“The Way of Openness” is a short documentary on a conversation series featuring a range of Los Angeles ministers including Hollywood Adventist pastor Ryan J. Bell. The conversations allowed these ministers to reflect on and share stories with each other in the aftermath of California’s Proposition 8 initiative. Prop 8 is under review at the […]
Faith and Life in Separate Unequal Compartments
Re: School Administrator Fired for Views on Gay Marriage Case facts: A man in Ohio taught at a Catholic school. He wrote internet posts on his own time discussing marriage equality with friends and describing it as “NOT something of which to be afraid.” The school’s principal and diocese learned about his posts; he was […]
Exposing Ideas, Empowering People
Just noticed these branding lines at the bottom of TED Weekends posts: Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. That’s what the best of community is all about. A good community also has the same empowering impact on the people who participate […]
Story: Which Side?
“A Sufi master was strolling through the streets one day with his students. When they came to the city square, a vicious battle was being fought between government troops and rebel forces. Horrified by the bloodshed, the students implored, ‘Quick, Master, which side should we help?’ ‘Both,’ the Master replied. The students were confused. ‘Both?’ […]
M. Scott Peck on Humility
The ‘soft’ individualism of community leads to humility. Begin to appreciate each others’ gifts, and you begin to appreciate your own limitations. Witness others share their brokenness, and you will become able to accept your own inadequacy and imperfection. Be fully aware of human variety, and you will recognize the interdependence of humanity. — M. Scott Peck, The […]
After Dissenting, Designing
I think of recovery from religion like peeling layers off of an onion. Dissenting intellectually from teachings or doctrines you learned as an adult is like peeling off one of the outer layers. But if you keep going, you find scripts that got laid down earlier—attitudes, emotional conditioning, ideas you were taught before you had the […]
