...it started in church (an unfinished rant)

No, no.

It is not because we are unworthy that we step toward God.

It is only when we approach him/her on equal footing and say first "I, too, Am."

It is the acknowledgement that existence is divine; THAT is the revolutionary gift that was given in those words. It demands respect for all life, regardless of origin or perceived origin, or how different that life and existence seems to be than yours.

Recognizing the divine as a part of life instead of apart from life.

Also, dragons.

If only we quit feeding people these limiting beliefs! What if we could change or quiet their self-depreciating mental chatter and instead taught people that they were good but can make mistakes, and mistakes come with consequences, not just eternal and bar-none forgiveness for abso-freaking-lutely everything and anything you could possibly concoct.

Jesus' death on the cross isn't good enough in the face of child molestation.
Jesus' death on the cross isn't good enough in the face of animal cruelty.
Jesus' death on the cross isn't enough whenever one human treats another human as if they are less than human. His perfect life and painful death are not enough. It's like that one person who apologizes but smacks you again the next day. Even justice today doesn't satisfy tomorrow's crimes. Surely the "God of all Justice" understands such things.

I don't need a thankful list. I thank every day. Thanksgiving is a lifestyle, not a holiday.

If salvation is a gift, you owe God nothing in return. If we owe him anything, we cannot accept the gift until we are no longer in an unequal power relationship with him.

Gifts from a friend are gifts; gifts from a benefactor are charity.