We Believe

This blog started as part of St. Mary the Protectress's social justice ministry. The posts are the result of many of my reading and those of the congregational family. The church is a social animal. Her mission concerns not only each person's salvation, but also the salvation of the world.

Too often what we see today from churches and faith groups is a turning toward an ego centered teaching. Some of us have heard ministers preach of what to do to put more money in our bank accounts. There is also a grew tend of teaching that says that what we believe to be God's teaching must also be the controlling guidelines for government. A problem is that not all believe the same thing. I do believe that Christ is the way to salvation, but the failure comes when we also seem to have the need to point the finger at everyone else, telling them they are wrong, that they are going to Hell. Just because someone is different than us does not mean they are wrong and we are right.

Christians must be guided by what Christ taught. But we must be careful not to place a meaning to Christ's words that fits us, rather than to seek what the true meaning is.

We believe along with Mar Gregorios that:
* God loves all human beings irrespective of their color, caste, race, gender, or religious beliefs.
* All religions should flow together without losing their identity, but understanding one another.
* All religions need to recreate the deepest levels of meaning for the human existence in personal and communal spirituality.
* All religions need to have a commitment to the welfare of the humanity: to justice, to peace, and to the maintenance of a healthy environment.
* The human race needs to move out of national patriotism to a planetary patriotism.