One religion

By Vern Jones, Principia Media Publisher/CEO and author of The Non-Religious Christian – Finding Faith Outside the Church.

I was having a conversation with an evangelical Christian last week when I mentioned that I was studying Taoism, and how I found numerous similarities between the teachings of Tao and Christianity. I was admonished in mid-sentence with the declaration that Christians should not be reading or learning about other religions. He supported his conclusion by explaining that god instructed us to have no other gods before Him (the true god) as stated in the Ten Commandments. He had previously informed me that I was not really a Christian, as he and I did not agree on many aspects of Christian doctrine.

A couple of thoughts came immediately to mind. First, it must be difficult to be so insecure in your faith, that the act of studying or reading about other religions immediately places the god of the “other” faith in front of the god you worship. On the contrary, I find studying Confucianism helps me to understand my role in society as a businessman. Taoism instructs each person to strive to be in harmony with the highest ideals of humanity. Buddhism teaches us to be in harmony with nature and be conscious of everything we do and think. These teachings are not inconsistent with Christianity and often reinforce the message attributed to Jesus.

Secondly, I was reminded that God instructed the Israelites to have no “other” gods before him. This reminded me that there are actually several references to “other” gods written in the Torah. Many Jewish scholars acknowledge that when these books were written, it was commonly believed that the Israelites were polytheists. They believed that other gods existed, however, their god was the supreme god. The most obvious examples of the acceptance of polytheism are found in the story of the Exodus. Pharaoh’s gods were able to duplicate the miracles performed by Moses, except that the miracle performed by Moses was one step superior than those performed Pharaoh’s gods.

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How comfortable are you in your faith?

We had an interesting encounter today while working on some fliers to announce our first book signing. We were referred to a graphic designer to assist us in creating the flier and some bookmarks. She seemed very interested and responded very quickly to our initial requests and subsequent questions.

We then forwarded copies of the front and back cover of The Non-Religious Christian to her for use in the design of the materials. For a couple of days we heard nothing. After two days, we followed up with another e-mail to verify that she had received the materials. A day later she informed us that after extensive prayer, she had decided that she would not be willing to work with us explaining: “Based upon the contents on your website/Facebook page, it appears our spiritual beliefs are contrary.”

We clearly were not asking this lady to endorse my book, or to agree with any part of my own personal faith, but I couldn’t help but wonder how fragile her faith must be that it would be threatened by working with someone who believed differently. My faith is strengthened by challenges and different opinions, and I can’t imagine living in a world where everyone I associated with believed exactly like me.

Love,

Vern

Book signing: Meet author Vern Jones

After many, many months of hard work, it’s time to celebrate the release of my book, The Non-Religious Christian – Finding Faith Outside the Church. To those who have followed my blog, I’d like to personally invite you to my first book signing event next month in Byron Center. Please see the official invitation below for more information. I hope to see you there! Love, Vern

Join Principia Media‘s Vern Jones, author of The Non-Religious Christian – Finding Faith Outside the Church at Railside Golf Club for light appetizers and great conversation. He will be available from 4 to 7 p.m. to personally sign your copy of the book and discuss any questions you may have. Children are welcome. 

In The Non-Religious Christian – Finding Faith Outside the Church (Principia Media), author Vern Jones shares his experiences growing up in a rural fundamental Christian church with its strict rules and dogmatic beliefs. After leaving the church and receiving a scientific education, Jones spent his adult years studying the Bible to see if it was possible to abandon organized religion and still be a Christian.

Carefully constructing thoughtful, scientific and fact-based arguments against biblical inerrancy, Jones vigilantly deconstructs many commonly accepted Bible-based truths and puts forward a new and empowering way of looking at one’s faith.

This book is for those who claim to be more spiritual than religious, who go to church but have yet to find true meaning, and for those who have questioned their Christian faith after being judged by others or feeling unloved. 

For the news brief on the book, please visit this link:http://pitch.pe/176836
Contact: Julie Hurley – 616-460-5070

Bumping into your past

Today at the grocery store I ran into an old drinking buddy. He didn’t recognize me. It’s been several years since I realized drinking and spending all my off time in bars was a waste of time. For over ten years I was such a fixture in my local tavern the owner had a plaque with my name on it lacquered into the top surface of the bar where I normally sat.

Driving away from the store this morning I passed my old buddy as he walked along the road. He was a solemn figure walking along the road with a cigarette pinched between his lips and a small bag in his hand. From what I could tell, he appeared to be heading toward a low-cost housing unit. I don’t know him anymore, nor do I know if he is still drinking. But statistics say that most people who are long-term addicts do not escape alive.

In my case, I was one of the lucky few who recognized that my bad habit was growing toward addiction. I managed to escape before it was too late. Life is now good. But looking at my former friend today made me realize how fortunate I’ve been. Oh, but for the grace of God go I.

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God, capital punishment and Troy Davis

I don’t like to write on capital punishment, however, a very strange series of events in the past week have compelled me to comment on this topic.

Principia Media is now in the process of publishing a book by a very gifted author by the name of Louise Reichert who donates her time to working with prisoners. She has compiled a book of prayers written for and about prisoners who have committed some incredibly horrific acts. Their contrition and admission of guilt are very moving and provide some personal insight into these hardened individuals.

Through Louise, I was introduced to a website called Humanity for Prisoners, which is working to provide adequate defense for prisoners and humane treatment for who are confined. This site provided some interesting insight into the mindset of hardened criminals. I was completely unaware that guilty criminals will do everything possible to keep the innocent behind bars, including lying against them and personal assault, including murder.

Yesterday morning, it was revealed that the Board of Pardons in Georgia has denied the appeal of Troy Davis whose conviction was based on nine eye witnesses of which seven have recanted. One of the witnesses that did not change his story is a prime suspect in the murder and who was reported to have confessed to the killing.

All of this is in the background as I am studying the first two books of the Torah. This includes the report of the first reported murder by Cain, as well as the series of laws provided by god. These laws, reportedly dictated by god, clearly call for the death penalty for a variety of offenses including striking, insulting, or disrespecting your father and mother. These laws are often used to “prove” that god supports the death penalty, conveniently overlooking the fact that god saved the life of the first murderer, Cain.

I do not know if Troy Davis is guilty, and neither do you. Neither do we know what god thinks about the death penalty. I do know that the death penalty is final, and the thought of any state executing an innocent person is reprehensible, as is the statement I read recently by an avid death penalty supporter: “fry them all and let god sort them out.” Life without parole is much less expensive, and much more consistent with my view of the will of a magnificent god.

I’d love to hear what you think.

Love,

Vern

Books that changed your life – What’s your favorite?

I grew up in a home with four boys. We were independent thinkers because our parents urged us to question everything from religion to politics. Back then I can remember my older brother and I each reading books that ignited our individual passions. He read books such as Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. For myself, books such as The Stranger by Albert Camus, Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird captured my interest. I was the seeker, my brother was the doer. Now, reflecting back, my brother pretty much followed his early reading and became a wealthy entrepreneur. I did much the same and though I, too, was entrepreneurial, money never was important.

Looking back over the past couple centuries, it is ideas from books that ultimately lead to what changes the world. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was the spark that fanned the embers of American democracy. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe brought the horrors of slavery to our nation and was said to have directly led to influencing a young Abraham Lincoln and ultimately the Civil War. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair told the story of the lack of safely in the meatpacking industry and was said to have led to the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, precursors to today’s Food and Drug Administration. And who can forget Ralph Nader’s Unsafe at Any Speed which single-handedly led to a raft of auto safety standards.

The point is that books have been and will always be critical to how we live our lives and what we make of ourselves, both individually and as a people.

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They’re printing my book

Several months ago, after completing the first draft of my manuscript, I had one thought on my mind: To see my book in print. I think most authors feel the same rush to get their work printed; their ideas are fresh, enthusiasm is high, and they are certain everyone wants to read what they have written.

Then reality set in. While publishers were interested, the contracts they offered seemed offensive. In exchange for granting them the rights to publish I would only receive a fraction of the any potential income generated from the sales that were mostly generated by me. In addition, due to their publishing schedules, I’d have to wait upwards of three years to see my work in print. The traditional publishing process seemed weighted totally in favor of the publisher’s bottom line.

My experience became the stimulus to find a better way to publish. Something better than all the run-of-the-mill self-publishing conglomerates who promise the world but deliver what is often referred to as “junk in, junk out.” What if a publishing company allowed its authors to keep their rights while offering a truly customized publishing program along with a community to support their distribution and marketing efforts? That was the spark that created Principia Media.

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The “G” word. What do you believe?

By Dirk Wierenga, Director of Publishing Services for Principia Media.

Principia owner Vern Jones’ excellent new book titled The Non Religious Christian – Finding Faith Outside the Church is due to be released in a couple weeks (reserve your autographed copy now). Vern is fond of saying that people need to find a faith that they can own—rather than relying on the religion of their upbringing.

Now in the middle of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan along a busy highway is a new billboard that says: “You don’t need God—to hope, to care, to love, to live” placed there by The Center for Inquiry, an atheist organization.

While Vern was raised in a conservative Baptist household that force fed him a dogmatic religion, I grew up in a Presbyterian family that provided myself and my siblings with the basic Christian message but then emphasized that we each determine our own beliefs.

The point is that every great belief system stresses love in its message (which is exactly the message the great religious figures from Jesus to Mohammed to Gandhi taught). It is us humans who have messed up religion by placing our own set of rules and beliefs on top of the fundamental message of love.

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Is it possible to be spiritual but not religious?

Dirk Wierenga, Principia’s Director of Publishing Services, and I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Frazee, the creator of the website sbnr.org (Spiritual But Not Religious). In our discussion we discovered that SBNR shares many of the same values and goals of Principia. We do not endorse, nor do we dismiss, any particular faith. We also recognized we share some inherent problems while engaging in a dialogue regarding individual faith — most significantly, the English language.

The term “god” has been defined by most Christian religions as a white-haired, vindictive, jealous, puppet-master living in the clouds that created the world in six days who not only oversees everything we do but dictates our actions. Every success in our lives demands that we thank “him” and every failure, injury and illness is the result of our disobedience. My evangelical friends believe that not accepting this specific vision of a god dooms me to an eternity of pain and suffering, as theirs is the “right” god to worship.

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A Christian terrorist attack in Norway

By Vern Jones

The recent terrorist attack by a radical Christian in Norway was a shocking reminder that the absolute truth, taught by most religions, has a potential for catastrophic consequences for innocent people throughout the world.

It is easy for most Americans to condemn the ignorance of radical Muslims as we repeat jokes about the award of 72 virgins to martyrs of this faith. However, it is much more painful for us to acknowledge that the Christian faith and Bible have been used to justify genocide for centuries.

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