This evening R. L. Culpeper shared a link to a cringe-worthy two question quiz on Elucidations on Atheism. How bad could it be? Well, he thoughtfully linked to Check Your Spiritual Health at RaptureReady.com. It is a Friday night, I've got nothing better to do... yeah, it is cringe-worthy. Question 1: How would you best describe … Continue reading Friday Night Fun: Are you Rapture Ready?
Tag: Abrahamic religions
what I’ve been reading – money & the church
Megachurch pastor tells his congregation his newly built 16,000-square-foot house is gift from God* German 'Bishop of Bling's multi-million euro mansion to be used to serve needy Scientology's fraud conviction upheld in France Incredible skeletal remains of Catholic saints still dripping in gems and jewellery discovered by 'Indiana Bones' explorer Sort of related, when you … Continue reading what I’ve been reading – money & the church
what I’ve been reading – women
Pope Francis: Women called to service, not servitude There's Nothing About Abortion in the Bible -- So How Do Right-Wing Christians Justify Their Crusade Against Women? (found via the incredibly thought provoking abortion tag at Defeating the Dragons) "Babies are Cute" And Other Non-Starter Arguments for Forced Childbearing How I Learned I Was Pro-Choice By … Continue reading what I’ve been reading – women
what I’ve been reading – thought provoking blog posts
I think my Sunday School teachers should be grateful that the internet wasn't as prevalent when I was in their classes... Or maybe I should be grateful, I suspect I would have had a LOT more conversations w/the Sunday School Superintendent. Not a fan of Jesus at Godless in Dixie Fascinating Womanhood: Pandora's Box at … Continue reading what I’ve been reading – thought provoking blog posts
A Letter to the Jehovah’s Witness Lady
I found this to be a most enlightening piece, I was not aware that MBE’s coming was foretold and by prophecy and that the signs were fulfilled. I may have to keep this piece on hand if the dear Mormon missionaries ever come back to visit.
The Ark of Truth- Mother's Hood
A Jehovah Witness has been visiting me off and on for over two years now and she finally asked me what religion I was of. I purposely did not want her to know, but since she finally asked I told her I was an Independent Christian Scientist. After the latest visit from my Jehovah Witness friend I wrote the following letter as I really did not have time to tell her much about Christian Science.
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Fate vs. Freewill: Did Jesus have a Choice?
The fate vs. freewill discussion always fascinated me, it was one of the few discussions I enjoyed in my high school English class, and I was quite curious how it applied to Biblical lore: Adam and Eve had a choice to disobey God - I always found that poorly planned on God's part, but that … Continue reading Fate vs. Freewill: Did Jesus have a Choice?
Anti-intellectualism and the Bible
Ms. Eddy claims “the time for thinkers has come” but if you think critically about Christian Science, or the Bible, you end up somewhere quite different than she intends.
As someone shared on my FB feed this morning
- “If you rearrange the letters in the words Faith and Religion, you can make ‘Microwave.’ No, don’t test it or question it, just believe me.”
When I was a Christian, I worked very hard at maintaining the tension between faith and reason, much like I see many bright people still doing today. I poured myself into biblical studies, learned the original languages, took classes on apologetics and worldview, discussed and argued over theology with friends into the wee hours of the morning, and even studied a bit of philosophy along the way. Like many writers I read these days, I worked sincerely out of a conviction that the Christian faith can be a well-reasoned faith. I labored all those years under the impression that you don’t have to “check your brains at the door” of the church, but can instead continue to feed both mind and spirit in a kind of symbiotic (even if sometimes strained) relationship. What did not occur to me then but seems as clear as a bell to me now is…
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Divine Love: Two Boats & a Helicopter
In lieu of art and iconography, Christian Science churches often adorn their walls with stark quotes from Our Beloved Leader, the Discovered and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. One of the more popular quotes to adorn sanctuary walls is "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every every human need." I've … Continue reading Divine Love: Two Boats & a Helicopter
behold, I’m a bad-ass
Ms. Eddy has an oft-quoted saying about how "trials are proof of God's care." While I've talked about this idea a little in previous posts, it has been a while since I've touched on the topic. As these things often work, the other night this showed up on my facebook feed: It made me very … Continue reading behold, I’m a bad-ass
suffering is oft the divine agent in this elevation
I recently re-read Open the Doors of the Temple: The Survival of Christian Science in the Twenty-first Century by Nancy Niblack Baxter. It is a thought provoking read, by a mostly sympathetic convert of over fifty years. Ms. Baxter obviously feels strongly about CS, the direction it is headed, and makes several excellent suggestions for … Continue reading suffering is oft the divine agent in this elevation