Flawed Glass

  This concern may be the most difficult for me to comprehend and may be the biggest barrier in my ability to communicate with and understand people whose religious and political standards and principles are to the right of mine. Without stereotyping everyone to my right, I recall very few times when I have been able to engage any of them in a civil conversation on any topic more wide-ranging than Aunt Myrtle’s hysterectomy. And the deal-breaker almost always is selective literalism and/or selective inerrancy. We all are inconsistent and imperfect in living out our faith and all of us put greater emphasis on some biblical passages than others; but there’s a world of difference between giving emphasis versus absolutizing a verse or passage taken out of context and eliminating or ignoring other related passages. Perhaps the clearest example is the iconic anti-gay passages (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13) and the word, “abomination.” There are significant translation issues within the pri...

               In the destructive partisan chaos that defines our national identity, the principles and values in our Constitution have long been forgotten. Differences and disagreements, if approached with maturity, can be resolved, but only if both sides elect to work for reconciliation instead of just wanting to “win the fight.” When adversaries truly listen to each other, they almost always discover that they have more in common that in opposition. But we’ve fought for so long that we’ve forgotten why we’re fighting--what's at stake. Causes and ideals have been discarded and now the only important thing is to destroy the “other side,” and the bloodier the better. In the 19 th  chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament there’s an interesting story. Paul and the missionaries were successful at Ephesus, and many Ephesians believed. Consequently, the economy took a dip. The economy centered on the Temple of Diana...

  People of all persuasions are dumping Christianity, and for several years I tried to reason that it’s not Christianity they’re rejecting, it’s “bad” Christianity. But lately I’ve begun to see that bad Christianity, although affecting specific tenets of faith, stains the whole name of Christianity. Some groups have opted for the prosperity gospel and rationalized wealth as a sign of God’s favor. They use verses like II Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to provide you with every blessing [For a definition of “blessing”, look at Matthew 5:2-11; however, in the original language, II Corinthians 9:8 uses a different word:   χαριν (Ka – riv), meaning, literally, gift or grace.] in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” Note the reason God gives the blessings/graces/gifts is “that…you may share abundantly in every good work!” The gifts are given, not to own or hold, but to empower good works! Some Christian ...

  I don’t know if this is ethical or even legal, but I’m going to share a blog, complete and unedited, and properly documented, from one of my spiritual inspirational gurus. In that blog, Franciscan priest and contemplative, Father Richard Rohr reinforces a major theme of my book [1] . The theme is that much of what Western Christianity teaches today reflects a much later understanding than is assumed. Specifically, most of what is taught and preached today is closer to Reformation theologians of the 15 th and 16 th centuries (John Calvin, Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, et. al.) than to the Judeo/Christian Scriptures or the earliest Christian writers (generally called the ‘Patristic’ writers.) There are significant differences. Some specific expressions of Western Christianity today reflect an even narrower approach, reinforcing Reformation theology (primarily Calvinism) as a reaction against Enlightenment thinking that emerged in the late 16 th century and flourished in t...

  I understand that truth and evidence are no longer a consistent standard in today’s partisan divide; nevertheless, I refuse to intentionally or consciously use lies, half-truths, inuendo, or implication in sharing my convictions and sincere values. It’s tempting to make assumptions and forego vetting claims from social media and cable news; but I have a couple of dependable friends who call me out when I grow careless. All that being said, here is my honest take on events leading up to and erupting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our political process is now based upon narrowly focused obsession rather than overall good. There are basically honest people who base the entire scope of their socio/political and moral foundation on one or two issues while ignoring or even vilifying dozens of other issues that impact people’s lives. Sadly, some of them are so focused on their one or two issues that they are willing to adapt an ends-justifies-the-means ethic: “our side has to win, whateve...

  The longer I study the Judeo/Christian Scriptures the more I become aware how selective American Christians have become, choosing to emphasize some biblical content while ignoring and even denying the validity of other content. I also am discouraged by the way so many Christians more closely align with political agendas than with the teachings and ethics of Jesus of Nazareth, who they claim to follow. … an expert in the law, asked (Jesus) a question to test him.  36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”  37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [Deuteronomy 6:5]   38 This is the greatest and first commandment.  39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Leviticus 19:18]   40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40) [1] Two observations: first, “And a second is like it…” seems clear:...