Category: Everything Else

Misc things that sprout in my mind

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Jesus Christ – Lord and Savior

RJ Walters

To me the title of this post is the perfect blend of words.  We must acknowledge that Jesus is our Lord and we must also acknowledge that he is our Savior. Those two conditions are very different so lets study them some here. Jesus Christ is my Savior — Jesus was very clear that one of the reasons he came was to die for our sins. That is something that I have trouble really understanding but I take him at his words. Accepting Jesus as our savior is a leap of faith that requires not much else. It is big … Continue reading Jesus Christ – Lord and Savior

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Creationism Gone in Catholic Church

RJ Walters

As some of you may know I recently was more or less forced to leave my church home of eight years because I publicly via this blog said I believe that the earth is more than 6,000 years old. The leadership of the denomination insists that this idea is heresy.  In that light it was interesting to note the article today about the Catholic church very publicly professed that they are no longer teaching creationism.  Here is an excerpt from that article and the URL to the source. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110106/lf_nm_life/us_pope_bigbang;_ylt=Atn4zJuRv18tpYCeKNJVh7is0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFpdHBkcHJoBHBvcwMzNQRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDZ29kd2FzYmVoaW5k Benedict and his predecessor John Paul have been trying to shed the Church’s image of being anti-science, a … Continue reading Creationism Gone in Catholic Church

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The Rambling Questions of a Past Jesus Freak

RJ Walters

Sometimes a burst of questions comes into my mind. They usually come and go before I have time to even put them on a Post-It for further study. This time I was at my keyboard. Here is what I have been thinking of this afternoon. In the past I have been a member of different Christian denominations who say we must go out and save the rest of the world by telling them about Jesus. But I’m not a Jesus freak as the world has come to know many of us. At least not any longer. If you want to … Continue reading The Rambling Questions of a Past Jesus Freak

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What about the Bible???

RJ Walters

I don’t believe that the collection of documents put together in the fourth century by Emperor Constantine’s council which is known today as the Bible was one hundred percent dictated by God.  Because I believe there is a human element to it some say that I surely must therefore deem it all worthless. No! No! No! I really tire of saying this but I must repeatedly explain to them that that is absolutely not the case! I am unlike most of the inquisitors on this topic in that I am not an all-or-nothing person. I am instead like the most … Continue reading What about the Bible???

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Institutional Purity & the Diet of Worms

RJ Walters

I know some of you might be confused by the title of this post. Let me assure you up front that it is not about how you make your body pure by eating worms :) . This topic is much too heavy to settle well in your stomach even if it were steak. The theme of the next three posts is really about is that we have done a great disservice to the Body of Christ by believing that we are the only ones who totally understand what being a Christian is really about. The belief is that since we … Continue reading Institutional Purity & the Diet of Worms

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Is the Greed around Universal Healthcare a form of idolatry???

RJ Walters

Jesus warned us not to pledge our allegiance to worldly things but instead to give that honor to God alone. His most often example of idolatry was money. But today there is literally a myriad of things that we have chosen to put up as idols in God’s place. One of these in my mind is the greed around the concept of universal healthcare. Jesus clearly told us to be our brother’s keeper. I can’t think of a more poignant area where where are not following his command to be our brother’s keeper than denying healthcare  to those of meager … Continue reading Is the Greed around Universal Healthcare a form of idolatry???

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Did Jesus Ask Us to Worship Him??

RJ Walters

In questioning this claim, my wish is not to diminish the life of Jesus, but to honor it as fully as I can by asking whether his elevation to divinity is something he would have wanted. One telling clue to Jesus’s self-awareness can be found in the tenth chapter of the gospel of Mark when Jesus was approached by a man who called him “Good Teacher” (v. 17). Jesus’s response was immediate and startling, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone” (v. 18). I have heard some say Jesus was, in a clever way, … Continue reading Did Jesus Ask Us to Worship Him??

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Universal Salvation..

RJ Walters

I have been doing some studying on the concept of universal salvation or reconciliation. Here is what Wikipedia says about it: Origen was a 3rd century proponent of Universal Reconciliation.  The belief in the eventual salvation of all humankind has been a topic of debate throughout the history of the Christian faith. In the early Church, universalism was a flourishing theological doctrine. Reconciliation is the main belief that distinguishes Christian Universalism from other forms of Christianity. Various theologians, including Clement of Alexandria and Origen in the 3rd century, St. Gregory of Nyssa in the 4th century, and St. Isaac the … Continue reading Universal Salvation..

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The Institutional Church

RJ Walters

Here is a quote by Philip Gulley who is a Quaker minister and author.  I couldn’t have said it any better At the end of the day, it is important to remember that while the institutional church is important to us, Jesus appeared to give it little thought. Though the church eventually became the means by which the story and witness of Jesus spread, neither its genesis nor continuance seemed a priority to him. Time after time, meeting human needs took center stage in his life and ministry. Indeed, when Jesus did speak of institutional religion, he was often scathing, … Continue reading The Institutional Church

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Affirming our Potential

RJ Walters

I believe that affirming our potential is more important than condemning our brokenness. Many churches I have attended put a very strong I would even say an overwhelming emphasis on our brokenness. Their creeds which are chanted every Sunday point out that we are nothing but poor miserable sinners and are capable of absolutely nothing good. Besides causing inferiority complexes in those to buy into that thought it is also does very little to attract those not familiar with the true words of Jesus and the positive things he wants us to accomplish while on this earth. Most of the … Continue reading Affirming our Potential

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Being alone in the world…

RJ Walters

  I know that I am not the only person in the U.S. who is deaf. In reality there are more than three million of us around. About two million of those are like me who went deaf as an adult. That means for Indiana where I live there are about forty thousand of us around. But since I am not active in any deaf clubs or organizations I seldom come across another deaf person in my daily life. When I do I am most often too surprised to try to effectively communicate with them. So, to me being deaf almost … Continue reading Being alone in the world…