Coming hot on the great discussion at Merthyr Road last week comes the St Lucia Group’s consideration of the argument for staying connected and looking at the options for progressives including accepting “the new knowledge and use it to develop a more mature understanding of what lies at the core of your beliefs.” (John Feehan, The Singing Heart of the World, 2012, page 148)

At our August meeting we completed our two-part series on Praying with Scripture, at which we
considered Imaginative Prayer in the Ignatian tradition. The basis for our discussion was the parable of the Prodigal Son, in particular, on Rembrandt’s painting of this well-known parable. The meeting was very well attended and the discussion wide ranging and insightful.
What’s Coming Next in the Butterfly Series As we report on our private Facebook page, the purpose of our group is to support those who adopt the third choice in the paragraph below, particularly those who live in or near to St Lucia:

“When you are confronted by evidence that the faith in which you were brought up no longer provides an adequate explanation for the nature, meaning and purpose of your life, you have three choices. You can refuse to accept the evidence and continue as before. You can abandon the faith you grew up with, because it proved to be inadequate. Or third, you can accept the new knowledge and use it to develop a more mature understanding of what lies at the core of your beliefs.”
(John Feehan, The Singing Heart of the World, 2012, page 148, emphasis added.)

As we move forward with our Butterfly series over the coming months, we will be placing our focus on current Christian thinkers and the implications of their writing for ourselves, our community and Christianity in general. It will become evident that science and religion are not in competition with each other, but merely two sides of the same coin and therefore complementary.

We also hope to explore the mystery of creation, the connectedness of all sentient beings to nature and the critical role that all of us play in bringing about God’s kingdom on earth, which Judy Cannato redefined as the Field of Compassion. Ultimately, we seek to develop a more mature understanding of our beliefs.

At our next meeting we are going to embark on this journey by considering a discussion paper that examines some key themes influencing the development of theology and dogma.

Find the discussion paper here and click on PDF Historical Influences on Beliefs

Next Zoom and Face to Face meeting:

Butterfly Series – Next Meeting – Historical Influences on Beliefs
Our Episode 12 meeting will be held on Zoom at 6:00pm AEST on Tuesday 20 September.
To register your attendance, please email John at jscoble@hradvantage.com.au.

If you are concerned about your ability to participate in these zoom meetings, we can
accommodate you by simply allowing you to listen. Just let us know.

oOo