Comments for the faithful skeptic

Comment on pitter patter by laura larkins

laura larkins — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:52:14 +0000

Let’s not fritter It’s amusing
Let’s not fratter we’re amused
that your pontification, brother,
has got us all ransacked.

Comment on maybe idolatry isn’t all that bad after all? by Galaxian

Galaxian — Wed, 29 May 2013 20:52:49 +0000

Perhaps we are already hardly short of idols–the Hummers and Escalades which roll arrogantly down the the most massive paved roads human history has ever seen, for example. Earlier societies, say ancient Egypt, did not make a special distinction between the religious and phenomena of everyday life. If you breathed in, that was god Shu entering your nose to sustain your life. They were correct to do so. To identify our gods, we need only ask what is most important to us. That thing causing our hearts to race and feelings of love to well up in our chests–that is what we truly worship. It matters little whether a god, or the God, is omniscient and omnipotent. Significant is only that it or he or He or She is smarter and more powerful than we are. Blessings to you.

Comment on we speak peace by Galaxian

Galaxian — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:53:31 +0000

Religion differs from spirituality, and even from belief that deity is part of reality. There are answers in or from deity, but probably not the ones we expect or wish to hear. An existence of deity will not stop human beings from doing ugly things to one another–one who is mature in faith understands this and does not pray or ask deity to “do things” on our behalf. That which we wish to accomplish, we have brains and hands to make so.

Comment on the gospel according to who? by Theunis Pienaar

Theunis Pienaar — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:16:54 +0000

perhaps, if we’re ‘walking out declaring our repair’, we’ve not tasted the repair?

perhaps the repair is quiet, like a whisper, not announced, just present?

perhaps it is not even recognized by us, but by others, with whom we rub shoulders? others who do not smell our stench anymore … but see something new & beautiful we will always be too blind to see?

perhaps, we know when (s)he resurrects something new & beautiful, as much as when we smell, but are too afraid to see it & so we embrace the stench, for its familiarity?

perhaps, the cancer still remains, because we are afraid, hiding, covering the beauty of being.

s(he) says ‘I am’.

perhaps when we are, the life (s)he lived & lives & will live, becomes the life we live & will live.

perhaps we are it, as we’re not in this moment before us?

perhaps this is delusional, as much as the loud singing & consuming & idolatry?

but it is more graceful & kind, more bearable …

Comment on the gospel according to who? by Lloyd Martin

Lloyd Martin — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:03:54 +0000

perhaps yes, but is it at all reasonable to have a cancer and to discharge ourselves and walk out declaring our repair and declare our resurrection when the stench of our own decay is all that can be smelt?
… and how will we know what is real and what is delusional wishful thinking?

Comment on the gospel according to who? by Theunis Pienaar

Theunis Pienaar — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:31:45 +0000

i do agree with you, Lloyd, for the 1st part.
God is not a magical genie who has come to give & answer our desires.
That is mere idolatry.
Nothing different from altars & sacrifices for great harvests & rain.

I also agree with you about the ‘stench in our nostrils’.

Every day I see my own rotting death & are appalled by it.

Perhaps, though, somewhere in all of this, as we come to see our own rot, we can go beyond the death & sacrifice of the Christ.

Perhaps we could move beyond, to a state of being in repair, as we live through Him?

Perhaps we could share some of the resurrection, so that the metaphor is not just about salvation, but more about redemption?

Being redeemed, daily, not unto wealth & health, but unto grace & love & kindness?

Perhaps …

Comment on though he fall he shall stand, for we will make it so by Laura Larkins

Laura Larkins — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 01:02:10 +0000

Wow. Lloyd, you should send this to a local newspaper for publishing or a social, political or Christian journal…

Comment on step down a step up? by laura larkins

laura larkins — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:45:05 +0000

!!!

Comment on what we really meme about truth by Laura Larkins

Laura Larkins — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:36:52 +0000

I am struck by my own contradictions, one of being stuck out on a limb and doing something incredibly nervy and risky and non politically correct, while on the other hand I “edit” or “censor” my facebook page when I don’t like the way I’m portrayed publicly by someone else, or when someone asks me to enter into a conversation where I would have to take other non politically correct and unresolved sides of a complex issue. Life is complicated. I act and think in mass when I am “pretty much convinced” that that I agree with a famous quote or a theological conviction. On the other hand, I love the conversation and sharing of ideas respectfully and creatively. I will converse with certain people about certain subjects, but not always publicly, because of wisdom or discretion. We do protect our boundaries and ourselves in different ways, but those who are very sure about that which they speak, or act, should continue to count the costs and speak out or act out for that truth.

Comment on song of beasts and kings by Lloyd Martin

Lloyd Martin — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:58:30 +0000

… the gods we worship are nearer than any of us are willing to consider, let alone confront