tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-207319172011-12-14T20:02:57.990-07:00There is only one remedy to the issue of not being able to find someone who can answer your questions.<br> You must become that person.Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-72870771080252616222009-01-07T12:35:00.003-07:002009-01-07T12:49:24.192-07:00

Watching the The Biggest Loser season premiere last night, I saw something illustrated that I have been taking notice of more and more lately.The "Silver" team, composed of two best-friend girls, got through the first show and it came time for the first weigh-in (the first weigh-in that would affect who stays and goes home). They were, I'm assuming, randomly picked to be weighed first and came

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-40224305284253533802008-11-06T15:38:00.003-07:002008-11-06T15:39:22.682-07:00

If anyone's reading this and not reading Amy's blog lately, go here.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-26995270112190670092008-10-03T13:10:00.003-06:002008-10-03T13:18:29.772-06:00

Here's a breakdown of how I think people view their Trinitarian belief.Picture 1-AWith the picture's help, I don't have to say "imagine a circle," but do your best.A circle actually has 3 parts; there's the circle itself, the inside and the outside.If you think of the "inside" of the circle as God-the-Father, our goal should be to enter the circle much like entering "Heaven."The circle, itself,

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-55902603526230062602008-10-03T12:47:00.003-06:002008-10-03T13:04:01.869-06:00

Something has been bothering me since I last went to church at Pathways. The topic of the day was about suffering, and why God would allow it. The answers, I thought, were pretty generic and standard, but what really struck me was a story from a woman whose child had died at a young age and how it, eventually, changed her life for the better.You can find the full session here, on the September

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-23459770378683144532008-09-09T10:06:00.003-06:002008-09-09T10:29:32.916-06:00

Recently, I reflected aloud upon my astonishment that people in this day and age still believe so fervently in things like Armageddon and The Rapture that they would actually accuse a presidential candidate of being the Antichrist. I believe my exact words were, "It's the 21-century, folks. We have computers! We've been to the Moon! Wake up!"This all came about from a brief political "

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-8637711141166283622008-07-18T14:21:00.003-06:002008-07-18T14:34:52.163-06:00

There's so much on my mind lately that it's a surprise I haven't been blogging like mad but, if you're subscribed to my 3 public broadcasts then you should know, I haven't been. Sometimes I think of my mind as a coiling spring... it accumulates tension over time. I think about things a lot, things bother me a lot, and usually I mentally catalog them to ponder further later and only very

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-15095858750156298082008-06-26T10:27:00.003-06:002008-06-26T10:44:28.533-06:00

So, I've sort of been following politics lately (much more than in recent years) but this news story came out of left field for me. Micah sent it to me and, once I read it, I couldn't really stay silent. Hopefully I can keep this semi-short.You can find the article here:Dobson Accuses Obama Of 'Distorting' BibleHaving read (or at least skimmed) it, here are my problems.Dobson is criticizing

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-90378097563200886752008-06-18T08:41:00.002-06:002008-06-18T08:58:28.507-06:00

This is something I've been thinking about lately and I actually mentioned it out loud the other day so I thought it might be best to just post it. Perhaps I'll get some opinions in response ... that would be cool.So, after reading [most of] Philosophy for Dummies during Lent, I came to the semi-conclusion that I am somewhat of a skeptic. If you're not sure what that means (or if you have the

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-14806056343985056032008-06-09T10:13:00.002-06:002008-06-09T10:44:09.424-06:00

Ross locked his computer and stepped lively to the break room - it was lunch time. He bit back a sigh when he noticed Angela already heating up her cellophane-wrapped repast but smiled back when she greeted him."How was your weekend?" She asked."Not bad, got a lot done around the house and went to a concert. How was yours?""Well," she began before pausing, "My church started this new program

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-28967361918772715342008-05-07T14:03:00.004-06:002008-05-07T14:25:07.473-06:00

After considering taking a hiatus from writing on this, I decided against it. Lately it seems to be causing more problems than it has ever attempted to solve but, since those problems are mine and not the blog's, I don't think the subject should be neglected just because of my own particular foibles.No, the very real issue comes right down to spiritual insecurity. My own, as you may be able to

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-73112776255499902512008-05-02T08:31:00.007-06:002008-05-02T09:30:45.149-06:00

So, I have much more to say about the concept of relativism but it's probably going to sound a lot more like me complaining than commentating. Knowing this well in advance, I've decided to fully embrace the tantrum and give you an honest look into the infantile complainer portion of my brain that stands on its soapbox and hurls anything it can in every direction like a monkey at the zoo.Deep

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-57375218480922731252008-04-29T11:29:00.002-06:002008-04-29T11:41:48.401-06:00

People seem to have an ongoing vendetta against the concept of relativism yet, at the same time, use versions of it to get by from day to day. Strong practitioners of religion and philosophy are the only ones that have more than a vague idea of what the concept really means, and people that campaign against it of course (like President Bush, in a recent conversation with the Pope).My problem is

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-21993746313221642112008-04-21T11:39:00.003-06:002008-04-21T12:28:19.641-06:00

Here are a couple of points that I wanted to bring up but not sure I'm ready to write a whole dissertation on just yet.1) While watching the last portion of the Abortion documentary Lake of Fire, I thought of something interesting. This may seem easy to dismiss, but give it more thought than just a dismissal.If we're going to call abortion "murder," can't we call a miscarriage "suicide?"(not

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-52227017175026707992008-04-16T19:09:00.003-06:002008-04-16T19:26:42.327-06:00

Abortion is actually a topic I don't believe I've covered in this religion-centric blog so far which is kind of surprising. I have views on abortion but, oddly enough, I usually keep them to myself. Most of the reason for this is because I'm male so the whole "keep your laws off my body" argument doesn't really apply to me. The other reason is that I endorse things like euthanasia; this should

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-31971358243511092312008-04-15T09:29:00.003-06:002008-04-15T09:45:33.841-06:00

Speaking from an "unsure" perspective doesn't give you much of a leg to stand on when dealing with someone who is incredibly sure of their own - and lives it on a fairly daily basis. Try telling someone they're "wrong" when their life is "spreading the Gospel and helping those in need." Not that I'd want to tell them they're wrong. It's hard to respect someone's choices and completely disagree

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-44867840186828235572008-04-04T11:40:00.002-06:002008-04-04T12:04:12.282-06:00

Passionate and Forgiving. I bet a lot of religious connotations come to your mind when you read those words, especially on a page like this where you know I'll be talking about those connotations. But you'd be wrong this time, sort of.No, I'm bringing those up because I want to talk about myself for a bit. During "small group" last night I believe I exhibited both concepts in a certain way but

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-88265530797773989062008-04-01T14:43:00.004-06:002008-04-01T14:55:52.040-06:00

Does anyone else ever feel like studying religion is singularly and inexorably complicated?I don't want to do another huge post. Really, I don't. But I have so much running through my head right now that it's hard not to. Frankly, reading more in A History of God is just blowing my mind with all of the information it's conveying.Here's one interesting thought I came up with. I used to think

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-91401053301796515222008-03-31T13:38:00.003-06:002008-04-01T14:54:02.547-06:00

Based on a recommendation from my friend Cuyler, I started reading A History of God (by Karen Armstrong) this week. Past being completely floored by her credentials and impressed by the sheer amount of information that she has crammed into the volume, I am already sure that it is going to give me a lot to think about. For a person like me, a book like this would make me create a blog like [

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-34298228568855918592008-03-15T12:25:00.005-06:002008-03-15T13:10:06.376-06:00

Recently, I heard about the death of the uncle of a friend of mine. A death in the family is hard enough to take by itself, but add to it the circumstances of this one and it becomes truly complicated. From what I heard, and I'm summarizing here, the uncle did not live a Christian life, and is believed therefore to be currently in Hell (or at the very least the nephew is distraught that he

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-20396682448449896412008-03-14T11:15:00.004-06:002008-03-14T11:32:03.639-06:00

Small groups are still a relatively new concept for me. Not quite the "church lite" that they seem to be, small groups can raise just as heady issues and vehement disagreements as sitting in a large room and being talked at by a pastor. Possibly more so, since it is a "safer" environment.Last night at small group I raised a couple of questions that I'd been struggling with and then we proceeded

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-53303777587739541432008-03-10T11:01:00.003-06:002008-03-10T11:17:44.480-06:00

Perhaps this is just another me-and-my-attitude moment, but I believe I've noticed what the underlying goal is in religion as a whole. Whether for good or ill, it seems the ultimate goal of religion is to keep people from doing things that come naturally to them, or at least fight the urges to do so. Now, I'm not going to even start the argument that I'm some kind of hedonist but I think there

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-7522273514348153752008-02-17T11:31:00.002-07:002008-02-17T11:35:34.577-07:00

Excerpt taken from Religion for DummiesHow to know whether you're dead or notA story from Judaism perfectly illustrates the virtue of questioning: The Hasidic rebbe, Simcha Bunim, once went on a walk with his disciples. Along the way, he and his entourage encountered a group of Jews who were engaged in casual conversation. The rebbe said to his disciples, "Do you see those Jews over there?

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-91458507753651953182008-02-09T18:56:00.001-07:002008-02-09T19:12:56.345-07:00

Currently I'm reading Religion for Dummies and ran onto something interesting that I thought of. Reading a book like this is very healthy for someone like me, I think, because it allows me to kind of refocus my skepticism and conjecture and the content of the book inspires connections to be made in my brain.Tonight, I was reading about how Taoism and Confucianism don't necessarily teach the

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-83170965610293364442008-02-08T11:56:00.000-07:002008-02-08T12:00:31.616-07:00

Rather than just giving "stuff" up this year for Lent, I am making it a goal to learn more about the world around me during this time. Since there will be no TV or video games or YouTube, it's the perfect opportunity to read a bit more than Fantasy novels. Starting this weekend, I am going to be picking up introductory (non-textbook style) books on some of the subjects that interest me most.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-41746707021609594092008-02-07T11:19:00.000-07:002008-02-07T11:22:49.590-07:00

Quite awhile ago, I had an idea in my head to give up meat for Lent. While not impossible, I thought this would be a very difficult challenge. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I did not go this way for 2008; I opted to engage in a joint boycott of all video-style entertainment. No TV, no movies, no video games, even no YouTube until Easter. Frankly, the YouTube is proving to be the

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-48738201164533736142008-02-04T12:48:00.000-07:002008-02-04T12:57:32.067-07:00

What comes to mind when you hear the word "Christian?"Do you get a special idea of a person when they label themselves as a Christian? What about if they call themselves a "Follower of Christ," instead? Does this paint a different picture for you?This is something that I've seen for quite awhile but it has just come up recently as an issue for me. I heard someone use it last week in the

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-36670113041044806012008-01-21T09:40:00.001-07:002008-01-21T09:42:52.677-07:00

No matter how much I wish it not to be, sometimes, church is "church" to me. It's hard to do it but I occasionally have to repeat to myself that these people have a job to do. They're expected to say certain things and it speaks more to some of us than others. That doesn't make it bad and it doesn't make me wrong; it's just the way things are.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-90107826687881492008-01-15T08:48:00.001-07:002008-01-15T08:49:12.929-07:00

For a long time now, I've been contemplating what it means to be an American. I've even posted blog entries about it (elsewhere). Mostly I see what the world thinks of us, or how they perceive us, and after watching The Manchurian Candidate last night I realized that quite a few Americans are truly how we are perceived to be.Believe it or not, Americans are pretty arrogant. We believe our way is

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-24282819813061713552008-01-03T11:44:00.000-07:002008-01-03T11:51:56.457-07:00

Just the word "caucus" reminds me of my old small group, the JTC. It's been a long time since I was in a small group setting. I liked it, though. I feel like it allowed me to be a bit more honest and open than general assembly does. We will probably be joining some type of small group soon and I look forward to it with just a twinge of apprehension; getting to know people (and thereby

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-65658976762894945012007-12-30T20:18:00.000-07:002007-12-30T21:04:06.779-07:00

So, my plan to visit twelve different churches this year kind of fizzled halfway through but I did visit a "new" church today (Pathways Church). You can find the link here. It was an interesting church, a fantastic building, and a younger-than-I've-seen-lately congregation. Fairly refreshing, to tell you the truth.Sitting there listening to an interesting message full of hope, friendliness and

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-34225167118160887192007-12-28T10:27:00.000-07:002007-12-28T10:42:11.255-07:00

Should we really think of Jesus as [a] King?This thought has been bothering me for quite some time but I am just getting around to writing about it now. It became more and more apparent to me during the Christmas season, by default.I think more than anything people quote the Bible for names of Jesus-as-God, especially in "worship" music. Prince of Peace. Lord of Lords. All of the questions

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-85227178737013642002007-12-27T12:17:00.000-07:002007-12-27T12:18:12.087-07:00

Listening to the radio this morning brought up something interesting to me. Then I read Rob's blog and it really came into focus.I think we're bombarded by the message that love is all we need. Wouldn't everyone you ask on the street agree with that? If all we have is love, who could ever want anything else? Then, at the same time, we're assaulted by the demand for money. At the risk of

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-89616123489616246362007-12-24T14:32:00.000-07:002007-12-24T14:49:07.288-07:00

To me, Christmas is the holiday of love kind of like Thanksgiving is the holiday to give thanks. It's tough trying to reconcile spirituality, religion and modern society but Christmas seems like a very huge bullseye for the car crash that attempts to be that reconciliation.Think about it. If there were one day a year that America should be able to shut its roads down, use less energy, and

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-91733868539829265032007-11-29T19:03:00.000-07:002007-11-29T19:15:55.923-07:00

Here's a short story of what went on today. Make of it what you will.I went to lunch with a couple of guys from work today. At the sushi place, the radio station they were playing (not blasting) through the restaurant's stereo speakers was KLOV (aka the Christian station). After correctly identifying it as such, I had a choice to make. I should say that a member of our party was Muslim but

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-78190692858529354712007-11-20T09:03:00.000-07:002007-11-20T09:33:04.559-07:00

Here's something that I seem to struggle with, at least from a viewpoint perspective. Is Christianity easy or difficult? Is it easy to "be a Christian" or is it hard? Along with that, does it merely look easy/hard when in fact it is the opposite?Sometimes I feel like I hear completely opposite things from the pastors at my church at different times. Not contradictory statements, per say; more

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-41705583548644846822007-11-11T17:08:00.000-07:002007-11-11T17:17:53.662-07:00

After flying to Toronto on a business trip, I don't mind telling you that God was the last thing on my mind.Interestingly enough, my hotel is about2 buildings away from Saint Michael's Cathedral. Now, I'm not one to buy into the whole coincidence-as-fate thing but all the same I went into the place to see what it was like.I can't possibly convey how beautiful the church was. Catholic churches

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-77689643185683325712007-11-05T10:55:00.001-07:002007-11-05T11:24:35.448-07:00

What do those words make you think of? Isn’t the retrospective perspective of religion the same theme?If you’re not “impressed,” I think it seems like something is wrong with you --- and I’m not sure where that view comes from. Basically, it seems like Christians believe any non-believers have absolutely no valid reason to not believe the exact same thing the exact same amount.Here is me.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-4634541506585118172007-10-12T09:54:00.000-06:002007-10-12T10:11:39.547-06:00

Today should be the final day of fasting for Ramadan.This morning, I thanked God for helping me survive this whole time and said I was glad that things came into better perspective for me. It's fairly common-sensical: if you take something more seriously and try harder, it will become better and more clear. My relationship with God is like that.I won't say that Ramadan has fixed all of my

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-59024089029955877302007-10-08T15:33:00.000-06:002007-10-08T15:40:30.252-06:00

Ramadan is going to end this week and I can't say that I'll be too sorry to see it go. Supposedly there's a gigantic Christmas-like celebration that goes along with the end of the fasting and abstinence but I don't know if that's actually going to happen. My main celebration is happening at the end of next week, not the end of this one.I've still got a lot to think about and a lot to consider

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-79747112685467740412007-10-03T13:22:00.000-06:002007-10-03T13:26:15.205-06:00

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-68505694604975639102007-10-03T09:08:00.000-06:002007-10-03T09:24:02.781-06:00

As I was thinking about this last night, I realized that none of the elements of this Ramadan are things I would normally do. I'm not a big fan of skipping meals or abstaining from other things; the lack of water throughout my day makes my voice die a daily death and I really hate that. My breath apparently smells horrid and I don't enjoy that, either. I started to wonder if these elements

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-72246502742251027182007-10-02T09:54:00.000-06:002007-10-02T10:11:12.595-06:00

Trust me, folks: the fasting is the easy part.I find myself struggling staying focused and on track but still feeling like I'm accomplishing things because I'm adhering to the fast. I have been praying more often than I used to, true, but the whole "meditative" thing didn't really work. Mostly I blame it on me being too tired at 5am and too done-with-the-day at 10 or 11 to devote my full

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-53511031928120746642007-09-27T10:22:00.001-06:002007-09-27T10:37:44.861-06:00

Sorry I haven't been as faithful in blogging as I have in fasting.The fasting has turned out to be the easy part, truth be told. I mean, sure it's difficult to control yourself so that you don't eat or drink (or let anything touch your mouth, basically) while the sun is up and to abstain from certain carnal pleasures, but it's not that difficult.Throughout this past week I've come to the point

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-91684812257902258882007-09-21T08:06:00.003-06:002007-09-21T08:29:09.642-06:00

This morning began at 5 so I was able to eat but I found that I wasn't really in the mood for it. Fasting is surprisingly effective at killing your appetite, believe it or not. I mean, I know people see me doing this and think that they could never do it themselves because it's too hard or challenging (they've told me so) but I honestly think it's not that hard. I guess a month-long fast is

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-1473951418473262522007-09-20T08:06:00.000-06:002007-09-21T08:19:59.800-06:00

Today was the first day that I "slept in," meaning I did not wake up in enough time to have food before the sun came up. Therefore I didn't get to eat or drink all day long. Strangely enough, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, not that I would tempt fate and do it more often than on accident. Starvation is not my idea of a good time, though it did wonders for my waistline (even

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-73337033732012099612007-09-19T08:05:00.000-06:002007-09-21T08:20:18.508-06:00

Not much went on today as it was a fairly normal day. I hope it's not confusing anyone that I'm counting the numbered days incorrectly, though it is kind of confusing me to be honest. When we reach Day 29 I'll stop being confused.I read Psalm 138 this morning and found the first lines very intriguing. I'll post them here only because I think the difference between the NASB and NIV is pretty

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-33295317552945629892007-09-18T08:18:00.000-06:002007-09-18T08:31:08.565-06:00

I read John 9 this morning hoping some more exposure would help me figure out a little bit more about Jesus. I've had a lot to give thanks to God about lately and I've been telling him so in my morning and nightly prayers. I'm not perfect but lately I feel really blessed.This morning I got to thinking about how long I've lived in Colorado (nigh on 2 years) and how different my life has been.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-11978394689415011542007-09-17T08:00:00.000-06:002007-09-18T08:17:34.846-06:00

This morning was not a happy one; I was groggy because I had a few drinks last night and gushed about religion and spirituality to Gabe. I'm not sure if a person needs more or less sleep while fasting but I'm still convinced that I've been eating too much. For breakfast I had dates, a ham and cheese sandwich on organic sourdough, 2 small flatbreads with 3 Pepper hummus, and a glass of milk.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-74419726233868913972007-09-16T19:56:00.001-06:002007-09-16T20:28:47.329-06:00

To tell you the truth, fasting is a lot more of an inconvenience than a challenge. There have been so many instances in the past 3 days alone where it would have been more convenient and socially acceptable to just eat and drink. I don't think Ramadan was designed to be observed in a country like America (meaning a country where basically 0% of the people I interact with daily are doing the

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-88816145667992281422007-09-15T07:27:00.000-06:002007-09-15T07:37:56.561-06:00

Last night was definitely the hardest part of the fast so far. Yesterday was our friend Karla's wedding and it was a beautiful event but dinner was served at about 6:30. Of course, cheese/sausage/crackers/cocktails were being served at 5:15 or so (immediately after the ceremony). On top of all of that, my breath apparently smelled like death on a stick so I was loath to even open my mouth most

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-9305969980355830722007-09-14T09:20:00.000-06:002007-09-14T09:27:07.195-06:00

During Holy Month, you're probably going to see me (or perhaps hear me) use terminology that I don't normally use. This is one of those instances.I believe God provided me some information yesterday. I watched most of a documentary about Sam Kinison entitled Why Did We Laugh?. The information contained within was completely different than I expected, which I why I mention that God put it in

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-61555262308838143722007-09-14T09:05:00.000-06:002007-09-14T09:15:46.665-06:00

Prayed a very sincere thanks to God today for various reasons. I haven't been very vigilant with the "meditative" prayer I promised, particularly in the morning because getting up at 5am is difficult and I don't want to fall asleep while praying. I have been praying, just not meditatively.Ate a smaller breakfast with zero vegetables. I did this as a sort of challenge to myself; I know I'm

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-48009567008477412712007-09-13T08:35:00.000-06:002007-09-14T11:34:07.642-06:00

Today was the first "official" day of Ramadan for everyone else. It was my second day of fasting. My first day I survived quite well and I ate the same breakfast today as I did yesterday. That meal consisted of:3 eggs1 serving of sausage1/8th cup shredded cheddar-jack cheesehalf a green bell peppera stalk and crown of broccolia piece of oatmeal breada large glass of milkI know, huge, isn't it?

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-43921850656481167372007-09-12T08:34:00.000-06:002007-09-14T08:50:29.001-06:00

Technically, Ramadan did not start today, but I started fasting today. I foolishly went by the American calendar which declared the start of Ramadan on the 12th instead of the actual lunar cycle that Muslims follow. It doesn't matter; one extra day of fasting isn't going to hurt me.I can't just sacrifice today because I began my fast by eating a very large, diverse, and filling breakfast. I'm

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-34610365112424223412007-09-11T09:09:00.001-06:002007-09-11T09:18:07.564-06:00

29 Days of fasting, prayer and abstinence begins tomorrow and I'm going to be right in the middle of it.I will do my best to post updates often about what's going on but if I don't post every day it's because of the same reason(s) that I don't post every day now.Make no mistake; this Ramadan thing is going to be a challenge. It may confuse a whole lot of people why a Unitarian Christian

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-18251912690741959592007-09-10T08:50:00.000-06:002007-09-10T09:11:34.234-06:00

It isn't really for me to say whether God created us a certain way or not. That being said, I do believe certain pieces of us work certain ways, regardless of why. I'm not sure if it is because Ramadan is quickly approaching or because I had some extra time this morning to ponder it. I have had a lot on my mind lately but I haven't devoted any real writing time.I don't believe mankind does

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-76422449644064913942007-08-27T09:18:00.000-06:002007-08-27T09:29:56.479-06:00

Nobody fasts for fun. Nobody that I know of, anyway. There's always a purpose to it, a deeper meaning; something higher. Honestly, why put your body through that if you don't have a good reason?September 12th begins Ramadan, the Islamic tradition of fasting (among other things) for I believe a lunar month. It has been marked on my work calendar for quite some time now and as it approaches I'm

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-84836251258017176192007-08-21T16:41:00.000-06:002007-08-21T16:59:32.284-06:00

Things are still not moving, spirituality-wise.Oddly enough, I can use a Bible story to relate just how I feel right now. The veil parting me from the knowledge of God and Christianity was a lot like the walls of Jericho; everyone's encouragement and promises and interpretations just kept telling me to march around it seven times and sound my trumpets and everything would suddenly make sense.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-20951648868862002352007-08-05T18:10:00.001-06:002007-08-05T18:12:27.266-06:00

I had a few things that I wanted to say today but I am going to defer to this friend-of-a-friend's blog entry. Trust me, this is much more worth reading than anything I've written here lately, and it's most certainly NOT one of those "religion/faith/god made a difference in my life, YAY!" type blog entries. Why the hell would I link you to one of those???Just go here and read it.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-13194425697246518242007-07-31T02:06:00.000-06:002007-07-31T02:26:57.866-06:00

A recurring theme has become clear to me lately. I thought I was slipping into some kind of agnosticism (the belief that we "cannot know" everything about God, etc.) but in reality I have felt more neutral about everything.Think of it this way; humankind understands extremes very well, this is why we have extremists (and why we throw around the term so liberally). On the one extreme, you have

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-8809906941724739172007-07-23T10:48:00.001-06:002007-07-31T02:26:39.873-06:00

Strangely enough, the worship leader at CCCC yesterday brought up the question that had been burning in my brain for weeks. In my mindset after my last post here perhaps I was more receptive to reflecting upon the question while standing there looking at her and looking at my betrothed (I think I am going to stop using "fianceé"). I'm going to continue to ponder it but I just wanted to share in

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-35046248085263083332007-07-20T13:16:00.000-06:002007-07-20T13:45:19.496-06:00

As I look back on the past 99 posts, I struggle to see what I'm really learning through all of this. If anything, I feel like I've showcased a steady decline into some form of agnosticism.More important than that, I think, perhaps, that I've lost the sense of humility on these topics that I once had.A person can attain a real swelling of pride when they feel they're doing something worthwhile.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-66733994902983683282007-07-15T10:38:00.000-06:002007-07-15T11:17:55.477-06:00

Religion is all about redefining words and drawing dotted lines.Whether for good or ill it is a manipulative force propagated by humanity on humanity. Not that all religion is "bad," unwarranted, useless, or stupid --- rather it is a force, used as it is by humanity for or against humanity.Truly, religion touches on the very nature of what it is to be human: to submit to an authority and to look

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-72614959478011157932007-07-05T08:13:00.000-06:002007-07-05T08:49:52.357-06:00

July inevitably brings around feelings of patriotism. Since I've already written recently about what it means to be an American, today I'm going to write about "freedom."I heard recently that freedom was a metaphysical concept --- I'm assuming since it is something you cannot taste, smell or touch (except figuratively, of course). Freedom is a state; a state of being, a state of mind.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-10947803245786841662007-06-30T13:12:00.000-06:002007-06-30T13:14:34.852-06:00

As a traffic generator, I had my blog reviewed and got fairly positive marks.I'm featured on the front page at the moment so please head over there and take a look!http://www.ourblogreview.com/

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-92185980974696114322007-06-19T08:17:00.000-06:002007-06-19T08:21:00.627-06:00

I don't like being watched as an example or used as a reference, spiritually-speaking, because if there is an area where I feel like I know nothing it is this one.Not to mention it is the only potentially guilt-inspiring prevalent thing of its nature and magnitude that I know of. I've basically accepted that I will never be holy enough or good enough --- not that I'm giving up on adventures of

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-86068861428050710102007-06-19T08:13:00.000-06:002007-06-19T08:17:18.675-06:00

I pray, now, to the one God --- to whatever that means to us.How tolerant you are, God. How unending is your gracious interest and willingness to allow us our freedoms. You tolerate the murderer, the thief, the liar, the skeptic, the stranger, the whore, the friend, and the false.Though any or all of us may be worthy in your eyes to be struck down to prevent further disruption in the world, you

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-13705159015573880262007-06-19T08:06:00.000-06:002007-06-19T08:13:53.360-06:00

If you ever wonder what kind of stuff I write in my Big Red Book, the next few posts will give you a good idea.---I wouldn't say that I "really understand" the Bible. I would say that I have learned of its origins, many translations and numerous interpretations, and uses. But I think to say that I fully understand its presence and purpose would be a lie.Perhaps to say that one understands the

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-35936577920297841322007-06-14T00:34:00.000-06:002007-06-14T00:35:37.435-06:00

The question bears asking on almost a daily basis. What does it mean to be an American?It is without question that we live in sort of a bubble, regardless of where we live in this country or who we are. To a certain extent the "poorest" citizens of Arkansas and Louisiana have to face the same troubles as the "richest" citizens of California and New York. If we are all citizens (and dare I say

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-82338007973461186382007-05-29T13:27:00.000-06:002007-05-29T13:51:43.435-06:00

First of all, I don't like starting out an entry with the letter "i". I think it is egotistical ever since I started template-ing my entries to have a large first letter. This blog is about my thoughts and actions but I would like to think it is more about the world I live in rather than just about me.More importantly, I know I've been semi-quiet for a while now with regard to posting [OSC]

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-72441540162152049422007-05-17T06:37:00.000-06:002007-05-17T06:57:40.832-06:00

The History Channel had a show on this morning about Hell (the Devil's Domain, or some such nonsense) and it got me thinking. Well, an "expert" on the show got me thinking. It was remarked that biblical literalists see Hell as an actual place; the "expert" said that Hell was the center of the Earth and that God made it that way. Right, because the center of the Earth has no other purpose.But,

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-39291852563110120752007-05-08T17:08:00.000-06:002007-05-08T17:09:33.096-06:00

It's no secret that I have a lot on my mind. It's basically like a beehive in here. I've been thinking privately a lot about theology lately (if you read OSC then you know I haven't been posting much) because it hasn't done me a lot of good to think publicly. I kind of miss the days where I used to unabashedly post my thoughts when I had them and it didn't take a mass of calculations to form

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-88128615347309072942007-05-04T17:18:00.000-06:002007-05-04T18:02:18.550-06:00

Depending on your phrasing and definition, one could argue that we all violate the Ten Commandments on a very regular basis.Here are my versions of the commandments (paraphrase, of course) and the explanations of my premise. The purpose of these statements is not to say that the Ten Commandments are invalid but it is to say that they are misinterpreted, misused, misunderstood, and misleading. I

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-15129686541969337752007-05-04T12:03:00.000-06:002007-05-04T12:14:02.770-06:00

One of my biggest questions internally is why doesn't this blog generate much feedback?A possible answer to my question is that everyone simply agrees with what I'm saying or basically has no need or want to disagree. What kind of readership do I have, a bunch of forgiving Evangelicals and Universalists that barely notice when my theology is a bit out of tune? Are people reading saying "maybe

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-1816504833964282962007-04-23T14:02:00.000-06:002007-04-23T13:41:30.086-06:00

People talk quite extensively about their understanding of abstract [metaphysical or existential] concepts.Life, Death, Justice, Heaven, Hell, God, Mercy. All of these things have something in common: they are all abstract concepts, defined subjectively and interpreted by the mind defining them. Does a definition of these words exist outside of the individual human mind? Are these things

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-79780724045673509202007-04-23T13:00:00.000-06:002007-04-23T13:14:14.775-06:00

Sometimes I wish I could just forget everything that happened to me relationship-wise prior to meeting Micah. I try very hard not to let my past plague me. That should be nothing new to those of you who know I am divorced; maybe this tidbit comes as kind of a shock to some of you.Recently I have found myself asking for forgiveness on a lot of fronts but no matter how much I try it is incredibly

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-42134151436034725962007-04-18T14:00:00.000-06:002007-04-18T14:10:54.900-06:00

Though I may not be Universalist, I'm pretty sure I'm Unitarian.This entry is going to contain excerpts from a conversation I had with someone yesterday regarding Jesus and Trinitarianism vs. Unitarianism. The names have been changed because, honestly, it doesn't matter.Jim: but i got hung up on the word UnitarianJim: i got hung up on it before but didn't think about it as much when Mike said

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-60669660262733390472007-04-17T16:38:00.000-06:002007-04-17T16:41:10.820-06:00

Consider this a contest (of sorts).I'd really like to know what YOU want to hear about.What kind of topic would you like to see [Opinionated Spiritual Commentary] cover?You can see that I cover a pretty slim range of things. A recent review of my blog said that it may not be all that interesting to non-Christians and it'd be nice to get some feedback about what my readers are interested in

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-67830702631677913682007-04-16T16:40:00.000-06:002007-04-16T16:41:42.061-06:00

Find this on Associated Content.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-32530905690539595972007-04-09T15:19:00.000-06:002007-04-09T17:14:48.982-06:00

This was originally supposed to be posted on 4/5/2007 but had to be abandoned temporarily. Yes, it is more rambling.Today, all I feel like doing is rambling.In today's growing religious climate it is hard for anyone to stay reasonably neutral or ignorant to the whirlwind of accusations and insults both inter- and intra-faith. I honestly hope that the goal of this blog is not being misconstrued

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-46131942384110698832007-04-09T12:27:00.000-06:002007-04-09T17:01:26.604-06:00

This was originally supposed to be posted on 2/23/2007 but was not complete. This is mostly just me ranting so I'm sorry if I touch on something you're serious about. Some of this may be unfiltered.Awhile ago, I said at Satellite that different "types" of "prayer" should be designated by usually completely different words rather than lumping everything under the umbrella of prayer. I think

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-25985964792795474242007-04-09T12:22:00.000-06:002007-04-09T16:45:36.649-06:00

This was originally supposed to be posted on 2/23/2007 but was not completed.In response to last month's sermon about "Is Jesus Really God?" that I have only recently been able to survive listening to in its entirety I would like to post some thoughts about Jesus. Hopefully my questions and fascinations lend more toward my respect for Jesus rather than disrespect for how he is interpreted and "

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-5322550447317580912007-04-07T18:09:00.000-06:002007-04-07T18:14:38.026-06:00

This is merely a short digression from the norm.Give yourself a few moments to think of what this picture says.I took this in the bathroom of a coffee shop.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-56427867637152509332007-04-06T18:05:00.000-06:002007-04-06T18:26:28.456-06:00

Why do I push so hard from this "universalist" perspective?Recently, I wrote an article on Associated Content discussing the reasoning behind believing what you want to believe. In it, I mention my concept of "implied permission" and reiterate how bad I believe it to be but I don't go too far into the "why." This became clear to me while I was reading an essay today on individualism and

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-22341804436213650942007-04-03T18:42:00.000-06:002007-04-03T18:47:08.473-06:00

Tonight I joined a site called Christian Forums. I put myself as a Unitarian because it basically closely resembles how I feel at this point in time. I thought this was a safe choice until I went to actually post a message.In a forum regarding the Genesis 3 issue, the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, I wrote out a lucid response to some of the general talk and attempted to post it. I got the

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-40841784829881507002007-04-02T17:57:00.000-06:002007-04-02T18:00:49.706-06:00

What Mormon Theology is really about?I really wish I knew who made this video, and when, and why. It seems to be old but yet I know some of it is valid theology in the LDS church. At the very least you should get a laugh out of this. At the most, you might be outraged.If anyone has any information on this video, please send it to me or comment. Thanks.

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-4883823736459564562007-04-01T22:19:00.000-06:002007-04-01T22:41:19.339-06:00

Trying to understand the "nature of God" may be a futile act.I know that I have written about "giving this up" before but today the reasoning behind the abandonment was cemented in my mind. The concept of God is vast, quite possibly universal in its own way, and therefore I believe it transcends the boundaries of what our thoughts and language can capture. Any words we can assign to God are

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-56027536026867316822007-03-30T17:12:00.000-06:002007-03-30T17:16:28.611-06:00

I wrote this in response to a Confessions of a Modern Postmodern post about The Church You Know. You should check out both before you read it otherwise the jokes will not be funny (but the point will still be valid).One of them is ... almost funny.I have a major problem with the Tithing one, though. The church really shouldn't endorse the necessity of coffee, doughnuts, technology, stadium

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-54983137206498710082007-03-29T00:03:00.000-06:002007-03-29T00:21:32.539-06:00

Red Book excerpt begins now...What do you believe to be the fundamental beliefs of Christianity?God/Jesus exists and that we are "saved" by Christ dying "for our sins."--What I'm trying to say here is that you are explaining concepts to a person that are, admittedly and inherently complicated, without ensuring the basics (or even the terminology) is understood.I, myself, even tried to learn

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-54091200188957334372007-03-28T18:22:00.000-06:002007-03-28T18:26:11.685-06:00

Roy Zimmerman - "Defenders of Marriage"

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-81039141067938651272007-03-28T15:37:00.000-06:002007-03-28T16:07:55.762-06:00

I don't think I've actually written much about this quite yet.I made it a "resolution" to visit 12 different churches this year. My objective has sort of morphed into visiting 12 different kinds of churches this year. So far, I've been to an Evangelical house-church, a downtown Denver Presbyterian church, and a Universalist Unitarian "church", as well as continuing to maintain a semi-constant

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-9600614422398158502007-03-21T15:01:00.000-06:002007-03-21T15:33:27.671-06:00

I believe in God but I wouldn't go so far as to say I know God exists.By claiming to know the truth you negate the concept of having faith in it. Knowledge implies something more than simple belief. Belief leaves room for doubt, change, expansion, and contraction where as knowledge is more absolute; more tangible. Knowledge requires more than belief, hence the introduction of words like "truth

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-42158622107573374372007-03-20T18:36:00.000-06:002007-03-20T18:58:59.038-06:00

I thought I would share the items currently in my Religion! bookmarks folder as a nice digression from how serious things have been lately. Enjoy.http://www.beliefnet.com/Beliefnet.comThis is kind of a given. I've recently mentioned the site and its Belief-O-Matic quiz. Check it out if you haven't been there already.http://www.hebrewpsalms.org/Hebrew Poems RadioI'm trying to find the Psalms of

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-31273615368484836542007-03-17T00:41:00.000-06:002007-03-17T01:07:41.499-06:00

I have been having a problem thinking about the concept of conversion lately and I believe I've discovered one major part of that problem.Conversion [from no religion to a religion, or from one religion to another] implies a concept of choice. This has only been made possible by today's culture; we are a world fed by choices. We desire to have options and to always look for something "better."

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-85077987588009174312007-03-16T14:10:00.000-06:002007-03-16T14:30:58.075-06:00

It occurs to me that I may not get a huge response from these posts is either the perceived notion that I'm merely stating what I think rather than supplying actual information.While I may truly be simply supplying my opinion about the greater argument at large I do hope that people take something away from this document of my adventures. It would be good to teach, to instruct, rather than just

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-5540062658630648922007-03-13T10:09:00.000-06:002007-03-13T11:53:42.678-06:00

There is no doubt in my mind whether the things I write here will be disagreed with or not.They simply will; these are my views and not necessarily yours. I not only welcome alternative points of view, I encourage them. This always presents a challenge, of course, of a forcible disagreement. That is, to say, an emphatic or [verbally] violent rebellion against my personal views.I only take one

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-39354707611453273712007-03-12T15:40:00.000-06:002007-03-12T16:05:51.889-06:00

Apparently, I'm a Unitarian Universalist.A lot of "-ists" and "-isms" float around these days but I'm not sure people truly understand them all. In that way, it's fairly easy for these terms to become derogatory or insulting. The lines between religions used to be simple, I think, but in the past 50 years it's become difficult to identify exactly what we are.I took a quiz on BeliefNet called

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-34472896623867359892007-03-09T17:03:00.000-07:002007-03-12T16:09:58.236-06:00

This was originally posted on my MySpace blog as part of a regular post. I thought it should belong here as well.I thought of something life-related that I wanted to share. I think in regard to our life choices we either look at something as a "good" or "bad" choice but never really a "meh" choice. If it is a "meh" choice we usually try to leave the decision up to someone else who actually

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-43224722952135648772007-03-07T16:58:00.000-07:002007-03-07T17:01:55.107-07:00

I believe we all go through phases in our lifetime. Regardless of what terminology you use to describe these phases or what word you call them (seasons, etc.) I do believe that they exist. Perhaps these phases exist to respond to our current wants or needs; perhaps they transcend all of that and factor into the greater scheme of our purpose (if that exists) or, if you're inclined to believe

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20731917.post-86830623264735885102007-02-27T17:05:00.000-07:002007-02-27T17:14:02.886-07:00

I hope I'm not taking this out of context, (you can listen to the entire class here, go to Week 2 - Part 1) but I had to share this as it pertains to something I've talked about recently. This is quoting from a class lecture on Thematic Introduction to the Hebrew Bible as taught by Shaye J.D. Cohen."Maybe God spoke to Isaiah...Maybe God exists, maybe God doesn't exist;Maybe if God exists maybe

Todd Newtonnoreply@blogger.com1