Mauvepink says: I wonder what the spiritual equivalent of homophobia is?

I think there's a salient point here. For a significant portion of humankind, "spirituality" consists of an organized expression of fear and disdain for other people. These people see it as their divine calling to condemn other people for this and that and the other thing. There's one woman in our bible study group who has that mindset, and I don't know how to deal with it - and I wonder when she's going to turn on me.

Still, I guess I have to say there's something to this "spirituality of fear," and I have to acknowledge it as legitimate. For many people, fear is their most common and deepest emotion - and so they see that as their "religion."

And I have no idea how to deal with that.

-Joe-