My initial post was in 2022. Looking over the collection of postings it is clear to me that my ideas have become far more radical, liberal, progressive, deconstructivist over this period to the extent that now I regard myself as humanistic in outlook, but driven by the concepts attributed to Jesus of fully inclusive love and justice. I understand the ideas contained in the synoptic gospels are to be found in other faiths and non-faith sources, but as my background is one of involvement in christianity they are my main source of inspiration.
The messages of helping individuals at point of need on a fully inclusive basis and challenging systemic injustice to achieve social justice for all, have been the influential factors in recent years in determining my theological thinking and practical action. My deep regret is that I have achieved little by way of lasting success.
The sweeping principles of love and justice are human concepts to be promoted as a counter to narrow, restrictive rules of a text of human creation. 'Bible based christianity' beloved of fundamentalists is an oxymoron. To understand love and justice does not require dissection and poring over words in an ancient book of entirely human origin for literal meaning: it is an attitude of mind free from such incumbrance.
I appreciate my christian heritage and understand the creeds as symbolic/metaphorical statements of humanity's seeking to understand our world and purpose in life. Creeds identify a way of travel in life, an idea well expressed by Revd Don Cupitt. Christianity has to be dragged, screaming or otherwise, into our 21st century understanding of the world and purpose in it, not left to be an irrelevant relic from a far-off time.
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