Radicalized by Basic Decency

Radicalized by Basic Decency

Author: Dr. Roger Ray June 1, 2025 Duration: 18:15

For centuries the world's religions have constructed a mental prison in which they try to control the conduct of their adherents through threats of eternal torture or, for the very good, promises of eternal reward. However, once you awaken to the reality that these are empty promises and threats, in a world where there is not heaven or hell, then there are no moral absolutes . . . then we are left to discern for ourselves, "how shall we then live?"


Each week, Progressive Faith Sermons-Dr. Roger Ray offers a thoughtful exploration of modern spirituality and ethics, rooted in the inclusive community of the Community Christian Church in Springfield, Missouri. Hosted by Dr. Roger Ray, this podcast presents recorded sermons that bridge traditional Christian faith with urgent contemporary questions. The discussions move beyond doctrine to engage deeply with philosophy, culture, and the practical work of social justice, reflecting a commitment to accepting all people without judgment. Listeners will hear a unique blend of theological insight, cultural commentary, and ethical challenge, all aimed at fostering a more compassionate and equitable society. This isn't about simple answers; it's about wrestling with complex ideas on how to live a meaningful, faithful life in a complicated world. Tune in for a perspective that is both intellectually rigorous and grounded in a tangible desire for community and change. You can find this podcast wherever you listen, inviting you into a ongoing conversation about what it means to believe, belong, and act justly today.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 350

Progressive Faith Sermons - Dr. Roger Ray
Podcast Episodes
Sociopathy vs Spirituality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:33
Jesus Seminar founding member, Marcus Borg, first described the message of Jesus as being "radical compassion." Peer and fellow seminar member, Karen Armstrong, took that concept to an interfaith (or no faith) form of sp…
Dr. Roger Ray - Christmas Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:52
Ten years ago, when I was still blond and clean shaven, I delivered this sermon in our former church building to try to give an honest and academic explanation of the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke. This year I am…
Guess Who Won't Be At Christmas Dinner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:30
In 1971, in the early days of the "War on Drugs," then President Nixon appointed a commission to study marijuana and to release their results and policy suggestions. More than 80 people worked for most of a year to produ…
More Than Our Trauma: Healing-Centered Social Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:51
A familiar image from the Advent season is leveling the mountains so that all "may walk safely." One example of this process in our own times has been the increasing emphasis on healing trauma, especially since marginali…
Open Season on Protestors? (well, except for Jan. 6 rioters) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:40
Stephen Colbert observed that, like most of us, not being a lawyer, it is hard to judge whether 17-year-old, Kyle Rittenhouse, broke any laws when he took a semi-automatic rifle to the demonstration in Kenosha and ended…
Giving Thanks in a Thankless World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:07
Emiliana Simon-Thomas and Jeremy Adam Smith observed that, "Americans are very grateful and they think gratitude is important—they're just not very good at expressing it." In our world of constant and chronic stressors,…
The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:58
As we approach our national observance of Thanksgiving, we are being asked to also give respectful reflection to the Indigenous Nations who were here thousands of years before Europeans sailed across the Atlantic in litt…
The Roots of Racism (Missing White Woman Syndrome) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:19
While the disappearance of anyone is tragic, the way the media exhaustively covers the disappearance of beautiful, young, white women compared with the silence around the disappearance of tens of thousands of women of co…
Halloween, a Holiday of Acceptance and Possibility [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:16
This pandemic has taken a heavy toll, world wide, in lives, to be sure, but also it has closed businesses, terminated jobs, set millions of students back a year or two years in learning, while it has shifted wealth aroun…