posted December 28, 2007 05:25 PM         

However I think he would also be disappointed to hear any of us speak of another's beliefs with so little respect for their feelings.

There are those among us who have had the courage to take a step away from believing in nothing.

Whether that step was taken in a direction that you or I agree with is irrelevant. We can rail against Christians for their mistakes and our misgivings until the cows come home and in the end, what have we done?

Educated? No. A man whose beliefs are attacked closes his ears and his heart to his attacker. No man willingly places himself as another's "poor misguided thing."

Unified people? No. We've incited and unified our anti-religious, anti-church and anti-Christianity folks..but what about those who are Christians? Muslims? Buddhists? Taoists? Pantheists? And then there are those who believe that unity has no faith, but this:

"You are worthy of my respect and compassion, worthy of all that I would have for me. This because we were one, are one and will be again. I love you."

Instead of that sort of constructive dialogue:

We have given them reason to doubt the sincerity of our pursuit of unity.

We have given them reason to be hurt or angered by our words against their most sacred treasures.

We have shown them, intentionally or not, that they will not find respect or acceptance here, only those who would look down on them with pity, or across at them with contempt. Fiery words hurled by those who seem not to understand the joy and meaning that these beliefs have brought into their lives.

I would rather not do that. Yes, the 700 Club scares me. But that's MY opinion and I could be wrong. Unity calls me to cheer my brothers on in their acts of good conscience, for the heart speaks its mind through intentions, not results. Results are often thwarted between intention and completion, still the heart meant what it said when it meant it.

They are our kin and they are TRYING, and I applaud their efforts and commend their bravery in making a choice when so many of us are prone to vacillating.

The greedy and the power-hungry can go something themselves.

posted January 03, 2008 01:27 PM         

Besides, if Jesus was the Word then to "come to the Father except through me", might VERY well mean, through the Word...his lessons to mankind.

Absolutely it would make more sense to find a humble man's words continuing to reflect humility than to find him randomly turning himself into the center of a religion from time to time whenever it seems convenient to interpret him that way in order to fit current ritual practices.

How about why they would choose to be Christians in the first place? There must be a positive reason besides fear of not going to Heaven? I'm sure there are many for many Christians. And I'm sure that just like every religious organization I've talked to, observed or prayed with (long story..many miles traveled..I highly recommend the "dancing, singing" churches. Fun, fun. High energy levels there) there is some grain of common religious Truth that all of these people have rallied around which makes them happy. We should be happy FOR them when we're not asking them to stop waving their beliefs in our faces so vigorously.

Back to the "our priesthood or damnation" argument for espousing one's religious beliefs:

If I ever live in a universe where God puts a gun to our heads, I'll pray that He pulls the trigger.