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If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk
If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk: Finding a Faith That Makes Us Better Humans | John Pavlovitz
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Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible. Imagine for a moment what the world might look like if we as people of faith, morality, and conscience actually aspired to this mantra. What if we were fully burdened to create a world that was more loving and equitable than when we arrived? What if we invited one another to share in wide-open, fearless, spiritual communities truly marked by compassion and interdependence? What if we daily challenged ourselves to live a faith that simply made us better humans? John Pavlovitz explores how we can embody this kinder kind of spirituality where we humbly examine our belief system to understand how it might compel us to act in less-than-loving ways toward others. This simple phrase, "Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible," could help us practice what we preach by creating a world where: spiritual community provides a sense of belonging where all people are received as we are; the most important question we ask of a religious belief is not Is it true? but rather, is it helpful? it is morally impossible to pledge complete allegiance to both Jesus and America simultaneously; the way we treat others is the most tangible and meaningful expression of our belief system. In If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk, John Pavlovitz examines the bedrock ideas of our religion: the existence of hell, the utility of prayer, the way we treat LGBTQ people, the value of anger, and other doctrines to help all of us take a good, honest look at how the beliefs we hold can shape our relationships with God and our fellow humansand to make sure that love has the last, loudest word.
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JenniferEgnor
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This book brought up a lot of feelings, questions, and painful memories for me. I was raised in a fundamentalist household. I was groomed to be what is called today, a Christian Nationalist. I left all this behind a long time ago. Today, I‘m atheist with friends of different faiths, and none at all. I subscribe to John‘s podcast and follow his socials. I can count on one hand how may people I know who practice their faith like John⬇️

JenniferEgnor does (even though he is not a pastor anymore). The rest all wrap their faith in hateful red hats. I struggle with this. Is it really supposed to be a religion of love and community, or is it all about fear, control, and punishment? Because it can‘t be both. The words of Jesus were instilled into me at a young age, but so were messages of hell, sin, and ‘other‘. Which is it? It breaks my heart to see this unfold each day. Though I am not⬇️ 7h
JenniferEgnor a religious person, I do enjoy listening to what John has to say, and I find his words give me some small bit of hope, despite the feeling of losing it a little more every day. Link for his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-beautiful-mess-by-john-pavlovitz-podca... 7h
TheBookHippie I‘ve heard him speak I was a proof reader of his very first book. (?) I enjoy him and Benjamin Cremer. I understand your struggle. It‘s just a lot. Book I read the ARC of is (edited) 7h
dabbe 🧡💜💛 6h
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dmanto00
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“Spirituality should be a continual unfolding” #ifgodislovedontbeajerk

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