"Religion is at its best when it makes us ask hard questions about ourselves.
It is at its worst when it deludes us into thinking we have all the answers for everybody else."
Archibald McLeish.
palatinewolfsblog reblogged
This Right Here
#quote of the day#quote of today#kurt vonnegut#christians#christianity#sermon of the mount#beatitudes#the ten commandments#jesus#moses#law and order#blessings#blessed are the merciful#courtrooms#blessed are the peacemakers#pentagon#religion#faith#in god we trust#god's own country#god is love#god of war#god bless the us#think about it#what matters
palatinewolfsblog reblogged
“I don’t pledge allegiance to no flag. I pledge allegiance to people who are important to me. People of various origins. People of different skin color and religion. People of different orientation. A big family of man/woman under one God, who became human. Who taught us to be truthful and to live humanely. A lord of peace who defied the masters of war an death. Who lay in a grave - a symbol of all the hopes that people had to bury - but rose from the dead, that we can rise and show our true colors where people value their origins, their blood, their pride in their race, their nation whatsoever. I pledge alliance to people who try to do their best - day by day - to make this world a better place. People who are not interested in a particular religion, but in spirituality. The ultimate concerns of life. The Living waters. People united in their wish to live in peace with their neighbors. Show some Reverence of Life. With them I share the hope that we don’t just pass our time - somewhere, somehow - but find true life and meaning.”
— With thanks to my dear tumblr friend @lancelane for his support and inspiration…
“Our world is not divided
by race, color, gender or religion.
Our world is divided into
wise people and fools.
And fools divide themselves
by race, color, gender, or religion.”
Mohamad Safa (Human Rights Activist
and United Nations Representative).
palatinewolfsblog reblogged
In Christ Alone | Celtic Worship
A beautiful Hymn even if it repeats the age-old doctrine of atonement. Is it truly necessary that (this) man satisfies the wrath of god? In my humble opinion the cross magnifies his love - more powerful than the powers of death or hell or - in modern terms - structural evil, injustice and racism.
Think about it… Have a blessed good friday, y'all!
Source: youtube.com
"The saints are never the kind of killjoy spinster aunts who go in for faultfinding and lack all sense of humor."
Hans Urs von Balthasar. May add bigots. Zealots. Dogmatics. Fanatics. Seriously: Beware of these bad spirits that ruin everything... ;)
palatinewolfsblog reblogged
“I don’t pledge allegiance to no flag. I pledge allegiance to people who are important to me. People of various origins. People of different skin color and religion. People of different orientation. A big family of man/woman under one God, who became human. Who taught us to be truthful and to live humanely. A lord of peace who defied the masters of war an death. Who lay in a grave - a symbol of all the hopes that people had to bury - but rose from the dead, that we can rise and show our true colors where people value their origins, their blood, their pride in their race, their nation whatsoever. I pledge alliance to people who try to do their best - day by day - to make this world a better place. People who are not interested in a particular religion, but in spirituality. The ultimate concerns of life. The Living waters. People united in their wish to live in peace with their neighbors. Show some Reverence of Life. With them I share the hope that we don’t just pass our time - somewhere, somehow - but find true life and meaning.”
— With thanks to my dear tumblr friend @lancelane for his support and inspiration…
Have yourself a blessed contemplative reformation day; y'all. 😉👍
The Paragon (in memoriam Jina Mahsa Amini).
"We must not enable anyone to impose his personal view regarding religion on others by force, oppression, or pressure."
Shirin Ebadi, Iranian Human Rights Lawyer.
“Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Things get mean and nasty, when religion is used as a mean for power...
I don't pledge allegiance to no flag.
I pledge allegiance to people who are important to me.
People of various origins.
People of different skin color and religion.
People of different orientation.
A big family of man/woman under one God, who became human.
Who taught us to be truthful
and to live humanely.
A lord of peace who defied the masters of war and death.
Who lay in a grave -
a symbol of all the hopes that people had to bury -
but rose from the dead,
that we can rise and show our true colors
where people value their origins,
their blood,
their pride in their race,
their nation
whatsoever.
I pledge alliance to people who try to do their best -
day by day -
to make this world a better place.
People who are not interested
in a particular religion,
but in spirituality.
The ultimate concerns of life.
The Living waters.
People united in their wish
to live in peace with their neighbors.
Show some Reverence of Life.
With them I share the hope
that we don't just pass our time -
somewhere, somehow -
but find true life and meaning.
With thanks to my dear tumblr friend @lancelane for his support and inspiration...
Religion is no justification for the stake, nor patriotism for mass murder, nor science for the torture of animals.
Bertha von Suttner
The human heart is first a human heart, then everything else - American, Christian, Asian, Jew, or whatever.
Abhijit Naskar
In Christ Alone | Celtic Worship
A beautiful Hymn even if it repeats the age-old doctrine of atonement. Is it truly necessary that (this) man satisfies the wrath of god? In my humble opinion the cross magnifies his love - more powerful than the powers of death or hell or - in modern terms - structural evil, injustice and racism.
Think about it... Have a blessed good friday, y'all!
Source: youtube.com
Europe could learn a lot from Trump (yes indeed!).
Many people in Europe saw with relief, that the Trump era has come to an end (at least for the time being).
Especially when we think of the latest attempted coup instigated by this sore election loser who stylized himself as a wanna-be dictator or “Fuhrer”.
We still find it hard to grasp. 74 million people have elected a man who has never made a secret of the fact that he does not believe in democratic institutions, respect for those who think differently, or simply human decency.
All the greater is the hope, that the citizens of USA will think about the past. That they are able to heal wounds and find unity and peace.
But this country has always been divided.
There is the part that Europeans like me love and appreciate. A country to which Europe - and especially Germany - owes a lot. The part that integrates people from all over the world, tolerates the most diverse forms of life and makes cultural diversity possible.
But there is also the other Illmerica. The one, I don't need to say much about.
What makes me sad as a christian and a german is, that many evangelical Christians also found no other way than to become supporters of 45.
Full of distrust of modernity.
Fearful of being at the mercy of a free, more liberal, multicolored society.
Trumpism thus becomes a teaching example for Europe.
The 45th President of the United States has shown how a lying, religiously disguised populism can lead even the most powerful state to the brink. He has shown the world how the malicious use of social media can manipulate collective emotions and marginalize reason.
We Europeans, who owe so much to America, look in a dark mirror. Look at Trump’s supporters in Europe. The populist leaders in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland or Hungary.
Recognize the dangers our democracies were and are exposed to.
Are we prepared? Prepared to stand up and fight for values, that are worth fighting for?
Values without which life is not worth living...
It was a special moment when wonderful gifted people spoke up in front of the capitol and spoke or sang words of hope, enouragement and - empowerment. Let’s lend them an ear. Let’s be quiet for a moment and let these words sink in. They are so much more than just - words.
God bless America. The land of freedom and justice. God bless the city upon the hill. God save us all in times to come. May God lead us to a better future. Together.
God bless YOU!
#in the light of certain events#thoughts#thoughts of today#times of trouble#times of change#times of decisions#america#us#usa#usa today#erupeurope#europe#the world today#2021#45#religion#germany today#europe today#capitol hill#democracy#values#hope#faith#shape the future#social media#reason#christianity#god bless america#46
There are still forces in America that want to divide us along racial lines, religious lines, sex, class. But we’ve come too far; we’ve made too much progress to stop or to pull back. We must go forward. And I believe we will get there.
John Lewis
Hopefully…
Chanukka Menora (for David)
Today is the third Sunday of advent 2020. And just by chance it’s the time of Chanukka again. The traditional Jewish festival that lasts a week and began last thursday (in the evening).
A festival of lights.
Each night, one additional candle is lit by the one in the middle until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festivity.
Reminds us of the advent wreath - right?
To me it’s also a reminder that - religion has do with light.
With enlightenment. Inspiration. Learning from your neighbor.
See, there is so much we have in common. Things, that make uns all the same. So - let’s shed some light.
Let’s hope - that together, we can make this world a better place.
Lighter - so to say.
Let’s keep up and - have a good time.
Reformation, like education, is a journey, not a destination.
Mary Harris Jones
Have yourself a happy, contemplative reformation festival. Keep moving, y'all! And - hey? What the hell is that? Who pinched my last bars of chocolate? #@#!!!