In this week’s spotlight I want to examine the idea of good. Think about what good means to you. No doubt you’re aware that good means different things to different cultures. What one culture finds good may well be held in great disgust by another culture. For example, there are cultures that promote the good in marring your daughter and other cultures that find the idea revolting. Good It’s quite common to speak of God and good in the same breath. Given we have differing definitions of good, what constitutes ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight I’d like to discuss doubt. There are very many religious leaders who instruct us that faith arises only when doubt exists. That is, there is no such thing as faith in things known—faith arises only from things unknown. Ought? Still other religious leaders and spiritual teachers instruct us that doubt is the denial of faith. Doubt is to be vanquished and the word of God should replace it. Indeed, doubt is the work of the Deceiver for, as stated in Romans 14:23, “But he who doubts ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight I want to address the fine line between feeling remorse and falling into the abyss of self-pity. One might ask, is there any advantage to be gained by feeling remorse? One might also fairly ask, what is the difference between self-pity and remorse? So let’s begin by examining those two questions. Guilt and Pain Remorse is generally defined as deep regret or even guilt for a wrong committed. Now many in today’s world find guilt to be an unnecessary and damaging human emotion, but is ... Read More
This week in our spotlight I want to once again discuss the ever-growing division in our society. It’s not that we have more disagreements than in the past—it’s the fact that the respect for our differences seems to have almost entirely diminished. Why is that? What’s happened in our culture that approves of outright nastiness in our communications at every level—from the politician to family members? What in our enculturation has bred the level of anger, disrespect, and violence that we see today? Changing Times Times change—of that there is ... Read More
In this weeks spotlight I wish to consider what is meant by unconditional love. Is this a reachable goal in life? Is it reasonable to think that we can attain a state where we truly love everyone unconditionally regardless of who they are or what they have done? Is Unconditional Love Possible Let me put some flesh on this unconditional love construct by asking a few questions. Does unconditional love require that we love the perpetrators of the greatest evil in history? When I read about the human horrors inflicted ... Read More
