Category: XX – Everything Else

Misc things that sprout in my mind

XX - Everything Else6 Comments

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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Why Did You Tell Us?…

RJ Walters

Happy New Year’s everyone! God has given us another year to show the Lord’s love in our lives. Let’s not waste it! This will just be a short post from something I have been reading this afternoon. It is an article in the January 2011 issue of Friends Journal – Quaker Thoughts and Life Today. The article is entitled The Meaning of Universalism by Phil H. Gulley. I will be discussing some of the issues he brings up about Universalism in future posts but I just wanted to give you one of the short stories in that article now. I … Continue reading Why Did You Tell Us?…

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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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Speaking up in church..

RJ Walters

Speaking up in church is something that varies widely in the Christian world. When my wife and I joined a small startup church eight years ago everyone there felt welcomed to speak up after the service. Since the church was a liturgical one speaking up during the service was a limited to chanting the required verses as they came up in the service text. But after the service anyone who had something to say could stand up and speak their mind. During those years we were renting space in a strip mall so our church was somewhat unconventional at least … Continue reading Speaking up in church..

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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

XX - Everything Else2 Comments

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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Deafness and Danger

RJ Walters

Of course being totally deaf as I am means that I can no longer hear the noises around me. Sometimes that is a good thing. I no longer hear the screaming kid at the table next to me in a restaurant. I am somewhat oblivious to the constant chatter of people on cell phones always around me. The last five years of my corporate life was living in a cubicle. Most people complained about them as you can hear conversations, coughs and other things from several cubicles around you. I was one of the few who really liked my cubicle. … Continue reading Deafness and Danger