Posted in Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas 2025: “Thou Shalt LOVE, Not Hate” — Day Nineteen 12/19/25

From December 1-25, I’m sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.

An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.

Today,Fugelsang looks at healthcare from a Biblical perspective.

“In Proverbs 31:8-9 the Bible calls on believers to ‘speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.’ Ensuring access to healthcare for all, regardless of financial status, is the Biblical point of view.”

“Matthew 9:35: ‘Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.’”

“Access to healthcare for all is consistent with Jesus’s entire operation, and Medicaid is exactly the kind of community social action that he’d be proud of. Fans of Jesus should applaud the fact that our country has such a system, that covers over ninety million of us.”

“Author and theologian Dillon Naber Cruz, a military vet known online as the Tattooed Theologian, suggests we ‘Imagine the positive benefits of applying the Golden Rule (Matthew 7-12; Luke 6-31) to healthcare in America. No one would choose to have life altering medical situations lead to being crippled by debt. No one would willfully choose to skip treatment or to not buy medication because it is too expensive.”

“Applying the Matthean Golden Rule caveat ‘in everything you do’ to healthcare would mean that we enact a robust universal healthcare system in which no person is left to the malicious whims of healthcare profiteers whose money is made from human suffering. Jesus wanted to alleviate suffering and would definitely be against his ostensible followers profiting from it.” p. 195

Posted in Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas 2025: “Thou Shalt LOVE, Not Hate” — Day Ten 12/10/25

From December 1-25, I’ll be sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.

An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.

If you are interested, you can see the introduction to this new blog category here:

https://nealenjoy.com/2025/12/01/countdown-to-christmas-2025-thou-shalt-love-not-hate-introduction-12-1-25/

Today Fugelsang is being both serious and playful:

“A loving God welcomes people of all genders and sexual identities.”

“And if you believe in the Trinity, then God identifies as “they.’” p. 142

Posted in Christmas Countdown 2023

Countdown to Christmas 2025: “Thou Shalt LOVE, Not Hate” — Day Nine 12/9/25

From December 1-25, I’ll be sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.

An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.

If you are interested, you can see the introduction to this new blog category here:

https://nealenjoy.com/2025/12/01/countdown-to-christmas-2025-thou-shalt-love-not-hate-introduction-12-1-25/

Fugelsang:

“It is understood that long ago, Christianity began as a nondiscriminatory movement that ostracized no one.” p. 142

No One

“Because the early church was established in diversity, equity, and inclusion.” p. 143

Posted in Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas 2025: “Thou Shalt LOVE, Not Hate” — Day Five 12/5/25

From December 1-25, I’ll be sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.

An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.

If you are interested, you can see the introduction to this new blog category here:

https://nealenjoy.com/2025/12/01/countdown-to-christmas-2025-thou-shalt-love-not-hate-introduction-12-1-25/

Fugelsang remembers: “I was raised to believe that the opposite of faith is not doubt, as doubt is an essential part of any real faith journey.”

“The opposite of faith is certainity. Separation of church and hate. p. 53.

I love Fugelsang’s brief declaration of truth, which reminds me of Shakespeare’s also-famous and truthful line: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Absolute Certainty can get us in all kinds of trouble!

Fugelsang continues: “Extremists of all faiths (or none) are raised in, and live with, supreme and absolute certainty. They don’t think they’re better than you; they know for a fact that God thinks they’re better than you.” p. 53

“Life’s pretty simple for the authoritarian Christian. Since most of their opinions happen to also be God’s opinions— and they believe that they’re the folks who get to speak for God—they generally feel divinely obliged to control whatever part of society they see fit. Y’ know, for God.”

“And if you’re one of the anointed who speaks for the Almighty, eventually you’re liable to believe that anyone who opposes you is, logically, on the side of Satan. And God’s true people are never going to sit down and negotiate things like school curriculum, women’s rights, or marriage equality with Lucifer. People who’ve been conditioned to think you’re on the side of the devil aren’t permitted to meet you halfway.” p. 54

Ouch!

May we all be willing to meet each other halfway this Holiday Season — and beyond.

Last night at the Jepsen Center for the Arts lighting of the Christmas tree here in Savannah. 

We met them halfway!

Posted in Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas 2025: “Thou Shalt LOVE, Not Hate” — Day Four 12/4/25

From December 1-25, I’ll be sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s “Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.

An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.

If you are interested, you can see the introduction to this new blog category here:

https://nealenjoy.com/2025/12/01/countdown-to-christmas-2025-thou-shalt-love-not-hate-introduction-12-1-25/

Today: Another part of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5:3-12) commonly referred to as “The Beatitudes”

Author John Fugelsang writes: “And get a load of these BEATITUDES.

Jesus opens the Sermon with a series of blessings that represent his foundational teachings and core values. Each line begins with the word ‘blessed,’ which can also be translated as ‘happy,’ ‘fortunate,’ or even ‘lucky.’

Jesus pronounces his blessings upon specific groups of people. He focuses on the poor and marginalized; he praises nonviolence and peace-making, radical love, mercy, and inclusion; and he pretty much takes down the status quo.” Separation of Church and Hate p. 25

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

3. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

5. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

6. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

7. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

8. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Fugelsang jokes: “Imagine the hecklers: ‘Meh, I didn’t trudge all the way up Mount of Beatitudes just to hear some virtue signaling from Woke Jesus.’” p. 25

“The Beatitudes are Jesus’s own guide for ethical conduct in Christian life.” p. 25

May we all be Harmonious and “Beatitude-ish Peacemakers” this Holiday Season — and beyond.

A few of my Photos of Peace:

Inside the Mighty Eighth Museum Chapel, Savannah GA

Posted in Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas 2025: “Thou Shalt LOVE, Not Hate” — Day Two 12/2/25

From December 1-25, I’ll be sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.

An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.

If you’re interested, you can see the introduction to this new blog category here:

https://nealenjoy.com/2025/12/01/countdown-to-christmas-2025-thou-shalt-love-not-hate-introduction-12-1-25/

“Jesus was:

A peaceful, radically nonviolent revolutionary

Who wasn’t American and never spoke English

Who hung around lepers, hookers, and crooks

Never sought tax cuts for rich Nazarenes

Was anti-wealth and anti-death penalty

Anti-public prayer, too (Matthew 6:5)

Never asked lepers for a co-pay

Never called poor people ‘lazy’

Never even slightly antigay

Never mentioned abortion

Supported paying taxes

And was a long-haired

Community-organizing

Authority-questioning

Anti-slut-shaming

Brown-skinned

Palestinian

Unarmed

Homeless

Jew …

But only if you believe what’s actually in the Bible.”

Preface, Separation of Church and Hate

A favorite ornament from many, many years ago. Still in good shape.

Posted in Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas 2025: “Thou Shalt LOVE, Not Hate” — Introduction 12/1/25

My Countdown to Christmas series this year is inspired by a recent simple book recommendation from dear friends Jo and Kathi. “You HAVE to read Separation of Church and Hate! It’s FULL of truth, and it’s often laugh-out-loud funny!”

I Googled the book and saw the full, never-ending title: Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds.

“Whoa,” I thought, “That title sounds far too Holiday Heavy.”

But then Robert and I started to read, and we were absolutely flabbergasted by the clear, undeniable truth and push for lovingkindness presented by author John Fugelsang. (And yes, I have laughed out loud many a time during our read.)

So I plan to share with you a quote and its truth from the book each day starting today, December 1 and ending on Christmas Day.

An Advent Calendar, of sorts.

And of course, I realize that everyone is not Christian or religious. That many folks have had awful and problematic issues with organized religion. I get that. And we’ve experienced the same thing. But we are happy today to have found an inclusive, love-embracing and creatively fun congregation here in Savannah, Asbury Memorial.

If possible, may you receive the kernels of truth in these posts without being bogged down by the “Christian-ness” of them.

And may Christmas 2025 for us ALL be a season of pulling away from hatred — and embracing all-encompassing, inclusive Love.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22: 36-37

Love, then, is the apex of the Christian faith, and I would surmise at the apex of every faith or even non-faith (if that makes a lick of sense).

Adding to the words of Jesus (can I do that?) …

Love Is ALL.

See you tomorrow.