FollowThe whole broken people/original sin thing is kind of big deal to Christians, conservative and progressive alike. They tend to look at in different ways, though. For those of a more conservative bent, original sin and the brokenness of humanity is a given. It’s one of those absolute truths some folks like to talk about: it …
Tag Archives: Gandhi
Am I A Good Man?
I have a confession to make: I am a Whovian (aka, a fan of Doctor Who). Don’t worry, though, I’m not one of those uber-nerdy ones who thinks every Doctor after Tom Baker sucks, even though Baker is my default Doctor[1]we all have one, you know and it’s generally the first Doctor we ever saw. You …
God Has a Plan?
I hear this all the time. All too often, though, I can’t help but think “Really? God has a plan? You could’ve fooled me.” Most recently, that thought came to mind as news reports began to come in about Typhoon Haiyan. Early projections put the death toll in the Philippines alone as high as 10,000. …
Sometimes, We Even Use Words
A couple of weeks ago, when everything went crazy in the wake of Biscuitgate, I started helping maintain the Love Wins blog. One of the things I’ve done is moderate comments. Now, most of those comments were great; I didn’t agree with all of them, but they were still good. Some were just ridiculous and …
Have We Learned Nothing?
Normally, I don’t talk about 9-11 on 9-11, and that’s if I say anything at all (I mean online, in person I won’t shut up). Today, I’m breaking that tradition with the question, have we, as a nation, as citizens of the world, as human beings learned nothing since that awful day in 2001? I ask …
Good News Indeed
When people hear the name Leo Tolstoy, they almost always think of his novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina. But, Tolstoy wasn’t just a novelist; he was a theologian, too. His interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount led him to Christian Anarchy and pacifism and his writings on nonviolent resistance influenced Gandhi and MLK. Unfortunately, in a big picture …
Seeking God
Right up front, let me admit I have a chauvinistic attitude about religion and faith. By chauvinistic, I don’t mean the ugly, in-your-face “I’m better than you” type, more a kinder, gentler “my way is better than yours” kind of thing. Which is a nice way of saying I can be an undercover jerk. This chauvinism usually …
Pacifism vs. Reality
In a piece for Huffington Post about nonviolence, John Dear included the following: “Nonviolence means avoiding injury to anything on earth, in thought, word, or deed,” Gandhi wrote. “I am certain that if we want to bring about peace in the world, there is no other way except that of nonviolence. One person who can …
Is the Church Failing Young People? Pt VI
It’s Not a Club. Happy Monday, everyone! While that may be an oxymoron for you working stiffs, it’s not for me. Since I’ve retired, every day is like the weekend, which shows just how great a gig retirement truly is. And, on that cheerful note, I’ll dive right into today’s topic: young people wrestle with …
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My First Book Review
Okay, a while back, I was invited to join a group that reviews books. The deal is that they provide the books for free and I write a review here on But Not Yet within 30 days. I’m little behind because I misjudged my capacity to read while doing chemotherapy (among other things, my vision …