This is Not Normal

This is Not Normal

Author: Dr. Roger Ray March 24, 2024 Duration: 18:13

THIS IS NOT NORMAL! Cultural values we worked hard to correct over the past century are slipping back into what is being allowed to become normative language, thinking, and voting. North Carolina's GOP nominated candidate for governor, Mark Robinson, who enjoyed more than 60% of the vote in the primary, has publicly denied the holocaust, insisted that the Nazis were "not that bad," is opposed to women's right to vote, to LGBT+ rights, and he even insists that the Sandy Hook School shootings were a hoax. This man is currently the lt. governor of NC and is tied for the governor's election in November. America, we have to push back on these ideas and make certain that it is clear that theses are not acceptable cultural values and that for the sane among us, this simply is not normal!


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
"Just War, War Crimes,  War is a Crime,  War is a Racquet" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:55
Far too often, patriotism is expressed as enthusiasm for wars as if the battlefield was the only way to become a hero or to find virtue when, in almost every case, the opposite is true. As Jimmy Carter recently observed,…
Thievery from the Top Down [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:03
Our wisdom lesson offers us a view of the how things could be, through illustrations and words. It's the kind of world that everyone could enjoy living in, because it would be organized around compassion, equality, and j…
Progressive Faith and Practice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:09
Covid-19 will also have a casualty count among congregations. Which churches will survive into the 21st century and, frankly, which ones really shouldn't? If loneliness is the number one form of suffering in the western…
Racism as a Public Health Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:38
While we are currently focused on racism as it appears to us in policing and in the pandemic, we know that the roots of racism are centuries old and expressed in every dimension of our culture. Today we are especially fo…
Every Barking Dog [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:53
Many progressive people, maybe even especially progressive clergy, are often so afraid of criticism that they keep their most passionate beliefs to themselves. This is especially true for those of us who live in deeply c…
I Can't Breathe (Racism in America) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:11
"I can't breathe." Eric Garner's last words were echoed this week by George Floyd as his life slipped away. The challenge for us is not to become inured by repetition. This time there was an arrest but immediately the co…
The Debt we Owe to the Truth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:50
Every lie incurs a debt to the truth that must eventually be paid. This was initially said of Russian lies about the Chernobyl disaster but it certain applies to lies told about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the c…
The Ten Commandments of Logic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:19
Logic and faith should be partners! A healthy spirituality does not deny reality but rather interrogates and interprets reality. We are not seeking to escape this world to be transported into an imaginary "other" world b…
What Mom Really Wants: Equal Rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:57
We are taking a wide angle view of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century, from being relegated to carrying water and fire wood in the third world where female genital mutilation and sex trafficking are still co…
A New Economy for a post-Covid world [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:34
May 1 is the international workers' holiday but this year, in light of the pandemic, more consideration needs to be given to the very nature of the economy beyond the traditional rivalry between owners and laborers. As t…