How sad, That people who ignore ReligionDENY everything of value in it. How simple,That people who are babes in ReligionDEBATE and argue with each other. How sound,That people who are growing in ReligionDISCIPLINE themselves instead of judging others. How supreme,That people who fully live ReligionDELIGHT in the ever-new joy of Spirit. Copyright © 2013 by […]
Time to Move On
Friends, after eight years of writing this blog, I’ve decided to move on to other projects. It’s been fun, occasionally difficult, and everything in-between. I learned a lot and hope you gained at least a few useful insights. Thanks to Diane for putting up with me and my meandering drafts (she is a wizard!) and […]
Confront Your God Baggage
If through upbringing, family, friends, culture, or clergy, one learns that God is judgmental, indifferent, vindictive, why indeed would anyone want to draw closer to Him?
To Learn, Compare
Sometimes it’s easier to understand your own beliefs by comparing them with someone else’s. It’s similar to the phenomenon of learning a new language — in the process of learning a new language, you understand your first language better. Recently the hosts of Found Cause invited me to their podcast (70 minutes) in which we […]
Give up the nonsense that belief solves everything
by Ralph CalabriaExecutive Editor DMC Okay, I admit it. I am a little torqued about this topic, as the title shows. The idea that belief solves everything immobilizes too many Christians and lulls them into a false sense of security. If my tone sounds harsh, it’s because soft words won’t wake those enjoying the sleep […]
When will you “go no more out”?
by Ralph CalabriaExecutive Editor DMC Theodosius Dobzhanski, the great evolutionary geneticist, said, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Life evolves upward physically over millions of years. Let us consider extending Dobzhanski’s argument to religion as well. Consider: “Nothing in religion makes sense except in the light of the evolution of […]
Humdinger Folksinger, Just About as Good as it Gets*
by Ralph Calabria, DMC Executive Editor Given the state of the world today, you may be hearing people use the word “apocalyptic” to describe the chaos. But “apocalypse,” a Greek word, does not mean chaos. It means “uncovering” or “revelation.” Thus St. John’s Apocalypse, the last book in the Bible, is commonly known as the […]
Chaos or Kindness
What do you think of when you hear the word apocalypse? Is it a positive or negative event? I was raised in a strict fundamental Christian family. My parents stressed repeatedly that I be prepared and watch for the second coming of Jesus. “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” […]
Are we alone in the universe?
On October 30, 1938, Orsen Wells broadcast a fictional report of a Martian invasion at Grovers Mill, New Jersey. This town is only 50 miles away from where my parents were living. The so-called War of the Worlds “news bulletins” describing this invasion sounded real. People believed them, and some panicked. Many years later, my […]
The “nobody” no one forgot
Jesus did claim his divinity, but he did not claim to be the Divine Being.