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History and Religion

2025-11-06T07:19:29-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Black-and-White and Gray All Over

Last updated on: November 6, 2025 at 7:19 am By Larry Jordan

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Complex issues are rarely black-and-white. Further, many seemingly straightforward issues are actually complex issues, riddled with ambiguities, exceptions and paradoxes. My Zen practice helps me to get along with people who see the world differently than I do. Generally, I avoid people looking for a fight, and I seek out people looking for common ground. Whenever I have a difficult interaction, in person or online, I can usually determine that one (or both) of us is unable to... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-11-01T22:47:13-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Many Former Christians Continue to Embrace Jesus

Last updated on: November 1, 2025 at 10:47 pm By Larry Jordan

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Many former Christians continue to embrace Jesus, but they do NOT embrace the political division and theological speculation that characterize contemporary Christianity. Many Former Christians Continue to Embrace Jesus I wrote about the things that I like about Christianity here. Granted, my list was short, and my defense of Christianity was tepid, but it struck a nerve among atheists and other former Christians. Like me, many continue to embrace the words and works of Jesus, even as they... Read more

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2025-10-27T07:18:24-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Is There Anything That You Like About Christianity?”

Last updated on: October 27, 2025 at 7:18 am By Larry Jordan

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In The Way, I described my rocky relationship with organized religion. Sometimes, people ask me, “Is there anything that you like about Christianity?” When I reply truthfully, they often respond, “Is that the best that you can do?” Sadly, that is the best that I can do. If I thought that contemporary Christianity reflected the words and works of Jesus, then I would NOT have left Christianity. Since writing the book, I recognize that many people have actually had even... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-10-19T10:00:29-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why Isn’t the Church More Important to More People?

Last updated on: October 19, 2025 at 10:00 am By Larry Jordan

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Do you find that Christian church services are formulaic, irrelevant and unengaging? If many people find them so, then why would they go to church? I am a follower of Jesus with a Zen practice. And I have an eclectic spiritual life and an interspiritual understanding of Ultimate Reality (which may NOT be intentional, personal, or supernatural). Every week, I participate in a Zoom call with 10 or 20 progressive Christians in Amarillo. Yes, you read that right.... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-10-07T08:52:18-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What Is Interspirituality, and Why Is It Important?

Last updated on: October 7, 2025 at 8:52 am By Larry Jordan

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There are common themes that recur in many religions, and they are consistent in general. Of course, they do not always agree on the details. This column is subtitled “An Interspiritual Journey.” Often, I highlight some of the common themes and differences in spiritual traditions. I know—as well as I know anything—that everyone is related, and everything is connected. Fundamentally, that is all that I need to know. This realization produces the Golden Rule, which is a common theme in... Read more

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2025-09-26T09:16:09-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Shrinking Church and the Shrinking Clergy

Last updated on: September 26, 2025 at 9:16 am By Larry Jordan

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Clergy face challenges in an era of division and secularization. Clergy burnout is real, and many former clergy are NOT coming back. Some of my best friends are current or former clergy. Generally, they are compassionate and wise. They like to consider the big questions and to help others to consider the big questions. More importantly, they are willing to accompany others through the highs and lows of their lives. They include births and deaths, marriages and divorces, prosperity and... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-09-18T08:43:40-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Did Consciousness Develop Recently?

Last updated on: September 18, 2025 at 8:43 am By Larry Jordan

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Humans may have developed consciousness recently. The clash of cultures and thoughts elevated the importance of language and metaphor. The physical gave way to the conceptual. The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes might be the most interesting book that I ever read. Jaynes was an American psychologist, and this book was ambitious, sweeping in its reach, widely recognized as provocative, yet speculative. In 2006, Richard Dawkins famously said that the book is... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-09-11T21:18:14-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Does Spirituality Demand Activism or Pacifism?

Last updated on: September 11, 2025 at 9:18 pm By Larry Jordan

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Oneness underlies our apparent separation. Do we act or speak to proselytize people or to win an argument? Why? Do we act or speak to protect people or to seek understanding? Why NOT? Many friends hold different political beliefs and religious beliefs. For me, spirituality guides me and informs my political beliefs. But some people are simply not concerned with their spirituality. And others embrace different spiritualities that produce different political beliefs. Still others embrace political beliefs that inform their... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-09-05T08:30:13-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is “The Way” Narrow or Exclusive or Unique?

Last updated on: September 5, 2025 at 8:30 am By Larry Jordan

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What if other traditions contain some “Truth with a capital T?” What if they all describe an Ultimate Reality that is not necessarily intentional or personal or supernatural? Many religions are NOT as doctrinal, exclusive, or evangelical as Christianity. That is, they accept more diversity in their beliefs, and they hold their beliefs more loosely. For example, in Buddhism, the Buddha reportedly said, “Don’t believe anyone, even me,” encouraging his followers to rely on evidence and experience, NOT... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-08-28T09:05:25-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Exceptionalism Can Be Exceptionally Harmful

Last updated on: August 28, 2025 at 9:05 am By Larry Jordan

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Do we harbor an innate sense of superiority? In recent weeks, I have been writing about exceptionalism. I challenged the bright line between humans and other animals here. I discussed the bright line between humans and machines here. And I questioned the bright lines between other countries and religions here. If we think that we are better than other animals, will we treat them better or worse? If we think that we are better than people in other countries and... Read more

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