Today in class, I just talked about "rule-based" religion (any fundamentalist religion) and "relationship-based" religion (love God/love neighbor). We applied this to the issue of abortion and how the former wants to reduce abortions by outlawing them and the later by taking care of women (making birth control available and stopping gender violence). We then discussed which strategy is more likely to reduce the number of abortions.
In regard to Jesus not being found in the church - a few years ago, I was transformed by realizing what Heb. 13:11-14 was actually saying. Jesus cannot be found in the "holy" places (Temple or Jerusalem). Jesus is "outside the city" where the "unclean" human trash has been tossed by religious people. If I want to encounter Jesus, I need to go to where those rejected by the church reside...
I’m in the gospels, Romans, and Acts right now and there’s so much discussion about rules versus heart, command-led versus Spirit-led, outward actions of eating and doing and praying versus intent. There truly is nothing new under the sun that we are back at the same issues as in Jesus’ day.
Today in class, I just talked about "rule-based" religion (any fundamentalist religion) and "relationship-based" religion (love God/love neighbor). We applied this to the issue of abortion and how the former wants to reduce abortions by outlawing them and the later by taking care of women (making birth control available and stopping gender violence). We then discussed which strategy is more likely to reduce the number of abortions.
In regard to Jesus not being found in the church - a few years ago, I was transformed by realizing what Heb. 13:11-14 was actually saying. Jesus cannot be found in the "holy" places (Temple or Jerusalem). Jesus is "outside the city" where the "unclean" human trash has been tossed by religious people. If I want to encounter Jesus, I need to go to where those rejected by the church reside...
I’m in the gospels, Romans, and Acts right now and there’s so much discussion about rules versus heart, command-led versus Spirit-led, outward actions of eating and doing and praying versus intent. There truly is nothing new under the sun that we are back at the same issues as in Jesus’ day.