Thursday, 20 July 2023

The World.


Jesus said: "'The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil.'"  John 7:7 (NRSV)

But I say that the evils of the world are caused by fear.

So the remedy is not to attack evildoers but to love them.

Because "perfect love casts out fear."  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

And when their fear is gone their evil will be gone also.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Photo Credit: Pinterest.

Wednesday, 19 July 2023

Taking the Law Into Your Own Hands.


What Fundamentalists - Islamic and Christian - do is take the law into their own hands.

Instead of leaving the dubious business of judgement to God they take it upon themselves to execute the judgement that they expect.

Needless to say that judgement falls on the heads of their enemies.

Jesus said: "'The Father judges no one.'"  John 5:22 (NRSV)

And: "'You judge by human standards, I judge no one.'"  John 8:15 (NRSV)

So all those who judge in Jesus' name or in the name of God are misguided and misrepresenting those who they worship.

They mistake aggression for righteousness.

And certainty for truth.

But the fact remains they should not take the law into their own hands.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Photo Credit: cattias.photos Flickr via Compfight cctt

Saturday, 15 July 2023

Falling Down.

 


There is no shame in falling down.

Jesus fell three times on the way to the cross.


Photo Credit: The Way of the Cross.

Wednesday, 12 July 2023

Gay Love.


Homosexuality is Love.

We experience attraction and tenderness in the same way as heterosexuals.

We admire him immensely.

And we desire him intensely.

Our love is subject to he same exigencies as heterosexual love.

And we long for companionship and faithfulness in the same way.

Homosexuality occurs in nature.

So you cannot say it is unnatural.

And homosexuals go to Heaven.

Of this there is no doubt.


Photo Credit: Catherine Coden Flickr via Compfight cc

Thursday, 6 July 2023

God's Blessing.


To be cursed by the devil

is to be blessed by God.


To be scorned by society

is to be honored by God.


To be hated by the world

is to be loved by God.



Photo Credit: Sistine Chapel.

Wednesday, 5 July 2023

Gay Martyrs.


The first recorded gay martyr is Saint Sebastian.

But history has crucified gay people to this day.

From Oscar Wilde to Matthew Shepard we have witnessed the persecution, torture, and death of gay people in modern times.

The coming of the AIDS Pandemic heightened and hardened a prejudice which was already present in our conscious and unconscious minds.

But none of this justifies the hate speech put out by Christian Churches like Westboro Baptist Church and the Truth of Jesus Christ Church.

Hate speech inspires and justifies violent crimes against gay people.

It is unacceptable and it should be banned.

Talk of religious freedoms should not justify the vilification and persecution of gay people.

Not all Christians believe that gay people go to hell.

The Episcopalian Church in America and the Uniting Church in Australia allow gay marriages in their churches.

It is clear that God does not discriminate.

Those tortured and killed because they are gay will be remembered as gay martyrs in the future.


Photo Credit: Scooter Lowrimore Flickr via Compfight cc

Tuesday, 4 July 2023

The Wall.


All around us there is a wall.

A wall beyond which we cannot see.

It is built by the media.

They don't show you anything they don't want you to see.

They hand out rationalizations.

They justify what they want you to think.

They demonize the poor, minorities, and immigrants.

They sow fear and hate.

They distract you.

They sell you.

They conspire with evil.

All for money.

And the power of the rich.


Photo Credit: chrisinplymouth Flickr via Compfight cc