Table of Contents | ROOM TO QUESTION
Up to this juncture in our journey I have written about my interests and have ignored, for the most part, the questions some have about the faith traditions of others. As we continue our "sacred journey" with Jesus as our companion some of us want or need guidance or are curious about many things. What are the things you need to know? I am not certain but I have set a partial list on these pages. These sentences are intended to serve as "ticklers" as well as to make it easy to read those that interest you; click on any you wish to read for a longer explanation of my opinions. Others will be added in the days ahead. Your reactions, comments, additions and criticisms are desired. You can reach me at my e-mail address (BobSueSand@aol.com). ROOM TO QUESTION: (1) "Can a person who is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender be part of the Church?" Sexual orientation is a mysterious given communicated through an exceedingly complex set of chemical, biological, chromosomal, harmonal, environmental and developmental factors totally outside of one's control. In "God language" sexual orientation, heterosexual and homosexual, is a gift of God's creative grace. That's a perspective to elicit gratitude, not condemnation! For those who see this issue differently, I have a comment and a question. First my comment. "I have read the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) thoroughly. Neither Jesus nor the gospel writers mention homosexuality even once!" My question is this. "Since you say homosexuality is a choice, when did you choose to be heterosexual?" So far no answer! ROOM TO QUESTION: (2) "Can a Christian be a patriot?" There is some evidence that the church is willing to stand against the tide of blind patriotism in favor of loyalty to gospel that includes loving country faithfully. That's a stance that includes opposition when that government violates the Constitution! ROOM TO QUESTION: (3) "What is the nature of God?" How can I understand God when the dominant descriptions of God as a remote creator or domineering parent are all bankrupt? Does God just point an accusing finger at any failing and cluck the divine tongue at the slightest sin? How about the image of God as One who yearns for the best for all of us? Is that image valid? ROOM TO QUESTION: (4) "What is the Christian life?" Faith understood as eschatological and behavioral is being replaced by faith as geographical and existential and relational. ROOM TO QUESTION: (5) "What does it mean to say Jesus died for our sins?" Theories of the atonement that are aimed at pleasing or appeasing God are being abandoned. The life Jesus lived, the death he died and the life to which he invites us is God's gracious gift and God keeps on giving it. His death is a symbol of his determination that his "alternative social vision" will live. ROOM TO QUESTION: (6) "Should a religious view of beginnings be taught in the school room?" The process by which God chose to bring life out of nothingness is evolutionary. 'Creation science' and 'intelligent design' are misleading phrases. Indeed, 'intelligent design' is a code-word for an anti-evolutionary stance! The "new cosmology" has an astounding viewpoint about beginnings; see Brian Swimme's The Universe Is A Green Dragon in "The Planetarium." ROOM TO QUESTION: (7) "How do you decide what is right and wrong?" What does the mind and faith and spirit and person of Jesus suggest God would have me do -- in my situation, given who I am, where I am and confronted with the decision that is now my decision? Far more demanding than just obedience to rules or WWJD! That stance creates judges. ROOM TO QUESTION: (8) "What is faith?" Believing a particular set of claims or doctrines generates proper behavior and orthodox doctrine, not a relational understanding. ROOM TO QUESTION: (9) "Why pray when evil prevails and God doesn't seem to care?" Perceived as a relationship other than that of One who is beyond can contribute to a dynamic understanding! See "The God Room" (1) for my perspective. ROOM TO QUESTION: (10) "What good is religion in a post-modern world?" Since religion has become one of the most wicked, ruinous and divisive forces of human experience then should it be abandoned? Or, is there a way of seeing religion differently? It's at its best when seen as "beggars telling other beggars where bread can be found!" ROOM TO QUESTION: (11) "What does the church for the 21st century look like?" Some de-construction must take place so that the church can be constructed as a place that is accepting, open, non-judgmental, compassionate, joyful and nourished by grace. ROOM TO QUESTION: (12) "Is the church's message unique?" The traditional message of the church as some manifesto correcting the doctrinal aberrations of other traditions or setting down "final answers" must be rejected. The power of gospel is found in the understanding that humans are meaning-makers. Human beings "construct" myths to interpret life's meaning. Uniqueness is a category that doesn't describe a universal activity. ROOM TO QUESTION: (13) "What is the shape of faith?" My faith is more a "perpetual journey to an unreachable destination" than an affair of the head; visceral not cerebral." ROOM TO QUESTION: (14) "What is church as 'a community of memory?'" The "seeker-type" churches risk losing track of the crucial links to the past that can illuminate the path to goodness and grace. ROOM TO QUESTION: (15) "What components are essential for the 'new cosmology?'" The 'mythology of Christianity' is rooted in a supernatural theism reflecting a metaphysical view that has imploded; however, the 'new cosmology' hints at a perspective that is articulating the pathway for a new future. ROOM TO QUESTION: (16) "Can I know God's will for my life?" The will of God isn't something that calls for a sigh of surrender to the inevitable but is the option that is best because God's will is unfailingly positive and creative. ROOM TO QUESTION: (17) Is belief in God helpful? With the advent of the "new cosmology" and the modern erosion if not total collapse of the metaphysical world view that requires supernatural theism, the question of God has returned to the public consciousness. In light of the tsunami and Katrina and the collapse of a bridge in Iraq and, now, Virginia Tech's slaughter, a belief in an intervention by God is impossible. What's left for us moderns? ROOM TO QUESTION: (18) What does the designation of Jesus as "Son of God" mean today when he is seen by many as a Jewish peasant and "subversive storyteller?" To designate Jesus as "divine" and "Son of God" and "Savior of the World" is to take titles that all belonged to Caesar Augustus before Jesus was even born and use them as appropriate for him. That was high treason and was setting up a counter-world to Rome. Rome crucified those who made such claims. When the historical Jesus is seen as a Jewish peasant and "a subversive story teller" who used parables to envision a way of life that is radical, is that human or divine behavior? |