<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
		>
<channel>
	<title>Comments on: A Manifesto by John Shelby Spong</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91</link>
	<description>Author and Activist</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:05:20 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2</generator>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
		<item>
		<title>By: sturgeon fishing</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-2351</link>
		<dc:creator>sturgeon fishing</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2010 04:19:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-2351</guid>
		<description>Thank you for the sensible critique. Me &amp; my neighbour were preparing to do some research about that. We got a good book on that matter from our local library and most books where not as influensive as your information. I am very glad to see such information which I was searching for a long time.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thank you for the sensible critique. Me &amp; my neighbour were preparing to do some research about that. We got a good book on that matter from our local library and most books where not as influensive as your information. I am very glad to see such information which I was searching for a long time.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: umbilical cord blood</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-2265</link>
		<dc:creator>umbilical cord blood</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2010 03:08:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-2265</guid>
		<description>I really enjoy your blog</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I really enjoy your blog</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Gerald Garvan</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-1662</link>
		<dc:creator>Gerald Garvan</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:49:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-1662</guid>
		<description>I don&#039;t get it. Sprong has spent a great deal of his life striping the old Roman toga from the dogma of biblical understanding, but he has refused to touch the most distorted teaching in the Christian community. Sprong says that men should love wastefully and abundantly, and that love should be like water, flowing everywhere regardless. He has bought into the idea, and defends the idea, that God love is available to all unconditionally, and as White says about himself, unreservedly. 
That idea that God&#039;s love is unconditional, unreserved, is one of the biggest distortions to ever come from the mouth of theologians who were suppose to know and teach the truth. God&#039;s love has never been unconditional, unreserved, never is, and never will be. There has always been a condition and there always will be. That condition to receive God&#039;s focused attention, power, and love, is and always has been, the covenant God offers to all men. No one can claim the love of God without accepting,  and abiding obediently, in a covenant relationship with God. 
If Sprong, White, or any one else does not know the conditions of that covenant, there is nothing they can assume about God as being theirs. 
But, Sprong and those who follow him will never have what God has to offer. They have rejected God and created their own god. But that is nothing new. Sprong is a man knowledgeable in the history of the church, he know that this is not the first time.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I don&#8217;t get it. Sprong has spent a great deal of his life striping the old Roman toga from the dogma of biblical understanding, but he has refused to touch the most distorted teaching in the Christian community. Sprong says that men should love wastefully and abundantly, and that love should be like water, flowing everywhere regardless. He has bought into the idea, and defends the idea, that God love is available to all unconditionally, and as White says about himself, unreservedly.<br />
That idea that God&#8217;s love is unconditional, unreserved, is one of the biggest distortions to ever come from the mouth of theologians who were suppose to know and teach the truth. God&#8217;s love has never been unconditional, unreserved, never is, and never will be. There has always been a condition and there always will be. That condition to receive God&#8217;s focused attention, power, and love, is and always has been, the covenant God offers to all men. No one can claim the love of God without accepting,  and abiding obediently, in a covenant relationship with God.<br />
If Sprong, White, or any one else does not know the conditions of that covenant, there is nothing they can assume about God as being theirs.<br />
But, Sprong and those who follow him will never have what God has to offer. They have rejected God and created their own god. But that is nothing new. Sprong is a man knowledgeable in the history of the church, he know that this is not the first time.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Rev. Christine Retherford</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-1430</link>
		<dc:creator>Rev. Christine Retherford</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:42:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-1430</guid>
		<description>Dear Bishop Spong &amp; Mel,

Thank you for writing this manifesto &amp; posting it here.  It reminded me of a saying on my Soulforce t-shirt from Cleveland in 2000: The Debate Must End.  The manifesto is very articulate in that it says what you will and will not do without attacking other faiths.  For me, the most important piece is not giving equal media time to both &quot;sides&quot;.  You are absolutely right: today we would not permit this for segregation or women&#039;s voting rights.  

Thank you for being the brave visionary God has called you to be.

Peace &amp; Love,
Christine</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dear Bishop Spong &amp; Mel,</p>
<p>Thank you for writing this manifesto &amp; posting it here.  It reminded me of a saying on my Soulforce t-shirt from Cleveland in 2000: The Debate Must End.  The manifesto is very articulate in that it says what you will and will not do without attacking other faiths.  For me, the most important piece is not giving equal media time to both &#8220;sides&#8221;.  You are absolutely right: today we would not permit this for segregation or women&#8217;s voting rights.  </p>
<p>Thank you for being the brave visionary God has called you to be.</p>
<p>Peace &amp; Love,<br />
Christine</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: chris callaway</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-977</link>
		<dc:creator>chris callaway</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:24:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-977</guid>
		<description>Where is your courage in taking on Islam?  Countries mired in this religion are the one who are responsible for execution of gays.  Isn&#039;t is so much more politically correct (and safer) to attack fundamentalist Christians?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Where is your courage in taking on Islam?  Countries mired in this religion are the one who are responsible for execution of gays.  Isn&#8217;t is so much more politically correct (and safer) to attack fundamentalist Christians?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Mel White</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-503</link>
		<dc:creator>Mel White</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:37:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-503</guid>
		<description>Axel,
I am so glad you stumbled across my website.  It is always such a reassuring blessing to know that God still works to send us peace in this life.  

If you have the time, check out soulforce.org
I think there you will find even more answers to the questions you are seeking out.
Peace and luck my new friend,
Mel</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Axel,<br />
I am so glad you stumbled across my website.  It is always such a reassuring blessing to know that God still works to send us peace in this life.  </p>
<p>If you have the time, check out soulforce.org<br />
I think there you will find even more answers to the questions you are seeking out.<br />
Peace and luck my new friend,<br />
Mel</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Axel</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-482</link>
		<dc:creator>Axel</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:31:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-482</guid>
		<description>I found this manifesto and this site by accident. Maybe God lead me to it.  Thank you so much for posting this.  I feel like there is hope in my life again.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I found this manifesto and this site by accident. Maybe God lead me to it.  Thank you so much for posting this.  I feel like there is hope in my life again.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Donna Monson</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-424</link>
		<dc:creator>Donna Monson</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:16:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-424</guid>
		<description>Wow - everything I&#039;ve truly felt and not been able to vocalize/verbalize for some reason.  He&#039;s so right!  In every day discussions about trivial matters, we say things like &quot;I&#039;m not even going to justify that statement with a response.&quot; And yet, with issues as fundamental as equality for ALL, and basic human rights, we&#039;ve been engaging with people who make &#039;arguments&#039; that shouldn&#039;t even be justified with responses.  I absolutely love this Manifesto, and I plan to pass this link along. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wow &#8211; everything I&#8217;ve truly felt and not been able to vocalize/verbalize for some reason.  He&#8217;s so right!  In every day discussions about trivial matters, we say things like &#8220;I&#8217;m not even going to justify that statement with a response.&#8221; And yet, with issues as fundamental as equality for ALL, and basic human rights, we&#8217;ve been engaging with people who make &#8216;arguments&#8217; that shouldn&#8217;t even be justified with responses.  I absolutely love this Manifesto, and I plan to pass this link along. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Brendan</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-387</link>
		<dc:creator>Brendan</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:16:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-387</guid>
		<description>HALLELUJAH!
And if they tell us to be quiet, even the stones will cry out!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>HALLELUJAH!<br />
And if they tell us to be quiet, even the stones will cry out!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Kjersten Gmeiner</title>
		<link>http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91/comment-page-1#comment-346</link>
		<dc:creator>Kjersten Gmeiner</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:41:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.melwhite.org/blog/?p=91#comment-346</guid>
		<description>HUZZAH!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>HUZZAH!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
</channel>
</rss>
