Matthew Fox is a great gift to the world but, especially, to Catholics, most of whom have been misled, miseducated, deprived of joy and play, deprived of understanding of God's love and beauty and art and creativity. I am so thankful for this saving gift of Matthew Fox and his generous sharing of wisdom and life experiences.
1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Jews didn't make it up. The Jews were God's chosen people, not because they were better than the other races, but because through them the rest of humanity would come to know the one true, living and loving God. 2. God created the whole universe, not just our planet out of sheer love. He could have created it ALL in 7 days if He wanted to. The creation story in Genesis is not "science". It is a story with theological truth and symbolism. We always seem to zero-in on the great prohibition in the story and seldom on the great permission. God said to eat of All the trees in the garden: (the trees are symbolical of all the good things for human flourishing i.e. the arts, science, friendships, sexuality, Philosophy, joy, love, etc. etc.) But, the ONLY "tree" they were not to eat of was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were tempted by Satan and chose to listen to him instead of God, and they messed everything up for themselves ....and sin arrived. The Original Sin they committed was to try to be God: i.e. to define and decide / choose for themselves the meaning of good and evil--- "I DECIDE not God what good is and what evil is." The minute we start playing this game, we sin...a dirty word to use today :-) and we become (of our own free choice,) less and less LIKE God, in whose image and likeness He created us. God wants us to flourish: " The glory of God is a human being fully alive!" (Church Fathers quote.) 3. We do not worship Creation. We love , care and respect it like good stewards. We worship God alone. 4. Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word of God---- check out the beginning of St. John's Gospel. Jesus is not just another prophet, ethical teacher with some cool sayings, nice guy" or hippy of his day. On the cross he took on ALL the sin and distinction of past, present and future humanity and redeemed us and became our WAY back to God.
yeah imagine our upbringing in the church if his views were not silenced but even discussed and shared. My "Catholic Guilt" that has been following me around for all these years might have had a different story.
Matthew bears a striking resemblance to Dominic Crossan. A similar face, look, body geometry/morphology. Could it be these contribute to a similar philosophy?
Of course you think they look alike. They are both from Ireland. I am regularly asked if I am a priest simply because I am from Ireland and in America most catholics grew up looking at Irish priests who have that which is common to Irish people :)
1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Jews didn't make it up. The Jews were God's chosen people, not because they were better than the other races, but because through them the rest of humanity would come to know the one true, living and loving God. 2. God created the whole universe, not just our planet out of sheer love. He could have created it ALL in 7 days if He wanted to. The creation story in Genesis is not "science". It is a story with theological truth and symbolism. We always seem to zero-in on the great prohibition in the story and seldom on the great permission. God said to eat of All the trees in the garden: (the trees are symbolical of all the good things for human flourishing i.e. the arts, science, friendships, sexuality, Philosophy, joy, love, etc. etc.) But, the ONLY "tree" they were not to eat of was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were tempted by Satan and chose to listen to him instead of God, and they messed everything up for themselves ....and sin arrived. The Original Sin they committed was to try to be God: i.e. to define and decide / choose for themselves the meaning of good and evil--- "I DECIDE not God what good is and what evil is." The minute we start playing this game, we sin...a dirty word to use today :-) and we become (of our own free choice,) less and less LIKE God, in whose image and likeness He created us. God wants us to flourish: " The glory of God is a human being fully alive!" (Church Fathers quote.) 3. We do not worship Creation. We love , care and respect it like good stewards. We worship God alone. 4. Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word of God---- check out the beginning of St. John's Gospel. Jesus is not just another prophet, ethical teacher with some cool sayings, nice guy" or hippy of his day. On the cross he took on ALL the sin and DYSFUNCTION of past, present and future humanity and redeemed us and became our WAY back to God. 5. St. Agustin did not just commit sexual sins. He wept for ALL his past sins. 6. Read the late Pope Benedict 16th. books. You will get a balanced view of him and ''where he's coming from''.
Respectfully disagree with the constant dominionism of this view. It seems to me that all peoples before and after Christ have/had a route to find divinity. In my view, a loving God would not deny grace to any who pursue a path of virtuous longing for the good. Too, perhaps taking such a stark position denies the beauty of all other perspectives, and creates turmoil and the horrendous acts that have been claimed and continue to be claimed in the name of their own view of God.
