My Testimony.

No doubt when I am dead and I can no longer speak for myself the powers of the world will claim me as one of their own.

They will put words into my mouth and say that I supported orthodox theologies like rewards and punishments and penal substitution.  They will say that I really thought like them.

This of course is a complete falsehood.

I do not support these theologies and I am certainly not going to judge anyone.

Jesus said, "'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, "If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets."  Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.'"  Matthew 23 :29-31 (NRSV)

The religious authorities made Jesus the Christ, thus elevating themselves to the position of absolute power.

Let this be my testimony:
I do not believe in original sin.
I do not support the theology of rewards and punishments.
I do not believe we need to sacrifice or suffer to atone for our sins.
I do not believe that God disapproves of homosexuality.
I do not believe that celibacy is necessary for a spiritual life.
I am not sexless.
I am not orthodox.

I am radical.
I believe in radical love.

And I believe that God is more radical than me.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)