Christianity is not about the divine becoming human so much as it is about the human becoming divine. That is a paradigm shift of the first order. John Shelby Spong christianitydivinehuman Change image and share on social
My sense is if the Episcopal Church can't stand challenge within its own ranks, then it is not a church I would want to be a member of anyway. John Shelby Spong challengechurchepiscopal Change image and share on social
If I were a child of Tibet or of Arabia, I suspect the path I'd walk would be the Buddhist path or the Muslim path. And I don't mind saying that I don't invalidate any of those paths. John Shelby Spong arabiabuddhistchild Change image and share on social
I believe God is real, but I believe God calls me beyond myself to take responsibility for my life and to try top work to allow other people to be themselves and to take responsibility for their lives. John Shelby Spong callgodlife share on social
All religion seems to need to prove that it's the only truth. And that's where it turns demonic. Because that's when you get religious wars and persecutions and burning heretics at the stake. John Shelby Spong burndemonicheretic Change image and share on social
My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear down? John Shelby Spong actionbasisbuild Change image and share on social
Our English language really says if you're not a theist, the only alternative is to be an atheist. What I'm trying to do is develop a language that will enable us to talk about God beyond the, what I think, are sterile categories of theism and atheism. John Shelby Spong alternativeatheismatheist share on social
Perhaps the most telling witness against the claim of accurate history for the Bible comes when we read the earliest narrative of the crucifixion found in Mark's gospel and discover that it is not based on eyewitness testimony at all. John Shelby Spong accuratebasebible share on social
Plenty of people out there think of me as the Antichrist or the devil incarnate because I do not affirm the literal patterns of the Bible. But the fact is I can no more abandon the literal patterns than I could fly to the moon. I just go beyond them. John Shelby Spong abandonaffirmantichrist share on social
