The following guest sermon was submitted by ULC minister Angela Winkler. All ULC Ministers are invited to contribute their own sermons for consideration/publication. To submit a sermon, please email it to sermons@themonastery.org.
A new Gallup poll shows that for the first time, fewer than 50% of Americans are members of a church. Good, it's about time they came to their senses.
It’s been a long journey, but it finally seems there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel for the extinction of organized religion.
Religion, and the extremism which grows from it, is a cancer on the breast of freedom. The only solution that will ensure a free and just society is for traditional religious bodies to be dismantled – the sooner the better, in my opinion.
Escaping the Dark Ages
A few years ago I wrote a guest sermon for the ULC on this very subject. Back then, I said that America was being held back from a new Age of Enlightenment by religion’s insistence on keeping us in the Dark Ages, and I stand by that.
Take Christianity, the largest religion in America. It's teachings simply do not square with science. There’s the obvious: The majority of Evangelicals to this day deny basic biological truths like evolution or the age of the earth, insisting that the earth is but 6,000 years old and that humans didn’t evolve from apes but rather came from Adam and Eve.
Some believe we lived side-by-side with dinosaurs (they’re only off by 65 million years). Others are adament that dinosaurs are a 5G-style hoax. This type of thinking is quite obviously retarding our potential as a people.
The brainwashed religious masses even inject this hogwash into our public school systems too, fighting tooth and nail to get ‘intelligent design’ taught alongside evolution in classrooms across America, as if they’re somehow equal theories.
A Brighter, Religion-Free Future
Religion also holds us back culturally. These so-called "believers" only believe in liberty and justice for some – namely, themselves. Christianity in America is indeed built on the backbone of hate of the “other.” Don’t forget that most slave owners in this country were themselves very devout Christians.
Perhaps following in their ancestor’s footsteps, even today white evangelicals can’t even admit that black lives matter. In fact, a study found that only one-third of white evangelicals are motivated to address racial injustice. The sins of the past are very much alive in present day evangelicalism.
It doesn’t stop there. Ask any LGBTQ+ person about the compassion of the church and you’ll get laughed at. From old battles like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act, to modern mistreatment like the movement to block trans people from using their preferred bathroom, millennials have been witness to a ‘greatest hits’ of religious opposition to letting our queer brothers and sisters live their lives without being hassled.
As our society moves toward LGBTQ+ acceptance more broadly, younger generations are shocked to contrast that with the poor treatment gay and transgender youth receive from the church.
For decades, religion has taught these folks to be ashamed of who they are. But no longer! There is a rebellion taking place before our eyes.
Don't believe me? Consider the recent headlines featuring rapper Lil Nas X, and how he's bravely confronting the issue head-on.
No wonder young people are leaving the church in droves. But the job is not done yet.
There is Hope Yet
Thankfully, the ship is slowly but surely righting. America is less religious than ever, and the trendline is moving farther in that direction each year.
To truly forge a new path, a better path, in science and social justice, we must wean ourselves from the teat of organized religion and rid ourselves of its strangling rules.
The great thinkers of the Age of Reason embraced modernity and made untold advances in the sciences, arts, and politics. It was an age of great change and high culture, a step back from blind piety and holy wars.
The Universal Life Church was founded on similar intellectual reasoning: that for society to evolve, people must be allowed to worship however _they _see fit – not according to arbitrary rules put in place by church leaders with antiquated views.
Freedom and choice are central to creating a future where religion is a constructive (as opposed to a destructive) force, and I'm proud to be a ULC minister under the banner of those ideas.
The sooner we decide that organized religion has had its time, the sooner America can enter a new Age of Enlightenment. I, for one, welcome it.
109 comments
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James Pace
I can totally get behind this!
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Rev. Jonathan Peebles
I am a very spiritual person myself but I never agree with Organized religion; we all must find out own belief system for sure and its good to see that despite what so many want to drill into me we are now a religion free country and no God should not be included if it is church vs state maybe just maybe swearing a bible, in god we trust, and one nation under god my eventually fade away so we are truly a free nation from religion all the way...
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Johnny Mac
This is the kind of rubbish I expect from the unenlightened. Must you be reminded that what is a minute to us humans living on HIS creation may only be a second to him for our whole lives. And that his day back when he created the universe may have taken a hundred billion years of our time to do the first day! Or perhaps to create all the light, the land, the clouds and the animals that Adam named! Years mean nothing to GOD, you think millenniums do? You lifetime he blinks and your done. Organized religion runs amok when the pastor does not guide his flock? If the religion is bereft of guidance, it may not be the pastors, but the seminary that produced them. Man is infallible is a joke! I fail GOD everyday! I a sinner, repent for my sins each and every day. Don’t blaspheme calling for the abolishment of Organized Religion. We would better serve the church if we proved their waywardness and corrected that which is offensive to the FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT. Be not the Sadducees and Pharisees who cried for JESUS CHRIST to be crucified in this day and age. In Jeremiah Chapter 36 the King read a scroll and then cut it up and burned the pages until it was consumed. Jerimiah gave an empty scroll to a scribe and spake all the words of the destroyed scroll to him again that it might be preserved. GOD as my witness: woe to man who will destroy the word of GOD because he disagrees with it. I am praying for you all. In JESUS name I pray! Amen
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Lionheart
I’m sorry you see it all as rubbish Johnny, but being as you have no demonstrable evidence to back up your claims of the reality of any god, let alone yours, it seems that you are the one that’s unenlightened, unless of course you do have some wonderful testable evidence that no one else seems to have presented yet, or are you just stating things you’ve read in an old book? If you can’t present any testable evidence that can be demonstrated to be true by everyone it would seem that you have been deeply indoctrinated, as many are, by a load of rubbish.
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Brian Scott Hoff
Johnny... you use the bible as self supporting evidence that it is real? Then... the Grinch is real. It says so.. just read it more carefully. So is The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, and about 1,000,000+ other texts which tell a story but we carefully define it as "Fiction". The more incredible the story is the more evidence needed to believe it could be true. You do this in all other aspects of your life but you don't hold that one book responsible to provide evidence that its contents are true. Why do you do that?
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CB
Organized religion has its place! It is a great place from which to start your very own relationship with the Divine! If you find that a particular church/congregation is not working for you, go to a different one! We have to remember that Jesus did not intend to start an organized religion; His intention is for each one of us to see His Word in each of our hearts, and act from that, to live a positive and productive life, becoming more like Him; loving, caring, compassionate.
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Rev. K.L. Owens
I totally agree with you Johnny Mac!
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Lionheart
And your testable evidence to demonstrate your beliefs are true is where, or are you just going buy "feelings" of belief, like everyone else does with all other religions?
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Jesse James Bartlett
Well since you clearly aready know everything why even bother studying even further on any subject? The mission statement for this website is that we are all children of the same universe yet your writing displays a huge degree of hate filled words based on nothing more than your possible lack of understanding. Do you know how many times science has been proven wrong? I noticed you mention nothing about that. In the future if you can't something nice perhaps it would be better if you said nothing at all.
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Lionheart
Thank you Jesse. The beauty of science is that testable theories can be proved right, "and wrong". That's how we get to know what is true, and what isn't, then progress is made. That's the problem with those that just rely on faith as a yardstick for truth....which of course it isn't.
I'm so sorry you see common sense as being hate filled, or unreasonable. Let me show you what hate filled, and being unreasonable is:
"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones"
"Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, But they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.
"Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” So, as the Lord commanded Moses, and all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died."
👆🏼This was simply for picking up sticks on the sabbath day.
Perhaps you prefer this type of hate 🤷🏻♂️. For me, I prefer to just state my opinion based on logic and reason and have better morals than that jealous, egotistical, genocidal deity. Thank goodness it appears to be all myth....hopefully.
As for your "In the future if you can't [say] something nice perhaps it would be better if you said nothing at all" I genuinely wish you well, and do hope that one day you might be able to see other peoples points of view, that differ from yours, as being just...well....different. Thank you for contributing to this blog.
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Wesley Troy Hamblin
Lionheart I see your point and keep an open mind it is the way you see it . In some ways I agree with you and some I don't . The Pagans before the Church and Bible worshipped more then one God or Goddess and science has proven some of their practice to be right . The healing power of herbs and crystals . So maybe science hasn't looked in the right spot to find the proof of God . Blessed Be and fair well brother .
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Lionheart
You are right about the healing phytochemicals of many plants, which have been known about for a long time, and the science of botany has been around for a long time testing these out. We know which plants can be used for medicinal purposes and which can't.
There is currently no testable evidence for the healing power of crystals, their electrical energy has been known about, and used for a while, hence the first crystal radios. When an alternating electric field is applied to a quartz crystal it will generate mechanical oscillations of a certain frequency. In the resonant condition, the external weak electrical energy can be converted into mechanical energy stored in the quartz crystal. This is only applicable to mineral of quartz.
Yes pagan cultures, and other indigenous cultures, through the millennia of time have harnessed some of the earths attributes for the good, and not so good, of mankind. So also have other animals and birds, they too know what plants to eat, and what not to eat. the ones that didn't more than likely died off, hence the natural selection of evolution.
I'm trying to understand your comment suggesting science hasn't looked in the right spot to find the proof of god. Are you somehow trying to make a connection with the earths natural characteristics of things like phytochemicals of plants, quartz crystals, gravity, magnetism, etc with a god?
Thank you for your comment. Beltane is not too far away. Enjoy!
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Rev. Tim
Evangelicals for Trump is an excellent summation of why Americans are increasingly leaving organized religion. Hypocrisy is deeply repellent.
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Robert A Stiff
Oh, Timothy, did you ever hit the nail on the head. Excellent response.
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John P Maher
THE LORD NEVER BOUGHT ME A MERCEDES BENZ !
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Minister Carlos Ricardo Walls
Fellow ministers bless all of you.We need to practice more love,tolerance and forgiveness.Truly follow and do the word of God's holy book.The Bible.
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Rev. Robert
Agree on your first 2 sentences. But “ God’s holy book”? The Bible is a collection of papers written or handed down from generation to generation with many edits, interventions and one would believe omissions. King James Version? New King James Version? English version,International version, and the list goes on...which one is God’s version? Granted these stories and advice on how to live and treat your neighbor are important tools, but know that humans created these works. They needed rules for all to follow, just as they created God.
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Alan Joseph N E U B E R T
Rev. ? Doubt it. There is no God inspired word to you?
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Woodrow
The churches are closed because of pandemic. The ones that are open are growing in leaps and bounds.Christianity is alive and well.
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Lionheart
You might be right, though I haven’t seen any empirical evidence of that.
I did find from Pew research stating that the decline of religion continues at a rapid pace, as shown in my link, so I’m wondering where you are getting your information from.
https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
Thanks in advance.
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Woodrow
https://lifewayresearch.com/2021/03/17/how-the-growing-global-church-can-encourage-american-christians/
That first report was 2019. I call B. S. on decline, BYITNOJ
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Lionheart
Ohhhh Lifeway Research! A religious organization...........Got it! Not exactly an unbiased organization then. Are they also associated with fake news CNN?
Do you also read the Bible and believe everything in it without any evidence by any chance?
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Woodrow
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord?
And you must listen to pew forum and CNN fake news.
The Gospel is the real News.
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Woodrow
BYITNOJ
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Lionheart
Are we supposed to understand what BYITNOJ means?
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Woodrow
No I don't. I thought you would never know. Bless you in the name of Jesus!
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Woodrow
And also I know that PEW research is a religious organization.
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Lionheart
Got it! Thank you.
Bless you in the name of all little children dying of cancer.
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Lionheart
Thank you for your question and the answer is I definitely do not think the biblical Jesus is Lord. In fact there is very little evidence he ever existed but there’s a good possibility he did, or someone like him did.
To be honest I don’t know what a Lord really is. I’ve heard of Lord Krishna so I’m assuming it’s something like that.
I hear he it’s suggested he is the brutal jealous angry God of the Old Testament, which of course is fiction, unless someone has demonstrable evidence to prove otherwise.
No I am definitely not a supporter of CNN.
As for what you suggest by saying that the gospel is the real news, I certainly hope not. It’s full of very poor morals, brutality, religious blackmail, death, and gore. Definitely not something for children.
Thank you for your questions though.
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Woodrow
Why would I listen to cnn? Or any network?
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Woodrow
You don't believe because you haven't met Him.
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Lionheart
And neither has anyone else. There’s a Nobel prize for the first person that can prove, with evidence, they have met him. Are you ready to claim the prize, or is it just a “faith” thing?
Tell him “Hi” from me next time you meet him, and tell him to come and see me. Why am I thinking that’s not going to happen?
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Woodrow
Do you believe in science?
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Lionheart
Having been involved with the redesign of the Solid Rocket Boosters for the Space Shuttle Program, after the Challenger disaster in 1986 that killed every astronaut on board, the answer is yes to your question.
Per my request asking you to ask your god, or Jesus, to come and see me to prove he’s real, as far as I’m aware he hasn’t shown up yet, unless I can try and make out his image on the toast I’m currently eating. Let me have a look. Nope, all I can see is butter and jam, an English delicacy known as a “Jam Butty”. If he’s real, hopefully he can do better than toast images. Anyway, please don’t give up asking him. If he really is real, just tell him that now would be a really good time to show himself, and not just on toast. Thank you Woodrow. I’m relying on your faith being as I don’t have any as I only believe in demonstrable evidence/science.
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Woodrow
Patience my friend. He will be there when you least expect Him.
Also a disaster doesn't bring to you unbelief in science. Which is awesome, perseverance too.
So you can believe! Get ready, get ready, get ready.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. BYITNOJ
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Woodrow
Do you believe in science, since you don't believe in Jesus?
And I did make a wrong statement.
The Gospel is the Good News. Just for you.
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Lionheart
Thank you for your thoughts and I know you mean well.
For the record, he’s still playing hide-and-seek as best hasn’t shown up yet, which to be honest doesn’t surprise me. Cometh the hour we might both be surprised and find Lord Krishna is waiting for us which will please those of that faith, and disappoint those of other faiths. I guess we’re not going to really find out until we’re dead. 🤷🏻
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Woodrow
When you least expect it.
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Lionheart
Whenever it is. If it happens to be true I’ll still punch him on his nose and stamp on his feet for his pathetic ineptitude of caring for others, especially children dying of cancer.
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Woodrow
Cancer is caused by resentment. Define the word and follow the definitions. It is malignancy. Check out the synonyms.
People are causing their kids to resent the things they say or make them do.
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Lionheart
Ohhhh I see, you are under the impression that it’s all our fault that children have cancer, even children and babies of good standing religious parents. Shame on you and your god. Shame on the intelligence you were born with. Shame on your religion. Shame on whoever indoctrinated you. No doubt you will have an apologists reason as to why your god killed little children instead of taking care of Pharaoh. Was that out fault too? Does he condone stoning people to death because of us as well? This thing you worship is the most despicable of all known mythical gods. You, my friend, are close behind him, along with all of your corrupt flock that think just like you do.
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Woodrow
I never said it was your fault. And I have not said anything about religion. So you believe in science. So what? All I'm saying is resentment kills. And you talk about killing children.
Oh well.
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Richard Leo Solgot
You need to read the book gods not dead it explains alot of the science and Jesus and explains the big bang mathematics and it was proven Jesus was crucified by the Roman's and rose again in 3 days in the tomb they had 2 gaurds guarding the tomb and know one went in and took the body the Roman gaurds had every chance to take the body and move it but they didn't take it so how was it not there when they opened it and there were over 500 people that seen Jesus after he rose
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Lionheart
There are more than 500 people Richard that claim to have seen Elvis since he died and still don't believe he is dead. Do we also believe their claims as well?
Perhaps you can point out where in the Bible Jesus explains the "science" of the Big Bang.
I can read many books of "claims", even the Bible, but that doesn't make any of those claims to be true without real evidence. Courts are packed with people "claiming" their innocence. Have you ever served on a jury, I have. Hard factual evidence will always win out over claims.
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John D. Partin
Yes, it's all our fault that some little children are dying and have died of cancer because we have let loose the curse of sin upon the world, which isn't going to restrict itself just to punishing those directly involved in the sinning and the guilty, but will extend to innocent children and the rest of us as well. Floods, tidal waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, avalanches, earthquakes, mud slides, droughts, extremely cold weather, and other devastating natural phenomena don't only hurt the evil people, but the good people, too, and everyone indiscriminately who are in their path. The flood of sin in the world also isn't going to only hurt or kill evil people, but innocent children and others as well. They are brought on by the disruption of the natural order caused by our sinning against and rejection of God and the price that other people have to pay for your sins and my sins. Cancer in innocent children is no different than rape of innocent women or muggings and assaults on innocent people or the sex trading of innocent women or any of the rest of man's inhumanity to man. Why should any of this be happening at all?!! Because we chose to reject God and sin against Him and this is the price tag for our doing that, though you and other people want to live in a consequence free universe and do whatever you want without any adverse effects from all of that and those effects going beyond yourselves. But that is totally unrealistic and unreasonable!! God respects our free will enough to let us go our own way and ignore and reject Him altogether, but there is a price to be paid for our doing that and no such thing as a consequence free action or free lunch. We pay one way or another. Your and other people's hating God because of the consequences for us of our own choices is like criminals hating the law because their own actions resulted in their being put into prison or jail, and there are criminals who think that way and take no responsibility for their being incarcerated: "it's all society's fault or my upbringing's fault or any other people's fault, except mine!!". You "think" the same way as these criminals do when you and the rest of the unbelieving world take no responsibility for your choices' effect on the world and the world that those choices create for everyone, even innocent children and other innocent people. The saying goes for criminals "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime!" and the saying also goes for the world "If you don't want the effects on everyone that come from sinning, don't keep doing the sinning, but if you keep doing that sinning, you will keep having those effects!!".
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John D. Partin
Your saying that you will "punch him on his nose and stamp on his feet", if God turns out to be true, for not curing all children of cancer and delivering us from all the consequences of our sinning against and rejection of Him is just your ridiculous egotism spouting off again because some other beings far stronger than you are, who would exist, too, already tried to do that and more to God, but were just cast out of Heaven down into Hell!! All that you will really end up doing is wandering away miserably down to Hell with the rest of the godless people when Jesus tells you "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity!". Go ahead and laugh now, when you aren't there crying and screaming and gnashing your teeth in Hell, but you won't be laughing two seconds after you get there!! "Woe unto you who laugh now, for you will mourn!" is what Jesus was referring to by that.
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Richard Leo Solgot
You need to read gods not dead there are scientists and atheist like your self that have changed there thoughts about God and it it people like you that don't want to believe that males this world the way it is today. Read that book yes it has been a proven book of life and science
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Lionheart
So, is the author of that book going to claim the Nobel prize for proving good exists? No one has so far. I somehow think not.
As I keep telling other theists on here, please tell your god to come and show himself to me to prove he is real. So far he’s not showing up, and why am I not surprised? The answer is, your omnipotent god is obviously not real. When will you theists wake up to this fact?
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Louise Marie Harmon
Well said!
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Debra L. Derrick
I agree with you 100%. What about the many other global religions, (not Christians) who likewise have some pretty scary fundamentalist beliefs? Many of those folks would just as soon kill you/us as give up their superstitious beliefs. The folks who refer to the rest of us us as infidels and worse? I am unable to see any end of the continued religious wars in sight, sadly for us as a species. Albeit a pretty primitive species. I would wish a prayer for us all, but this seems moot.
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Rev. Barry
Very true.We need to realize that things happen for a reason.If no technical explanation, perhaps Karma.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
It's about time. Just remember Mother Nature lives on.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
It's about time! Mother Earth is not LGBTQ+ friendly. It's about time we all trust in science.
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Brian Scott Hoff
Huh... you mean the animals that have shown us, on film, that sometimes boys do their best with other boys? Even my dog thought a pillow might be a suitable mate. Nature shows us that variation is pretty much what we can expect so why wouldn't we expect it within humans as well?
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Woodrow
Why would we trust science in all of it's flaws?
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Douglas Robert Spindler
It got it to the moon and back many times. We have computers and GPS. Are any of those flawed? Science and a Belgium priest have proven to us the Bible is wrong. Science is self correcting. What makes you think it is flawed?
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Woodrow
They all have flaws. Science is not self correcting, it still has flaws,or why would it try to self correct?
It did not get to the moon and back many times either.
It's all theoretical. Hit or miss is not self correcting.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
With science we are trying to figure out the natural world. We are trying to get answers to questions we don't know. And once we do, we call them laws. Try and break one of the laws in science. You can't.
Religion told us about the natural world. God told us how natural word is, but thanks to science we know God got it wrong. And that famous Belgium Priest who calculated the Big Bang proved God did get it wrong in the Bible starting with the book of Genesis. Unlike the laws of science which can't be broken, God's laws is broken every day.
If God's laws were true the Big Bang would not have happened and computers and GPS would NOT be possible. GPS and computers are proof God's laws are wrong.
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Woodrow
Who made science laws?
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Science laws are observations everyone who is alive, and who have ever lived has obeyed. You know what happens when you try and break one of the laws of science?
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Woodrow
Who made science laws
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Lionheart
A law in science was not "made" Woodrow, it's basically a description given to an observed phenomenon, much like, for instance, the law of gravity, the law of motion, the law of momentum. These are not theories that turn into law, they are observable facts that exist, and can be simply proven to exist, unlike people's fallacies of deities.
Thank you for your question.
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John Norris Campbell
Religion is and has been man's idea of what pleases God. The Roman catholic Church has profited handsomely from keeping their congreation in the dark...keeping them in subjugation...in submission...and guilt. Totaly ignoring the Grace of God....going so far as to say salvation is only through their 'club'. Their "pope" Francis has already reserved a paticular place in Hell...one reserved for leading many to hell.....I can only imagine that there is no ocean view....unless it's the ocean of the damned
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Clifford
Amen to that. 🙏🏻 God created man. Man created Religion.
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Lionheart
Do you have any evidence that a deity created mankind? It’s my understanding that mankind has always created deities since they first believed the sun was a god. Since then, there have been many, thousands in fact. I’m sure you have atheistic views on all of those gods, except yours of course. Which one of them do you believe in?
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Alan Joseph N E U B E R T
Faith does not equal religion.
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Woodrow
I agree that faith does not equal religion. Where does faith come from?
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Woodrow
What is faith?
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Woodrow
No Response?
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Lionheart
Presumable, faith comes from feelings with no testable evidence, just like so many do of all other faiths that do not subscribe to your faith. Hence the number of religions on the face of the earth all claiming their faith is telling them that they have the right belief.
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Woodrow
again, what is faith?
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Lionheart
I'm sorry you don't know what faith is and need this blog to identify it for you. People of all religious "faiths" use that word to help them "believe" in something when in fact they don't have any evidence to support their claim.
For instance, Muslims uses faith to help them "believe" in the truth of Islam.
Mormons use faith to help them believe in the truth that angel Moroni is/was real.
So again, faith is a belief method to create a false proposition that something is real when in fact there is no evidence to support the claim.
You could have "faith" that the earth is flat, and with that "faith" firmly belief it. Faith doesn't make anything true, as evidenced by the many religions found around the world, all claiming to have the truth because of "faith".
If you still don't understand what faith is, I'm afraid there is little hope for you, but thank you for reading anyway.
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Woodrow
I know what faith is, and I know where it comes from. But many don't believe because they can't see it or feel it.
With your last response, you are guessing like a scientist. Whichever has the best results. Like vaccination number one over number two, but some like trial number 3.
Scientists are playing like they are God. But they aren't.
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Lionheart
Actually, you are wrong. Scientists don't guess, that's exactly what faith relies upon, guesswork, hence the many world religions and belief structures.
Scientists have theories, and they create tests to test those theories, over and over again, and submit peer reviews papers for others to validate, their claims. Galileo did the same thing when he proved, with science, the heliocentric model of the earth and planets revolving around the sun, when he went against Catholicism's "geocentric theory" of the earth being the center of the Universe with everything revolving around it. This got Galileo incarcerated for the rest of his life because of people, possibly like you, using faith, and unproven scriptural writings.
Saying many people don't believe because they done "see it, or feel it" is perhaps the biggest fallacy I have ever read here on this blog. Are you under the impression that others, of other faiths, are not "seeing and feeling" the same way you "see and feel", but your "seeing and feeling" is the right "seeing and feeling"? When did you last see it Woodrow? Do you realize how absolutely absurd your falacial statement is?
Your appeal to ignorance, (also well known as argumentum ad ignorantiam), might wash with some folks Woodrow, but not with me, and others of a higher intellect on here.
Oh....and by-the-way, scientists don't play like they are God because if they did, you wouldn't be able to see them. They always make themselves plainly obvious to all who want to see them.
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Woodrow
Yep, and they are conspiracy theories.
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Lionheart
I actually agree with you that all religions are based on conspiracies. There is not a shred of evidence that any of their religions gods are real. They all conspire to deceive. Even their gods don't seem able to prove it, so much for their claimed omniscience.
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Woodrow
Science is all about theory. Some are conspiracies.
We watched the conspiracy of scientists. Day after day for over a year.
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Lionheart
Of course science involves theory, then theories are tested and are either proved conclusive, or inconclusive. Nothing is left to faith.
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Clifford
But that doesn’t mean the temple is. It’s always been within..
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Brien
Christianity is not the only organized brainwashing group around. There are others that are just as bad. Organized religion is dying out because it no longer represents a more enlightened culture. Spiritualism is alive and well because it relates to a more broad base of people. Organized religions in general have a very narrow and closed minded view of the world and because of that younger people are simply moving beyond them. Peace
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Woodrow
Like government. Don't leave the big one out.
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Richard Leo Solgot
Yep the government they are the one that taking religion out of everything just like a court room but they want you to swear on that bible the government and law just want to controll us that's why they do it but they all will have to answer to God and then they will be judged
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Minister Raydeen
if this pandemic do not open our eyes, another one will be unleashed. God wants us to love one another. period.....until this happen, this world will be lost...
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James Lynn Jones
Who cares? Every point either side makes is only 'theirs'. 'Theirs' means no more than a monkey's side. Every fanatic in the world believes ONLY as they think, everyone else is wrong. Who cares?
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Michael Paul Gadoua
Well said. I agree.
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Michael Paul Gadoua
[Brien, Christianity is not the only brainwashing group around, they share the category with many other groups.]
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Michael Hall
Thank you, Reverend Winkler, this was a good post. There is an ongoing effort by cognitive scientists to learn how God is perceived by the faithful that is starting to bear (forbidden) fruit. Also, in keeping with your last statement regarding Enlightenment values, I highly recommend Steven Pinker's Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.
Those of us without faith in gods but still believe in humanity would be well advised to work for peace and justice in this world since there won't be another.
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John Casillo
IT APPEARS FROM THE COMMENTS THAT WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT "TRANSMISSIONS" TO RECEIVE...EVEN CLASSICAL DEAD CARS OUT ON THE LAND WITH GRASS AND WEEDS GROWING AROUND THEM WHILE IT IS RUSTING AWAY STILL HAS VALUE.....TO PULL A PART.....OR TO COMPLETELY RESTORE...OR POSSIBLY A GREAT INSPIRATION TO SHOOT A PHOTO...ALL IS IN THE EYE AND MIND OF THE BEHOLDER.....SO BE CAREFUL NOT TO THROW EVERYTHING AWAY.....REV JOHN
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T
most of it well said and agreed. i would like to add that the church has a history of treating many, many others, not just the LGBTQ+ folks in this same manner. a big step for folks fighting your cause or their own is to remember there are others receiving (or have received) the same treatment, not just your group. you could have many more allies than you generally do. BLM made this same mistake imo. when expressing a subject that affects such a broad community it might be helpful imo to include others, not just your own cause. stop searching for sympathy or empathy and start searching for what connects all the people... not just one group or another. this includes these same folks themselves (the church), forgiveness is tough, but rewarding. i personally believe in love and compassion towards all, human or not, living or not. the article might come off very self serving to some. if you want others to care for you it helps to show you care for them. you're so busy trying to get everyone to relate to LGBTQ+, you never bother trying to relate to them.
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Brian Konrad Elliott Balke
Properly interpreted, the Biblical Creation myth and the Trumpets of Revelation align perfectly with what paleontology tells us about evolution (see www.love-returns.org). That these words were written thousands of years before the subject was invented should give us pause.
Prejudice and intimidation long predate religion, and will survive long after. Religion, at its heart, is the project of disciplining our Darwinian urges to the service of love. It is a hard project, but one that must be undertaken. As you note, the problem is difficult, and we tend to recidivism.
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Rev. K.L. Owens
Well that's just plain ignorant. Why would Universal Life Church allow, such an uneducated non-sense post? Don't believe this non-sense People. I grew up a non-believer, and only became a Christian and Ordained Christian Minister after becoming educated; don't let this waver your Faith in God. I won't sit here and quote the Bible for you, because it will do you no good, but rather I will share with you some knowledge I possess on this exact matter. Please see my Facebook page Public posts; there are only a few Publicly available to review. https://www.facebook.com/The5thHorsemanUnleashed
If you have questions, if you are confused about something, if you want answers, if you are a non-believer and need clarification, please challenge me, because I have all your answers!
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Woodrow
And if you need answers to questions that you can't answer let me know. For one, what is the will God for you?
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Alan Joseph N E U B E R T
You are so full of progressive crap. The losses we are sustaining to the church are mostly in main stream protestant denominations and thank goodness for that only. The church as a worship center iof Christ is scriptual.
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Lionheart
So, are you claiming that your faith is based on a book, like others of other faiths (not christian) base their faith on their book?
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Woodrow
no
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Richard Leo Solgot
Based on the most proven book ever the ones that wrote it are the ones that walked with God and God's only begotten son
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Lionheart
Who would those people be Richard that you are under the impression not only wrote it, but "also" walked with Jesus?
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Woodrow
who wrote the books of the old testament
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Lionheart
Who indeed! Presumably incredible con artists not expecting anyone to really believe stories of a talking ass and talking serpent, but then again, if people can be made to believe in someone with the ability to walk on water, and turn water into Merlot,🍷 anything is worth trying.....right? 🤷🏻♂️
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Alan Joseph N E U B E R T
You are so full of progressive crap. The losses we are sustaining to the church are mostly in main stream protestant denominations and thank goodness for that only. The church as a worship center iof Christ is scriptual.
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Gerardo Salazar
Interesting to read but completely wrong; I mean, America is not the World, regardless of what some people think, and religion is not just Christianity as sure as ice creams are not only vanilla flavor. Putting this particular country aside let’s take a look at the planet we share with everybody else and we will come to realize that religions are alive and in good health. The Muslim World comprises almost 23% of the World population with 1.9 billion adherents actively engaged in their beliefs and if we look at Hinduism 1.2 believers cannot be wrong, can they? Buddhism next wit around 600 million and so on.
Is religion dead? Of course it is not! Take a look at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, The Mosque in Makkah during Hajj or India during the ever popular Kumbh Mela in which over 30 million people gather to pray and worship.
As Mark Twain said “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”.
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Gerardo Salazar
Although very hard to believe by some folk there are other countries besides the USA and other religions than Christianity. People not afraid to look out will discover a huge practicing Catholic population in America, the continent, not the country. Islam reigns supreme in the Middle East, Indonesia and parts of Africa, with a quarter of the World’s population following its dictates and then India, Incredible India, with around 600 million practicing Hindus that gather for the Kumbh Mela, sometimes with 30 million in the same place, not to mention the millions praying together in Makkah during Hajj.
There are many other valid religions, Judaism, Bhuddism, etc, plus a plethora of domestic Churches in America with very active members who will disagree with your statement. In the words of Mark Twain :”The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated “.
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Woodrow
The problem is faith in science and man and no faith in God.
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Peggy Jane Williams Thomas
Hello from south central Kansas, USA - Bible Belt. I grew up a Christian in the Methodist Church and still attend regularly. But the old dogma doesn't set well with me. Think what you may, but as I have heard & experienced information shared with me form "beings" not of this earth, I can't be stuffed in the religion box. Truly, to me we have guides, the masters -including Jesus & Buddha, Quan Yin, and many others coming through those who can channel their messages. All tout how love, compassion, forgiveness and loving oneself is vital for this Golden Age of Aquarius that we have entered. Then there is the shocker of what I have found out from several sources, (I'd have to search for those particular references) that we are currently ending the great experiment of genetic manipulation by advanced civilizations over hundreds of thousands of earth years. That sounds so bizarre, but beings who are millions of years more advanced are watching over humanity right now. They love humanity and want us to succeed -the dark forces are being culled out. Perhaps you have heard how our development of the A-bomb was like a beacon to those out there in the universe that we are a violent race and need supervision so as to not blow up this garden planet and thus many old souls have incarnated as billions are here to be apart of this great ascension. But we have to stop killing each other! ULC includes all spiritual paths and as a mediator - I am here to be of service.
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Woodrow
What kind of service?
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Ryan R. Shaw
Jesus wasn't a Christian. Mohammed wasn't a Muslim. Buddha wasn't a Buddhist. Krishna wasn't a Hindu.
Religion is man-made. Spirituality is God-made.
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John D. Partin
By your definition of "faith" as "guesswork", your "science" and atheism would also be faith because you make the unrealistic guess that the mindless universe came up with its own laws and interconnection of them and gave birth to itself, and keep obstinately adhering to that faith, despite all common sense, logic, and natural evidence that can be put in front of you that contradict that stupidity!! No Inquisitor torturing people or burning them at the stake or Fundamentalist Christian snake handler ever had a more unreasonable faith or a more unreachable mind and heart than you and other atheists do!! Compared to all of you, those other fanatics were "the men of science" and "calm and reasonable thinkers"!! It isn't science to go into any "investigation" with preconceived notions of what the "truth" is going to be, anyway, and set out to "prove" that to be "true", as your "scientists" set out to "prove" that "the universe created itself", which is impossible, and "mindlessly comes up with super-intelligent laws and interconnection of them for itself", which is also impossible, because, then, you might just as well forget about any farce of an "investigation" and stay at home in your self-satisfied, smug, and ignorant "knowledge that you are right" no matter what!! Actual investigations are for discovering the truth, not for "confirming" what you already believe. Where is your peer reviewed "evidence" and paper that shows that "the mindless universe created itself and is responsible for its own laws and interconnection of them"? You can't come up with any such "evidence" or paper, except to your own satisfaction! Even when actual evidence of the spirit world and spiritual reality are put before your own eyes and ears, in paranormal activity, you refuse to believe it and believe your own eyes and ears because it doesn't match and support your preconceived ideas about "reality" and "science"!! No other bigot about race, religion, or any other subject was or is as closed-minded and unreachable a bigot as you and other atheists are about this matter!! When even seeing and hearing it for yourself wouldn't be evidence, according to you, what could ever possibly qualify as evidence to prove to you that you are wrong, since you have cut yourself off from all possible means of anything's doing so?!! Mistakes have been made by Catholics and other religious people against scientists, such as Galileo, but you aren't the "enlightened opposite of those religious bigots", except in your own minds, because you also have made mistakes in your thinking and actions against common sense and reason and people who support those things against your bigotry, which you won't admit to as wrong and repent of, anymore than the Inquisitors and other wrong-doers against science would!! Your "scientists" and you do play like you are "God", which doesn't mean your being invisible, but thinking that you alone are "right" and everyone who disagrees with you is "wrong", the same as you condemn other people for doing!!
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Anna Marie G. Reynes
I hope we can eventually come together to see that many of the woke ideas come from a place of wanting to accept groups and people who have not been accepted into the “club”, and in doing so, we are rejecting those that were in the club to begin with. How does that improve our world? We’re just flipping the hatred towards a new group. In doing this, you show us that you have not come up with a better way, you just flipped the roles and shifted the blame. And hate continues to flourish. How do we actually come to understand and appreciate that we are all brothers and sisters (or non binary whatever,) and that we are all one? Worrying about forcing people to see your point of view is about control. Wouldn’t we be better off, if we accepted that people are in different places in their journey and send love to them that they continue to grow in their evolvement? If we can’t speak to one another and share our perspectives, we will not continue to develop our ideas and allow ourselves to grow. I pray that a loving voice will soon be heard above the hateful vitriol. Let our lights shine, but not at everyone else’s expense.
I have very little to add to this, other than to say, "YES!"