Homophobic trauma
January 28, 2007 by Bill
I have always believed in the evolution of consciousness. Especially from those who blabber every Sunday morning from pulpits about something called “love”. Ugly and vicious internal battles are going on today in Episcopalian churches, as well as Methodist, Presbyterian and others. And of course all fundamentalist churches are in homophobic trauma. I am having doubts about the evolution of consciousness.
A roll call of the brilliant gays and lesbians of history who have made giant contributions to our evolution as a species and to our cultural heritage, would include the following:
My life experiences to this moment in eternal time
January 21, 2007 by Bill
My series on our Founding Presidents will continue next week. Due to the increasing interest in my weekly column, readers are asking to know more about my own life and what credentials I have to write with authority about religion and religious issues. It is with joy that I share a good deal of my life here with you today.
I was born in West Texas and cherish, with loving memories, summers I spent on my grandparents little spread. Those were times of wonder and awe, riding with the cowboys, going out in the shank of the evening for doves and cottontails so that my grandmother could cook them for dinner over a wood fire.
When World War Two erupted we lived in Oklahoma and I became a Naval Aviation Cadet. I received my wings of gold and chose the Marine Corps. I was a Marine Corps fighter pilot, and later transport pilot, until 1954. A total of 12 years military time. I was selected to be one of five personal pilots for the Commandant of the Marine Corps and his staff in Washington, D.C. And at that time was personally decorated by the Commandant for valor in Korea.
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Bible centered lives
January 14, 2007 by Bill
Theodore Hesburgh was one of the great Presidents of the University of Notre Dame. Upon his retirement he issued a most remarkable statement. He said “you know there is really no such thing as Roman Catholic University.” He went on to explain that a true university represents an open ended search for truth regardless of where it leads, combined with the best scholarship known to institutions of higher learning. Whereas the very words “Roman Catholic” represent dogma, doctrine and indoctrination, the very antithesis of an open ended search for truth.
I know what he meant. When I was teaching at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA I was often with faculty members from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. They were owned by the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran church. One of their faculty members, with tears in his eyes, said this to me one day: “You have no idea how much we envy you. You are free to teach and explore all of the latest scholarship in every area of religion. We are not free like that under Missouri Synod control If we were to teach or expose our students to anything that would threaten Missouri Synod doctrine…we could be fired.” You see…there is no such thing as a Missouri Synod Lutheran university.
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