Plenty of people out there think of me as the Antichrist or the devil incarnate because I do not affirm the literal patterns of the Bible. But the fact is I can no more abandon the literal patterns than I could fly to the moon. I just go beyond them. John Shelby Spong abandonaffirmantichrist share on social
I think that anything that begins to give people a sense of their own worth and dignity is God. John Shelby Spong begindignitygive Change image and share on social
In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears physically to no one, but by the time we come to the last gospel, John, Thomas is invited to feel the nail prints in Christ's hands and feet and the spear wound in his side. John Shelby Spong appearchristfeel share on social
Almost any poll of regular churchgoers will reveal that their favorite book in the New Testament is the Gospel of John. It is the book that is most often used at Christian funerals. John Shelby Spong bookchristianchurchgoer Change image and share on social
I believe that God is very real. I believe that I live my life every day inside the reality of this God. I call this God by different words. I describe God as the source of life and the source of love and the ground of being. John Shelby Spong calldaydescribe share on social
The biblical texts that we Christians have used for centuries to justify our hostility toward the Jews need to be banished forever from the sacred writings of the Christian church. John Shelby Spong banishbiblicalcentury Change image and share on social
I cannot possibly conceive of my planet Earth as the centre of a three-tiered universe. I know rather that the sun, around which my planet Earth revolves, is a middle sized star in a galaxy called the Milky Way that has over a hundred billion other suns or stars within it. John Shelby Spong billioncallcentre share on social
I experience God as the power of love. John Shelby Spong experiencegodlove Change image and share on social
We've got to deal with the fact that the church has been violently prejudiced against gay people. We've murdered them; we've burned them at the stake; we've run them out of town for something over which they have no control. And that's immoral. John Shelby Spong burnchurchcontrol share on social