Golden rule - universal

[Anonymous]

Christianity says to treat your enemies well, not just your neighbors. Don’t know how that works in the other religions but would love to hear.

[Anonymous]

The "Golden Rule" was proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth[40] during his Sermon on the Mount and described by him as the second great commandment. The common English phrasing is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". A similar form of the phrase appeared in a Catholic catechism around 1567 (certainly in the reprint of 1583).[41] Various applications of the Golden Rule are stated positively numerous times in the Old Testament: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."[42] Or, in Leviticus 19:34: "But treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.".[43]

The Old Testament Deuterocanonical books of Tobit and Sirach, accepted as part of the Scriptural canon by Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Non-Chalcedonian Churches, express a negative form of the golden rule:

"Do to no one what you yourself dislike."

— Tobit 4:15
"Recognize that your neighbor feels as you do, and keep in mind your own dislikes."

— Sirach 31:15
Two passages in the New Testament quote Jesus of Nazareth espousing the positive form of the Golden rule:

Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.

— Matthew 7:12
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

— Luke 6:31[44]
A similar passage, a parallel to the Great Commandment, is Luke 10:25.[45]

Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"

He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself."

He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live."
The passage in the book of Luke then continues with Jesus answering the question, "Who is my neighbor?", by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, which John Wesley interprets as meaning that "your neighbor" is anyone in need.[46]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule#Christianity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Christianity says to treat your enemies well, not just your neighbors. Don’t know how that works in the other religions but would love to hear.

OP - Good point / it is probably no accident that modern Just War theory grew out of Christian theology.

The principles of a Just War originated with classical Greek and Roman philosophers like Plato and Cicero. Christian theologians St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) proposed the first modern version of JWT in the fourth century while Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) refined it towards the end of the Crusades. It asserted that christian nations should hold a presumption against the morality of going to war except in circumstances of self defense with heavy protections for civilians, vulnerable and innocents.

There are two parts to Just War theory, both with Latin names:
• Jus ad bellum: the conditions under which the use of military force is justified.
• Jus in bello: how to conduct a war in an ethical manner.

The Crusades obviously did not follow Just War Theory. They were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were intended to recover Jerusalem and its surrounding area from Islamic rule.

The pope (Urban II) absolved all who took part in the crusade of all their sins. The first Crusade captured Jerusalem after bitter fighting, and the residents of the city were brutalized and slaughtered by the Christian invaders. The invaders' conduct breached the principles of modern just war ethics, and the massacres still color Islamic politics today.

I have not read this but wonder whether Thomas Aquinas revisited Just War theory in response to the horrors of the Crusades unleashed in the Holy Land.

According to Aquinas, three requirements must be met. Firstly, the war must be waged upon the command of a rightful sovereign. Secondly, the war needs to be waged for just cause, on account of some wrong the attacked have committed. Thirdly, warriors must have the right intent, namely to promote good and to avoid evil.

Many Western and even non Western countries have adopted JWT for providing ethical military guidelines. It is used in secular way now but still widely influential for guiding military treatment of enemies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "Golden Rule" was proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth[40] during his Sermon on the Mount and described by him as the second great commandment. The common English phrasing is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". A similar form of the phrase appeared in a Catholic catechism around 1567 (certainly in the reprint of 1583).[41] Various applications of the Golden Rule are stated positively numerous times in the Old Testament: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."[42] Or, in Leviticus 19:34: "But treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.".[43]

The Old Testament Deuterocanonical books of Tobit and Sirach, accepted as part of the Scriptural canon by Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Non-Chalcedonian Churches, express a negative form of the golden rule:

"Do to no one what you yourself dislike."

— Tobit 4:15
"Recognize that your neighbor feels as you do, and keep in mind your own dislikes."

— Sirach 31:15
Two passages in the New Testament quote Jesus of Nazareth espousing the positive form of the Golden rule:

Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.

— Matthew 7:12
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

— Luke 6:31[44]
A similar passage, a parallel to the Great Commandment, is Luke 10:25.[45]

Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"

He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself."

He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live."
The passage in the book of Luke then continues with Jesus answering the question, "Who is my neighbor?", by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, which John Wesley interprets as meaning that "your neighbor" is anyone in need.[46]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule#Christianity

OP - thanks 😊

[Anonymous]

Matthew 5:43-48

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like religion because it teaches you moral truths and helps you self-examine yourself and the world morally on a regular basis. Very little else in society comes close to the intensity, depth, and regularity of this type of learning. I remember people I went to college with thinking the constitution was all they needed and they barely even knew that. Doubt they still feel this way now. Eventually, many people wake up to the fact that all religions serve the same purpose and it's basically just about providing passed-down written and oral morality lessons on where to spend your energy for good for yourself and others based on past human observation over time. As one of the statements above said, the rest is a commentary that may or may not be applicable in your situation and lifetime.

O0 - Yes I agree that the Jewish version of the Golden Rule hit on a salient aspect of it being central to leading a good life and advising people to really ponder it. Imagine if we all thought more deeply about how to live the Golden Rule in meaningful ways.

Regarding the value of religion - I agree that it can help one to think more deeply about everyday reality through different lens such as “why” rather than “how” Of course, religion can have the opposite effect for those trapped in cults or wed to rigid dogmas that are unresponsive to complex reality.

For me, an important part of religion is shared life experiences and honoring the Great Divine Mystery within a community of faith. Religion is derived from the Latin “religio” meaning (among other things), “bond of social relations uniting individuals.” Religion reminds me to forgive and seek forgiveness, to seek constant renewal of heart and mind, and to be faithful in small and large matters.

I appreciate your sentiments but disagree religion is the structure by which you deeply consider your morality. You can be spiritual and feel close to nature or respect the sanctity of life and that would be enough to guide your morality through your days. Organized religion is a sham. Unless you are spiritual you wouldn't be purely moral because organization requires you to think about the larger purpose of your group. In this way you have corruption from the Vatican forward throughout the Church. Organized religion is a paradox - I get how people want to bond together to celebrate their faith but true faith is spirituality that you find alone. This stuff just can't be one voice for all. All religions may speak the same but we all can't approach it together but conclude on our own how we want to live. That's the purity and value of spirituality - you find that level of grace at your own speed and as you live. You can't have someone else lay it out it just doesn't work cause you have to find your own truth.

My biggest issue with religion and the Catholics above all is that the seek to implore you to believe as they do. They don't offer you the faith of finding your own golden rule. It's really easy to say and it's really pretty to say but to truly love it is not easy. So the whole of organized religion is mostly a sham. You can be truly religious and belong to a Church but not everyone belonging to Church is truly spiritually. That's the problem with humanity - we want things to be easy and pretty but real life is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christianity says to treat your enemies well, not just your neighbors. Don’t know how that works in the other religions but would love to hear.

OP - Good point / it is probably no accident that modern Just War theory grew out of Christian theology.

The principles of a Just War originated with classical Greek and Roman philosophers like Plato and Cicero. Christian theologians St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) proposed the first modern version of JWT in the fourth century while Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) refined it towards the end of the Crusades. It asserted that christian nations should hold a presumption against the morality of going to war except in circumstances of self defense with heavy protections for civilians, vulnerable and innocents.

There are two parts to Just War theory, both with Latin names:
• Jus ad bellum: the conditions under which the use of military force is justified.
• Jus in bello: how to conduct a war in an ethical manner.

The Crusades obviously did not follow Just War Theory. They were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were intended to recover Jerusalem and its surrounding area from Islamic rule.

The pope (Urban II) absolved all who took part in the crusade of all their sins. The first Crusade captured Jerusalem after bitter fighting, and the residents of the city were brutalized and slaughtered by the Christian invaders. The invaders' conduct breached the principles of modern just war ethics, and the massacres still color Islamic politics today.

I have not read this but wonder whether Thomas Aquinas revisited Just War theory in response to the horrors of the Crusades unleashed in the Holy Land.

According to Aquinas, three requirements must be met. Firstly, the war must be waged upon the command of a rightful sovereign. Secondly, the war needs to be waged for just cause, on account of some wrong the attacked have committed. Thirdly, warriors must have the right intent, namely to promote good and to avoid evil.

Many Western and even non Western countries have adopted JWT for providing ethical military guidelines. It is used in secular way now but still widely influential for guiding military treatment of enemies

There were rules for fair war way before Christianity.

DharmaYuddha means righteous war and there were rules of engagement and it was to be a last resort. These are describe in the Hindu text of the Mahabharata.

Other ancient cultures also had such laws, the Ancient Egyptians, and the Zhou dynasty in China.

Christianity was actually a late adopter to this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like religion because it teaches you moral truths and helps you self-examine yourself and the world morally on a regular basis. Very little else in society comes close to the intensity, depth, and regularity of this type of learning. I remember people I went to college with thinking the constitution was all they needed and they barely even knew that. Doubt they still feel this way now. Eventually, many people wake up to the fact that all religions serve the same purpose and it's basically just about providing passed-down written and oral morality lessons on where to spend your energy for good for yourself and others based on past human observation over time. As one of the statements above said, the rest is a commentary that may or may not be applicable in your situation and lifetime.

O0 - Yes I agree that the Jewish version of the Golden Rule hit on a salient aspect of it being central to leading a good life and advising people to really ponder it. Imagine if we all thought more deeply about how to live the Golden Rule in meaningful ways.

Regarding the value of religion - I agree that it can help one to think more deeply about everyday reality through different lens such as “why” rather than “how” Of course, religion can have the opposite effect for those trapped in cults or wed to rigid dogmas that are unresponsive to complex reality.

For me, an important part of religion is shared life experiences and honoring the Great Divine Mystery within a community of faith. Religion is derived from the Latin “religio” meaning (among other things), “bond of social relations uniting individuals.” Religion reminds me to forgive and seek forgiveness, to seek constant renewal of heart and mind, and to be faithful in small and large matters.

I appreciate your sentiments but disagree religion is the structure by which you deeply consider your morality. You can be spiritual and feel close to nature or respect the sanctity of life and that would be enough to guide your morality through your days. Organized religion is a sham. Unless you are spiritual you wouldn't be purely moral because organization requires you to think about the larger purpose of your group. In this way you have corruption from the Vatican forward throughout the Church. Organized religion is a paradox - I get how people want to bond together to celebrate their faith but true faith is spirituality that you find alone. This stuff just can't be one voice for all. All religions may speak the same but we all can't approach it together but conclude on our own how we want to live. That's the purity and value of spirituality - you find that level of grace at your own speed and as you live. You can't have someone else lay it out it just doesn't work cause you have to find your own truth.

My biggest issue with religion and the Catholics above all is that the seek to implore you to believe as they do. They don't offer you the faith of finding your own golden rule. It's really easy to say and it's really pretty to say but to truly love it is not easy. So the whole of organized religion is mostly a sham. You can be truly religious and belong to a Church but not everyone belonging to Church is truly spiritually. That's the problem with humanity - we want things to be easy and pretty but real life is not.

OP - I agree that organized religion has a lot to answer for, and am a passionate believer in the separation of church and state in order to protect the integrity of both .Religion is often misused for political and commercial gains. Jesus himself said to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s (taxes and political engagement) but to render into God that which is God’s (faith, worship and loving hearts)

I don’t think that we can actually do religion alone. Religion comes from the Latin “religio” meaning bond of social relations that unites individuals. That usually involves commonly held cosmologies but is tied together by shared community life and worship services. We can’t be spiritual living alone in remote caves where interpersonal challenges are not tested. Humans are social animals. Religious sacraments celebrating births, marriages and deaths can help us to mark and celebrate major life milestones in meaningful ways.

I converted to a religion where intellectual reason is highly valued and encouraged. Faith needs both reason and tradition to grow in rich soil (We see our religion as a three legged stool of faith, reason and tradition and all are equally important). The brain is a muscle to be exercised in order to execute free will in responsible ways. Bible stories have many layers of meanings and underlying deeper truths to be pondered in non literal ways that take into account ever changing social and historical contexts. Western Science and reason actually evolved over many centuries together with Christian religion.

I don’t see science and religion as being in conflict but subscribe to the brilliant theologian- Physicist Ian Barbour’s typology of dialogue model between science and religion. Many people wrongly subscribe to the conflict model between science and religion. I can see how many people arrive at that conclusion when religion is misused as a vehicle for promoting populist ignorance.

[Anonymous]

I think of that sculpture where the mother is slowly giving her energy to her child. Spirituality is not just about building ourselves up but giving of ourselves to others and in order to do so you need to be able to understand others and have some similarities to them so they will understand you. This is how society and religion flourish. And like habit tracker or any of these learn a habit tools, you have to do this regularly to have strength in these skills.

Most religions have a communal and individual part of their teaching and worshipping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think of that sculpture where the mother is slowly giving her energy to her child. Spirituality is not just about building ourselves up but giving of ourselves to others and in order to do so you need to be able to understand others and have some similarities to them so they will understand you. This is how society and religion flourish. And like habit tracker or any of these learn a habit tools, you have to do this regularly to have strength in these skills.

Most religions have a communal and individual part of their teaching and worshipping.

OP - that sculpture is a power metaphor for dying to self in Oder to find yourself. I know it is a balancing act and self care is important but the happiest people to me always seem to be those who have found their callings using their personal talents and time to serve others …

Good point about the dance between nurturing both individual inner lives and active social lives within faith communities …it is not always easy to balance that …

[Anonymous]

I think the sculpture means you can’t give what you don’t already possess either consciously or unconsciously. You have to nuture yourself to feel safe to nurture others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like religion because it teaches you moral truths and helps you self-examine yourself and the world morally on a regular basis. Very little else in society comes close to the intensity, depth, and regularity of this type of learning. I remember people I went to college with thinking the constitution was all they needed and they barely even knew that. Doubt they still feel this way now. Eventually, many people wake up to the fact that all religions serve the same purpose and it's basically just about providing passed-down written and oral morality lessons on where to spend your energy for good for yourself and others based on past human observation over time. As one of the statements above said, the rest is a commentary that may or may not be applicable in your situation and lifetime.

O0 - Yes I agree that the Jewish version of the Golden Rule hit on a salient aspect of it being central to leading a good life and advising people to really ponder it. Imagine if we all thought more deeply about how to live the Golden Rule in meaningful ways.

Regarding the value of religion - I agree that it can help one to think more deeply about everyday reality through different lens such as “why” rather than “how” Of course, religion can have the opposite effect for those trapped in cults or wed to rigid dogmas that are unresponsive to complex reality.

For me, an important part of religion is shared life experiences and honoring the Great Divine Mystery within a community of faith. Religion is derived from the Latin “religio” meaning (among other things), “bond of social relations uniting individuals.” Religion reminds me to forgive and seek forgiveness, to seek constant renewal of heart and mind, and to be faithful in small and large matters.

I appreciate your sentiments but disagree religion is the structure by which you deeply consider your morality. You can be spiritual and feel close to nature or respect the sanctity of life and that would be enough to guide your morality through your days. Organized religion is a sham. Unless you are spiritual you wouldn't be purely moral because organization requires you to think about the larger purpose of your group. In this way you have corruption from the Vatican forward throughout the Church. Organized religion is a paradox - I get how people want to bond together to celebrate their faith but true faith is spirituality that you find alone. This stuff just can't be one voice for all. All religions may speak the same but we all can't approach it together but conclude on our own how we want to live. That's the purity and value of spirituality - you find that level of grace at your own speed and as you live. You can't have someone else lay it out it just doesn't work cause you have to find your own truth.

My biggest issue with religion and the Catholics above all is that the seek to implore you to believe as they do. They don't offer you the faith of finding your own golden rule. It's really easy to say and it's really pretty to say but to truly love it is not easy. So the whole of organized religion is mostly a sham. You can be truly religious and belong to a Church but not everyone belonging to Church is truly spiritually. That's the problem with humanity - we want things to be easy and pretty but real life is not.

OP - I agree that organized religion has a lot to answer for, and am a passionate believer in the separation of church and state in order to protect the integrity of both .Religion is often misused for political and commercial gains. Jesus himself said to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s (taxes and political engagement) but to render into God that which is God’s (faith, worship and loving hearts)

I don’t think that we can actually do religion alone. Religion comes from the Latin “religio” meaning bond of social relations that unites individuals. That usually involves commonly held cosmologies but is tied together by shared community life and worship services. We can’t be spiritual living alone in remote caves where interpersonal challenges are not tested. Humans are social animals. Religious sacraments celebrating births, marriages and deaths can help us to mark and celebrate major life milestones in meaningful ways.

I converted to a religion where intellectual reason is highly valued and encouraged. Faith needs both reason and tradition to grow in rich soil (We see our religion as a three legged stool of faith, reason and tradition and all are equally important). The brain is a muscle to be exercised in order to execute free will in responsible ways. Bible stories have many layers of meanings and underlying deeper truths to be pondered in non literal ways that take into account ever changing social and historical contexts. Western Science and reason actually evolved over many centuries together with Christian religion.

I don’t see science and religion as being in conflict but subscribe to the brilliant theologian- Physicist Ian Barbour’s typology of dialogue model between science and religion. Many people wrongly subscribe to the conflict model between science and religion. I can see how many people arrive at that conclusion when religion is misused as a vehicle for promoting populist ignorance.

I agree, constant intellectual engagement is key to faith, not in conflict with it. I'm currently reading the gnostics for more insight into the times shortly after Jesus.

Three-legged stool--Episcopalian. Welcome, friend! You're doing a great job creating an engaging and informed thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jainism states it best from my perspective.

Thank you for creating this thread !

Yes, it sounds advanced Golden Rule .

OP 😀 - yes that does include all sentient beings - especially intelligent animals with strong emotions such as elephants, dolphins and dogs/ cats. So many animals really. It is daunting really, but we can at least try to be kind to all creatures.

This.

[Anonymous]

"Do unto others" is a philosophy; There's nothing inherently "religious" about it. Just common sense most people could figure out on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like religion because it teaches you moral truths and helps you self-examine yourself and the world morally on a regular basis. Very little else in society comes close to the intensity, depth, and regularity of this type of learning. I remember people I went to college with thinking the constitution was all they needed and they barely even knew that. Doubt they still feel this way now. Eventually, many people wake up to the fact that all religions serve the same purpose and it's basically just about providing passed-down written and oral morality lessons on where to spend your energy for good for yourself and others based on past human observation over time. As one of the statements above said, the rest is a commentary that may or may not be applicable in your situation and lifetime.

O0 - Yes I agree that the Jewish version of the Golden Rule hit on a salient aspect of it being central to leading a good life and advising people to really ponder it. Imagine if we all thought more deeply about how to live the Golden Rule in meaningful ways.

Regarding the value of religion - I agree that it can help one to think more deeply about everyday reality through different lens such as “why” rather than “how” Of course, religion can have the opposite effect for those trapped in cults or wed to rigid dogmas that are unresponsive to complex reality.

For me, an important part of religion is shared life experiences and honoring the Great Divine Mystery within a community of faith. Religion is derived from the Latin “religio” meaning (among other things), “bond of social relations uniting individuals.” Religion reminds me to forgive and seek forgiveness, to seek constant renewal of heart and mind, and to be faithful in small and large matters.

I appreciate your sentiments but disagree religion is the structure by which you deeply consider your morality. You can be spiritual and feel close to nature or respect the sanctity of life and that would be enough to guide your morality through your days. Organized religion is a sham. Unless you are spiritual you wouldn't be purely moral because organization requires you to think about the larger purpose of your group. In this way you have corruption from the Vatican forward throughout the Church. Organized religion is a paradox - I get how people want to bond together to celebrate their faith but true faith is spirituality that you find alone. This stuff just can't be one voice for all. All religions may speak the same but we all can't approach it together but conclude on our own how we want to live. That's the purity and value of spirituality - you find that level of grace at your own speed and as you live. You can't have someone else lay it out it just doesn't work cause you have to find your own truth.

My biggest issue with religion and the Catholics above all is that the seek to implore you to believe as they do. They don't offer you the faith of finding your own golden rule. It's really easy to say and it's really pretty to say but to truly love it is not easy. So the whole of organized religion is mostly a sham. You can be truly religious and belong to a Church but not everyone belonging to Church is truly spiritually. That's the problem with humanity - we want things to be easy and pretty but real life is not.

OP - I agree that organized religion has a lot to answer for, and am a passionate believer in the separation of church and state in order to protect the integrity of both .Religion is often misused for political and commercial gains. Jesus himself said to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s (taxes and political engagement) but to render into God that which is God’s (faith, worship and loving hearts)

I don’t think that we can actually do religion alone. Religion comes from the Latin “religio” meaning bond of social relations that unites individuals. That usually involves commonly held cosmologies but is tied together by shared community life and worship services. We can’t be spiritual living alone in remote caves where interpersonal challenges are not tested. Humans are social animals. Religious sacraments celebrating births, marriages and deaths can help us to mark and celebrate major life milestones in meaningful ways.

I converted to a religion where intellectual reason is highly valued and encouraged. Faith needs both reason and tradition to grow in rich soil (We see our religion as a three legged stool of faith, reason and tradition and all are equally important). The brain is a muscle to be exercised in order to execute free will in responsible ways. Bible stories have many layers of meanings and underlying deeper truths to be pondered in non literal ways that take into account ever changing social and historical contexts. Western Science and reason actually evolved over many centuries together with Christian religion.

I don’t see science and religion as being in conflict but subscribe to the brilliant theologian- Physicist Ian Barbour’s typology of dialogue model between science and religion. Many people wrongly subscribe to the conflict model between science and religion. I can see how many people arrive at that conclusion when religion is misused as a vehicle for promoting populist ignorance.

I agree, constant intellectual engagement is key to faith, not in conflict with it. I'm currently reading the gnostics for more insight into the times shortly after Jesus.

Three-legged stool--Episcopalian. Welcome, friend! You're doing a great job creating an engaging and informed thread.

🙏❤️😊


Ooh please share your insights into the Gnostic gospels …

Our church had a brutal history in early American history regarding providing theological cover for institutional slavery but I love that our church is willing to wrestle with past wrongs and to repent from grievous structural racism and be part of interconnected solutions. I’m not sure that we are communicating well
enough to make ourselves more relevant to younger more diverse demos - But the intention is there for thoughtful inclusion and hospitality …

⭐️