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Friend, I love your essay! Taking a naturalistic approach to karma and rebirth is extremely necessary if Buddhism is to be transplanted to the west and thrive. Have you read Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor? He goes a bit too far in suggesting that we jettison karma and rebirth...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity "Gnostic View" Hi Chris, I think that Spong is saying that Christianity MUST take off its theistic, supernatural cloak or otherwise it will drown from being weighed down in postmodern waters. He is very adamant, and he makes a convincing case, that...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity The translation of the Greek "ecclesia" is "to be called out". I see this as a call to transcend our limited humanity and become "divine" like Jesus. I don't see Jesus as God but as a manifestation of the presence of God. To me at least, God is not a being...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity I've just remembered how Spong demonstrates how the synoptic gospels, as they were written chronologically, paint a picture of the divinity of Jesus that becomes more and more theistic. What he is suggesting is that a return to the roots of Christianity...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity right back at ya'!;)

Re: Post-theistic Christianity I agree that this thread could be uncomfortable to many people. It is wise that we proceed cautiously. I think that this forum is a wonderful way to generate an ecclesia for the future that speaks to Christian and Non-Christian alike. I do hope that others do...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity Q, I agree that for most Christians, the Bible as literally understood, is sacred. I also agree that, up to the 20th century, the tribal mentality has ensured man's survival. What I see in Jesus' message, however, is a call to transcend and abandon this tribal...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity I haven't read Tolle yet but I am an enthusiastic proponent of anyone who's strong enough to challenge the fossilized version of Christianity that has been passed on to us via its institutions. What so many of us don't realize is that Christianity can be...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity wil, you are absolutely correct to state that the old texts and stories have not lost their flavour. Spong, and I agree with him, says that the Bible can have a powerful meaning in our lives....but for many of us, this requires rescuing the Bible from a literal...

Re: Post-theistic Christianity I, Brian, One other quick thing: For Spong, Jesus is central to HIS OWN God-experience. Jesus may not be the doorway for others. He acknowledges how others see the Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna etc..as a portal to that SAME God-experience.

Re: Post-theistic Christianity Hi I, Brian....Namaste It is difficult for me to do justice to Spong's vision in a simple post, but I will do my very best. His vision is intertwined with many revolutionary ideas and can't be summed up with fortune-cookie precision. Your observation that a...

I'm wondering if anyone has read any books by the former Bishop John Shelby Spong. Does anyone have any opinions (for/against) on Spong's post-theistic interpretation of Christianity? Is he right when he professes the death of Theism as a reality in our midst or can the ancient theistic...

Certainly not. There may be some cultural misunderstandings though. It could be that other cultures find queries, no matter how sincere and respectful, as threats to their world-understanding. I want to think that if the conversation were able to continue, this person would come to understand...

Namaste Vajradhara, I appreciate your insight concerning my question. I will certainly read The Secret of the Golden Flower in earnest. I find much of the Taoist tradition during my exploration into Zen. These two paths definitely intertwine. I have read Taoist Meditation by Thomas Cleary...

Hi Everyone! Does anyone know of a Taoist meditation method that is similar to seated zazen practice? I have read and practiced Small/Grand Circulation and standing meditation such as Embrace Tree in TaiChiChaun but I am still wondering if there is anything less esoteric than these practices...

Peter Gabriel: The Tower that Ate People. Sting: All This Time Rage Against the Machine: Freedom Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G

Hi wil! It's nice to meet you. I'm really excited to be a part of this forum. It's about time that all of us around the globe met together to share, listen, talk (and I hope not shout) about our faiths, or lack thereof. I genuinely feel that this is the only effective way to combat...

I love this post! I think I'll make this my mantra!

My name is Tony. I am an eye doctor from Pennsylvania, U.S.A. I love comparative religions and I can't get enough of them. I drive my wife crazy with all of the reading I do. I tend to relate more to eastern spirituality, specifically, Zen, Taoism and Vedanta/Yoga. I have a black belt in...