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At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could reach the nation's ear, I would, today, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced. 

(an excerpt from an Independence Day speech delivered by the former slave, Fredrick Douglass, in the presence of President Millard Fillmore in 1852)

A popular internet meme mistakenly attributes a declaration made by José Micard Teixeira to Meryl Streep but the content of the “I no longer have patience” statement addresses a substantive issue in a time when relationships are often shallow, meaningless, manipulative and fake.  If we say that “God is love,” and that “love is the fulfilling or the law,” or even my favorite Ziggy Marley lyrics, “Love is my religion,” then we need to both be lovable and sincerely decisive about creating and loving meaningfully.

Order a copy of Progressive Faith and Practice by Roger L. Ray at: http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Faith-Practice-Shalt-Stand/dp/1625648464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409522061&sr=8-1&keywords=roger+l+ray

The American born Zen teacher, Adyashanti, wisely warns us, "Make no mistake about it - enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It's seeing through the facade of pretense. It's the complete eradication of everything we imaged to be true." To move beyond the superstitions and myths that comprise traditional religion, we will have to endure a great sense of loss to be able to emerge in a progressive faith in which science and reason are partners with religion rather than being the enemies of faith.