Rutgers Presbyterian Church in Manhattan's Upper West Side Neighbourhood. | Screenshot: Google
Why even atheists find this Manhattan church attractive
At the centuries old, progressive Rutgers Presbyterian Church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, an evolving culture of faith that includes an active pursuit of social justice is drawing atheists among its flock.
“It’s something I never thought would happen,” Valerie Oltarsh-McCarthy, an atheist who sat among the congregation listening to a Sunday sermon on the dangers of genetically modified vegetables told The New York Times.
Despite her personal position on God, McCarthy told the Times she was attracted by “something in the spirit of Rutgers and something in the spirit of the outside world” that caught others like Katharine Butler off-guard too.
She visited the church one day after responding to an advertisement about their environmental activism. She got so involved in that aspect of the church’s work she soon found herself involved in the more traditional parts of the faith community.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this, singing away and all the Jesus-y stuff,” she said. “It was wonderful to find a place larger than me, that’s involved in that and in the community and being of service. It’s nice to find a real community like that.”
[…]
NYT wrote:Typically, the connective tissue of any congregation is an embrace of a shared faith.
Yet Rutgers, a relatively small church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, has rejected that. Sharing a belief in God — any God at all — isn’t necessary. Instead, the community there has been cobbled together by a different code of convictions, pulled in by social justice efforts, activism against climate change, meal programs for the homeless and a task force to help refugee families.
So a church that gathers where belief in God isn't necessary is attracting atheists. No way...
NYT wrote:“Rutgers has periodically reinvented itself as the Upper West Side has gone through changes like this,” said James Hudnut-Beumler, a professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt University. “This isn’t the first reinvention. It is one of their more interesting ones.”
Seems a pretty succinct summation of progressive Christianity. Continual reinvention based on/conforming to the Spirit of the Age.
"The Evangelium has not abrogated legends; it has hallowed them" -JRR Tolkien
"Better to die cheerfully with the aid of a little tobacco, than to live disagreeably and remorseful without." -CS Lewis
Rutgers Presbyterian Church in Manhattan's Upper West Side Neighbourhood. | Screenshot: Google
Why even atheists find this Manhattan church attractive
[…]
NYT wrote:Typically, the connective tissue of any congregation is an embrace of a shared faith.
Yet Rutgers, a relatively small church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, has rejected that. Sharing a belief in God — any God at all — isn’t necessary. Instead, the community there has been cobbled together by a different code of convictions, pulled in by social justice efforts, activism against climate change, meal programs for the homeless and a task force to help refugee families.
So a church that gathers where belief in God isn't necessary is attracting atheists. No way...
NYT wrote:“Rutgers has periodically reinvented itself as the Upper West Side has gone through changes like this,” said James Hudnut-Beumler, a professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt University. “This isn’t the first reinvention. It is one of their more interesting ones.”
Seems a pretty succinct summation of progressive Christianity. Continual reinvention based on/conforming to the Spirit of the Age.
Perhaps it represents a pretty succinct summation of the Protestant Reformation?
A "figs of thistles" moment?
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons isn't totally without benefit. The atheists are may be still lost but at least they're doing something worthwhile - caring for the environment, serving the homeless, etc. If they eventually come around to this Jesus-y God that's great! If they don't, well they weren't going to anyway so it's no loss.
"If we ever get to heaven boys, it aint because we aint done nothin' wrong" - Kris Kristofferson
"One of the things I love about CPS is the frank and enthusiastic dysfunction here. God help me, I do love it so." – OldWorldSwine
"I'd like to put a hook in that puppet and swing it through a bunch of salmon!" - durangopipe
Rutgers Presbyterian Church in Manhattan's Upper West Side Neighbourhood. | Screenshot: Google
Why even atheists find this Manhattan church attractive
[…]
NYT wrote:Typically, the connective tissue of any congregation is an embrace of a shared faith.
Yet Rutgers, a relatively small church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, has rejected that. Sharing a belief in God — any God at all — isn’t necessary. Instead, the community there has been cobbled together by a different code of convictions, pulled in by social justice efforts, activism against climate change, meal programs for the homeless and a task force to help refugee families.
So a church that gathers where belief in God isn't necessary is attracting atheists. No way...
NYT wrote:“Rutgers has periodically reinvented itself as the Upper West Side has gone through changes like this,” said James Hudnut-Beumler, a professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt University. “This isn’t the first reinvention. It is one of their more interesting ones.”
Seems a pretty succinct summation of progressive Christianity. Continual reinvention based on/conforming to the Spirit of the Age.
Perhaps it represents a pretty succinct summation of the Protestant Reformation?
A "figs of thistles" moment?
That there is a distinct stream of the Protestant Reformation that is not "progressive", capable of criticizing and distinguishing itself from it, nixes that line of reasoning. It'd be like saying the Protestant Reformation is a succinct summation of Roman Catholicism. It sounds cute enough to prove a point, but it doesn't work that way.
"The Evangelium has not abrogated legends; it has hallowed them" -JRR Tolkien
"Better to die cheerfully with the aid of a little tobacco, than to live disagreeably and remorseful without." -CS Lewis
Seems a pretty succinct summation of progressive Christianity. Continual reinvention based on/conforming to the Spirit of the Age.
Perhaps it represents a pretty succinct summation of the Protestant Reformation?
A "figs of thistles" moment?
That there is a distinct stream of the Protestant Reformation that is not "progressive", capable of criticizing and distinguishing itself from it, nixes that line of reasoning. It'd be like saying the Protestant Reformation is a succinct summation of Roman Catholicism. It sounds cute enough to prove a point, but it doesn't work that way.
And yet, somehow, it did manage to "work that way" with regard to your chosen nemesis, "progressive Christianity"?
I'm cornfused.
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
Seems a pretty succinct summation of progressive Christianity. Continual reinvention based on/conforming to the Spirit of the Age.
Perhaps it represents a pretty succinct summation of the Protestant Reformation?
A "figs of thistles" moment?
That there is a distinct stream of the Protestant Reformation that is not "progressive", capable of criticizing and distinguishing itself from it, nixes that line of reasoning. It'd be like saying the Protestant Reformation is a succinct summation of Roman Catholicism. It sounds cute enough to prove a point, but it doesn't work that way.
And yet, somehow, it did manage to "work that way" with regard to your chosen nemesis, "progressive Christianity"?
I'm cornfused.
You and I can disagree about the pros and cons of the Protestant Reformation, but being tossed to a fro by every wind of doctrine by clever folks--continually re-inventing yourself to keep up with the Jones'--is not the same as reforming to an unchanging standard.
"The Evangelium has not abrogated legends; it has hallowed them" -JRR Tolkien
"Better to die cheerfully with the aid of a little tobacco, than to live disagreeably and remorseful without." -CS Lewis
Seems a pretty succinct summation of progressive Christianity. Continual reinvention based on/conforming to the Spirit of the Age.
Perhaps it represents a pretty succinct summation of the Protestant Reformation?
A "figs of thistles" moment?
That there is a distinct stream of the Protestant Reformation that is not "progressive", capable of criticizing and distinguishing itself from it, nixes that line of reasoning. It'd be like saying the Protestant Reformation is a succinct summation of Roman Catholicism. It sounds cute enough to prove a point, but it doesn't work that way.
And yet, somehow, it did manage to "work that way" with regard to your chosen nemesis, "progressive Christianity"?
I'm cornfused.
You and I can disagree about the pros and cons of the Protestant Reformation, but being tossed to a fro by every wind of doctrine by clever folks--continually re-inventing yourself to keep up with the Jones'--is not the same as reforming to an unchanging standard.
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
Seems a pretty succinct summation of progressive Christianity. Continual reinvention based on/conforming to the Spirit of the Age.
Perhaps it represents a pretty succinct summation of the Protestant Reformation?
A "figs of thistles" moment?
That there is a distinct stream of the Protestant Reformation that is not "progressive", capable of criticizing and distinguishing itself from it, nixes that line of reasoning. It'd be like saying the Protestant Reformation is a succinct summation of Roman Catholicism. It sounds cute enough to prove a point, but it doesn't work that way.
And yet, somehow, it did manage to "work that way" with regard to your chosen nemesis, "progressive Christianity"?
I'm cornfused.
You and I can disagree about the pros and cons of the Protestant Reformation, but being tossed to a fro by every wind of doctrine by clever folks--continually re-inventing yourself to keep up with the Jones'--is not the same as reforming to an unchanging standard.
I mean, it's one thing to say it's special pleading and another to show me how it's special pleading. I await the latter.
"The Evangelium has not abrogated legends; it has hallowed them" -JRR Tolkien
"Better to die cheerfully with the aid of a little tobacco, than to live disagreeably and remorseful without." -CS Lewis
"At present we're on the wrong side of the door. But all the pages of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so." ~ C.S. Lewis
Sean Spicer, the former White House press secretary, in a now deleted tweet after his appearance on Dancing with the Stars, encouraged viewers to vote for him because the judges would be baised against him.
"Clearly the judges aren’t going to be with me," Spicer said Tuesday. "Let’s send a message to #Hollywood that those of us who stand for #Christ won’t be discounted."
Spicer, 47, was responding to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who also encouraged his Twitter following to vote for the former press secretary in order to cause "an emotional meltdown in Hollywood."
Spicer replaced his deleted tweet with another thanking Huckabee for his "support and prayers."
[…]
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
Sean Spicer, the former White House press secretary, in a now deleted tweet after his appearance on Dancing with the Stars, encouraged viewers to vote for him because the judges would be baised against him.
"Clearly the judges aren’t going to be with me," Spicer said Tuesday. "Let’s send a message to #Hollywood that those of us who stand for #Christ won’t be discounted."
Spicer, 47, was responding to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who also encouraged his Twitter following to vote for the former press secretary in order to cause "an emotional meltdown in Hollywood."
Spicer replaced his deleted tweet with another thanking Huckabee for his "support and prayers."
[…]
How dare anyone involved in politics speak publicly about their bad theology! Now do the pope.
(CNN) — Three Catholic churches in El Paso have been targeted in arson attacks and investigators are offering a reward for information on the culprits.
The first arson incident at the churches in Texas occurred on May 7 at St. Matthew Catholic Church followed by another one a week later at St. Patrick Cathedral, the FBI said in a statement.
About a month later, on June 15, an arsonist targeted the Jude Catholic Church, the FBI said. In each of the cases, unknown perpetrators tossed incendiary devices at the churches in an attempt to set them ablaze, according to the FBI.
"Each church sustained damage caused from these devices. Thankfully, to date no one has been injured," the FBI said.
The local FBI field office offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in each attack — a total of up to $15,000.
"Keeping everyone safe is our shared and number one priority," the FBI said in a statement Thursday. "Every lead will be thoroughly investigated. Regardless of how insignificant you think your information might be, we strongly encourage you to come forward and welcome your information and assistance."
[…]
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
in reference to religious symbolism and the cult appeal of streetwear, digital culture studio MSCHF has created ‘jesus shoes‘. the design injects 60cc of holy water into the bubble of a air max sole to allow wearers to literally ‘walk on water’ with every step. realized with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attitude, the shoes utilize the classic NIKE silhouette to investigate ideas of devotion in both religion and commercial products.
MSCHF’s jesus shoes execute on a simple but enduring idea: walking on water. this image is immortalized in matthew 14:25, and has been enshrined as a cultural image of divinity. the hollow air max soles popularized by NIKE provided a perfect opportunity to realize this. the bubbles in the soles are filled with 60cc of holy water, originally sourced from the river jordan and subsequently blessed. slight coloring has also been added for visibility and styling.
with every step the wearer literally ‘walks on water’ and the motion of the fluid provides a visual counter to the motion of the shoe
a steel crucifix accent adorns the laces, which may be styled on or off. custom 100% wool insoles reference the lamb of god and are infused with frankincense, one of the three gifts held to be borne by the wise men on the occasion of jesus’ birth. the red of the insoles is inspired by the traditional bright red shoes worn by the pope. additional details include inscriptions of the book+verse (matthew 14:25) in which jesus is originally depicted as ‘walking on the sea,’ as well as the initials INRI (iesus nazaraeus rex iudaeorum) which were inscribed on the cross.
the crucifix accent may be styled on or off
jesus shoes explore the cult nature of streetwear brand loyalty, as well as the styling and rich sartorial traditions of the church. indeed the lasting, rich, symbolism of christianity feels in many ways like the most profound realization of what every logo-centric streetwear brand aspires towards. jesus shoes were created by digital culture studio MSCHF in a limited run dropping tuesday october 8th, 2019.
each sole fills the air max bubble with 60cc of holy water, with additional coloring for visibility and colorway matching
the jesus shoes apply numerous biblical references as modifications to a classic NIKE air max profile
[…]
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
"[T]he emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable."
— Pope Francis, Morocco
