In
a “moral universe” there are shared standards and shared values and
relationships that are built on what people share. In an “individual universe”
each individual creates his or her standard, values what he or she likes – he or
she is the highest power. We have the power to choose which universe will be “our
universe.” Continue reading at –
It
is abundantly clear that our generation lacks a shared vision for what life
should be like today. The Creator’s vision is not a religious vision. It is not
a Jewish or Christian thing. It does not require a theology. It is mutually
inclusive and has universally beneficial shared values for today! A preacher (Jim Myers) and
a rabbi (Jeffrey Leynor) agreed and shared it! Continue reading at -
The grand narrative of the Jewish Scriptures
and the teaching of the Jewish Jesus is recorded
in the first ten chapters of Genesis. The seven parts together are the ancient
wisdom text of a temple. Part 1 begins by
introducing an unnamed Creator (something you won’t see in your English
translation). Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/f49822bc29c7/a-universal-grand-narrative-shared-by-a-preacher-and-a-rabbi
(This
article by Rabbi Leynor was originally published in June 17, 2015.) My friend
and TOV Center Partner, Jim Myers, received a 6-page list of Biblical quotes in
a reaction to his blog about the Real Yeshua -- Jesus the Jewish
teacher. I noticed after reading through this huge list, that the point of
the writer was to convince and prove his "RIGHTNESS." I've
been "evangelized" my entire life. I've been "Saved"
more than most of you!! People always felt compelled to debate with me and
convince me of the "Rightness" of their beliefs. Over
the years of my studies, I learned many facts, even some that
made my own BS uncomfortable. Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/66683cdf4256/being-right-vs-acting-righteously
Most people today view Jesus through the eyes of people who belong to Christian denominations or other religions, or people with no religions. Why? There have been no other options. Today, new discoveries are making it possible to view him through the eyes of his fellow Judeans – people to whom modern Christian or Jewish beliefs were unknown. Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/101d78c41bb6/viewing-jesus-through-1st-century-judean-eyes
Catholicism
and Protestantism existed in a very different world until the 18th
century, when science and the Enlightenment began challenging their Creeds and Statements
of Faith. Some even denied that the Scriptures were a source of truth and
produced a rationalist theology. In 1895 the Five Fundamental Beliefs for being
a true Christian was published. Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/20512d86f48a/create-transparency-instead-of-belief-conflicts
The
Creator in the first story in Genesis uses a standard to
judge the results of His actions. That standard is central focus of the story
– and the whole Bible. It reveals what God values the most. Continue
reading at –
https://mailchi.mp/6608fc6c14bd/what-does-the-creator-value-the-most
How
studying the biological functions of the brain became part of Exploring
Biblical Heritages and why every Bible reader and believer should understand
it. Everyone in America has a right to believe whatever they choose, but the
public should clearly understand that beliefs generate corresponding behaviors.
Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/3bfad6ffe560/which-model-for-love-does-your-brain-use
Today
is July 4, 2022. I was looking through blogs that Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor and I
published on the TOV Center Blog and one that was published on May 10, 2017
caught my attention. It is a good reminder that much of what happens in a
democracy is determined by the character of individual citizens. Read the blog
at -
https://mailchi.mp/81d42e08da39/democracy-without-character-does-not-guarantee-good-outcomes
BHC’s
Exploring Our Biblical Heritages is different from most discussions about Jesus
and religions. Facts about the biological processes of the brain and the roles that
governments, money, and power played in his life and in the religious
institutions that created our beliefs about him are essential. Continue reading
at -
https://mailchi.mp/72bdb265123c/exploring-beliefs-about-jesus-requires-much-more-than-a-bible
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From the Pharisees, a new body of authority emerged
– the rabbis. In the eyes of the Romans, there were only two surviving
Jewish sects after they destroyed the Temple in 70 CE -- the Pharisees and
the Jesus Movement (Paul was viewed as part of it). Rabbinic Judaism came
from the Pharisees and Christianity came from Paul. Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/0ad51f1ca534/what-would-the-world-be-like-without-paul
We
do not know how long Cain’s anger burned, but it ended when met Abel. Instead
of doing things that were TOV, Cain acted like a predator, like a
wild animal, and murdered his brother. And then YHVH the god appeared. Continue
reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/56c34f65f7fc/the-first-death-and-afterlife-experience-in-the-bible
For
twenty-five years, Jim Myers and I have studied, investigated, written and
taught together, working for a better world, with more knowledge, understanding
and TOV actions. We developed the TOV Standard from the Ancient
Wisdom of Shared Values in order to enable people to Form and Maintain Values-Based
Relationships for the Common Good, and for the Good of
ourselves as individuals as well. Continue reading at –
https://mailchi.mp/4b773a9171d6/why-the-tov-center-and-why-now
What
do the creation of humans in Genesis, the teachings of Jesus, and the
Declaration of Independence have in common? They share very important ideas
about how people can live together in harmony and peace. Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/5fb347cbdd6e/reconnecting-with-our-religious-and-national-roots
A reader from the multiple cultures in the ancient
world would know immediately what was going on the first story in Genesis and
conclude that it is “a temple text.” And they know exactly why the Seventh Day is
the most important of the seven days of creation. But modern readers, since
they do not understand what they are reading, never know that they missed the
most important part of the story. Continue reading at -
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In
my emails, a word with all capital letters is a transliteration of a
Hebrew word. Be sure to note that ADAM and Adam
may not mean the same thing. We will soon learn that the ADAM is
an entity that consists of one male human and one female
human. Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/c97f25c31e8c/the-creation-of-the-adam-and-the-first-family
Six
areas now exist, four of them are new. Now the Creator turns its attention to
creating the things that will occupy those areas – and we will discover more
mysteries embedded in this story! Continue reading at -
Rabbi
Jeffrey Leynor and I were very close friends for many years, but at the
beginning of our relationship, there was always an elephant in the room.
Our religious institutions agreed on two things: (1) There is only one God. (2)
The other institution’s god is not that god. That was the elephant in
the room, and we knew we had to talk about it. Continue reading at -
https://mailchi.mp/dbe1d771006a/from-bs-defenders-to-explorers-of-bible-stories
It
is important to view the biblical texts and institutional interpretations in their
chronological order. Exodus was written before Deuteronomy.
Judaism existed before Catholicism,
and Catholicism existed before Protestantism.
The ancient Hebrew text has no chapter and verse markers. The Ten
Sayings are not numbered. The biblical texts themselves force
people to talk about them or ignore clear differences between
them. Continue reading at –
VALUES reflect the way we do things, the way we act,
the way we speak, the way we think, and the way we behave. Values are
estimations of worthwhileness, not of worth. Value is what makes us wealthy. Values are
what make us human. Talk
of VALUES ignores money Read
more at -
https://mailchi.mp/cd08f0fbe639/our-future-depends-on-elevating-values-above-value
In
the first story in Genesis, we read God’s vision for all people. It describes a
human community that live by TOV Wisdom and Values. In our society today, individualism,
self-interests, individual rights, and wealth are among the highest values. In
my opinion, people helping each other, by taking collective actions that are
mutually inclusive and that measure TOV, would make life in America safer and
better. Continue reading at -
