happen.
It should be no surprise to learn I was eventually and abruptly let go. We came to the mutual consensus that I was clearly not a company man.
Throughout my years of researching the teachings of modern Christianity, I have found many of the same questions I posed to atheists such as Wolf were still relevant in the Christian world. Most Christians do not believe what they believe because they have read the bible for themselves and have come to their own conclusions based on years of studying scripture. No, most Christians simply accept church doctrine as fact while being force-fed pamphlet propaganda from their denomination’s headquarters and never delving deep into bible study for themselves.
Most Christians tend to never question church doctrine – ever. They simply walk in and out the doors Sunday or Saturday morning fully content on believing what they are being taught is the full truth and nothing but the truth.
Dearly beloved of God, I pose to you the same question I posed to my atheist friend Wolf; how can you write a book report on a book you have never read?
It wasn’t until I began reading, studying, and taking notes for myself that I began to see the bigger picture. The books in the Holy Bible are packed full of wisdom, knowledge, and very insightful history I formerly did not know from my time attending various churches. I was unaware of certain truths until after the time in which I had begun studying the bible for myself. This book, The Christian Doctrine Paradox, is a result of over twenty years of research into the mysteries of the Christian faith and the many questions I ask surrounding the various denominations of Christianity.
I am a non-denominational believer. This is a non-denominational book. I am not starting a new church, and I do not want your money. I do not want your “tithes”, nor do I deserve them. If you cannot afford this book, write to me at doctrineparadox@gmail.com and I will do my best to send you a copy of this book for free; paid out of my own pocket.
In addition, relevant segments of this book are posted on my website/blog with a section for anyone who wishes to freely comment on what I have written. If you find something in this book you believe is not biblically accurate, I challenge you to prove me wrong; please leave a comment. I do not have all the answers, my friends. However, by the time you finish this book, you will come to know for certain how the various modern Christian doctrines are lacking in the fullness of truth when it comes to Christ’s teachings.
I hope and pray you will read this book with an open mind. To every controversial topic discussed, I have listed biblical chapter and verse for clarity and understanding. If what I say is not true, I insist, you must call me out. But do not blindly make accusations because you disagree with me. Show me specifically from the Bible where I have spoken falsely. This is my challenge to the reader. This is my challenge to any and all theologians across the planet.
The evidence suggests a vast majority of modern Christianity has been blinded by the devil. I challenge the reader to test what I say against scripture. Do not just read these words blindly but read also the scriptures I use to prove what I say. Read the bible for yourself!
Beloved of God, I do not have the truth; I have been seeking the truth. In a world full of lies, I am passionate about finding the truth. My quest for obtaining the truth is the reason I have written this book and hope to distribute it to the masses. I pray the Holy Spirit of our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ comfort you and keep you as you read through these chapters.
Brothers and sisters, you should never feel ashamed to question the status quo while seeking the truth.
With love and hope,
Philip Joel Walls – doctrineparadox@gmail.com –
https://doctrineparadox.com/
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