“Those not for us”

Thinking about the polarization that has developed in this country and indeed around the world, and the harm that I think it does.

People who are trying to polarize, or activate, other people often say something like “Those who are not for us are against us.” The cultural roots of this probably go back to the Christian Bible, Matthew 12 verse 30:”He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”

But compare Mark 9 verse 40: “For he who is not against us is on our side.”

Read Full Post »

THE ONE TRUE GOSPEL

I love a good sermon, and the following sermon comes closer to the spirit of the religion I was raised in (thanks, Mom and Don Smith) than the variety that seems to have become so popular these days. It gave me a lift–so I offer it here.
••••••••••••••••••••••

by Forrest Church

April 16, 2006

This has turned out to be quite an Easter for us Unitarians. Finally, after two thousand years of desecration, poor Judas has won back his good name. With the leaking of an ancient Christian classified document, at long last the Good Judas can assume his honored place right up there beside the Good Samaritan.

Read Full Post »

The resilience of religion

Running across a variety of blogs and books recently arguing the human race would be better off without religion, or claiming to explain religion (as in “explain it away”), got me musing along the following lines.

What is religion about? That is, what do human beings get out of it? I think all of the following, not in any particular order, and not necessarily all of them for any one person.

Read Full Post »