JimYoungman

I have just read an interesting sentence (in How to Read the Qur'an by Carl W. Ernst): Interesting point to ponder! Within my own local community it is often said that mainstream Christianity is a religion about Jesus as opposed to the religion that Jesus taught. Of course, we know little of what Jesus actually taught (refer to the publications of the Jesus Seminar) and even less of what he did, so is even this position valid? There are more questions than answers, so there is much to contemplate. I call myself Christian and an ahteist at once because: I endeavour to model my life on my understanding of Jesus’ life and teachings despite the lack of historical evidence. I do not believe the existance of a theos, a physical being out there somewhere that created and controls the world. From my point of view it is possible to be a Christian,a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu or a Buddhist (especially a Buddhist) and an atheist at once. Religion and atheism are not mutually exclusive. —Jim

Simple? Not all theists believe in the physical resurrection. But that is getting away from my intended point. An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of a physical god out there somewhere. An anti-theist sounds like someone who stands against a principle. Even if there did exist a theos and could be proven to exist, an anti-theist - by definition - would oppose him/her. I joined an anit-war group to protest the entry of my country into Iraq. When the protest failed, I attempted to enrol the members of the group in undertaking a project to relieve the suffering that would be caused by the war. To no avail. It seems that anti-war does not mean pro-peace. For this reason, I have come to distrust the anti- prefix wherever I see it. I am an atheist in that my view of God, of the Divine, is not theistically based. I am not anti-theism, even though I disagree with the theistic view.. Atheism allows me to find myself mistaken, whereas, if I were to take an anti-theistic stance there would be little room for correction if needed. —Jim

I agree with many of the previous comments. It is interestingthat you mention "antitheists" as well as "new atheists". Any person who describes themselves as anti-anything is likely to prove hard to reason with. I would tend to let it all drop there. It might be worth noting that many religious people, including some who regard themselves as Christian, are atheists, so one point of discussion is whether the person is anti-theist or anti-religious. —Jim

Oh yes, Christianity is I think quite syncretic. Let us first accept that protestantism derives from Catholicism, as a reaction against one or more aspects of Catholic practice, then look at some practices: In Catholic and Anglican practice, morning worship takes place facing east where the sun (Son) is rising: an adaptation from Roman worship of Apollo. We celebrate the birth of Jesus at mid-winter (Northern Hemisphere), celebrating the birth of the sun (Son) - again Apollo. We even have continued the mid-winter feast with turkey and mistletoe and candle-lighting in mid-summer down under. As missionaries transported Christianity to other parts of the world, so the religion was regionally adapted to fit existing relgions (cf Mexico and the Dia de los muertos, or the cargo cults of the South Pacific) I have long been interested in world religions and find they have so much in common at base. One onoly needs to read the Sufi mystics, the Upanishads and the Christian mystics to see how much they have in common at this deep level of experience. The differences that I see tend to be culturally based. The differences between, for example, Islam and Christianity seem not greater than, say, the differences between the Fundamentalist Right of the USA and the Unity movement. The bottom line for me is that I can learn much from others and I find new insights everywhere. —Jim

Wish I knew something, someone, somewhere

I have jus been typing out a song for our service tomorrow. Called New Age Vision it is a case of turning swords to ploughshares: it is sung to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic. You might also find some more of interest in the Unity book, Wings of Song. It's a fairly old book and I don't like everything in it, but there are some gems. New Age Vision Mine eyes have seen the coming Of an age that is to be, When from every limitation I shall know that I am free; For the age is rich in promise And my soul has eyes to see God’s Truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! God’s Truth is marching on. My soul has seen the beauty Of a race from sorrow free, An age of faith and justice, Truth and love and liberty; And I sing of love’s great triumph In this time of jubilee. God’s Truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! God’s Truth is marching on. I have seen the free-born woman Standing side by side with man. I have seen the nations broaden Till there is no tribe or clan, And the warlords have all vanished In the love of man for man. God’s Truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! Glory! Glory! Halelelujah! God’s Truth is marching on.

Daniel has a whole range of resources for his Sacred Love CD for sale. As far as I know, he has not made the sheet music freely available.

This is a great thread and will provide some resources for myself and the congregation at Unity of Melbourne. A couple of suggestions that might be useful to others here are Daniel Nahmod's songs. One I really like is When I Pray. There are several performances of this on You Tube. Songs from Agape. The Agape International Spiritual Center is a Religious Science based centre in LA. Some of their songs are great for congrgational singing, others are more suited to a choir. A good selection is in the double CD + DVD + Songbook set Agape Chants Collection which can be purchased from Agape's Quiet Mind Bookstore. You can also check out the wrok of their musical director, Ricky Byars Beckwith, on for a taster if you are not familiar with it. —Jim