Follow

We worshiped Jesus instead of following him on his same path. We made Jesus into a mere religion instead of a journey toward union with God and everything else. This shift made us into a religion of "belonging and believing" instead of a religion of transformation. - Richard Rohr

A Great Way to See What is Fair/Right

Would you trade places with the other person? That is one way 
 of seeing if something is fair or right.

Definition of Success

Success is getting away with doing the things you love.-Steve Thorpe

Healing

Need

Contradicting the Bible for the Sake of Mercy

How many times did Jesus say, "You've heard it said, but I say ..." He contradicted the Bible all the time for the sake of mercy and humanity.

Good Grows

Serving His Country?

Let me get this straight---

Of All Religions---

Of all religions, the Christian should of course inspire the most tolerance, but until now Christians have been the most intolerant of all men. -- Voltaire

Jesus Never Asked Us To Worship Him

"Jesus clearly taught the twelve disciples about surrender, the necessity of suffering, humility, servant leadership, and nonviolence. The men resisted him every time, and so he finally had to make the journey himself and tell them, “Follow me!” But we avoided that, too, by making the message into something he never said: “Worship me.” Worship of Jesus is rather harmless and risk-free; actually following Jesus changes everything."
-Richard Rohr

Enemies and Friends

"In the end we will not remember the words of or enemies but the silence of our friends." - MLK.

Defend or Share?

"Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared." - Henri Nouwen

Under the Layers

“We think sometimes we're only drawn to the good, but we're actually drawn to the authentic. We like people who are real more than those who hide their true selves under layers of artificial niceties.” —Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Against Their Conscience? Hobby Lobby

Paying for  the 4 birth control methods they are now suddenly against was not"against their conscience" before the ACA.

Their conscience doesn't prevent them from 
buying most of their merchandise from China, where there are more abortions than anywhere.
 
Their conscience doesn't keep them from investing in 
and profiting hugely from companies that produce the very birth control they object 
to and refuse to allow insurance to cover for their employees.

 Apparently "their conscience" allows them to be hypocrites.

2 Approaches

There ya go. I spent a good deal of my life trying to "save" folks who REALLY had no interest! And and another chunk I spent trying to be a nice guy so people like me and approve.

Both approaches are of very limited usefulness in living a life of integrity and compassion! In the first, people are always disappointing you and in the second, you are disappointing the rest!--unknown

Religious Freedom Defined

Jesus rose so that----?

"And on this day, Jesus rose from the ashes of the fireworks to be reborn again as a true Republican, bringing passionate patriotism and guns to the world, so that the world would be saved from those filthy Democrats, through him."--Jeff Ball

Unlike

Guns?

OK

"My religion doesn't allow me to XYZ."
OK.
"My religion doesn't allow you to XYZ."
Not OK.

The Real Heroes

"The pioneers of a warless world are the youth who refuse military service." -Albert Einstein