When I was very young, I was told that the church was a crucial thing in my life. But, at the same time, my parents seldom went there themselves. Instead, they dropped us off at the front door. I was, for a while, an altar boy in a Catholic Church. The first seven grades I was taught by Franciscan Nuns. Being part of church, I … Continue reading What Happened When I Finally Gave Up Church?
I see where the leadership of Iran, in response to all the protests by the young people, have announced they are abolishing the “Morality Police”. Those are the forces who roam the streets looking to punish those who are not living up to the Islamic rules, particularly the dress laws. I’m not sure which of the dress codes that Iran enforces, but I’m certain that … Continue reading Mandated Morality & Insurrections
What a very noble idea from John Pavolvitz (click to see more from him). It sounds kind of Native-American to me, but I don’t think he intended it to be. He is what I would look like on steroids, He is constantly questioning why the church is on a tragic path of destruction. I see from the latest statistics that U.S. Christians will soon be … Continue reading The Perfect Holiday Message
I don’t post at RedLetterLiving.net very often anymore, but I think that is going to change going forward. It surprises me how many views RLL get even after so many years in hiatus. RedLetterLiving started its four-year journey in 2008. That seems like ages ago considering how much has changed since then, especially in my view of Christianity, and the Biblical theology. But I am … Continue reading Getting Back To The Red Letters…
Let’s talk a little today about folklore. As the definition here shows, it is something passed down through generations by word of mouth. Having some Native American blood in me, I have always been fascinated by that version of folklore. Things like We are not the owners of land, we are merely the caretakers for a brief period of time. I am particularly drawn to … Continue reading About Folklore…
I have let it be known here on RJsCorner that I am disappointed in most Christian Churches. So many of them are now dominated by those who act very contrary to their founder’s words. I know not every one of their members are in that camp, but the majority of them probably are. The last time I was in a church was in 2011. That … Continue reading Back To My Religious Roots?
Some cling to traditions as if it were life itself. I am not one of them. To me, traditions are too often used to cling to prejudice and a fanatical resistance to change, any change. I saw that on display in the Lutheran churches I once belonged to. They would often cite this bible verse or that, to justify their outdated and often prejudiced beliefs. … Continue reading Some Cling To Traditions…
For this Sunday, I give you fire and brimstone. I don’t know what brimstone is, but I probably deserve a lot of it. I have made it clear here on RJsCorner that I am no longer religious, but I am an avid follower of the teachings of Jesus. I know I have fallen short of his words, but at least I think I do better … Continue reading Fire And Brimstone…
I have been a planner all of my life. For some reason, that has been a basic part of who I am. Maybe it is the fact that I like to think I have the answers to my life, but sometimes you just have to catch them out of the air. Some people call that praying to God. To others, it is something altogether different. … Continue reading Just Catch Them Out Of The Air…
I have been casually studying of Aristotle for many years, and have recently started another book about him. He was definitely a dreamer/thinker that I could never even imagine being. It is amazing to me how so many of his thoughts still apply today. Since he is one of my heroes, it just seemed natural that I look to him as to what he said … Continue reading The Pursuit of Happiness #4: According to Aristotle
Just a quick message for this Sunday. For those of us who follow the teachings of Jesus know that religion and spirituality can mean to very different things. When religion gets in the way of the messages of Jesus it’s time to find a new religion or maybe even none at all. And of course, Everyone on this earth is our neighbor Continue reading He Never Told Me To Love My Religion
This post originated on my blog at RedLetterLiving, but I think it will get the broader attention here that it deserves. Anyone who has read many of my words over at RedLetterLiving knows that I don’t have a very positive attitude of much of what is found in the Old Testament. That part of the Bible is about Jewish history and the myths associated with … Continue reading Tree of the knowledge
For this Sunday’s post I want to talk about one of my primary forward-looking objectives for my blog RedLetterLiving. I have done everything I can to not use #CO3’s (Oval Office occupant) name or image on any of my blogs. But, but since he will soon slink back to gutter he came from I put his name on the graphic above. I truly believe that … Continue reading The Trump/Evangelical Alliance…
“Mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn’t do much to the manure but it sure does ruin the ice cream” Unknown – This Sunday’s post is again stored over at my RedLetterLiving blog. Chick Here to see it. Continue reading Mixing Religion and Politics
For this Sunday’s post I am again sending you to my blog at RedLetterLiving. Click HERE to go there. Continue reading The 10 Commandments – Revisited
I have decided to do an extended study of Humanism at the recently resurrected RedLetterLiving blog. Click HERE to see the first post. Continue reading Humanism And Jesus
I want to use the post as my official apology to the world for MAGA Christians. I know that won’t mean much but it matters to me to apologize for this ugly group. Continue reading A “Follower Of Jesus” Apology for MAGA Christians.
One of the most basic tenets in the Evangelical Community is the idea that everyone must be “saved” in order to get to heaven. I struggled with this concept for years before I came across the book If Grace Is True by Philip Gulley. He finally convinced me that that belief, at least as Evangelicals see it, is simply man-made. For this Sunday’s post I … Continue reading Evangelicals Ask “Are You Saved?”
For this Sunday’s post I am re-directing you to my RedLetterLiving site on this topic Continue reading To My Evangelical Friends…
This is the third Sunday post here at RJsCorner where I am re-visiting some posts I wrote over at RedLetterLiving about this book by Philip Gulley. It is one of a handful of books that fundamentally changed my spiritual life. I am visiting these posts again before starting up this blog that has been in hiatus for over six years now. Post 5: August 16, … Continue reading If God Is Love — Finishing It Up.
This is a continuation of my look back on my blog RedLetterLiving blog before I activate it again. This is part two of a series I wrote in June 2011 about the book “If God Is Love” by Philip Gulley. That book changed my mind about so many things. It kept me on the path to Jesus when so many others are destroying that legacy. … Continue reading If God Is Love… Part 2
I know I usually put these posts out on Sunday, but since I already have the second part of three scheduled I am using it for today. I couldn’t have described the “fruit of the Spirit” any better than this. Quit connecting your political agenda to your spiritual one. As you will see in the coming years, maybe months, it ends up destroying both. Continue reading The Fruit Of The Spirit
This is a continuation of my look back on my blog RedLetterLiving before I activate it again. It has pretty much been in hiatus for six years now but I think it is necessary to resurrect it in order to do what I can to counter the current White Evangelical view that is destroying the true messages of Christianity. In my mind they, they have … Continue reading If God Is Love
I call myself a follower of Jesus, but sometimes I just don’t feel like I am a Christian, or at least a recent version of that description. That is what this post is all about.
.Read more
What is it about toilet paper that has so many people obsessed with it. It is as if they think that will be the new money. 🤪 That, in a rather strange way, is what this post is all about.
Continue reading “The Obsession With Toilet Paper?”
As I remember it many in the religious community at that time in 1970 thought Jesus Christ Superstar was sacrilegious. But it might just be the primary reason I returned to religion. That is what this post is all about.
Continue reading “Jesus Christ Superstar…”
Not all people who once proudly claimed to be Evangelicals are now MAGA cult members. It was refreshing to see that some have escaped and now label themselves Exvangelicals. I guess I could also wear that label as I was once an Evangelical myself. That is what this post is all about.
Continue reading “MAGA And The Exvanglicals”For this Sunday’s Look Back let’s look at the MAGA/Evangelical cult. I never would have dreamed that U.S. Christianity would have taken the fatal hit it has when I wrote the above words five years ago. Yeah, we had the Tea Party back then that was identified as a radical right fringe but for the most part they were not identified as a primarily Christian … Continue reading Looking Back – U.S. Christianity
This “Looking Back” post is about Pope Francis and how American Catholics saw him, but maybe more importantly how they might differ from the MAGA/Evangelicals who have moved to the extreme right in American culture. Here are the words from the post five years ago with my highlights that I will talk about here: When I wrote these words, Pope Francis had been pope for … Continue reading Favorites Sunday – About The Pope
This post is going to be about trying to dispel the feeling that some have that I am anti-religious. We don’t need less religion, just better versions.
Continue reading “Not Less, But Better…”
With this post I am going to bring back my Sunday talks about spirituality and my enlightened view of things religious. This post is about praying to God.
Continue reading “Are We Praying To A Narcissist God?”
One of the biggest tragedies of this early 21st century is how Jesus’ church has morphed into something very contrary to his teachings. I thank Minnesota Pastor Stephen Mattson and Sojourners Magazine for helping me to realize that fact. American Christianity brought us to this point. It preached nationalism and sanctified American imperialism — promoting Manifest Destiny as ordained by God. The prosperity gospel baptized … Continue reading White Christian Nationalism — Not Secularism — Is Destroying America
I want you to know up front that I think there is a lot wrong with the practice of Christianity, especially in America. Despite the thousands of congregations and leaders who stick to the words of Jesus, it has far too often been polluted by the radical right/religous political extremists in our society. Now that you know where I am coming from I will explain … Continue reading A Corner On The Market For God’s Blessings??
I want to end this fatiguing year of 2018 on a positive note about Jesus’ church. First of all, I want to celebrate all those thousands of congregations and religious leaders who have become the crusaders for Jesus in an otherwise very polluted spiritual world. The term Evangelical has become widely accepted to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing when it comes to spiritual matters. … Continue reading Crusaders For Jesus…
To all my Christian friends of the many different flavors, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  Let us always every day, try to live by the teachings of our founder He and his teachings are the star to latch onto. Continue reading Merry Christmas
I am not one of those Christians who complains that I am no longer allowed to say Merry Christmas. That statement is a cop-out if you ask me. Of course, I can say Merry Christmas but I also recognize that there are many others around who celebrate this season in a different way. To all of those friends of mine, I would like to wish … Continue reading Happy Holidays
RJ's Corner 