Category: *Having My Say

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A Priest Following His Conscience…..

RJ Walters

It always saddens me to see yet another instance of a Christian church exercising exclusion but that is what this article is all about. This time it is the Roman Catholic church. They stripped  Rev. Bill Brennan, a 92-year-old Jesuit priest (that is him in the picture here) of his duties because he performed a liturgy in with a female priest not sanctioned with the Roman Catholic church. Here are some bits and pieces from the source article for our discussion today: source:  Priest stripped of duties for celebrating Mass with woman priest – U.S. News. A Milwaukee-area Catholic priest was … Continue reading A Priest Following His Conscience…..

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The Poor and the “Fiscal Cliff”…..

RJ Walters

  Jim Wallis is one of my current day heroes. He is editor-in-chief of a magazine called Sojourners.  Here is their mission statement: The mission of Sojourners magazine is to inspire hope and action by articulating the biblical call to racial and social justice, life and peace,and environmental stewardship I have been getting their magazine for some years now and from his writings I feel I almost know him on a personal level. He also sends out  frequent e-mails about brother’s keeper issues.  He inspires me to do what I can to love my neighbor no matter his race, religion, … Continue reading The Poor and the “Fiscal Cliff”…..

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Regret Becomes Less Common…..

RJ Walters

I can only say with 100% certainty how I personally feel about things. I won’t speak for others in that regard. I will admit that as I am getting older I am strangely happier and more settled in my life than I ever have been. This is despite the fact that my body continues to tell me I am over the hill.  When I ran across this article this morning it told me that I am not alone in this regard. Here are some of the words from the source: Source:  Good news about aging: Get older, feel better, study finds … Continue reading Regret Becomes Less Common…..

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Institutional Purity…..

RJ Walters

The primary reason there are 39,000+ Christian denominations is that each are trying to maintain “purity” of beliefs. Here is how that logic usually plays out: ” If we allow differences of opinions among us then we will soon reach a slippery slope where we will slide into heresy. For that reason we must be on the constant watch to exclude anyone among us who asks the ‘wrong’ questions or dares to disagree any of our creeds or beliefs.” I have personally felt the stink of one of these churches. But what these church authorities espousing this view overlook is … Continue reading Institutional Purity…..

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Trickle Down….

RJ Walters

I think we kind of need to balance out the post from this morning with a quote from Will Rogers Money was appropriated in the hope that it would trickle down to the needy. Herbert Hoover was an engineer. He knew water trickled down. Put it uphill and let it go and it will find the driest little spot. So money was appropriated for the top in the hope that it would trickle down to the needy. But he didn’t know that money trickled up! Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will … Continue reading Trickle Down….

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Taxes, Its All Relative…..

RJ Walters

Source: Most Americans Face Lower Tax Burden Than in the 80s – NYTimes.com. But in fact, most Americans in 2010 paid far less in total taxes — federal, state and local — than they would have paid 30 years ago. According to an analysis by The New York Times, the combination of all income taxes, sales taxes and property taxes took a smaller share of their income than it took from households with the same inflation-adjusted income in 1980. Households earning more than $200,000 benefited from the largest percentage declines in total taxation as a share of income. Middle-income households benefited, … Continue reading Taxes, Its All Relative…..

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Karl Rove and Fox News……

RJ Walters

Source: Is Karl Rove’s media career kaput? – CSMonitor.com. This question arises as a result of reports that Mr. Rove has been benched by his main television outlet, Fox News. According to New York Magazine, top Fox officials have ordered that producers must get permission before putting Rove or fellow GOP pundit Dick Morris on air. It’s all part of an effort by head honcho Roger Ailes to freshen story lines and change the network’s cast of characters, writes New York’s Gabriel Sherman. Changing the cast of characters at Fox News… Wow, will wonders never cease.  I can’t imagine Fox News … Continue reading Karl Rove and Fox News……

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Taking Back the Bible….

RJ Walters

I read the Bible on a regular basis.  The words of Jesus, which to me is what the Bible is really all about, inspire me to love my fellow-man and to love my God.  Many stories in the Bible  even though they might just be stories, parables, or even myths are inspiring in the lessons they teach. I delight in the sheer narrative power they provide. I am very disheartened by the fact that some Christians today try to demand that the Bible was dropped down from heaven by God and not truly written my men who lived in the … Continue reading Taking Back the Bible….

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Bean Soup….

RJ Walters

Banner - Will Rogers

soupIf I happen to have some bean soup, I want to be able to locate, at pretty prompt intervals, some little objects that look to me like beans. I don’t want a bowl of it where the beans have just been driven through it at low tide.  July 17, 1927    Will Rogers

This quote from Will pretty much aligns with the one from this morning except now we are talking about wimpy food instead of people. But come to think of it maybe that is our problem, too much wimpy food.  In Will’s day they hadn’t discovered all the Cholesterol and vitamin  stuff so everyone was pretty much just ate what they wanted.   And for the most part they choose meat and potatoes, and big portions of it.

Continue reading “Bean Soup….”

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Becoming Wimps…

RJ Walters

  In the old days, when we wasn’t sanitary, why, we were strong enough to withstand germs. But nowadays, we have to be careful of the microbes, for if they get a hold on us, we are goners. The old-fashioned gourd that the whole family drank out of, from birth to death, would today kill more of the modern population than a war would   — July 15, 1931  Will Rogers I am kind of aligned with Will here and especially since it has been over eighty years that he wrote these words of wisdom. I think especially since Will’s time we … Continue reading Becoming Wimps…

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Junk Food Tolerance…

RJ Walters

It seems as I am getting older my tolerance for junk food is rapidly decreasing. There is a show on cable TV entitled Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives where Guy Fieri goes around the country reviewing restaurants as indicated in the title. Many of them are famous for some pretty outrageous food. Some stack pancakes a foot high and smother them with mucho butter between each layer followed by a pint of syrup and lined high with  pounds of sausages, bacon, and such around the edges.

Continue reading “Junk Food Tolerance…”

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Luke Chapter 6…

RJ Walters

The gospel of Luke Chapter 6 is the most important chapter in the Bible for me. Of course it includes the Beatitudes which are primary in teaching us how to live our lives but they include much more than that.  I want to concentrate on the first beatitude for this post. Luke 6:20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor,  for yours is the kingdom of God..”  I take these words more literally than some. I believe that those who are treated poorly in this world will have a special place in the next. Conversely … Continue reading Luke Chapter 6…

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I’ve Got This Pain….

RJ Walters

Banner - About LifeOld personI know when I was younger I always got a laugh about how old people seem to always be talking about having this pain or that. It was not of much interest to me to hear about others pain so I couldn’t understand why it seemed a daily conversation with so many old people.  Several of the blogs I browse daily are basically journal of the bloggers daily activity and of course that includes their pains; especially the blogs that have “retirement” in their title.

As I have gotten older I have come to understand this daily ritual. It is not so much that I want to hear about someone else’s pain but instead that I want to tell them about my pain.  Telling someone about your pain seems to make some of it go away. :)  I’m sure the other person is no more interested in my pain than I am about his but it is sort of a reciprocal thing. You listen to mine and I will listen to yours.

Continue reading “I’ve Got This Pain….”

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Knowing The Difference….

RJ Walters

  God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. ~ Reinhold Niebuhr I have run across this quote many times in my life and always wondered about its author. Who was Reinhold Niebhur and what were the circumstances around the quote? This quote is from the Serenity Prayer written by him around 1937. A modified version is frequently used in Alcoholics Anonymous.  The longest version has these additional lines: “Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; … Continue reading Knowing The Difference….

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The Fourth Rummage Sale??…..The Emergent Church of the 21st Century

RJ Walters

This post is about the fourth great rummage sale and that is the “Great Emergence”. In this post I am only giving you a small taste of the emergent movement In future posts we will look at just what the Great Emergence is and where it is going. Lets start off this post again with some words by Phyllis Tickle in her book The Great Emergence: The Great Emergence, like the Great Reformation or the Great Schism or the time of the Great Gregory or the Great Transformation, is a generalized social/ political/ economic/ intellectual/ cultural shift. Like its predecessors, … Continue reading The Fourth Rummage Sale??…..The Emergent Church of the 21st Century

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A Real Sweet Deal…

RJ Walters

Source:  Hostess to Seek Approval for Executive Bonuses – ABC News. Hostess Brands Inc. plans to ask for a judge’s approval Thursday to give its top executives bonuses totaling up to $1.8 million as part of its wind-down plans It seems in the upper echelons of the business world you get a big bonus if your workers work hard and the profits come in.  But it also seems that if you screw up the company and turn it into a tear-apart bankruptcy you also get a big bonus to stay around to rip it apart. The little guy just can’t … Continue reading A Real Sweet Deal…

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The Third Great Rummage Sale — The Reformation

RJ Walters

I think most people, especially those who call themselves Christian, are at least a little familiar with the third great rummage sale in Christianity which was the Reformation.  I will only give a very brief look in this post. Martin Luther, a monk with an incredibly low self-image, started it in 1517 when he nailed his list of 95 complaints about the workings of the church on the Wittenberg church door.  Martin’s initial goal was to try to turn the church from corruption of its day. But, due to bruised egos he ended up causing the second great schism in … Continue reading The Third Great Rummage Sale — The Reformation

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They know it is painful; they know it is damaging but….

RJ Walters

Some call them sexy; some call them erotic. I call them gross!!!! I’m sorry ladies but I simply can’t understand why you torture yourselves so much? Do you think if you are six inches taller people will be more attracted to you?  Do you really think they make you look sexier? Here is what I think and of course since I am just an old guy I’m sure you could care less but I am going to have my say anyway.  I kinda believe the a woman’s IQ is inversely proportional to the height of her heels.  When I see … Continue reading They know it is painful; they know it is damaging but….

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Those Words….

RJ Walters

Source: Sojourner Mail November 16, 2012 The day after the election, Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler said, “I think this was an evangelical disaster.”  Not really. But it was a disaster for the religious right, which had again tied its faith to the partisan political agenda of the Republican Party — which did lose the election. But Nov. 6 was an even deeper disaster for the religious right’s leaders, because they will no longer be able to control or easily co-opt the meaning of the term “evangelical.”  During this election, much of the media continued to use the word as a … Continue reading Those Words….

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The Second Great Rummage Sale — The Great Schism

RJ Walters

The Great Schism is basically when the Christian church split in the Roman Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. This happened around 1054CE.  What had once been a single church slowly separated into two distinct identities.  Most of the differences that caused the split were almost nit-picking about what to believe and had little or nothing to do with how to “be” a Christian. This shows us that the belief vs action dilemmas have a long origin. The Eastern Church (Orthodox) used Greek as its language; The Western (Roman) Church used Latin. Eastern clergy could marry and wore beards; Western … Continue reading The Second Great Rummage Sale — The Great Schism

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About The Debt…

RJ Walters

We are three billion in the hole and will be three billion more next year, and not a Congressman has got the nerve to ask voters to pay part of it.  —  January 29, 1933    Will Rogers Obviously this quote was said long before even Grover Norquist’s parents were born but it is equally true today as it was in Will’s time. The fact of the matter is up until President Bush, taxes have always gone up to help pay for our wars. But when so many  from the GOP crawled up to the altar of Mr. Norquist with … Continue reading About The Debt…

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Power to the People…..

RJ Walters

source:  Nonwhite voters and changing values make 2012 election pivotal – Los Angeles Times. The 2012 election marked the point at which a new American electoral coalition solidified its hold on politics, one built on the country’s growing nonwhite population and on cultural changes that have given younger voters of all races a far different outlook on political issues from that of their elders. It is still not clear just who made up the majority that swept President Obama into a second term and seemingly muted the Tea Party’s power in today’s politics. But it is obvious that the $1 … Continue reading Power to the People…..

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The First Rummage Sale – The Dark Ages (con’t)

RJ Walters

In this second post about the first major reconfiguration of the Christian church I will be covering some ancillary info about just who was affected by the Dark Ages and will be talking a little about the person “saved” the church for a later resurrection. First of all I have found that the term “Dark Ages” has many definitions and stated causes. For purposes here I will define the period as between the fifth and the tenth centuries. Many, looking at different cultural aspects, expand it to include four hundred years beyond that. Generally speaking this was a very dreary … Continue reading The First Rummage Sale – The Dark Ages (con’t)

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Intolerance….

RJ Walters

Many times Will Rogers’ words are an inspiration to me. Of course he saw a lot of prejudice in his times. Maybe more so than even I do today. When I found these words from him about intolerance I found them indeed inspiring.  No explanation is needed. These words stand on their own today as much as they did in Will’s day. I have sometimes wondered if the preachers themselves have not something to do with intolerance. You hear and read a sermon nowadays, and the biggest part is taken up by knocking or trying to prove the falseness of … Continue reading Intolerance….

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The First Rummage Sale ….The Dark Ages…

RJ Walters

Continuing with our study of the “rummage sales” within the Christian church every five hundred years lets look at the first one.  Before we start I will admit that I didn’t know much about this period of time before this study so I relied on several books on the shelves behind me and in my Kindle to help me understand.  I will put those references at the end of the last post on the topic for those who are interested. The first great rummage sale happened when the church moved from the late Roman period into the Dark ages. When … Continue reading The First Rummage Sale ….The Dark Ages…

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I Got Some Explaining to Do……

RJ Walters

I have some explaining to do here. In alignment with making a new design for this blog and this morning’s post about remaking ourselves I am making a new commitment to going back to the roots of this blog.   In other words I am turning over a new leaf. (I got to figure the origin of that phrase sometime) The words of Will Rogers have been a significant part of my life and of this blog. Regrettably I have been straying from that general area lately but I intend to make a course correction going forward. That does not … Continue reading I Got Some Explaining to Do……

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Happy Thanksgiving….

RJ Walters

While this post is being automatically published I am busy working in the Backstreet Soup Kitchen preparing a Thanksgiving for those homeless and financially challenged in my area.  I can’t think of a better place I would want to be. Thank you Lord for showing me my purpose in life. Caring for others is MUCH more rewarding than focusing on myself. Thank you for the many blessings in my life…. Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving….

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A Giant Rummage Sale…

RJ Walters

Anyone who has visited this blog in the recent past know that I am pinning great hope on the “emergent” church being able to rescue the current Christian establishments from their focus on believing things about Jesus as opposed to of “being” a Christian through our actions. I was very disheartened when I discovered the statistic that almost no one can tell the difference between a Christian and anyone else in the population. People who call themselves Christians live their lives pretty much like everyone else. In fact they actually divorce more often than non-Christians! Something has to change to … Continue reading A Giant Rummage Sale…

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What Happened To You John???

RJ Walters

John, I can’t tell you how unhappy I am to see what you have become. I so admired you in the past.  You were the self-proclaimed “maverick” in the senate. You were a moderate when so many of your GOP colleagues were turning to the right fringes of your party.  You did not strictly tow the party line when so many other were afraid not to.  I actually looked up to you as the person who would bring the GOP back to the center.

But then in 2008 you seemed to start unraveling.  When you chose Sarah as your running mate I began doubting your wisdom.  I couldn’t have dreamed of a worse choice, that is until Romney’s choice. (I just don’t understand why the GOP guys pick such radicals to be “a heartbeat away”?)  Then came the campaign season where like so many others in politics you mutated into something completely unlike the original you. You seemed to bend in whatever direction your handlers instructed you. I couldn’t understand why you did not hold to your principles. Continue reading “What Happened To You John???”

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Turning Human???

RJ Walters

The whole thing seems too good to be true, but the whole world is changing, so maybe they are going to turn human. – May 18, 1933    — Will Rogers

Sometimes I like to “talk” with my heroes. The following in my imagined soliloquy to Will Rogers about his quote for today:

Will, I must admit that I don’t really know where you are going with this quote? Maybe you are talking about how people came together with common support during the Great Depression when you said these words.  I too see the whole world changing and probably more rapidly than you ever did.  Although you did live through most of the Great Depression so maybe I am wrong in that regard.  But I seem to see the exact opposite this time around in the changing world. Continue reading “Turning Human???”

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Following the Examples of Jesus….

RJ Walters

Here is a quote by Philip Gulley in his book entitled The Evolution of Faith – How God is creating a better Christianity that will be used for this discussion. To be sure, if one believes Christianity is primarily about worshipping Jesus, a faith that incorporates other religious traditions will be considered heretical. But if one believes Christianity is primarily about following the example of Jesus, then it is easy to imagine a faith informed by men and women of goodwill, though of diverse traditions. If the future of the Christian faith is creedalism and believing the right things about … Continue reading Following the Examples of Jesus….

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Separation of Church and State — Taxes

RJ Walters

Source: Churches and Taxes – ProCon.org.

US churches received an official federal income tax exemption in 1894, and they have been unofficially tax-exempt since the country’s founding. All 50 US states and the District of Columbia exempt churches from paying property tax. Donations to churches are tax-deductible. The debate continues over whether or not these tax benefits should be retained.

Proponents argue that a tax exemption keeps the government out of church finances and thus upholds the separation of church and state. They say that churches deserve a tax break because they provide crucial social services, and that church tax exemptions have been in place for over 200 years without turning America into a theocracy.

Opponents argue that giving churches special tax exemptions violates the separation of church and state, and that tax exemptions are a privilege, not a right guaranteed by the US Constitution. They say that in tough economic times the government cannot afford what amounts to a subsidy worth billions of dollars every year.

Continue reading “Separation of Church and State — Taxes”

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The Separation of Church and State — The Founders Views…

RJ Walters

I am going to do a couple of posts here on a pretty controversial topic and that is church and State. I just finished three months worth of political posts so I thought I might as well tackle another difficult issue before my blood pressure  finally goes down to normal. Being a U.S. history buff I have read quite a bit on Jefferson and his views of the separation of church and State. The primary information about this topic comes from his writing called “An Act For Establishing Religious Freedom” written in 1786.  Another writing prominently mentioned in this area … Continue reading The Separation of Church and State — The Founders Views…

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Eternal Peace…

RJ Walters

Several years ago I came across a small book entitled Quaker Spirituality – Selected Writings. I’m still not sure what made me pause on the title but I am glad I did. Inside that book was an essay by Thomas R. Kelly (1893-1941) talked about the “Eternal Presence”. I didn’t know it then but this essay put me on the path to learning much more about Quakers. It gave me the most complete understanding of who God was that I have ever had in my life up to that point. Here are some of the words from that essay. I am … Continue reading Eternal Peace…

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Eternal Presence….

RJ Walters

Several years ago I came across a small book entitled Quaker Spirituality – Selected Writings. I’m still not sure what made me pause on the title but I am glad I did. Inside that book was an essay by Thomas R. Kelly (1893-1941) talked about the “Eternal Presence”. I didn’t know it then but this essay put me on the path to learning much more about Quakers. It gave me the most complete understanding of who God was that I have ever had in my life up to that point. Here are some of the words from that essay. I am just … Continue reading Eternal Presence….

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I’m Just a Blue Collar Guy…..

RJ Walters


I don’t know if everyone who reads my blog knows what a “blue-collar guy” is (or at least my definition of it)? In my middle years in the 1960s, 70s, and early 80’s that meant the guy who got out of high school and managed to get a good paying job in a factory.  He could count of the company to payed pretty well for his work and to be there when he or his family had medical emergencies. He could count on being employed for years to come and then retiring with a manageable pension. Continue reading “I’m Just a Blue Collar Guy…..”

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Saving Jesus — (Part 5) Heaven and the Threat of Hell….

RJ Walters

This is the fifth post on the book Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus  by Robin Meyers.  While I could go on and on I am going to stop this review here. The following will serve as the focus for this post: Some belong to churches that explicitly emphasize the hope of heaven and the threat of hell. Others belong to churches that seldom or never mention hell. But even for many of them, the hope of a blessed afterlife is what Christianity is most centrally about. How important has the promise of heaven … Continue reading Saving Jesus — (Part 5) Heaven and the Threat of Hell….

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Amber Lights…

RJ Walters

  But every one of us write our own history. If it sounds better the way we want it than the way it might have been why that don’t stop us any more than an amber light. – September17, 1933  Will Rogers Will’s quote here is still pretty much true today except to maybe change the word amber to red. The number one cause of accidents now are people running red lights. Being a senior citizen I have lived in historical times. I personally saw the Civil Rights marches not in person but on TV.  I was a naive teen … Continue reading Amber Lights…

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A Real Leader Leads……

RJ Walters

Source: Boehner’s GOP Problems Complicate Deficit Negotiations – ABC News. House Speaker John Boehner is about to begin another attempt at a grand bargain deficit reduction deal with President Obama, a high wire act in which he will be buffeted by demands from the White House as well as from House Republicans It looks like total gridlock may again happen coming out the gate of the new year. Mr. Boehner in some of his words seemed to say that he was open to compromise but soon took those words back after some in his party chastised him. The sign of a … Continue reading A Real Leader Leads……

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Saving Jesus — (Part 4) Science is Not the Enemy…..

RJ Walters

This is the fourth post on the book Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus  by Robin Meyers: One thing every pastor knows is that knowledge is not redemptive. Indeed, sometimes we can know the truth, and it will not set us free…. One of the great divides in the church could be overcome if we got one thing straight: the truth of which Jesus speaks is wisdom incarnate, not intellectual assent to cogent arguments made on behalf of God. … Having said this, it is not the case that faith is more … Continue reading Saving Jesus — (Part 4) Science is Not the Enemy…..