Atonement theology is comfort food for the fearful—filling but hollow. Mary Magdalene’s witness at the Cross reveals a deeper truth: love doesn’t pay debts, it fulfills itself. This scroll dismantles debt-and-payment religion and uncovers the Franciscan vision of incarnation as Plan A—love as the blueprint of creation itself.
I can count on one hand the times I wanted to put into words what I was thinking/feeling/absorbing/experiencing & honestly am struggling to do it. Ask anyone who knows me & they’ll say that’s a lie & impossible - loquacious doesn’t even do my blabber mouth justice. I talk all day out loud and i live alone. I am consciously making an effort to shut up & LISTEN when i ask for guidance instead.
I remember feeling this before & stating it, that this was the best thing I’ve read that you’ve written. Well, maybe you’re just getting even better & I still havent even read every post of yours on here.
So I’ll just say that there wasn’t a single thing in there I disagreed with. As usual, I learned a few tidbits of history (sarcasm, a shitload) I’d never known (or if i did, I’ve forgotten).
I was never moved in church like i was reading this.
I laffed out loud more than once.
I yelled out loud more than once - yes it was profane. Usually cussing is involved when i yell. Or even open my mouth.
And I cried my eyes out more than once too.
I always relished Patty Smith’s “Gloria” with the lyrics “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”. Courage to sing that.
The first laff out loud was “the cross is my credit score!” I actually would’ve believed it was a thing if you hadn’t said nobody actually does that.
And I just love Magdalene even more than I did before i read it. Loving Jesus & God - well that IS one thing i brought with me from church. Just not in the way I was taught to love them & even having a very different definition of the word “love”.
I’m on an emotional roller coaster right now & don’t even know how to say how thankful grateful moved overwhelmed & touched I am without sounding insincere. But anyone who lies about how they feel about sacred writing i think works for some part of the government….
Deeply thought out and beautifully written. I am so in agreement with you, Borg, and Bourgeault. I consider it abuse to tell someone’Jesus died for your sins.’ What an unbearable weight! What cheap theology.
The older I get the more angry I get at this aspect of church teaching. First it is as you say very transactional. Second, it was constantly used to distance you from God. The "Look what God had to do to even consider being with you. You have to do A, B, C, etc. to see if you can get God to notice you and consider you for heaven".
Pile of crap theology.
In the mean time, God is screaming on the sidelines, to be seen now and start the work on Love. It is so abominable that any church would try to withhold God from anyone, especially children.
It is abominable that any church would deny the presence of God in the real world for everyone.
I can count on one hand the times I wanted to put into words what I was thinking/feeling/absorbing/experiencing & honestly am struggling to do it. Ask anyone who knows me & they’ll say that’s a lie & impossible - loquacious doesn’t even do my blabber mouth justice. I talk all day out loud and i live alone. I am consciously making an effort to shut up & LISTEN when i ask for guidance instead.
I remember feeling this before & stating it, that this was the best thing I’ve read that you’ve written. Well, maybe you’re just getting even better & I still havent even read every post of yours on here.
So I’ll just say that there wasn’t a single thing in there I disagreed with. As usual, I learned a few tidbits of history (sarcasm, a shitload) I’d never known (or if i did, I’ve forgotten).
I was never moved in church like i was reading this.
I laffed out loud more than once.
I yelled out loud more than once - yes it was profane. Usually cussing is involved when i yell. Or even open my mouth.
And I cried my eyes out more than once too.
I always relished Patty Smith’s “Gloria” with the lyrics “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”. Courage to sing that.
The first laff out loud was “the cross is my credit score!” I actually would’ve believed it was a thing if you hadn’t said nobody actually does that.
And I just love Magdalene even more than I did before i read it. Loving Jesus & God - well that IS one thing i brought with me from church. Just not in the way I was taught to love them & even having a very different definition of the word “love”.
I’m on an emotional roller coaster right now & don’t even know how to say how thankful grateful moved overwhelmed & touched I am without sounding insincere. But anyone who lies about how they feel about sacred writing i think works for some part of the government….
but I’ve been wrong before. 😇💝✝️❤️🩹❤️🔥💕
Deeply thought out and beautifully written. I am so in agreement with you, Borg, and Bourgeault. I consider it abuse to tell someone’Jesus died for your sins.’ What an unbearable weight! What cheap theology.
VMB - thank you.
The older I get the more angry I get at this aspect of church teaching. First it is as you say very transactional. Second, it was constantly used to distance you from God. The "Look what God had to do to even consider being with you. You have to do A, B, C, etc. to see if you can get God to notice you and consider you for heaven".
Pile of crap theology.
In the mean time, God is screaming on the sidelines, to be seen now and start the work on Love. It is so abominable that any church would try to withhold God from anyone, especially children.
It is abominable that any church would deny the presence of God in the real world for everyone.
OK Rant over...