This post may seem politicaly based, but I decided to post it here due to the religious motivations behind the law being discussed in this linked blog. This is a story about something called Covenant Marriage, a type of legal marriage began as an attempt to stem divorce rates, begun in Lousiana, but now available in several states. My purpose in writing about it is to illustrate the ways in which conservatives apply a double[Read More…]
The link below is about a really wonderful story from This American Life. The Bible’s priorities, however, have been inverted by evangelicals, for whom Hell has become a central, essential doctrine. I’m not sure how that happened. St. Paul had precisely nothing to say on the subject of Hell. He had a lot to say about death, resurrection and the kingdom, but not one word about Hell. I can tell you why Paul has no[Read More…]
While I usually post this type of stuff to my other blog, thomascwaters.com, I thought this was really appropriate here. Â Focus on the Family bases its message on christian values and the Bible. How easy it is (or is it?) to lose track of one’s original message and go off on some side path, that seems connected but maybe doesn’t have the same value in the end? If Christians want to uphold the Family and[Read More…]
I saw a post to Twitter about the Catholic Church and Dawrin’s theory of evolution. The twitterer is an evangelical- sometimes extreme- christian blog, where members can post. Everytime I start to wonder why I’m following it, something like this comes up and I am glad that I am. Now the blogger gets some of it right and some of it… not so much. While the blogger found the article on 2/27/09, telegraph.co.uk actually ran[Read More…]
Wanted to post think link here, as so much of the arguments raised or discussed are biblical. Â A long article well worth the time to read it. Matthew Herbst : Do Family Values Lead to Family Violence?: A consideration of the idea of family – Quodlibet Journal.
Came across this link today as gays.com began to follow me on Twitter. I certainly no fan of Westboro Baptist Church, but I’m wondering.. what will this accomplish? Fred Phelps and his loonies are a fringe element- very fringe even for most conservative evangelicals. So we have a very real and very big battle looming those who seek to oppress us with the Bible. Â What do we need to accomplish more: this interaction with a[Read More…]
Jacob’s is looking for a religious experience in his year-long quest. Â Reading this reminds me of the times in my life when I have had big spiritual experiences or awakenings. I think I can count three or four total but the second one is one of the things that the book brings to mind for me. When I was 21 years old I was already out as a gay man and I had no doubt[Read More…]
The Year of Living Biblically I’m reading a new book, and it seems that within the Judeo-Christian traditions, people have always been obsessed with sex. I began reading, “The Year of Living Biblically” by AJ Jacobs, and thought I would blog about it as I move through the book. Â So, far it is pretty good, but I’m barely half-way through the first chapter, and I’m a slow reader. So bear with me. Got Religion? So,[Read More…]
Perhaps one reason why some are so upset about gay marriage- or the ability to redefine marriage (as they see it) is that meaning can always be redefined, or recontextualized. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/21/europe/netherlands.php
Most religious groups in USA have lost ground, survey finds – USATODAY.com
Saw this before going to wortk this morning, and then noticed it had made front page of the local paper. Worth reading. commentary to follow later Most religious groups in USA have lost ground, survey finds – USATODAY.com.