the Jesus Manifesto

I read these simply too see the separate sides of the same coin, the coin being truth. I personally believe in G-d and nothing will turn me away from this. G-d is not an idea, G-d is not some chemical combination which creates a euphoric sense of self-awareness, G-d is an entity. An entity that cant and wont EVER be explained through scientific ... Read Moremethods. I do believe we, as a people, couldn't have gotten very far without science. But the real question is what science is being used for. "Nourish a man's mind but not his soul and you have a senseless brute." Not the exact quote, I know. Imagine a world where everyone did believe in the teachings of G-d and Christ. No science applied would give you better results...why not go to a lab and analyze that. lol Secondly, according to science we can never be 100 percent right...but we can be 100 percent wrong. Never forget that. In G-d I trust.

o.0 This person knows their shit. But remember even the most amazing people, who were just as smart...knew there was something above us.
"Blessed are the ones who know. Cursed are the ones who choose otherwise."

^o^ Didnt think it would show here. =\

So when followers of Jesus help others move from poverty, brokenness, sickness, lonliness, etc., is that not progress?

Progress without the positive movement of God in a holistic sense -- emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, economically and physically -- from brokenness to redemption, is not progress. No positive movement from brokenness to redemption is at best, stagnation, or at worst, regression. At its most evil, it is tyranny of soul.

Progress is not progress, if in it's name, there is exclusion, oppression, tyranny, or evil.... Read More

Progress and success do not have to be negative forces, if they have their foundation in loving and serving our neighbors and if they seek to provide clear, Spirit-driven alternatives to evil.

Just like everything els eman creates, progress has become broken and taken on idolatry. Money, in and of it's self, is not sinful. But the worship of money is. Same with progress, when progress runs the show, not God, it is evil.

There's nothing wrong with us being localized in how we point to God's justice with our lives...

But in our local communities, we can make judgement calls about what we might do for less local crises. But the emph needs to be on the local, trusting that there'll be a blessing/spill-over into the rest of the world.

This is why i advocate for election reform, so we can be locally-focused in ways that will affect nat'l politics, which will in turn affect the rest of the world in a variety of ways.... Read More

dlw

Thank you for sharing your thoughts & faith through this essay. I do wish to demure at two point: (1) Jesus and power. Is it really true that Jesus "did not seek political power"? If the People of Israel had by and large responded to his call for repentance, would that not have resulted in a powerful social movement with political and economic ... Read Moreimplications. It seems to me the type of power that our Lord rejected is power that is sought through scapegoating and violence. But anyone who promises humanity fullness of life is speaking about power for without power there is no life.

(2) Is it really true that the "god" of America is not real? Is it really the case that the "spirit of Americanism" confused by so many Americans with the God revealed to us through Jesus has no powerful impact on our world? Me thinks that what Paul referred to as the "powers and principalities" of this world are indeed powerful realities in our ... Read Moreworld. If it were not so why would he, inspired by the way of the cross lived by his Savior, urge us to arm ourselves and "fight the good fight" against them?