Guns โn Moses You have heard that it was said, โAn eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.โ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, … Continue reading Guns ‘n Moses
Category: Spirituality
Exclusivity, Part 3
Exclusivity, Part 3 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Prior to concluding my thoughts about the exclusivity that has become an identifying characteristic of churchianity under the guise of Christianity, I wish to reflect upon why exclusivity has become so … Continue reading Exclusivity, Part 3
Exclusivity, Part 2
Exclusivity, Part 2 As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. John 17:22 One of the reasons I do not believe Jesusโ seemingly exclusive statements like โNo one comes to the Father except through meโ are as exclusive as many believe (other than them being inconsistent … Continue reading Exclusivity, Part 2
Exclusivity
Exclusivity Whoever is not against us is for us. Mark 9:40 Arguably, the most egregious sin of Churchianity is in its professed exclusivity, by which I mean the portrayal of Christianity, as understood and practiced by certain churches, as the only path to truth, the only hope for salvation, and the only way to God. … Continue reading Exclusivity
Russia, Ukraine, and Lent
Russia, Ukraine, and Lent Then Jesus told his disciples, โIf any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.โ Matthew 16:24-25 Contemplative author … Continue reading Russia, Ukraine, and Lent
God as Being, Part 4
God as Being, Part 4 Once the wave realizes she is the ocean her fear dissipates. Thich Nhat Hanh[1] In the past few weeks I have explored the concepts of God as a being, as a non-being, and as love. Another imperfect analogy for Godโs nature, one I find intriguing, if not difficult to wrap … Continue reading God as Being, Part 4
God as Being, Part 3
God as Being, Part 3 God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 1 John 4:16 While I find it problematic to picture God as a being, particularly as a human being, I find imagining God as a form of attracting, influencing energy and/or relationship to … Continue reading God as Being, Part 3
God as Being, Part 2
God as Being, Part 2 Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, โThe kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observedโฆโ Luke 17:20 If we cannot accurately liken God to a human being, what sort of being is God? Is God … Continue reading God as Being, Part 2
God as Being
God as Being I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I believe that prayer changes us and we change things. Mother Teresa[1] Perhaps the most egregious outcome of anthropomorphizing God is in our imagining of God as a human being. Our patriarchal societies since biblical times have portrayed God as a man … Continue reading God as Being
Anthropomorphosis, Part 4
Anthropomorphosis, Part 4 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, โRabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?โ Jesus answered, โNeither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that Godโs works might be revealed in him.. John 9:1-3 … Continue reading Anthropomorphosis, Part 4