The Pokey Finger of God

The educational organization (the Fellowship) described in the previous post would necessarily be included within the context of an organization that modeled its principles. This outer, or sister, organization would be the Temple, providing a regular calendar of celebratory events, workshops, meditation settings, and frequent opportunities to commune with the spirits of community and place. [...]

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If you were to create a new religion from scratch and could pick and choose any doctrines or theologies you felt appropriate, which stance is better: “I’m the only one who can help you” or “I’m okay, you’re okay”?

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I would like to start something big and ambitious, something that just might save the world. Before I go into detail about what I’m visualizing as the full fruition of the idea, I will first share the fundamental reasons for even considering going down this path.
The Principles
Between my personal explorations and the work I did [...]

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I posted a link to my Facebook page, with a snarky heading and comment, and this drew some attention. Particularly, it drew me into a brief discussion with my friend, Litch. The link in question was to an essay about what Atheists get wrong about religion.
I said: “This essay clearly breaks out the fundamental [...]

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Among many other great cultural losses that occurred after Christianity was made the exclusive mode of religious expression allowed in the Empire, was the idea of personal spiritual sovereignty. There was once a great diversity of theology and practice. People were not exclusive to any one church any more than people today are exclusive to [...]

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At first, I could never understand the True Believers.
My first encounters with them was in Christian churches. My own, initially pedantic, attempts at Bible study repeatedly failed to illuminate the motivations or goals of True Believers. I could never understand just what was so exciting in the faith as I had ever seen it practiced.
Atheists [...]

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Two famous biographies are here summarized to make a point about a significant problem in the art of archaeology. The question is whether one can even determine if the character of some ancient story actually lived when all you have are the written records that tell the story.
My first subject has defined an entire school [...]

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Have you lost your capacity for linear thinking or analytical reasoning?
As part of a bit of pleasant wiki-surfing this morning, I paused to consider the idea of ‘post-Christian‘. I’ve heard a couple of people use this term recently and it’s made me curious about what other people think it means.This lead me, through a related [...]

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One of the greatest revelations I had during my intense periods of religious study centered on the use of a single word: Christian.
Much of my early exploration was propelled by my insistence that I was not, and would not be, a Christian. Now that I’ve come around to the far side of that journey, I [...]

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Vatican’s 10 Commandments for Drivers
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican on Tuesday issued a set of “Ten Commandments” for drivers, telling motorists not to kill, not to drink and drive, and to help fellow travelers in case of accidents.
An unusual document from the Vatican’s office for migrants and itinerant people also warned that cars can [...]

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