Rabbi Harold S. Kushner asked the most difficult of questions in 1982 with a book of the same title: Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People? The answers that come forth from most ministers, priests, or rabbis are some of the weakest of all religious answers. How can I say that? I know. I have been there and I have done that, and I refuse to do it anymore. Continue reading ‘Phony Religious Placebos’
Monthly Archive for March, 2010
Can homo spiritualis replace homo economicus or homo capitalist? Surely some would say homo capitalist has already been replaced by homo socialist. Ah, but enough of the games. Seriously, we have a problem in religious circles and maybe even a bigger problem as regards to life on the planet. Few know that they have been five previous extinctions here on earth. Could we be headed for a sixth one and would that one be good or bad? Continue reading ‘Homo Spiritualis’
Don’t touch God’s anointed: don’t even think about it! That phrase was hammered into me early in my religious walk and it meant that the pastor (the title in my particular case) was a holy man, sacred, and high on the feeding chain. Now, that same phrase can mean watch out lest you become led down the wrong road, deceived into doing something against your will, or open yourself up to some moral dilemma(s). Continue reading ‘The Religious Caste System’
Have you ever wondered how it is that some people you really like being around are NOT Christians , and then there are some who call themselves Christians whom you just have a hard time liking? What’s up with that?
Who are they and what is their story?
Something strange happened on the way to living out the concept called the Kingdom of God! The historical Jesus (even if just metaphorical- the same principle applies) stories turned the world upside down. No one person has so greatly impacted the world as has Jesus, who became the Christos. His core teaching was the Kingdom of God and he simply said, FOLLOW ME! Continue reading ‘A Critical Spiritual Disconnect?’
When I was a very young Christian, I was full of the promises of my God who was a mighty warrior. His arm was strong and he was omnipotent. My dad could whip any other make-believe god on the planet: or the universe as far as that goes. I loved the Psalms; however, it was the IMPRECATORY Psalms that I loved the most. Continue reading ‘Mighty Warriors!’
Words change over time and one of the words that desperately need the “impression” that it gives changed is the word MYTH! A myth is not a fariy-tale. And a myth is more than a traditional story about heroes or supernatural beings, often attempting to explain the origins of natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior. Like metaphors, myths go beyond the words,. Continue reading ‘Was Jesus A Mythological Figure?’
In the 2002 movie, The Minority Report, we discover that in the future, criminals are caught before the crimes they commit, but one of the officers in the special unit is accused of one such crime and sets out to prove his innocence. The key here though is the ability to fashion-change the future. Can we do that today? Continue reading ‘The Minority Report’
The Many Christologies!
Among a dozen different Christian individuals once can find at least a dozen Christologies. We are ALL theologians of some sort, just the Gospel writers. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were each theologians seeing things very differently than the other. Is that bad? No, it just is what it is. The problem comes when one theologian wants all others to SEE things their way! Continue reading ‘The Many Christologies!’