tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141556788302268092024-02-08T01:47:53.937-08:00A Single RealityAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-89663020567740538332011-02-22T19:50:00.000-08:002011-02-22T19:50:09.356-08:00HiatusIt's time for another hiatus, a longer one this time. Although I have more ideas than I know what to do with, I don't have time to shape them into posts.<br />
<br />
But don't worry, I'll be back!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-80016442296588750532011-02-05T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-05T08:00:00.999-08:00Placing and removing blockWhat is a stumbling block? There are many kinds. Hatred and evil in the name of Christ, demanding adherence to a very particular set of beliefs, etc.<br />
<br />
But what about questioning a belief? Is that a stumbling block? It could be. Maybe the person we are questioning is not ready for the idea. Or maybe we are the ones who are wrong and our questioning introduces a doubt that will grow and fester. But questioning a belief could be what removes a stumbling block. It could be what sweeps away a misconception. It could be what shines a light into the darkness.<br />
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How to proceed? Is a hard conversation placing a stumbling block or chipping away at one? There is no hard and fast rule. But I think we have guidelines which will help us err less often.<br />
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Our words must come from a place of humility and love. Humility helps us to keep in mind that we may be the ones who are wrong. Neither we nor the person we are talking to actually knows who is right when it comes to the ultimate mystery. Love ensures that we have these conversations out of a sincere belief to find the truth, not out of a desire to prove ourselves right.<br />
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But love and humility are not enough. Someone can come into a conversation with love and humility and still put a stumbling block in front of their fellow traveler. We must also listen. Sometimes the words we say will fail to help because the other person does not understand those words the same way we do. To truly avoid hindering others, we must pay attention and watch. When we say something, are they drawing back? Reacting with exasperation, boredom, or anger? Then, despite our best intentions, we are failing to communicate. If they express interest, then there is hope. But without listening, we cannot tell the difference.<br />
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What other guidelines can help us keep from placing stumbling blocks in front of others?<br />
<br />
Related posts:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2011/01/institutionalized-stumbling-blocks.html">Stumbling blocks</a></li>
<li><a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2011/01/institutionalized-stumbling-blocks.html">Institutionalized stumbling blocks</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-34052017935094112952011-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-03T08:00:07.282-08:00Is God responsible for evil?Is God responsible for evil?<br />
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Well, yes, in so far as God is responsible for everything, in so far as He has the knowledge and power to stop evil.<br />
<br />
But is evil God's will?<br />
<br />
That is a much more interesting question. Evil, human evil at least*, is mainly God's responsibility <i>in so far as he gave us free will</i>. God lets evil exist. We cannot deny that. Blaming Satan or demons (not that I believe in those literally) just pushes the problem back another level because if they exist, it is also by God's leave.<br />
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So evil exists by God's leave, but is it his will?<br />
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As with all questions of this nature, we cannot know. For all that we <i>know</i>, God could have created us because he likes to see suffering. But I <i>believe</i> is that evil is not God's will. Evil is God's concession to the reality that growth cannot happen in a static universe, growth cannot happen without suffering. Ultimately, God wants us to grow. Thus, God lets us be and suffer from evil.<br />
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Is there more suffering than is necessary for growth? Probably. But if God were to hold us back so that we experienced just enough evil then we would not be growing.<br />
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* Natural evils, or rather, the natural events we call evil, fall under a different discussion.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-80931813132480256462011-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:07:14.064-08:00Guiding wordsI have been thinking a bit about how I want to organize this blog. This brought me to a wider point: what is the theme of this blog?<br />
<br />
In some ways, there is no theme. I want a place where I can wonder and explore, search and share. Yet some ideas keep coming up in my thoughts. The ideas that fascinate me are<br />
<br />
<ul><li>The journey: How am I growing and changing? Where is God leading me, and how can I follow? <a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2011/01/journey.html">Why is the journey important?</a></li>
<li>Love: <a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2011/01/jonathan-at-galatians-210-great-post.html">The most important commandments are loving our God and loving each other.</a> What does that mean, and how can I live it?</li>
<li>Diversity and universality: I don't believe that you have to believe the right things to be right with God. <a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2010/11/universal-salvation.html">There are many ways of experiencing the journey.</a> What are consequences of that?</li>
<li>Relationships: Between God and me, between God and the church, between God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, between people. <a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2011/01/bible-is-about-people.html">The Bible is all about relationships.</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-2999395159643571032011-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:10:11.102-08:00Unification<blockquote> 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. </blockquote><blockquote> 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. </blockquote><blockquote> 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.</blockquote>The verses above are familiar to anyone who has thought about unity in the church. Paul tells us we should be unified. That part everyone agrees upon.<br />
<br />
But how does he think we should be unified? Like a body! A body with lots of different parts and sometimes contrary goals, but a body nonetheless unified in suffering and in success.<br />
<br />
Paul compares the parts of the body to people with different roles within the church, but I believe this metaphor can be applied more widely.<br />
<br />
All of the different denominations, can be seen as different body parts. Because of their different capabilities and positions, they see the world in different ways. And this is valuable,<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. </blockquote><div>It is good to have different churches with different goals and different points of view. But we should never lose site of the fact that we are all part of the same church. We should love and honor and support each other even as we disagree.</div><div><br />
</div><div>A lofty goal, but over and over again the Bible stresses love over division and unity within diversity. To be God's people, we must journey towards this ideal.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-34261312018875229532011-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:07:28.320-08:00The journey<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What is more important, the beliefs you hold, or the journey of coming to a deeper understanding?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We should focus on the journey and God's ability to lead us along the path we need to be led along. Many of the things I believe about God, Jesus, eternity, salvation, and the universe are certainly wrong. I plan to change my mind many times before I die. It would be a pity if my salvation depended on whether I died at just the right time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Some Christians say that I must hold the right beliefs to be saved. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But specific beliefs do not matter. Getting into heaven is not a matter of passing an exam. There are no essay questions or scantron sheets. What matters is that we go on the challenging journey that grows our soul towards God. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The challenge of the journey is, perhaps, what drives people into the error of believing in the answers instead of the journey. It is easy to say "I have the right beliefs, now I am done." It is hard to say, "Never in this earthly life will I be the person God wants me to be, but the only way for me to become that person is to continue my struggle."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">I will continue to struggle and to grasp the journey, wherever God may lead me.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-8374113540083386142011-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:07:36.425-08:00With God every dayI want to live a life where I am truly with God every day. I try to reach out to God everyday, but it's rare that I feel that I can see God's revelation in the world around me. So often I let me stress and anger block my vision. More often, I am overwhelmed by life's little distractions.<br />
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Lord, I pray that I may see the many ways you answer me and reach out to me everywhere, everyday.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-49003840084858904682011-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:002011-01-25T20:56:07.661-08:00Love in the early churchJonathan at <a href="http://galatians210.blogspot.com/">Galatians 2:10</a> has a great post about <a href="http://galatians210.blogspot.com/2011/01/loving-our-enemies-more-from-early.html">the importance of love to the early church</a>. He introduces his quotes about love by saying,<br />
<blockquote>I knew that the command to love our enemies was clearly stated in the gospels and New Testament epistles. But I didn't realize how important it was to the early church. Recently, when I began reading the earliest documents of the Christian church, I came to see that loving our enemies was pivotal. Not only was it taught in church documents, sermons, and letters, but the visible fruit of Christian love for their enemies was a major point that Christians made when defending their faith to non-Christians.</blockquote>The early church fathers who he goes on to quote were members of a minority religion. They were sometimes considered atheists because they did not believe in the gods that most people believed in. They were persecuted, often to death.<br />
<br />
Yet they preached a message of love. They risked their lives because they believed that message of love so deeply. When Bishop Polycarp says,<br />
<blockquote>Pray also for emperors and magistrates and rulers, and for those who persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, that your fruit may be manifest in all, so that you may be perfected in him.</blockquote>He is saying this in a context where the persecution and hatred is much more real than any experienced in the affluent, Christian majority united states.<br />
<br />
These early church leaders understood that it was not right beliefs that set Christians apart. When they were writing, the so-called right beliefs we take for granted were still being formed. The early church fathers realized that living a life of love that can only be explained by the uplifting power of God in our lives was the distinguishing mark of a Christian. Love for their enemies, love for their persecutors, love for those that would take away everything they held precious, that is what proved the power of God.<br />
<br />
It is no wonder that Christianity is so easily dismissed today. When Christians in the US are so quick to call minor inconvenience persecution, when a religious agenda is used for hate, they make a mockery of a true Christian life. No Christian is perfect in their love, I fail more often than I acknowledge even to myself, but we can do better than this.<br />
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To love is harder than to hate. Are we up for the challenge?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-46345280096455294022011-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:08:22.237-08:00Freedom from sin<blockquote>The mission of Jesus was from the same source and with the same object as the punishment of our sins. He came to work along with our punishment. He came to side with it, and set us free from our sins. -- George MacDonald, <i>Hope of the Gospel</i></blockquote>Why did Jesus die upon the cross? Why did he take on human form and come to earth? The common answer is that he died to accept punishment for our sins. George MacDonald, whose <i>Hope of the Gospel</i> I have been working through, dismisses that idea:<br />
<blockquote>Unable to believe in the forgiveness of their Father in heaven, imagining him not at liberty to forgive, or incapable of forgiving forthright; not really believing him God our Saviour, but a God bound, either in his own nature or by a law above him and compulsory upon him, to exact some recompense or satisfaction for sin, a multitude of teaching men have taught their fellows that Jesus came to bear our punishment and save us from hell.</blockquote>As MacDonald alludes to, this theory supposes the God was unable to forgive without extracting punishment. It forces us to accept that an innocent death can somehow replace the punishment of the guilty. What a ridiculous idea! We would not accept an innocent person's death as replacing the punishment of a murderer, even if that person gave their life voluntarily.<br />
<br />
The opening quote from MacDonald points to a more radical explanation. Jesus did not come and die so that we could be forgiven for our sins. Jesus came and died so that we could be freed from our sins. God does not need some great sacrifice to forgive us. Rather, God needs us to renounce our sinful nature. It is not the sins that we have committed in the past that separate from God. We are separated by the nature which causes us to sin again and again.<br />
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Jesus came to reshape our nature. He came to teach us about love and hope. Jesus did not die to even out some cosmic score card. He died because his message was too radical (and still is). By living a human life, Jesus showed what no mere human can show: we can live life separate from our sinful nature. And by sending the Holy Spirit, he gave us the guidance we need to reject that sinful nature day after day.<br />
<br />
Related posts:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2010/11/jesus-representative.html">Jesus, our representative</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-25769597745339252972011-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:09:05.094-08:00Some controversy<blockquote>It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.” - 1 Corinthians 5:12-13</blockquote><blockquote>“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. - 1 Corinthians 6:12</blockquote><br />
I want to generally avoid politics on this blog, but I also want my writing to reflect my beliefs. So today I am going to give my view on a controversial topic: abortion.<br />
<br />
I believe that whether you call a fetus a human, a potential human, a future human, or something else, it all amounts to a same thing: a pregnant woman has a developing life in her, a life that left undisturbed, would someday blossom into full human potential.<br />
<br />
But I believe women should have the right to choose whether or not to bring a birth to term. No human being has the right to force another to support their life. We do not force people to donate organs to the dying. We should not force women to be a habitat for a fetus.<br />
<br />
I believe, and I think all Christians should believe, that a woman has a <i>moral</i> obligation to fulfill the implicit commitment that was made when she became pregnant (if the pregnancy was not a choice, that is different). But I do not believe that we can force that obligation onto others.<br />
<blockquote><br />
</blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-74782594048945216062011-01-15T08:00:00.001-08:002011-02-01T21:09:10.548-08:00Thruway Christians<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://johnshore.com/">John Shore</a> has started a new community: <a href="http://thruwaychristians.com/about/">Thruway Christians</a>. The founding document of the group describes Thruway Christians as:</div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Christians who find conservative/right-wing Christianity too oppressive and exclusionary, and progressive/liberal Christianity too theologically tenuous.</div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Read the rest of the founding document. It's worth it. And then read the second point again:</div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Christ and Christianity are meant to be understood, appreciated, and experienced as galvanizing inspirations for living a life of love, compassion, fairness, peace, and humility. Period.</div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Christianity is about living a life of love and compassion. It is not about forcing our beliefs upon others. It is not about being right. It is not about having the right answers to theological questions. Christianity is about love and compassion.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I am a Thruway Christian, and I hope that we can provide a space for those who are unheard to express themselves, a place who do not fit into the tidy narrative that the world wants us to accept.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-51388059182312018072011-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:09:17.534-08:00The Bible is about people<a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2011/01/geographic-variety.html">If I believe that God has revealed himself to different people in different ways</a>, what does that due to my faith in the Bible as God's word?<br />
<br />
When it comes down it it, I don't believe that the Bible is God's direct word. God did not dictate the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to the authors of the Bible who wrote it down. I believe many of the Biblical authors were inspired by God and wrote in response to that inspiration, but that relationship with God was filtered through their experiences, personality, and perspective. Thus, they got the big message: there is one true God, but they then assumed that since their neighbors did not worship Yahweh, they worshiped different gods.<br />
<br />
I believe many of the Biblical authors were not directly inspired. Most of the histories are just that: histories. They were written by people who wanted to understand the events that had happened to Israel through their knowledge that they were God's chosen people.<br />
<br />
None of this impacts my belief that the Bible is a great source of truth. I just belief that the truth is not to be found at the surface level. The Bible is a tool God uses to teach us about the big picture ideas: his oneness, the importance of love, the balance between mercy and justice. However, if we take it too literally, we risk conflating God's message with the messages of a bunch of ancient prophets.<br />
<br />
Most of all, the Bible is about people and relationships, not facts. I believe the purpose of the Bible is to help us understand how people have related to God and grown in their relationship with God. Isaiah's willingness to do what he felt God ask of him is more important than the fact that many of his prophecies did not come to pass. Abraham's willingness to change his life to follow God's plan is more important than knowing whether or not he literally hosted angels.<br />
<br />
The Bible is about our relationships with God, as individuals and as a group, and our relationships with each other. It contains deep truths, but to understand the deep truths, we must move beyond debating about the shallow facts.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-43340687637467301802011-01-11T20:36:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:09:31.905-08:00Feeding our spirit<blockquote>Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2-3)</blockquote><blockquote>Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)</blockquote>Why spiritual <i>milk</i>? The milk Paul and Peter refer to is obviously now cow's milk, sold by the gallon in the grocery store or milked from the nearest animal. No, the milk they refer to is the milk given to infants, the milk which comes from the breast of a mother.<br />
<br />
A nursing child can receive full sustenance from their mother's milk. It is the essence of all that which they need to thrive. A mother's milk helps an infant grow into a healthy child. In our spiritual infancy, we need spiritual milk. This can provide all we need to experience soul growth.<br />
<br />
But, like a mother's milk, spiritual milk cannot sustain us forever. Eventually, we have to move onto heartier meals. Solid foods, complex combinations which both provide for our increasing physical needs and provide variety and delight for our increasing mental sophistication. Moving from spiritual milk to spiritual solids requires letting go of the easy answers and the assumption that we understand what's going on.<br />
<br />
Graduating from milk to solids is not easy; Paul makes that clear. Some foods taste bad and some foods are bad for you. Learning to separate the good from the bad is difficult, and we will often make mistakes. It is much easier to stick with the comfort of milk. Yet, without pushing ourselves to desire spiritual food, we will never experience the true richness God has to offer us.<br />
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But we must also avoid trying to push ourselves too quickly. Like an infant at his mother's breast, in our spiritual infancy, we are not ready for solid foods. We need to grow slowly and carefully, but we <i>do</i> have to grow.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-8178516773256648552011-01-03T10:39:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:09:52.300-08:00Geographic varietyMost religions contain truth. They are God's revelation to different people in different cultural circumstances. This has profound effects on my beliefs about the Bible and about Jesus' sacrifice of himself, but today I want to explore why I hold this belief.<br />
<br />
None of these reasons are likely to convince anyone who has not already accepted my conclusion. I do not present proofs. Instead, I just want to present the circumstantial evidence that makes <i>me</i> believe this.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Most people accept the religious tradition that they were taught to accept by their culture or family.</li>
<li>Different religions are correlated with different geographic regions.</li>
<li>Believers of different religious traditions believe what they believe just as strongly as Christians.</li>
<li>While my greater familiarity with the Bible leads me to place it above other holy books, the Bible does not on its own stand out as more valid than many of these other holy books.</li>
<li>People with different backgrounds do not see the same idea the same way. If their backgrounds are different enough, they may not even be able to see these ideas the same way.</li>
</ul><div>All of these reasons lead me to believe that God tailors his revelation of himself to those he reveals himself to. When I <a href="http://asinglereality.blogspot.com/2011/01/stumbling-blocks.html">wrote about Romans 14 and 15</a>, I pointed out that God does not care about the specifics of our beliefs. I believe this holds not just within Christianity, but across all belief systems. What matters is connecting with the transcendent and living our own lives in a way that glorifies that transcendence.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-34319019538996161132011-01-02T10:20:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:06:49.751-08:00Institutionalized stumbling blocksIt is not only individuals that provide stumbling blocks. It is also churches. Many churches have a list of things that the church believes. They present this in a way that strongly implies that if you do not share these beliefs, you do not belong in the church. <a href="http://johnshore.com/2010/12/16/thruway-christians-christianity-for-the-rest-of-us/">John Shore presents an example of this</a>,<br />
<blockquote>The pastor of our first (large, mainstream) church declared it “heretical” that my wife and I declined to sign a statement declaring that no gay person should work or volunteer at that church</blockquote>These churches are stumbling blocks. Romans 14 and 15 should teach us that things like this don't matter. Checking for right belief like this is nothing more than a stumbling block. It's nothing more than a way to avoid the challenging of being one church body even in the midst of disagreement.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-15927089296703616502011-01-01T10:20:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:06:49.751-08:00Stumbling blocksI am struck today by Romans 14 and 15. These chapters teach us how to treat others. Our goal is to avoid being stumbling blocks to others. We should avoid judging others for fear of weakening them, and we should avoid doing things that will distress and weaken others.<div><br />
</div><div>This does not result in wishy washy subjectivism. Paul gives us guidelines for determining our own behavior: we should be fully convinced in our own mind that what we are doing is for the Lord, and we should avoid behaviors that will push others away from their faith. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I use the word "behaviors" intentionally. Paul makes it clear that God does not care about right belief. God cares that we have faith and live righteous lives. Those are the factors that make us God's children. Paul frees us with the knowledge that the specifics of our beliefs are completely irrelevant.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Today, many members of the church put stumbling blocks in front of those whose faith is weak. Not just on issues which have traditionally divided churches (such as predestination, baptism, communion, just to name almost none of the issues which have caused division). In the US, a Christian is expected to hold political beliefs that, more or less, align with Republicans. For those of us who care more about justice for the weak and poor and reject a literal, science denying view of the Bible, for those of us who see stewardship of the earth to be a more important biblical issue than reducing taxes, this marriage of religion and politics is a stumbling block.</div><div><br />
</div><div>If we take the lesson of Romans 14 and 15 seriously, we should stop worrying so much what people believe and start giving our lives over to God. Beliefs matter, they control our behavior, but they only matter in so far as they control our behavior. So stop caring what other people believe, stop trying to tell people what the righteous life is, and start caring about how you can remove the stumbling blocks that keep them from being fully convinced that what they are doing is for the Lord.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-90501671588513002532010-12-12T09:57:00.000-08:002010-12-12T09:57:36.967-08:00I haven't forgotten this blogIn case anyone is wondering, I haven't forgotten the blog, but I have learned that the holidays are a bad time to start a new blog. I will be back after the new year!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-43894975228757332722010-11-22T20:23:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:11:01.851-08:00Wisdom and comfortWe just finished James in the Bible reading plan that I follow. I like to think of myself as a person of action, so James is one of my favorite books. But this time I noticed something different. James tells us,<br />
<blockquote>5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.</blockquote>I <i>do</i> sometimes feel doubt, and those are the times when I most feel the need to ask God to grant me wisdom. When James says that those who doubt should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, it makes me feel that I am a failure as a believer.<br />
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But I realized that, perhaps, when James says that such a person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, he really means that they should not expect to receive wisdom. James is talking about asking for wisdom, so it makes sense that he would still be talking about wisdom.<br />
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It may not seem like that should make a difference, but it does! When I doubt and my faith is unstable, I cannot profit from the Lord's wisdom. What I need is the Lord's comfort. James does not say so here, but other verses make it clear that the Lord strengthens us and comforts us when we are weak.<br />
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Lord, I pray to you to give me wisdom when I am strong in faith and comfort and strength when I am unstable.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-55515101952681782542010-11-16T20:15:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:10:44.077-08:00PrayerPrayer is not a way to ask for gifts and special favors; God isn't Santa Claus. It's not some check box; God's not some bureaucratic manager who requires the forms to be filled out before he responds. God knows what we need and responds to us according to our need whether or not we ask. Prayer is not for God's sake so that he knows what we need. He already knows.<br />
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Prayer is for our own sake. Prayer is not so much our chance to talk to God (although we can; it's sometimes what we need). Prayer is our chance to let God talk to us. In the busy lives that we lead, we do not hear God's voice speaking to us. Prayer is our chance to quiet ourselves and just be with God.<br />
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If it seems like God gives us blessings in return our prayers, it is really because our prayers open our eyes to the blessings God gives us all the time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-44693139614453124242010-11-09T21:35:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:10:37.431-08:00Universal salvationMadeleine L'Engle believed in universal salvation: everyone will ultimately be reconciled with God. She did not pretend to know how it would work, but she believed it to be true. The Bible supports this view, but it also contradicts this view. Madeleine gloried in contradiction.<br />
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Madeleine's believed separation from God was the punishment promised in the Bible. Unity with God was the reward.<br />
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Like Madeleine L'Engle, I know that I don't know all the answers, but I like this idea. My heart breaks when I think of people, even terrible people, being punished forever. Can even the worse sins on earth be worth eternal punishment? This does not seem compatible with a loving God. I also do not thing getting a an external reward or punishment can really provide lasting motivation to live a godly life. We should obey because the life we live when we obey is the best reward and the life we live when we don't obey is the worst punishment.<br />
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Universal salvation just gives us the chance to repent after death as well as before; death is not some arbitrary boundary between when you can repent and the time you can't. We always have the opportunity. If we have all eternity, we will all eventually repent. That, I believe, is what a loving God would want.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-61617600669508529732010-11-03T22:14:00.000-07:002011-02-01T21:07:04.745-08:00Jesus, our representativeHebrews is a really challenging book. Two parts stuck out to me (always two!).<br />
<blockquote>1 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. 2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. 3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.</blockquote>and<br />
<blockquote>7 While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him</blockquote>I have always had a hard time understanding why Jesus had to die. If God is all powerful and if God is merciful, why would anyone have to die for him to forgive us?<br />
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I know this idea won't be popular with most people, but maybe Jesus had to die because God, despite being all powerful and all knowing (or maybe because of it), is incapable of understanding people. Really understanding them, I mean. He might know everything we think and see all our motivations, but he cannot, in his perfection, emphasize with us.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But Jesus is our heavenly High Priest. He acts as both our representative before God and as the one who deals gently with us. And he can do this because he lived among us and was one of us. Even though he lived a perfect life free of sin, Jesus experience human emotions and human passions. He experienced love, despair, rage, hesitation, and friendship. Because of these experiences, he can understand us and teach us gently, in ways that we can understand.</div><div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-3004212619135720652010-11-02T20:44:00.000-07:002011-02-01T21:10:26.860-08:00Cutting Between Soul and SpiritIn my daily Bible reading I read Hebrews 4:12. It says, <blockquote>For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.</blockquote>I almost glossed over these verses. The idea is so familiar. The word is the living word of the living God. But then I noticed something.<br />
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This verse says that God's word cuts between soul and spirit. Soul and spirit usually mean the same thing. It seems odd to say that God's word cuts between them. But the words are not always the same. The Holy Spirit, God's voice inside of us, is never called a soul. That still doesn't tell me what this verse means, but here's what this verse means for <i>me</i>: God's word helps us distinguish between God's voice (the spirit) and our own voice (the soul). Just as joint and marrow are both good and necessary, and so are God's voice and our own individual voices, but it's important to see the difference.<br />
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The verse also says that it's God's word which exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Not God, but God's word. This verse tells me that God's word exposes my innermost thoughts and desires to myself. God already knows them and, through His word, reveals them to me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614155678830226809.post-21492679035329269872010-11-02T20:25:00.000-07:002011-02-01T21:10:31.827-08:00A Single RealityScience is real. So is God. This frightens people, but we cannot escape reality just because it scares us. How can I understand this wonderful, terrible, confusing, and delightful world? I don't know. But maybe writing out some of my thoughts here will help me come to a deeper understanding.<br />
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I will go by Lina on this blog. That is not my real name. "Lina" is a tribute to Madeleine L'Engle. This wonderful woman who not only accepted that science and faith are compatible, she found it glorious. She was surrounded by religion that could not satisfy her longings. It was science that brought her to a greater faith. Some people shun her because she tries to make science religions. Other people shun her because she believed that science and faith were compatible. I think she is an inspiration. She knew she was wrong in many ways, but she grew more in her ignorance than many grow in their certainty.<br />
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In honor of Madeleine L'Engle and the richness she has brought to my life, I will go by Lina. I hope that I can follow in Madeleine L'Engle's footsteps and grow in understanding.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229859617265332noreply@blogger.com0