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unlearning Islamophobia

Lindsey Paris-Lopez

Unlearning Islamophobia and Building Interfaith Friendships

Lindsey Paris-Lopez brings her experience of converting to Islam then returning to Christianity to guide us in unlearning Islamophobia.

exodus from hell

Exodus from Hell: Unlearning What You’ve Been Taught About Salvation

Pastor Adam Ericksen begins with the word Sheol to lead an exodus from hell so we can unlearn what we've been taught about salvation.

the pain of original sin

Lindsey Paris-Lopez

Question: What Is Your Belief As Far As Original Sin?

Interpretations of original sin often lead to judgment, separation, and violence. Lindsey Paris-Lopez guides us to escape original sin on the path of Love.

Unlearning Christian Homophobia

While some Christians uses passages in the Bible used to harm and exclude our LGBTQIA siblings, Pastor Adam Ericksen reveals how the Bible naturally leads Christians to be open and affirming.

unlearning violent christianity

Unlearning Violent Christianity

There is a longing in every human heart to be loved for exactly who we are. Many of us yearn to belong within a community that recognizes our potential and helps us live into it.

Blogs

Raven ReView Relationships

Interview with Raven Award Winner, Film Director Andrew Ahn

Adam Ericksen's interview of 2020 Raven Award Winner Andrew Ahn about his film "Driveways" reveals behind the scenes stories.

Raven ReView Religion

Overcoming Salvation Anxiety: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Father’s Atheism

Lindsey Paris-Lopez reveals how her father's lack of belief in God through struggle, doubt, and anxiety, ultimately deepened and strengthened hers.

Raven ReView Religion

TikTok Series: Unlearning the Bible

Pastor Adam Ericksen offers a series of TikTok videos as guides for unlearning the Bible.

Raven ReView Religion

TikTok Series: Unlearning Christian Homophobia

Pastor Adam Ericksen offers a series of TikTok videos as guides for unlearning Christian homophobia.

Podcasts

servant leadership

Jesus Unmasked Raven Radio Religion

Servant Leadership (Mark 9:30 -37)

Adam and Lindsey describe how Jesus’s glory comes not through self-aggrandizement, but through complete self-giving, servant leadership.

Satan and Crosses and Shame... Oh My!

Jesus Unmasked Raven Radio Religion

Satan and Crosses and Shame… Oh My! (Mark 8: 27-38)

Adam and Lindsey explain Jesus is subverting the most common human ideas of how to bring about peace and justice in a violent world.

ravenfoundation

I don't personally believe this, but I respect peo

I don't personally believe this, but I respect people who do. I believe God is Love, and Love has always worked through human communities, stories, and religions.

I love this question, though, because I've always loved mythology. The stories and characters that helped shape ancient societies continue to leave their mark on our culture today.

But, honestly, I wouldn't want a god like Zeus to have existed. Who wants gods who get into vindictive squabbles and rape, murder, and wreak havoc in human lives?

But there are also stories in the Bible that attribute horrific violence to the God I do worship. The Bible shows Love guiding people through misunderstanding. For example, in the story of the binding of Isaac, Abraham hears a call from his God, Elohim, to sacrifice his son. But later, the God who stays his hand is YHWH, who "desires mercy, not sacrifice." This change in understanding of God, from violent to loving, is so powerful that a new name is used.

All religions contain human misunderstanding. Still, lessons of Love are also found in every religion, including ancient myths. One is the myth of King Midas, who regrets obtaining a "golden touch" when it means a kiss from his daughter turns her into mere metal. The moral of the value of love over greed is also affirmed when Jesus says "You cannot serve God and money."

One sense in which I do believe in the gods of ancient mythologies co-existing with Love is as "powers and principalities." When we trust in violence or wealth, we worship gods like Mars and Pluto. On the other hand, there are polytheisms that see multiple deities as being different manifestations of Love, guided as much by Love as the Abrahamic traditions that make up the path I choose.

What matters more than names and numbers of gods is whether faith leads to compassion.

Love moves through but isn't boxed in by religion. Any faith, be it in one God, many, or in no god but rather the best of humanity, that helps us love each other and creation honors Love.

Lots of Love,

Lindsey Paris-Lopez
Theologian-in-Residence

#unlearn #unlearning #unlearntorelearn #crhistianity #progressivechristianity #theology #godislove

Do you view unlearning as an act of self-love? 🤔

Unlearning toxic theology benefits the world around us as we help our communities evolve and change, but it also ultimately helps us learn to love ourselves, heal our spiritual wounds, and better understand the way God loves us. 🕊

Be sure to check out our ever-growing library of resources on our website to help you on your unlearning journey!

#godislove #unlearning #unlearn #unlearntorelation #unlearnchristianity #unlearningchristianity #progressivechristianity #selflove #selfcare #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters

In our latest blog post, Lindsey Paris-Lopez bring

In our latest blog post, Lindsey Paris-Lopez brings her experience of converting to Islam then returning to Christianity to guide us in unlearning Islamophobia.

#unlearntorelearn #unlearning #unlearn #unlearnchristianity #islam #islamophobia #interfaith #interfaithrelationships #interfaithfriendships #progressivechristianity #godislove

I empathize with religious confusion. With loved o

I empathize with religious confusion. With loved ones of many religious and secular perspectives, I long struggled with "right belief," wondering how anyone could possibly know… and what would happen if we were "wrong."

My faith now in God as Love helps me to see the best in people, which in turn helps me to see the best in the different love languages that I understand religions and worldviews to be.

Religions attest to universal human needs of understanding, belonging, and security.

Love – God – guides us all through history and circumstances toward a deeper understanding of our unconditional dignity, interconnection, and responsibility to each other. How we recognize and experience Love varies, and different religions and perspectives form accordingly.

Many atheists who see no need for a personal deity still have faith in love as a force within and among us. In agnostics, I see a sense of humility to admit that there is so much we can't know, another expression of Love. Judaism and Christianity both teach that we are made in God's image, which reminds us of our responsibility to love each other. Islam teaches that there is no likeness to God, engendering modesty and respect and empathy for human limitation and fostering gratitude. Buddhism encourages mindfulness, leading to peace inside and out. Baha'ism emphasizes social justice and antiracism. Different faiths and worldviews are different responses to the impulse of Love.

We all, imperfectly, experience part of a greater Truth. Exclusive interpretations of religion cling to myopic visions that leave others out. But inclusive interpretations acknowledge that we can learn from each other while still having a particular angle according to our history, culture, and position in the world.

We live into our most authentic, compassionate selves when we let Love guide us in our understanding while recognizing that others are also guided by different but equally valid understandings of Love.

Lots of love,

Lindsey Paris-Lopez
Theologian-in-Residence

#progressivechristianity #christianity #unlearning #unlearn #unlearningchristianity #toxicchristianity #toxictheology #godislove

Pastor @adamericksen unpacks and deconstructs comm

Pastor @adamericksen unpacks and deconstructs common beliefs and misconceptions on a hot topic in our newest in-depth resource: "Exodus from Hell: Unlearning What You've Been Taught About Salvation." 🔥 Find it on the Raven Foundation website. Follow the link in our bio to dive in!

#unlearning #unlearn #unlearnchristianity #progressivechristianity #progressivechristian #biblestudy #bibleverses #theology #toxictheology #toxicchristianity #godislove

There is no embodied, personified evil being out t

There is no embodied, personified evil being out to get us.

#Satan is the spirit of accusation and over-againstness. When we condemn others by calling them or their behaviors "satanic," we become the very "satans" we accuse them of being.

The Hebrew term "ha satan" can be translated generically as "the adversary" or " the accuser," without (or with) capitalization. Throughout scripture, it has been used to convey earthly opponents as well as the "Ultimate Evil."

The changing concepts of "satan" reflect the ways the Jewish and early Christian communities wrestled with the problem of evil.

The evolving understandings of "satan" and "evil" was a journey that both intersected with and diverged from the evolving understandings of God and "goodness." In Job, "Satan" works alongside God as a heavenly prosecutor, urging God to test Job's faith with adversity. When Job asks, "Why, God?!," God's response is, "Who are you to question me?" Clearly, God's power and even "goodness" aren't yet understood to be love and mercy, though the trajectory of scripture heads in this direction. By Revelation, when God is shown through Christ to be universal, unconditional Love, "Satan" is the enemy God defeats.

A common factor in the different understandings is that "satan" is characterized by condemnation. Imagery depicting Satan as "prosecuting attorney" in the ultimate court of judgment contrast with the Holy Spirit, the "Advocate" or "Defense Attorney," the Spirit of Mercy and Love.

Bottom line: Condemnation never has the last word. The forces of demonization and criminalization that seek to reduce human beings – God's reflections of Love on earth – to their worst elements, cannot overcome the light of God in every human heart. "Satan" is a liar; that is, the powers of despair that tempt you to believe that you or anyone else is beyond forgiveness are deceptive. Satanic forces tempting us to see the worst in each other, catalyzing cycles of accusation and violence, cannot finally prevail against Love, which restores and makes all things well.

Lots of love,
Lindsey Paris-Lopez
Theologian-in-Residence

#progressivechristianity #progressivechristian #godislove #theology

Truth bomb via @blairimani #repost #quoteoftheday

Truth bomb via @blairimani #repost

#quoteoftheday #wordstoliveby #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #unlearning #unlearnandrelearn #unlearn #progressivechristianity #toxicchristianity #toxictheology #godislove

God is Love, and Love is within all of us. God's K

God is Love, and Love is within all of us. God's Kingdom, the Beloved Community, manifests on earth when we draw the love from within us out for the whole world: neighbors, strangers, and enemies.

And that's exactly what Jesus does at the Last Supper: he pours out the love within himself and calls his disciples to love all as he has loved them: completely, unconditionally, eternally.

The bread Jesus gives for the life of the world is his flesh.

Though there is blessing in consuming the bread and wine, all partake of the mercy the mass (communion) symbolizes, and all will be caught up in the eternal life of Love, whether or not we participate in this ritual. Jesus pours out forgiveness for all on the cross.
How does Jesus give his flesh for the life of the world?

In the incarnation, where God is born among us so we can recognize each other as image-bearers of Love.

In a life of service, caring for our bodily and spiritual needs: feeding the hungry, healing the sick, befriending the outcast.
And on the cross, where he's killed by a violent humanity thinking they are acting in God's name.

On the cross, Jesus shows that violence is what God suffers, not what God commands. When we hurt, exploit, or revel in righteousness against others, we crucify Christ again. And Christ's answer is always mercy and love.

When Jesus says, "Take and eat; this is my body," he alludes to the way we cannibalize others when we live at their expense and find our identity over and against them.

The Eucharist is anti-cannibalism. In the last supper, Jesus calls us not to take life from others, but receive from the One who gives freely, that we may freely give of ourselves. We're called to live in ways that nourish, not diminish, one another.

This is how to partake of the Bread of Life: see the divine spark in everyone, live a life of service and friendship, and find yourself not against anyone, but in ever-lasting Love, living for all, forever.

Lots of love,
Lindsey Paris-Lopez
Theologian in Residence

#godislove #toxicchristianity #progressivechristianity #progressivechristian #scriptureverses #biblestudy #biblereading #bibletruth #biblegram #biblestudymoments

When it comes to God and eternity, it can be hard

When it comes to God and eternity, it can be hard to let go of fears and doubts when literally everything hangs in the balance.
As far as I can be certain about anything, I'm certain that my understanding of God is wrong.

It's wrong insofar as my imagination cannot fathom the fullness and wonder of God's love.

Biblical interpretations and popular culture give us some scary ideas about God and hell. But scripture isn't a uniform portrait of God forcing us to reconcile condemnation with love. Instead, it records an ongoing transition in human understanding. Through the prophets and finally in Jesus, we come to recognize that the violence we attribute to God is human misunderstanding, because God is Love.

And there is no separation from Love.

In the incarnation, God manifests among the vulnerable and marginalized, those thought to be excluded from God's loving presence. Jesus reveals God's solidarity with the poor, sick, outcast, and condemned. God in flesh is condemned by those who think they are doing God's will.

The resurrection and forgiveness of Jesus shows that no one and nothing separates us from God. Even when humanity murders God in flesh, God loves and forgives us.

A passage that makes it seem like hell is separation from God is the parable of the sheep and the goats, where a king says, "depart from me" and "eternal punishment." But there, Jesus refers to nations, not people, and uses metaphoric language to show that serving God means serving the vulnerable. God doesn't abandon us, but rebukes nations that profit off exploiting, neglecting, and abusing people.

If we follow Jesus, we are called to show God's love to those who don't feel it. Feeling abandoned and condemned is hell. When we trust in God's love for us, we serve and befriend and meet the needs of the marginalized to illuminate God's love.
There is no hell except what humans have created and put ourselves and each other into.
And the only reason God leads us into hell is to help others out of it.

Lots of love,

Lindsey Paris-Lopez
Theologian in Residence

#godislove #progressivechristianity #unlearnchristianity #toxicchristianity #toxictheology

In no way do I take the story of Noah's ark litera

In no way do I take the story of Noah's ark literally. But there is a way I believe in it…as the story of people struggling to understand God in a violent world.

The Bible exposes and critiques human violence, including violent misunderstandings of God. It's not meant to be received uncritically, but rather to invite us into the continuing struggle to find and follow God not in violence, but in ever-expanding Love.

Ancient flood stories show how ancient peoples grappled with devastation and chaos. Noah's Ark can be seen as a critique of other ancient flood stories, most famously the Epic of Gilgamesh, in which the gods flood the world to get some peace. Humans are too loud!

Noah's story is different. The reason for the flood isn't noise but violence. Even before the rain, the world was flooded... with human violence.
Noah's story critiques the way human violence escalates, like rising tides, destroying everything in its wake. It's a very small step from the Noah story to recognizing that human violence is an all-consuming flood.

God's destructive role in the story of Noah's ark is human misunderstanding… and not just for ancient peoples. We, too, still use violence to try to stop violence – wars, chemical weapons, and now the threat of nuclear annihilation.

Also, already in the story of Noah, we see another side of God: the God who rescues Noah and the animals out of violence, the God who repents of violence and promises never again to resort to such extreme measures to solve problems.

Moving through scripture, we see a shift. The God for whom it takes animal sacrifice to turn from violence becomes the God who says, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." The God who destroys the world in the flood becomes the God who saves Nineveh.

This same God becomes the embodiment of mercy and compassion in Jesus.

Is it God that changes, or our understanding? And if the Bible shows a shift in our understanding of Ultimate Power from violence to Love, how far do we still need to go to embody that nonviolent love in the world?

Lots of love,
Lindsey Paris-Lopez
Theologian in Residence

#progressivechristianity #progressivechristian #toxictheology #toxicchristianity

When you hear the concept of #OriginalSin what doe

When you hear the concept of #OriginalSin what does it evoke? Do you associate it with shame and guilt? Or does it bring you to reflect on God's love? 🤔

There's many ways to slice the apple (so to speak) and this week at Raven, Lindsey Paris-Lopez answers a question submitted through Pastor @adamericksen's TikTok that breaks down some widespread, toxic interpretations of the topic to reveal God's love.

Do you have questions about toxic theology you'd like us to explore and address? Comment below, or send us a message! 🤍

#toxictheology #unlearning #unlearningchristianity #unlearnchristianity #progressivechristianity #theology #spiritualjourney #faithjourney #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #godisloe

"Right now, we have a pathogen of original sin, an

"Right now, we have a pathogen of original sin, an interpretation that has borne rotten fruits..."

New on the Raven blog! Interpretations of original sin often lead to judgment, separation, and violence. Lindsey Paris-Lopez guides us to escape original sin on the path of Love. Follow the link in our bio to dive in!

#originalsin #toxictheology #unlearningchristianity #progressivechristianity #christianity #godislove #quoteoftheday #nonviolence #godislove

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