Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Friday, February 5, 2016
Monday, September 7, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Who is Timothy Kurek? / Read The Cross in the Closet
"Timothy Kurek is tackling some of the front burner issues of our day. His unrestrained style of immersion lends a uniquely empathetic perspective, engaging his audiences with empathy, humor, and refreshing candor. His first book, The Cross in the Closet, released October 2012 and became a critical success, not just nationally, but internationally as well (it is currently available in Hungarian and Chinese, with plans for more translations in the works). Arch Bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu places his seal of endorsement on the book, saying, “The Cross in the Closet is a gift to us all.” Timothy is also an internationally sought-after speaker , lecturing at colleges, conferences and churches in Australia, Italy, Greece, Canada and all over the Continental United States. In April 2015 Timothy was a featured speaker TEDx University of the Aegean on the island of Syros in Greece. He has been featured on ABC’s The View, Fox News Alan Colmes, CNN, The BBC, Canal+, MSNBC, CTV, HLN, The New York Post, The Guardian, The China Times, Sirius/XM and hundreds of other national and international radio, television and print media outlets. In Spring 2014 Timothy founded Green Bridge Press, a publishing imprint dedicated to opening the eyes of the broader public to issues of social justice and equality through the medium of story. Timothy is based in Portland, Oregon and dreams of opening a retreat center for aspiring world-changers in the Wilderness of Southern Oregon."
More Info..
More Info..
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
What’s natural to you? @ Our Spirit
"Romans seems pretty clearly anti-gay:
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with man and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” Romans 1:26-27
But Romans 1: 26-7 is very much not clear because:
The words natural and unnatural are incorrect translations of the original Greek.
Paul, the author of Romans, was not speaking about gays or lesbians. He was talking about straight people.
Paul wasn’t talking about love but about being consumed by passion.
What about the words natural and unnatural?
The term often translated to English as natural is the Greek word phooskos, which means customary or characteristic, as in something that is usually done.
What is often translated as unnatural is the Greek para physin, which actually means deviating from the norm or being unconventional.
Gay sex was not the norm in Biblical times. Just as it is not today. Not being the norm does not mean being something bad. It’s estimated that 7 to 10 percent of people are left-handed . Just because the norm is to be right-handed does not mean the the left-handed people are bad. The Bible acknowledges that being gay is not the norm. It does not say that being gay is bad.
Even if one chooses to believe that Romans 1:26-27 is about the sin of choosing unnatural passions, it still does not condemn homosexuals.
Just as a person who’s heterosexual knows what’s natural to him or her, so does a person who’s homosexual.
Some straight people might think that homosexuality is unnatural. That’s because it’s not natural to them.
True, no one should give up their natural heterosexuality for homosexuality.
Just as no one should give up their natural homosexuality for heterosexuality."
See more @ Our Spirit
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with man and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” Romans 1:26-27
But Romans 1: 26-7 is very much not clear because:
The words natural and unnatural are incorrect translations of the original Greek.
Paul, the author of Romans, was not speaking about gays or lesbians. He was talking about straight people.
Paul wasn’t talking about love but about being consumed by passion.
What about the words natural and unnatural?
The term often translated to English as natural is the Greek word phooskos, which means customary or characteristic, as in something that is usually done.
What is often translated as unnatural is the Greek para physin, which actually means deviating from the norm or being unconventional.
Gay sex was not the norm in Biblical times. Just as it is not today. Not being the norm does not mean being something bad. It’s estimated that 7 to 10 percent of people are left-handed . Just because the norm is to be right-handed does not mean the the left-handed people are bad. The Bible acknowledges that being gay is not the norm. It does not say that being gay is bad.
Even if one chooses to believe that Romans 1:26-27 is about the sin of choosing unnatural passions, it still does not condemn homosexuals.
Just as a person who’s heterosexual knows what’s natural to him or her, so does a person who’s homosexual.
Some straight people might think that homosexuality is unnatural. That’s because it’s not natural to them.
True, no one should give up their natural heterosexuality for homosexuality.
Just as no one should give up their natural homosexuality for heterosexuality."
See more @ Our Spirit
The Bible actually contains no word for homosexuality or homosexual @ Our Spirit Now
"Some English – and Spanish, and Chinese, and Russian etc. – translations of the Bible include the word homosexual. That’s incorrect because the word homosexual is nowhere in the original Hebrew or the original Greek.
The word homosexual didn’t exist when the Bible was written. (New Testament about 2000 years ago, and parts of the Old Testament from 1,400 to 400 BCE.)
It wasn’t until 1869 that Dr. Karoly Benkert, a Hungarian physician created the term by combining the homo, the Greek word for same, with the Latin sexual.
The word homosexual did not come into use in the United States until the 1880’s.
The concept homosexual didn’t exist when the Bible was written
If you see the word homosexual or homosexuality in the Bible, it is because translators chose those words to reflect their own homophobic feelings and ideas.
Where in the Bible you might find the word homosexual used incorrectly:
The Hebrew word kedah means temple prostitute and is sometimes inaccurately translated at sodomite or homosexual.
In 1 Corinthians, sodomite or homosexual are sometimes used, but they are incorrect translations of the Greek malakos which means something closer to effeminate or the Greek practice of pederasty, which is older men having sex with boys and is not consensual gay sex between peers.
1 Corinthians also refers in Greek to arsenokaitai, which appears nowhere else in the Bible or in Greek writings about homoerotic sexuality, but probably means male prostitute.
Jude 7 sometimes refers to homosexual flesh that the Sodomites pursued. This is an inaccurate translation of hetera sarx which means, literally, strange flesh to describe the flesh of the angels who were sent by God to evaluate Sodom and Gomorrah.
In Timothy 1:9-10, translators sometimes use homosexual for the original Greek words, pornoi, arsenokoitai, and andrapodistai, meaning male prostitutes, males who hire male prostitutes or the slave dealers who procure them.
Including the word homosexual in the Bible is the choice of translators and is not a reflection of the Bible."
Credit @ Our SpiritNow
The word homosexual didn’t exist when the Bible was written. (New Testament about 2000 years ago, and parts of the Old Testament from 1,400 to 400 BCE.)
It wasn’t until 1869 that Dr. Karoly Benkert, a Hungarian physician created the term by combining the homo, the Greek word for same, with the Latin sexual.
The word homosexual did not come into use in the United States until the 1880’s.
The concept homosexual didn’t exist when the Bible was written
If you see the word homosexual or homosexuality in the Bible, it is because translators chose those words to reflect their own homophobic feelings and ideas.
Where in the Bible you might find the word homosexual used incorrectly:
The Hebrew word kedah means temple prostitute and is sometimes inaccurately translated at sodomite or homosexual.
In 1 Corinthians, sodomite or homosexual are sometimes used, but they are incorrect translations of the Greek malakos which means something closer to effeminate or the Greek practice of pederasty, which is older men having sex with boys and is not consensual gay sex between peers.
1 Corinthians also refers in Greek to arsenokaitai, which appears nowhere else in the Bible or in Greek writings about homoerotic sexuality, but probably means male prostitute.
Jude 7 sometimes refers to homosexual flesh that the Sodomites pursued. This is an inaccurate translation of hetera sarx which means, literally, strange flesh to describe the flesh of the angels who were sent by God to evaluate Sodom and Gomorrah.
In Timothy 1:9-10, translators sometimes use homosexual for the original Greek words, pornoi, arsenokoitai, and andrapodistai, meaning male prostitutes, males who hire male prostitutes or the slave dealers who procure them.
Including the word homosexual in the Bible is the choice of translators and is not a reflection of the Bible."
Credit @ Our SpiritNow
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Check out The Spirit of the Scripture
When they state do not ejaculate, they don't mean like, hold your penis or anything. They mean mentally. Use your thoughts to control your body. If you can't that is okay, don't freak out!
"Welcome to The Spirit of the Scripture, a blog dedicated to discussing the hidden meanings beneath the literal interpretations of the Bible. This blog is written and maintained as a personal spiritual development tool, and it is my hope that traditional Christians may especially benefit by making a paradigm shift from religion to true spiritual development. Here you can read articles that encourage you to ditch religion and embrace the inner or esoteric meanings of the Biblical text. Most religious leaders have encouraged people to connect to God from the outside. This is impossible, and the Bible has always been a road map showing us the way to God from the inside, through experience, and only by understanding the spiritual (abstract) meanings found within the Biblical text can you receive spiritual and consciousness maturity; a literal interpretation has never produced spiritual growth! The Biblical stories are some of the greatest stories ever recorded, but millions of Christians and non-Christians alike have been taught to interpret them in a way that produces religious-minded individuals and sacrifices their true spiritual development.
What Qualifies Me To Present This Information?
"Welcome to The Spirit of the Scripture, a blog dedicated to discussing the hidden meanings beneath the literal interpretations of the Bible. This blog is written and maintained as a personal spiritual development tool, and it is my hope that traditional Christians may especially benefit by making a paradigm shift from religion to true spiritual development. Here you can read articles that encourage you to ditch religion and embrace the inner or esoteric meanings of the Biblical text. Most religious leaders have encouraged people to connect to God from the outside. This is impossible, and the Bible has always been a road map showing us the way to God from the inside, through experience, and only by understanding the spiritual (abstract) meanings found within the Biblical text can you receive spiritual and consciousness maturity; a literal interpretation has never produced spiritual growth! The Biblical stories are some of the greatest stories ever recorded, but millions of Christians and non-Christians alike have been taught to interpret them in a way that produces religious-minded individuals and sacrifices their true spiritual development.
What Qualifies Me To Present This Information?
Friday, July 24, 2015
What/where is Holy Land, USA?
"Holy Land USA is an 18-acre (7.3 ha) theme park in Waterbury, Connecticut, inspired by selected passages from the Bible. It consists of a chapel, stations of the cross, and replicas of catacombs and Israelite villages constructed from cinder blocks, bathtubs, and other discards. ... On September 14, 2014, the land officially reopened to the public for the first time in 30 years with an inaugural mass and access to the grounds....
Bob Chinn, the grounds chairman at Holy Land USA, recalled Greco's mission in a 2001 interview with The New York Times: "He was a very spiritual man. He wanted to do this for the people of the community. He felt no one, no matter the race, creed or color, should be separated. He wanted a place for all people to sit and be peaceful.
See more @ Wikipedia
Bob Chinn, the grounds chairman at Holy Land USA, recalled Greco's mission in a 2001 interview with The New York Times: "He was a very spiritual man. He wanted to do this for the people of the community. He felt no one, no matter the race, creed or color, should be separated. He wanted a place for all people to sit and be peaceful.
See more @ Wikipedia
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
About the recent bills to discriminate against the LGBT community....by Chris Crocker
About the recent bills to discriminate against the LGBT community....
Posted by Chris Crocker on Friday, April 3, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Who is Bishop John Shelby Sprong?
"John Shelby Spong, whose books have sold more than a million copies, was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2001. His admirers acclaim him as a teaching bishop who makes contemporary theology accessible to the ordinary layperson — he’s considered the champion of an inclusive faith by many, both inside and outside the Christian church. In one of his recent books,The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible’s Texts of Hate to Discover the God of Love(San Francisco: HarperOne, 2005), this visionary thinker seeks to introduce readers to a proper way to engage the holy book of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
A committed Christian who has spent a lifetime studying the Bible and whose life has been deeply shaped by it, Bishop Spong says he was not interested in Bible bashing. “I come to this interpretive task not as an enemy of Christianity,” he says. “I am not even a disillusioned former Christian, as some of my scholar-friends identify themselves. I am a believer who knows and loves the Bible deeply. But I also recognize that parts of it have been used to undergird prejudices and to mask violence.”
A visiting lecturer at Harvard and at universities and churches worldwide, Bishop Spong delivers more than 200 public lectures each year to standing-room-only crowds. His bestselling books include Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, A New Christianity for a New World, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and Here I Stand.
Bishop Spong’s extensive media appearances include a profile segment on 60 Minutesas well as appearances on Good Morning America, Fox News Live, Politically Incorrect, Larry King Live, The O’Reilly Factor, William F. Buckley’s Firing Line, and Extra. Bishop Spong and his wife, Christine Mary Spong, have five children and six grandchildren. They live in New Jersey."
Bishop John Shelby Sprong's officlal site
A committed Christian who has spent a lifetime studying the Bible and whose life has been deeply shaped by it, Bishop Spong says he was not interested in Bible bashing. “I come to this interpretive task not as an enemy of Christianity,” he says. “I am not even a disillusioned former Christian, as some of my scholar-friends identify themselves. I am a believer who knows and loves the Bible deeply. But I also recognize that parts of it have been used to undergird prejudices and to mask violence.”
A visiting lecturer at Harvard and at universities and churches worldwide, Bishop Spong delivers more than 200 public lectures each year to standing-room-only crowds. His bestselling books include Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, A New Christianity for a New World, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and Here I Stand.
Bishop Spong’s extensive media appearances include a profile segment on 60 Minutesas well as appearances on Good Morning America, Fox News Live, Politically Incorrect, Larry King Live, The O’Reilly Factor, William F. Buckley’s Firing Line, and Extra. Bishop Spong and his wife, Christine Mary Spong, have five children and six grandchildren. They live in New Jersey."
Bishop John Shelby Sprong's officlal site
Friday, April 3, 2015
How does Jesus and the Easter Bunny relate to one another by HLN
It's that time of year again for the peculiar marriage of crosses and candy, Jesus and the #Easter Bunny. Here's how they came to share a holiday.
Posted by HLN on Friday, April 3, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
5 Keys To Identifying Your SoulMate by Touré Roberts
I disagree when he says "sagging and dragging...." as a person can still be beautiful even when they are old <3
Monday, January 19, 2015
What is the United Church of Christ (Very LGBT-friendly)
"Our faith is 2,000 years old. Our thinking is not.
We believe in God's continuing testament. This is why we are committed to hearing God's ancient story anew and afresh in our lives and in the world today. We try to remain attentive to God's creative movement in the world. Religion and science are not mutually exclusive, and your head and heart are both welcomed into our places of worship. We prepare our members and leaders to be engaged in ministry in the present and future church, and we embrace all kinds of communities and new modes of thinking. Why? Because God is still speaking,
No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
We believe in God's continuing testament. This is why we are committed to hearing God's ancient story anew and afresh in our lives and in the world today. We try to remain attentive to God's creative movement in the world. Religion and science are not mutually exclusive, and your head and heart are both welcomed into our places of worship. We prepare our members and leaders to be engaged in ministry in the present and future church, and we embrace all kinds of communities and new modes of thinking. Why? Because God is still speaking,
No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
The Blueprint by Pastor Time Cox Jr.
Note: Read it, and even if you are an atheist you may smile. It may not make you belief in the Christian God, but it's a good read.
Check out/Buy The Blueprint
Check out/Buy The Blueprint
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Check out Dignity/San Francisco: LGBT Catholics and Allies
"About
Dignity/SF is the San Francisco Chapter affiliated with DignityUSA, an organization for LGBT & other progressive Catholics.
Mass is held weekly on Sunday @ 5:00pm. 2nd Sunday Potluck Suppers held each month.
Read More under the INFO tab!
General Information
Dignity/SF meets for liturgy every Sunday evening at 5:00pm.
Second Sunday Potluck Suppers are held monthly.
All Are Welcome!
We are the San Francisco Chapter affiliated with DignityUSA. DignityUSA works for respect and justice for people of all sexual orientations, genders and gender identities—especially gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons—in the Catholic Church and the world through education, advocacy, and support.
Mission Statement:
Dignity/San Francisco is a self-governing faith community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Catholics, our families and our friends.
Our community is based in and strengthened by the participation and leadership of our members
As a local chapter of Dignity/USA, we serve LGBT Catholics in the Bay Area.
We also encourage and support the efforts of other LGBT communities.
We challenge ourselves to create a love-centered community which serves our members by:
`Promoting the spiritual development of LGBT people through inclusive celebration of the Word and Eucharist and other sacraments, scripture, personal and communal prayer, education, and an active love of neighbor.
`Reinforcing the self-acceptance and dignity of LGBT Catholics by encouraging their full participation in the life of the church and society.
`Working for the development of a holistic and inclusive understanding of sexuality in the Church and for the acceptance of LGBT people as full, equal members.
`Providing social and recreational activities in an atmosphere where friendships and loving relationships can develop, and where our sense of self-acceptance and dignity as LGBT people can be affirmed
.
`Working for justice and social acceptance for LGBT people through education, political action, and legal reform.
We affirm and celebrate our sexuality and love as gifts from God
We are committed to living fully the sacramental life of the church and to being responsible followers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Check out Dignity/San Francisco: LGBT Catholics and Allies
Dignity/SF is the San Francisco Chapter affiliated with DignityUSA, an organization for LGBT & other progressive Catholics.
Mass is held weekly on Sunday @ 5:00pm. 2nd Sunday Potluck Suppers held each month.
Read More under the INFO tab!
General Information
Dignity/SF meets for liturgy every Sunday evening at 5:00pm.
Second Sunday Potluck Suppers are held monthly.
All Are Welcome!
We are the San Francisco Chapter affiliated with DignityUSA. DignityUSA works for respect and justice for people of all sexual orientations, genders and gender identities—especially gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons—in the Catholic Church and the world through education, advocacy, and support.
Mission Statement:
Dignity/San Francisco is a self-governing faith community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Catholics, our families and our friends.
Our community is based in and strengthened by the participation and leadership of our members
As a local chapter of Dignity/USA, we serve LGBT Catholics in the Bay Area.
We also encourage and support the efforts of other LGBT communities.
We challenge ourselves to create a love-centered community which serves our members by:
`Promoting the spiritual development of LGBT people through inclusive celebration of the Word and Eucharist and other sacraments, scripture, personal and communal prayer, education, and an active love of neighbor.
`Reinforcing the self-acceptance and dignity of LGBT Catholics by encouraging their full participation in the life of the church and society.
`Working for the development of a holistic and inclusive understanding of sexuality in the Church and for the acceptance of LGBT people as full, equal members.
`Providing social and recreational activities in an atmosphere where friendships and loving relationships can develop, and where our sense of self-acceptance and dignity as LGBT people can be affirmed
.
`Working for justice and social acceptance for LGBT people through education, political action, and legal reform.
We affirm and celebrate our sexuality and love as gifts from God
We are committed to living fully the sacramental life of the church and to being responsible followers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Check out Dignity/San Francisco: LGBT Catholics and Allies
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
What is the Divine Command Theory?
"The divine command theory (DCT) of ethics holds that an act is either moral or immoral solely because God either commands us to do it or prohibits us from doing it, respectively. On DCT the only thing that makes an act morally wrong is that God prohibits doing it, and all that it means to say that torture is wrong is that God prohibits torture. DCT is wildly implausible for reasons best illustrated by the Euthyphro dilemma, which is based on a discussion of what it means for an act to be holy in Plato's Euthyphro. Substituting "moral wrongness" for "holiness" raises the dilemma: Is torture wrong because God prohibits it, or does God prohibit torture because it is already wrong?
While DCT takes the the first route, Euthyphro takes the last one: If a good God prohibits torture he does so because torture is intrinsicly wrong, not merely because he declares torture to be wrong by fiat. But if torture is intrinsicly wrong, then it is wrong regardless of whether or not God exists. Either certain acts are wrong regardless of anyone's opinions or commands (including God's), or else all that we mean by "torture is wrong" is "God prohibits torture." Rather than grounding the objectivity of ethics, DCT completely undermines it by insisting that God's commands (like those of individuals or societies) do not require justification in terms of any external principles.
DCT is thus a kind of moral relativism: what's right or wrong is what one's God (like one's self or one's society) says is right or wrong--and there are no moral standards apart from this. Yet if God said that 2+2=100, 2+2=100 would nonetheless be false because 2+2=4 is true regardless of what God says. The same point holds for moral propositions like "inflicting unnecessary suffering solely for fun is wrong." If that proposition is true, then it is true regardless of whether God commands or prohibits inflicting such suffering.
If there is no standard of "being morally right" apart from God's commands, then God could literally command us to do anything and it would be right for us to do it by definition. Whatever God commands becomes the standard of moral rightness, and there are no moral values external to God to constrain what he would or would not command. So if God commanded one person to rape another, DCT entails that that rape would be moral because "doing the right thing" is logically equivalent to "doing what God commands." A highly implausible implication is that it is impossible to even imagine God commanding a wrong act. What counts as moral or immoral behavior on DCT is completely subjective--dependent upon God's fiat--and thus arbitrary.
While some retort that goodness flows from God's nature, this merely changes the form of the dilemma: Is compassion good because it is a part of God's nature, or is compassion a part of God's nature because it is already good? The first option produces problems parallel to those for DCT. If malice were a part of God's nature, for instance, it is doubtful that malice would automatically be good. If there are any objective moral standards at all, then a god can be either good or evil, and the assessment of a god's character would depend upon appealing to standards independent of any god's commands, opinions, statements, nature, or character."
See more about the Divine Command Theory @ Infidels.org
More Info..
While DCT takes the the first route, Euthyphro takes the last one: If a good God prohibits torture he does so because torture is intrinsicly wrong, not merely because he declares torture to be wrong by fiat. But if torture is intrinsicly wrong, then it is wrong regardless of whether or not God exists. Either certain acts are wrong regardless of anyone's opinions or commands (including God's), or else all that we mean by "torture is wrong" is "God prohibits torture." Rather than grounding the objectivity of ethics, DCT completely undermines it by insisting that God's commands (like those of individuals or societies) do not require justification in terms of any external principles.
DCT is thus a kind of moral relativism: what's right or wrong is what one's God (like one's self or one's society) says is right or wrong--and there are no moral standards apart from this. Yet if God said that 2+2=100, 2+2=100 would nonetheless be false because 2+2=4 is true regardless of what God says. The same point holds for moral propositions like "inflicting unnecessary suffering solely for fun is wrong." If that proposition is true, then it is true regardless of whether God commands or prohibits inflicting such suffering.
If there is no standard of "being morally right" apart from God's commands, then God could literally command us to do anything and it would be right for us to do it by definition. Whatever God commands becomes the standard of moral rightness, and there are no moral values external to God to constrain what he would or would not command. So if God commanded one person to rape another, DCT entails that that rape would be moral because "doing the right thing" is logically equivalent to "doing what God commands." A highly implausible implication is that it is impossible to even imagine God commanding a wrong act. What counts as moral or immoral behavior on DCT is completely subjective--dependent upon God's fiat--and thus arbitrary.
While some retort that goodness flows from God's nature, this merely changes the form of the dilemma: Is compassion good because it is a part of God's nature, or is compassion a part of God's nature because it is already good? The first option produces problems parallel to those for DCT. If malice were a part of God's nature, for instance, it is doubtful that malice would automatically be good. If there are any objective moral standards at all, then a god can be either good or evil, and the assessment of a god's character would depend upon appealing to standards independent of any god's commands, opinions, statements, nature, or character."
See more about the Divine Command Theory @ Infidels.org
More Info..
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