General Commentary

H – E – double hockey sticks

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…]

March 4, 2009 Comments are Disabled General Commentary, Links

Commentary on Dobson and Focus on the Family

While I usually post this type of stuff to my other blog, thomascwaters.com, I thought this was really appropriate here.  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…]

March 3, 2009 Comments are Disabled General Commentary, Links, Religion Has Failed

Some Hope for the Catholic Church ?

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…]

March 1, 2009 Comments are Disabled general, General Commentary, Religion Has Failed

Do Family Values Lead to Family Violence?

Wanted to post think link here, as so much of the arguments raised or discussed are biblical.  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.

February 28, 2009 Comments are Disabled general, General Commentary, Links, Religion Has Failed

GOD.LOVES.GAYS.COM

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.  What do we need to accomplish more: this interaction with a[Read More…]

February 19, 2009 Comments are Disabled General Commentary, Links, Religion Has Failed

Spiritual Experiences

Jacob’s is looking for a religious experience in his year-long quest.  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…]

January 29, 2009 Comments are Disabled General Commentary

Are the Religious Obsessed with Sex?

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.  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…]

January 7, 2009 Comments are Disabled General Commentary

Nativity revisited

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

December 21, 2008 Comments are Disabled General Commentary

The Queerest Bible Story is getting even queerer.

I keep meaning to write about this, but haven’t, so rather than let it sit in my drafts, thought I’d put it out there. http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/3073728/36779164

December 19, 2008 Comments are Disabled Biblical Commentary, General Commentary

Seeing the Full Moon… and Religion

To pit Science as against Religion is an attempt to circumvent this recognition of how much we don’t know. To name all of it as a part of God’s plan, or intellegent design is a way to shut down the exploration, and label ourselves as in control.

December 12, 2008 Comments are Disabled General Commentary, Religion Has Failed