Most people don’t realize there was a 1,000-year period when religions ruled the earth. This was generally known as the Dark Ages (5th through 15th century). Galileo’s trial occurred close to the end of that period. Continue reading Back In The Days When Religion Ruled The Earth
I was careful to precisely state the title of this mosaic. The “thing” I miss the most in my life is the 1800 sq ft workshop that I left behind when I moved into my RetCom in 2021. Continue reading Mosaic of Life #143 The Thing I Miss The Most…
I don’t know why the words in the title above suddenly popped into my conscience, but I love it when that happens. It challenges me to think about a subject that I would not have otherwise. I see domain invasion … Continue reading Domain Invasion…
This is a continuation about Jefferson and religion. As stated before, there are many, especially in evangelical circles, that say that Jefferson meant for our country to be founded on Christian principles. My posts on the blog are to show … Continue reading Jefferson’s Views of The Clergy Of His Times
Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition…. One of my major projects … Continue reading Humanism
Check out my post over at RedLetterLiving to see my view of how people choose a church and why some don’t choose any church. Continue reading How People Choose A Church?
Last week I gave you a catch-up on where I have journeyed in my spiritual life for the last six years. I ended that post with the one big remaining question that I will address here: Do we even need … Continue reading The Public Body…
The Exodus has begun … it’s not going to stop… People are leaving and & not coming back… People are leaving you because you are silent right now in ways that matter to them… The singular thing you can offer them is a clear and unflinching voice that emulates the voice of Jesus… Source: Dear Church, Here’s Why People Are Leaving – John Pavlovitz Continue reading Dear Church
We in the U.S. know that one of the primary foundations of our democracy is freedom of speech. That is being able to say something different from our leaders and not suffer serious consequences. In my opinion, this is what … Continue reading The Church Is Not a Democracy….
When I read the words in the source article below they rang very true to me. Even though I was not a minister like he was I too felt the cost of being forced out of a church community for having different/unacceptable beliefs. I dared, among other things to say the earth was more than 6,000 years old. After 36 years in the Evangelical Charismatic movement in Tennessee, Dave left his faith. “For me,” he says, “it all started with a critical examination of the Bible and how it came to be…when I quit making excuses for the inconsistencies and … Continue reading When Leaving Religion Costs You Everything…
I want to bring over a slightly edited archive post from one of my other blogs at RedLetterLiving.net for this Sunday’s post. It is from March 13. I’m not sure who brought up the concept but it is about how churches are actually more like clubhouses than anything else. They are buildings that are built almost exclusively for their members comfort. Yes that comfort does bring in some to hear the message but that seems to be very secondary at best. I had a recent round of comments on this topic and it stirred up some heated words. It seems … Continue reading Everyone Needs A Clubhouse….
Here’s one person’s attempt to summarize the Gospel in a single sentence. It’s by Bruxy Cavey, the teaching pastor at The Meeting House. He says “The Gospel is the good news that God comes to us through Jesus to show us his love, save us from sin, set up his kingdom and shut down religion.” Just thirty words, but I think he does a great job of getting to the heart of what Jesus’ message is all about. SOURCE: The Gospel According To Who? | Stephen Jarnick | Red Letter Christians. If you are interesting in the things behind these words … Continue reading The Gospel In Thirty Words…
We want an end to the culture wars. We want a truce between science and faith. We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against. We want to ask questions that don’t have predetermined answers. We want churches that emphasize an allegiance to the kingdom of God over an allegiance to a single political party or a single nation. We want to be challenged to live lives of holiness, not only when it comes to sex, but also when it comes to living simply, caring for the poor and oppressed, pursuing reconciliation, engaging in … Continue reading Not That Much Different….
Morf Morford considers himself a free-range Christian who is convinced that God expects far more of us than we can ever imagine, but somehow thinks God knows more than we do….. As he’s getting older, he finds himself less tolerant of pettiness and dairy products. SOURCE: Morf Morford: It’s NOT the economy, stupid | Red Letter Christians. I am going to do a rare cross post here between two of my blogs. I am doing so because I think this post has a spiritual as well as general message. While the referenced source above is about life being more than just … Continue reading God Knows More Than I Do…….
Morf Morford considers himself a free-range Christian who is convinced that God expects far more of us than we can ever imagine, but somehow thinks God knows more than we do….. As he’s getting older, he finds himself less tolerant of pettiness and dairy products. SOURCE: Morf Morford: It’s NOT the economy, stupid | Red Letter Christians. I am going to do a rare cross post here between two of my blogs. I am doing so because I think this post has a spiritual as well as general message. While the referenced source above is about life being more than just … Continue reading God Knows More Than I Do…..
“Hunt out and talk about the good that is in the other fellow’s church, not the bad, and you will do away with all this religious hatred you hear so much nowadays.” – Will Rogers, 11 March 1923 This quote from Will definitely applies to the churches in the U.S. but it equally applies to many other things that are problematic in our country today. As I commonly state on my other blog over at RedLetterLiving.net there are currently more than 39,000 different versions of the Christian church in the world. Most are the result of splits around different beliefs … Continue reading Hunt Out The Good….
I have been studying the history of the church to try an understand how we got to where we are today. An important book in that investigation is entitled “A People’s History of Christianity, The Other Side of the Story” by Diana Butler Bass. This is not the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last. With this post I am starting another book review series around this book. Here is a little about what Wikipedia says about her: Diana Butler Bass is a historian focusing on the history of Christianity and the … Continue reading A People’s History of Christianity….
I spent my first fourteen years in the Catholic church but really haven’t kept up with the details except for an occasional theology study. I know the picture here is a once in an era event. It has been centuries since a pope has resigned from office. The first thought that came to mind when I saw the picture here is that of two very old men embracing each other. I wish the new Pope Francis a successful reign, or whatever his term is called, no matter how many years it is. He was a Jesuit and I know they … Continue reading Pope — CEO Or Spiritual Leader???
Occasionally people knock on my door or hand me a tract on a street corner or strike up a conversation with the aim of asking, “Are you saved?” Even before I believed in the salvation of every person, I always answered with an enthusiastic yes. Often, rather than sharing my elation, my inquisitors would look me up and down with a dubious eye and ask another question. The second question varied depending on the person. Many asked, “Have you repented of your sins and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior?” Some asked, “Do you belong to a Bible-believing church?” Others … Continue reading Are You Saved???
I was certain if I could preach the perfect sermon the altar would fill with people overcome by God’s grace. Now I realize there are many hindrances to experiencing the fullness of God’s grace—confusion, fear, prejudice, ignorance, and pride, to name a few. The removal of these obstacles ought to be the primary purpose of the Church. Unfortunately, the Church has often erected more barriers than we’ve removed. Too many have entered our doors, only to experience condemnation rather than welcome. We’ve acted less like Jesus and more like his opponents. Gulley, Philip; Mulholland, James (2009-03-17). If Grace Is True: … Continue reading The Fullness of God’s Grace….. (Part 3 – If Grace Is True)
Our personal experiences invade all our perceptions of life. It is who we are and how others see us to be. I want to spend this post talking about personal experiences and how that relates to Christian outreach. What do our perceptions have to do with religion. Let’s face it we are a product of our experiences. I just finished watching a program in which a couple of members of the discussion group were a Catholic priest and a nun. I was struck by how differently they view things of the world than I do. The discussions were about what … Continue reading In Their Shoes…
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 