Posts
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Spirituality
without words is silent. Spirituality without acts is impotent. Religion
without spirituality is false. The entire, complete experience of what is
considered to be the most important in all of life is a spiritual experience
that energizes the words of those that dare to speak and motivates the actions
of those who act for the common good of all. Both the inner experience and the
words and actions of the prophet are needed for a vibrant religious faith.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Creativity and Hope
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49
years ago our family moved to a little town in Florida, Jupiter. We lved in a
house on Pinetree Circle. In front of the house was a small hedge of Ixora
under the front picture window. As I grew and the Ixora grew, I learned how to
care for that little hedge. Making sure it had the right nutrients to have
wonderful blooms and trimming it so it looked neat and tidy.
·
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Occassionally,
I have the privilege
of trimming the small Ixora hedge that grows in front of my house in Miami,
FL. That simple act reminds me of the
past and gives me hope for the future, ever grateful to be able to cooperate
with the creativity that surrounds us.
Join with me in celebrating the guidance of creativity that draws near
to each of us and finds us in these kinds of miraculous moments of remembering and
hope.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
• Many different views related to sex can be found in the group of writings that we call the Bible. From a Christian standpoint, many of them would be judged to be wrong. Examples:
1. Executing those who engage in sexual intercourse during the seven days of the menstrual period.
2. Stoning for both the man and woman for adultery.
3. Toleration of polygamy.
4. Levirate marriage.
5. Endogamy.
6. Cutting off a woman's hand for touching a man's private parts.
7. Social regulations surrounding adultery, incest, rape, and prostitution considered mainly from the perspective of male property rights over women.
8. A bride found not to be a virgin should be stoned to death.
Some Christians, exercising their religious liberty and the right of personal conscience along with a Christocentric interpretation of their Christian faith, now assert that passages in the Bible related to homosexuality have either been misinterpreted or are simply wrong. These Christian may be wrong, but those that follow a more traditional view may also be wrong just as some Christians in the past were wrong about their interpretation of the Bible regarding slavery.
1. Executing those who engage in sexual intercourse during the seven days of the menstrual period.
2. Stoning for both the man and woman for adultery.
3. Toleration of polygamy.
4. Levirate marriage.
5. Endogamy.
6. Cutting off a woman's hand for touching a man's private parts.
7. Social regulations surrounding adultery, incest, rape, and prostitution considered mainly from the perspective of male property rights over women.
8. A bride found not to be a virgin should be stoned to death.
Some Christians, exercising their religious liberty and the right of personal conscience along with a Christocentric interpretation of their Christian faith, now assert that passages in the Bible related to homosexuality have either been misinterpreted or are simply wrong. These Christian may be wrong, but those that follow a more traditional view may also be wrong just as some Christians in the past were wrong about their interpretation of the Bible regarding slavery.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
An Ecumenical Christian Theology?
In 1988, Hans Kung's book "Theology for the Third Millennium" was published in English by Doubleday. He argued for a theology that served the entirety of Christianity while remaining intent on the Scripture and the Gospel. He called for a theology the respected tradition, theologians should be responsible in the face of history without ignoring contemporary issues. He wanted a theology that was Christocentric, distinctively Christian while addressing the whole globe. Finally, he wanted a theology that was occupied with teaching and truth while remaining practical, that did not ignore life, renewal and reform.
He contends that we are in a shift of paradigms from the most current modern enlightenment paradigm to what he calls an ecumenical paradigm. Such a shift takes quite a while. Many of us were born during the shift and the shift will continue well after we are dead. Will Christianity survive? What do you think?
He contends that we are in a shift of paradigms from the most current modern enlightenment paradigm to what he calls an ecumenical paradigm. Such a shift takes quite a while. Many of us were born during the shift and the shift will continue well after we are dead. Will Christianity survive? What do you think?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Christian Unity and Diversity
Humans like to categorize. In many cases, we categorize based upon similarities. Apples, bananas, and oranges are fruits. Green beans, corn, and broccoli are vegetables. There is almost always disagreement about what belongs or does not belong in a particular category. Some people think tomatoes are vegetables. Others think they are fruits. We categorize almost everything: food, houses, plants, minerals, gases, solids, ideas, politics, nations, races, and people. This process helps us understand our world. Most words in and of themselves are categories. Food is something that humans eat as opposed to things we do not eat. Categories are how we think. Categorizing helps us understand our reality and communicate with other people.
Christians, by way of a long and complicated history, have attempted to define what a Christian is. How do you know if you are a Christian or not? Who qualifies to be a Christian? Christians have attempted to define the category of “Christian” and to establish the boundaries of the category. One of the earliest controversies within Christianity was over whether a non-Jew could be a Christian. Did one need to become a Jew first in order to be a Christian? Increasingly, Christians defined the category by what beliefs were necessary in order to be a Christian. If one did not believe certain things, then one was not a Christian. Christians would claim that the value of being a Christian was a happy life on earth and eternal life with God. If one was not a Christian, then life would be incomplete and eternity would be spent apart from God. For many Christians, “correct belief” was very important for how they defined the category of Christian. If one did not have a “correct belief”, then one did not receive the Christian reward.
Today, “correct belief” remains the way that many define the category of Christian. However, it is obvious to everyone that those who claim to be Christian hold a great diversity of beliefs, many of which are contradictory. With all of the competing ideas about what is “correct”, how can one ever know what is right? Is Christianity really about being “right”? Increasingly, some Christians embrace this diversity as a good thing. Beliefs result from many influences that result in our own individual perspective that is right for each individual but cannot encompass the whole truth. Our beliefs may not even be “correct”; however, our Christian perspective guides us to a life that is whole, complete, and satisfying.
Generally, when I try to express an ecumenical perspective of Christianity, I observe three basic reactions. From those who embrace diversity, I observe a resistance to any description of what is common to all Christians. I think they resist any common description of Christianity because they fear that it will be prescriptive. It is no wonder that they have this kind of fear; because, for those who emphasize unity, I observe a tendency to make Christianity exclusive to their own understanding of the faith. Orthodox Christians emphasize the authority of tradition, Roman Catholics emphasize the authority of the Pope, and many Protestants emphasize the authority of the Scriptures. Each has a tendency to use authority to enforce a particular set of “correct beliefs” which almost always results in excluding someone from the faith. Others fear that “ecumenical” means reducing Christianity to the “least common denominator.”
For myself, diversity is obvious and good. Each of us needs to decide for ourselves what is bad, good, and better. Diversity of opinion is not going away, and openness to different opinions may enrich and improve your life. However, there must be some unity or commonality to the category of Christian in order for the category of Christian to have any meaning at all. Finally, Christianity is not arithmetic. Ecumenism may emphasize commonality but it has nothing to do with diminishing Christianity by calling it the “least” nor does it have anything to do with the arithmetical concept of denominators.
So, from my own ecumenical Christian perspective:
1. A Christian SELF identifies as a Christian.
2. A Christian starts and founds Christian identity in the Jewish and Christian writings contained within the Bible.
3. A Christian experiences and reacts to reality from a life orientation of faith and trust.
4. A Christian centers life in an understanding of Jesus Christ.
5. A Christian acts for the common good of all, even in the face of hate, anger, or malice.
Christians, by way of a long and complicated history, have attempted to define what a Christian is. How do you know if you are a Christian or not? Who qualifies to be a Christian? Christians have attempted to define the category of “Christian” and to establish the boundaries of the category. One of the earliest controversies within Christianity was over whether a non-Jew could be a Christian. Did one need to become a Jew first in order to be a Christian? Increasingly, Christians defined the category by what beliefs were necessary in order to be a Christian. If one did not believe certain things, then one was not a Christian. Christians would claim that the value of being a Christian was a happy life on earth and eternal life with God. If one was not a Christian, then life would be incomplete and eternity would be spent apart from God. For many Christians, “correct belief” was very important for how they defined the category of Christian. If one did not have a “correct belief”, then one did not receive the Christian reward.
Today, “correct belief” remains the way that many define the category of Christian. However, it is obvious to everyone that those who claim to be Christian hold a great diversity of beliefs, many of which are contradictory. With all of the competing ideas about what is “correct”, how can one ever know what is right? Is Christianity really about being “right”? Increasingly, some Christians embrace this diversity as a good thing. Beliefs result from many influences that result in our own individual perspective that is right for each individual but cannot encompass the whole truth. Our beliefs may not even be “correct”; however, our Christian perspective guides us to a life that is whole, complete, and satisfying.
Generally, when I try to express an ecumenical perspective of Christianity, I observe three basic reactions. From those who embrace diversity, I observe a resistance to any description of what is common to all Christians. I think they resist any common description of Christianity because they fear that it will be prescriptive. It is no wonder that they have this kind of fear; because, for those who emphasize unity, I observe a tendency to make Christianity exclusive to their own understanding of the faith. Orthodox Christians emphasize the authority of tradition, Roman Catholics emphasize the authority of the Pope, and many Protestants emphasize the authority of the Scriptures. Each has a tendency to use authority to enforce a particular set of “correct beliefs” which almost always results in excluding someone from the faith. Others fear that “ecumenical” means reducing Christianity to the “least common denominator.”
For myself, diversity is obvious and good. Each of us needs to decide for ourselves what is bad, good, and better. Diversity of opinion is not going away, and openness to different opinions may enrich and improve your life. However, there must be some unity or commonality to the category of Christian in order for the category of Christian to have any meaning at all. Finally, Christianity is not arithmetic. Ecumenism may emphasize commonality but it has nothing to do with diminishing Christianity by calling it the “least” nor does it have anything to do with the arithmetical concept of denominators.
So, from my own ecumenical Christian perspective:
1. A Christian SELF identifies as a Christian.
2. A Christian starts and founds Christian identity in the Jewish and Christian writings contained within the Bible.
3. A Christian experiences and reacts to reality from a life orientation of faith and trust.
4. A Christian centers life in an understanding of Jesus Christ.
5. A Christian acts for the common good of all, even in the face of hate, anger, or malice.
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