DISQUS

"It" is not the only culprit. The insidious use of passive voice lets the reporter off the hook and if we aren't careful readers, we don't demand to know who is doing the believing or if their belief is warranted.

My editor would never let me get by with a lead like that, thank heaven.

Mark, that's stunning. I wish I could come to the performance.

Mark, that's stunning. I wish I could come to the performance.

Your feed still isn't working in my Bloglines. Maybe I should delete it and resubscribe. It's worth it to me to do an extra click and load your site, though. :)

Hummmm....is it okay to disparage a political candidate on a billboard and keep the church's tax-exempt status?

Well, Drew. I mostly agree with you. It's not so much the hanging out with Jesus that bothers me. And it's not the 20 somethings I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about people my age who've never grown past dragging Jesus down to the level of their needs. And in protestant churches, transcendence has left the building.

I've never understood the logic that says evolution reduces humans to the same level as animals. I think one problem may be a notion of spirituality that is contrary to incarnation. We falsely assume anything that can be explained by "natural" processes precludes the possibility of a spiritual apsect. But we are so much more than those natural processes. Our capacity to think, for instance, can be explained by biochemical processes and electrical impulses. But that doesn't reduce our thoughts to chemicals and electrons. Our capacity to love our neighbor can probably be explained by hormones and electrical impulses, too.

As far as I know, humans are the only animals aware of their own mortality. That's another place where Christianity and evolution meet. Our stewardship of the planet is a component of a stewardship of love as modeled by Jesus and it's only thing that gives us hope and meaning within that terrible awareness.

I suspect some of the commenters here don't understand the dialectic process. I'm not sure I do either, but I'm learning about it and see its value. I'm very interested in any process that brings people to the point where they can at least respect people who hold differing views and effectively and functionally coexist with them in church and society and even in family. And if the process helps both sides concede some territory by recongizing truth in new contexts, that's even better.

As a non-academic layperson, I'm probably not qualified to present an essay, but the homosexual issue is very important to me because my family is dealing with it. I cringe when people make absurd and dismissive comments, like Looney's above, because they show no regard for the precious and unique individuals they've lumped together in their sweeping generalizations.

Ah, thanks for clarifying that. :)

Ah, thanks for clarifying that. :)

Ah, thanks for clarifying that. :)

Great writing. I love your bio and I consider myself a non-disillusionist, too. Just never had a name for it.


I've often wondered if the women were really absent from the Last Supper. After all, a Seder would have been a "family" meal.



This is not a criticism, just a comment for you guys to raise your awareness. I'm simply weary of the "Mary baked the bread and went off to do the laundry" treatment.



Think of about the implications of this passage: Luke 8: 1 "After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means."

Great writing. I love your bio and I consider myself a non-disillusionist, too. Just never had a name for it.

I've often wondered if the women were really absent from the Last Supper. After all, a Seder would have been a "family" meal.

This is not a criticism, just a comment for you guys to raise your awareness. I'm simply weary of the "Mary baked the bread and went off to do the laundry" treatment.

Think of about the implications of this passage: Luke 8: 1 "After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means."

Great writing. I love your bio and I consider myself a non-disillusionist, too. Just never had a name for it.

I've often wondered if the women were really absent from the Last Supper. After all, a Seder would have been a "family" meal.

This is not a criticism, just a comment for you guys to raise your awareness. I'm simply weary of the "Mary baked the bread and went off to do the laundry" treatment.

Think of about the implications of this passage: Luke 8: 1 "After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means."

Amen, Mark. Jesus told us to love our enemies because he loves them and wants them to follow him, too. Naming our enemies calls us to love them more, to love them to Jesus.

Amen, Mark. Jesus told us to love our enemies because he loves them and wants them to follow him, too. Naming our enemies calls us to love them more, to love them to Jesus.

Amen, Mark. Jesus told us to love our enemies because he loves them and wants them to follow him, too. Naming our enemies calls us to love them more, to love them to Jesus.

Hey, Joe. You're right. I've never suffered political or physical persecution. But I've suffered deeply and painfully for righteousness sake in interpersonal relationships within the church--which is largely part of the "status quo" I was talking about in my post.

I'm not sure what you're second paragraph means, :) I don't think you're equating democratic rule of law with God's will on earth--but I do think it's a scandal we Christians have not lived in a way that risks persecution. That's why I pray for courage to recognize where to take a stand and risk the consequences.

Hey, Joe. You're right. I've never suffered political or physical persecution. But I've suffered deeply and painfully for righteousness sake in interpersonal relationships within the church--which is largely part of the "status quo" I was talking about in my post.

I'm not sure what you're second paragraph means, :) I don't think you're equating democratic rule of law with God's will on earth--but I do think it's a scandal we Christians have not lived in a way that risks persecution. That's why I pray for courage to recognize where to take a stand and risk the consequences.

Hey, Joe. You're right. I've never suffered political or physical persecution. But I've suffered deeply and painfully for righteousness sake in interpersonal relationships within the church--which is largely part of the "status quo" I was talking about in my post.


I'm not sure what you're second paragraph means, :) I don't think you're equating democratic rule of law with God's will on earth--but I do think it's a scandal we Christians have not lived in a way that risks persecution. That's why I pray for courage to recognize where to take a stand and risk the consequences.

Thanks, Jacob and Adam.

Adam, I've been talking to my husband about foregoing Sunday meetings and participating in small group instead. Maybe we could read Jamieson's book and it would help him understand where I'm coming from.

Thanks, Jacob and Adam.

Adam, I've been talking to my husband about foregoing Sunday meetings and participating in small group instead. Maybe we could read Jamieson's book and it would help him understand where I'm coming from.

Thanks, Jacob and Adam.


Adam, I've been talking to my husband about foregoing Sunday meetings and participating in small group instead. Maybe we could read Jamieson's book and it would help him understand where I'm coming from.

I don't believe Zebulun went to hell. He was saved by grace through faith in the Messiah God had promised. Like Abraham, he was still looking forward to God's fulfillment of his promises. It doesn't matter if Zeb was in the wrong place and time meet Jesus or learn his earthly name. If he had met Jesus and rejected him, that would have been different.

I 'm glad you're bringing up questions like this--we really must be prepared to think critically of the implications of our doctrine.

I don't believe Zebulun went to hell. He was saved by grace through faith in the Messiah God had promised. Like Abraham, he was still looking forward to God's fulfillment of his promises. It doesn't matter if Zeb was in the wrong place and time meet Jesus or learn his earthly name. If he had met Jesus and rejected him, that would have been different.

I 'm glad you're bringing up questions like this--we really must be prepared to think critically of the implications of our doctrine.