Christianity
Everyone is Agnostic
Jul 12, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Everyone is agnostic, but not everyone admits it. Sometimes, we confuse firmly-held beliefs with well-documented facts, but beliefs are not facts.
Practice is Underrated
Jun 24, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Many Christians assume that belief is the most important feature of religion and that belief influences community and practice. In fact, many people who abandon Christian beliefs (which may seem speculative or supernatural to them) also abandon community and practice.
Belief is Overrated
Jun 15, 2023 by Larry Jordan
All theology is speculation, and when we realize that there are almost 50,000 Christian denominations and that all of them have changed a lot in 2,000 years, we see how absurd it is to claim that any denomination, no matter how large or how old, contains "Truth with a capital T."
Belief, Community, and Practice
Jun 02, 2023 by Larry Jordan
In a few weeks, I will be speaking on "Belief, Community, and Practice" at our local Unitarian Universalist church. Since 2000, there has been a precipitous decline in church attendance, aggravated by the pandemic. Today, 60% of American never or seldom attend a religious service.
A Kernel of Truth
May 24, 2023 by Larry Jordan
One of the unexpected joys of writing a book is participating in some interesting conversations surrounding the book -- at author talks, in book clubs, and online. Yesterday, I had an online chat about organized religion with a Facebook friend in Africa who is reading my book.
"Cut Your Life in Half"
May 16, 2023 by Larry Jordan
This week, I participated in a recorded Zoom call with Jim Palmer for members of the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality community. Both of us are talkers, so the conversation ranged far and wide. Somehow, we kept returning to the theme of minimalism, living a natural life in the real world.
Religion and Spirituality
Mar 23, 2023 by Larry Jordan
For purposes of this post, "religion" is a specific set of organized beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group, and "spirituality" is more of an individual practice, involving a search for connection, peace, and purpose. (Of course, these definitions are not mutually-exclusive.)
Assumptions
Jan 18, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Religion is cultural, and every culture develops a worldview that contains assumptions about the Universe and the individual. In the Western worldview, the focus is on the individual, so God is personal, individuals are persons, and persons have selves and souls and free will.
"Have You Ever Unlearned Anything?"
Aug 05, 2022 by Larry Jordan
In “the Red Book” by Carl Jung, the author asks Ammonius the Anchorite how he can read the Bible many times for many years, without encountering monotony.
The Three Things that God Told Me
Aug 05, 2022 by Larry Jordan
As far as I know, God only ever told me three things in over sixty years of living:
The Two Percent and the 98 Percent
Aug 05, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Ten years ago, the Catholic bishops led a campaign called the Fortnight for Freedom, a campaign for “religious liberty.”
