I report and link. You decide. - BJon
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. - Psalm 20:7
Interview, church publication, June 2006:
“I believe that democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal values,” [...] “Social justice and national security are both universal values, values that may originate for some in their religious beliefs, but are shared by us all.” [/] “I think it is up to individual pastors and faith leaders to help guide religious Americans in prioritizing what is in their own holy books,” [...] ["]I’m always open to engage with others, even those who disagree with my positions, as long as the dialogue remains fair-minded and respectful.” [My emphasis.]
Speech, June 2007
Yet what we also understand is that our values should express themselves not just through our churches or synagogues, temples or mosques; they should express themselves through our government. Because whether it's poverty or racism, the uninsured or the unemployed, war or peace, the challenges we face today are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten-point plan. They are moral problems, rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness – in the imperfections of man. [/] And so long as we're not doing everything in our personal and collective power to solve them, we know the conscience of our nation cannot rest. [My emphasis.]
Speech, June 2006:
Perhaps it was out of this intimate knowledge of hardship—the grounding of faith in struggle—that the church offered me a second insight. You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away—because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey.
It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ on the South Side of Chicago one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice and not an epiphany. I didn’t fall out in church. The questions I had didn’t magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt that I heard God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to God’s will and dedicated myself to discovering God’s truth.
That’s a path that has been shared by millions upon millions of Americans—evangelicals, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims alike; some since birth, others at certain turning points in their lives. It is not something they set apart from the rest of their beliefs and values. In fact, it is often what drives their beliefs and their values.
Jim :) Smiling aka Brother Jonathan aka Toto Of Kansas | Link to my Blogs, Forums & Essays
