All religions rely on two concepts to bring us into transformation: suffering and love. However, suffering is to be an interim, introductory step and not a lifestyle. We are to move to the place we we no longer suffer.
Monthly Archive for September, 2009
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Life is really that simple and at the same time, all that difficult. The Gospels simply tell us to love God and love neighbor. Any questions? What is there about this Kingdom message that Jesus posited and encouraged that we don’t understand? There’ evidently a lot that we don’t get when you look at what’s being preached in these United (are they really?) States! Continue reading ‘Love With All Your Heart!’
Enlightenment, nirvana, salvation, or whatever you want to call it, we all need to learn how to access our higher self. Richard Rohr writes, “Religion at the more mature levels invariably learned an alternative consciousness, which was necessary for wider seeing and for addressing the great dilemmas of life.” I once called that PRAYER. Continue reading ‘The Tuning Fork Of Prayer’
We can’t live without symbols; however, when we put them in the place that which they are POINTING TO, then we miss the blessing or experience we set out to discover in the first place. What a paradox to see a soldier in battle firing off rounds, killing enemy combatants with the Christian cross swaying back and forth around his neck. Continue reading ‘The Tika & Cross’
Forgive the church? Anyone who has knowledge of the HISTORY of the church knows that we have a lot to ask the world to forgive us for in so many ways. It’s not just the biggies: the crusades, Inquisitions, and the mass killing of the Cathars as an example. It’s the more recent positions on slavery, women’s rights, and exclusion of various segments of society (can you say sexual preferences?). Continue reading ‘Father Forgive Us- The Church’
Thanks to St. Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430CE), we have such a negative view of sex and a fearful view of punishment. We can thank Augustine for the term original sin. His “punitive Father” image has done more to tarnish the GOOD NEWS of Jesus than just about anything anyone else who brought condemnation into our lives.. Continue reading ‘Punishment: Early, Often, & Forever!’
We are all created of photons but I’m sure hey didn’t know that when Paul wrote that we are children of LIGHT. However, it’s difficult to let the LIGHT OUT when we have a BEAM-LOG in our eye, blocking how we SEE others and the world.
The Consciousness (God-Energy-Prana-Chi-Father- etc.) that created the universe has given us FREE WILL. One can argue about a lot of things; however, when looking at life it’s pretty easy to see that we each have all manner of CHOICES and indeed we do wind up CHOOSING from different options. Continue reading ‘To Believe Or Not To Believe’
I am amazed at the BLIND FAITH coming from both camps of the spiritual and the scientific elite. Since I am convinced that I KNOW God and have surely EXPERIENCED Him, there’s really NO FAITH involved in my spiritual journey. On a daily basis there are “things or events” that I have faith for happening; however, in the larger scheme of things, there is no BLIND FAITH. Continue reading ‘Blind Faith’
Opposed To Enlightenment?
How could anyone be against transformation, rationality, or enlightenment? What’s sad is to take a look the history of the church (Catholic and Protestant) and see how defensive oppositional most religious institutions became. There were way too many angry reformers and Popes to think sensibly or to respond to the window of opportunity that the Enlightenment presented. Continue reading ‘Opposed To Enlightenment?’