The Nonviolent God Is No Mere Projection — Richard Murray
Sometimes I hear the concern from critics that those who advocate for the non-violent nature of God are just projecting their own ideas and desires onto God.
But, here is the thing. Left to my own nature and personality, I definitely AM an eye-for-an-eye guy. I grew up wrestling in school and fighting in bars. I both drew blood and lost blood. So, my own natural bent toward reactionary violence is quite honed, hostile and ever-ready. And, engaging in the verbally violent cross-examinations that practicing law demands has done nothing but show me how to even more effectively shred people who are attacking my clients.
But, when I first recognized 25 years ago that Jesus lives within me, and that He wanted to transform my heart, things changed. The God who turns the other cheek at my sin– bar none, has also called me to do the same toward all others– bar none. And by turning the other cheek, He doesn't ignore the sin at all. Rather, Jesus deals with it directly by overcoming all-evil with all-good.
"Turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, give the extra garment, love your enemy, pray for those who despitefully use you, THAT you may be sons of your Father in Heaven, for our loving God sends bountiful rain and replenishing sunlight on both the good and the evil, the just and the unjust, THEREFORE be ye perfect AS as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:38-48.
My point is that it's counter-intuitive and contrary, at least in my case, for my nature and personality to project non-violent attributes onto God. For me to advocate a non-violent image of God is not projection at all since I am not that way by inclination. Projection is a psychological transference of our OWN qualities or faults onto our image of another. In fact, in a way, its Jesus who is projecting His own divine qualities ONTO and INTO us. And that's a good thing.
A Sacramental Approach to Ecology – Erica Grimm
“Irreversible end of civilization” and “the size of the remnant depends on how much we change now” are phrases seared into my memory (Seizing An Alternative: Toward an Ecological Civilization). Profound loss is the sorry legacy of a mechanistic model of the universe, loss of forests, loss of ice, loss of cold, loss of species–according to the wildlife conservancy ¼ of the earth’s species will be extinct by 2050. Extinct is forever. Human caused climate change has halted the fecundity of what can only be described as the paradisal flourishing of the Cenozoic Era (dozens of millions of years).
A Meditation on Anger – Rob
A meditation on anger I've been meaning to write this one for a long time now, but, well, life happens. A few months back I was on a retreat. It was a great time. Lots of new people, lots of drinking. Not so much new info, but free room, board, and drinks. There...
Katharine Hayhoe: A leading climate scientist, and an evangelical – Lloyd Mackey h/t Wayne Northey
Chart on the right: How Fossil Fuel Money Made Climate Change Denial the Word of God Wayne Northey: Sadly, faith and politics have been a toxic mix that has led to enormous denialism (like Holocaust deniers) in the Plymouth Brethren/evangelical...
Lecture: Evelyn Underhill & C.S. Lewis – by Ron Dart
Review of Arnold Shives’ “Alpine Anatomy” – by Ron Dart
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Arnold Shives @ Cezanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire The Influence of Tom Thompson, Emily Carr and the Group of Seven My earliest “art” memories are of a pair of late nineteenth century oils on canvas, portraits with grey-brown backgrounds, that graced the wall of our...
A Sesquincentennial Message from Jean Vanier
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Columbus Day? Brian Zahnd
It’s Columbus Day in America. Sort of. While still a Federal holiday, less than half the states observe Columbus day. And in some states and in many cities today is observed as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Where Native Americans still have a fairly visible presence...
Postcards from Babylon – Brian Zahnd
At the end of Peter’s first epistle — a letter to believers living in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire — the apostle cryptically says, “She who is in Babylon greets you.” What does Peter mean by that enigmatic phrase? Why does Peter end his letter by...
How Fossil Fuel Money Made Climate Change Denial the Word of God – Brendan O’Connor
How Fossil Fuel Money Made Climate Change Denial the Word of God Brendan O’Connor Filed to: ANOINTED BY BIG OIL WN: The supreme haughty superiority of Christians who just know all the massive, irrefutable science about human-caused climate change — as...