Telling Secrets: Religious Fundamentalist Thinking

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Religious Fundamentalist Thinking

"A literalist interpretation of Scripture tells us that God is a rock that sent a bird to cause a virgin to give birth to a loaf of bread. And this is supposed to be an improvement on obtaining a chiseled code of conduct from a flaming shrubbery in a cloud. If a literal understanding is all that is required for faith, then I'm a yellow ducky." Rabbi Ben Sylva

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Telling Secrets

The opinions expressed in this Blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Episcopal Church or any of the Episcopal Churches I serve, the Dioceses of Newark or Delaware, or those of any local, national or other organizations I serve. If you wish to reproduce anything written here or link to another site, you may only do so with the express permission of the author, and only with appropriate attribution.

"Plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source."

PLEASE NOTE: If you have a difficult truth to tell, please do so in the comment section, but identify yourself, please.

If you want to say a painful truth or provide something helpful but, for various reasons, need to remain anonymous, I completely understand and encourage you to leave comments.

However, I do not support cowards, gutter snipes and blowhards.

No mean-spirited, uncharitable, ANONYMOUS comments will be reproduced here.

Quotes from some of my favorite Bloggers and Friends

Those who know the deep acceptance and love that come with healing and forgiveness can lose the defensive veneer that wants to shut out other sinners. They discover that covering their hair or hiding their tears or hoarding their rich perfume isn't the way that the beloved act, even if it makes others nervous. Katharine Jefferts Schori at Southwarck Cathedral, UK June 13, 2010

"If you have never been called a defiant, incorrigible, impossible woman … have faith … there is yet time." ~ From Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

If you want to protect Holy Wedlock, by all means padlock the church door whenever guys who love Judy Garland come-a-knocking. But if you want to protect marriage push for a constitutional amendment to ban divorce.

And . . . If that wasn't outrageous enough for you, there's this:

From where I sit, the entire Republican Party should head to OZ – looking for a brain, a heart and a pair of testicles.
Helen Philipot

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Thomas Merton Eileen the Episcopalifem

"I can only conclude that the social contract that binds us all together in such a single unlikely country is greater than each of us who make it up." Counterlight.

"But remember - you rarely meet a disappointed pessimist."
Immortal words from the mighty wordsmith, MadPriest

"I'm so glad Mary didn't wait for the formulation of a Doctrine of the Incarnation before she said 'Yes' to God." Ed Bacon, rector of All Saints, Pasadena, CA (and Giant of Justice).

"Mrs. Palin needs to be reminded that Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a governor." ("MJR, Michigan" via the NYT comments . I'm guessing she's a woman and an Episcopalian).

"The gay agenda? It's this: Jesus." the Rt. Rev'd Gene Robinson, Bishop of NH

"The difference between Palin and Cheney? Lipstick."
Susankay.

"There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity . . .You can smell it. It smells like death."
Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Lord, take me where You want me to go, let me meet who You want me to meet, tell me what You want me to say, and keep me out of Your way. Amen.
Fr. Mychal Judge, OFM, Chaplain, NYFD, First official recorded victim 9/11 attack

"You can call the dogs in, wet the fire, and leave the house. The hunt's over." James Carville after the 2nd Presidential Debate

"Literalism in any form is little more than pious hysteria."
John Shelby Spong, Bishop of Newark, retired

"Start where you are.
Use what you have.
Do what you can."
Arthur Ashe.

"Ask for help when you need it. Take it graciously when it comes. Try not to be disappointed when it doesn't. Be thankful for something every day. Do something for someone else as a way of saying thank you for your life." John R. Souza

Telling Secrets

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Sunday, March 04, 2007

Religious Fundamentalist Thinking

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