Curious Christian

Exploring life, art, spirituality, and the way of Jesus

Thriving But Tired: Reflections on the TEAR Conference

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Matt Stone

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2010-08-01

Feeling very exhausted after a very full weekend. The TEAR “Thrive” conference at Stanwell Tops was awesome. Great talks, great conversation and great music as well. Justin Whelan from Pace e Bene ran a thought provoking workshop on nonviolent direct action that I think I’ll be mulling over for a…
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Should no one should be “married” by the state?

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-30

Bob Hyatt proposes an interesting solution to the same sex marriage connundrum. As marriage is a church term, states shouldn’t “marry” anyone, hetrosexuals included. They should however offer civil unions to everyone.
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The Sacred Pause: Rediscovering the Power of Silence in Worship

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-27

There’s something profound about appreciating silence, isn’t there? It’s something that often feels neglected, especially in evangelical circles, where there’s a tendency to talk, talk, talk—endlessly. It seems like some teachers don’t know when to stop speaking, as if silence itself were a kind of sacrilege. I suppose it stems…
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Unknown even to Jesus

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-25

Earlier this week I asked, what does negative theology look like from a Christ-centred perspective? Reflecting on this further I was drawn to ask, what was unknown even to Jesus? Sound like a strange question? Well, consider what Jesus said about the last days: “No one knows about that day or…
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Reimagining Nonviolence: Ahimsa in the New Testament

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-22

It often surprises me how people are eager to embrace Buddhist teachings on ahimsa (nonviolence), yet become uncomfortable when Christians speak of nonviolence. This raises an interesting question: why is nonviolence applauded when it comes from Buddhist philosophy, but labeled as impractical or even irresponsible when rooted in Christianity? There…
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Negative theology from a Christ-centred perspective

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-21

Negative theology is, somewhat ironically, on my mind this week. On the one hand I’ve been reflecting on The Mystical Theology and The Cloud of Unknowing. On the other hand I’ve been observing that, although I haven’t blogged on meditation and mysticism much this year, it has historically been a…
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Vaginas are as “grave” as paedophilia says Vatican

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-20

Just when you thought the Vatican may coming to grips with some of its internal problems, again it demonstrates what a truly medieval organization it is. From the New York Times: “This week, the Vatican outlined more new rules for the disciplining of abusive priests, and called pedophilia a grave…
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What’s your view on the Ground Zero Mosque?

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-20

I finally watched the anti-Ground Zero Mosque ad, and it’s clear why it’s controversial. The ad leans on vague terms like “they” and “their” in ways that blur whether it’s referencing (a) the terrorists who attacked the Twin Towers or (b) the Muslims seeking to build the mosque. The implication…
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How can the West preach nonviolence to Muslims?

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-19

… if we’re not prepared to practice it ourselves? Earlier this week the AAANZ drew my attention to an article on “The Hypocrisy of Preaching Nonviolence to Palestinians.” The summary stated, “Nonviolence is not about figuring out how to make the other side – even when they are brutal oppressors…
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The Unintended Consequences Of Our Actions

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Matt Stone

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2010-07-15

Judgement, karma, call it what you will, our actions in this world have consequences. A fling with another woman, and you find your marriage breaking up. A casual lie, and you find yourself stressing not to get caught out. What goes around comes around, sooner or later. Actions are not…
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