One of the satisfying things about covering religion for the Tribune for about 16 years has been the anything-goes aspect of it. Because God is such a mystery and there are thousands of religions pursuing God, we in the secular religious press try to impartially report on them one by one.While many, many claim to have nailed down The Truth, the prevailing opinion is that those claims have to stand up to others scrutiny and doubts. Theres a maelstrom of conflicting doctrines, but there is a more common ground than is generally acknowledged. I privately discount all religionists who claim God has conveyed them ultimate truth and given them and their faith group the true connections to God — and that they have it all figured out with detailed doctrines and guidelines. Their truth often woefully hinges on one person’s supernatural experiences so far back in time that evidence is sketchy and the trail is cold.Whether its the Roman Catholics with micromanaged rules of what a Eucharist wafer can and cannot contain to Muslims whose Allah has entire cultures bonded into sober theocracies, Im a true doubting Thomas that they have things anymore figured out than Humanists. As I have written countless times in columns and blogs, things mysteriously and magnificently work for all kinds of people under all sorts of faiths and belief systems.If only I could say that they all understand and demonstrate love. If only we could disarm their cocksureness and hubris and dangerous resolve to get all to accept their indisputable Truth, or perish. So I am following feedback today on the article I wrote for the Tribune about the Bringing Sexy Back sermon series at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Chandler. Three weekends remain in the six-week series, and the church has been packing folks in for its five services Saturday and Sunday. Pastor Linn Winters has effectively developed a compelling approach to addressing 21st century sexual relationships. Its risky and edgy.One caller blistered me for the article being on the front page. Its just horrible, its just horrible. Sex on the front page, churches talking about sex!! She hung up before I could get a word in. Critics dismiss Cornerstones effort as a gimmick or that talking about sex in church goes over the line. I sat through the service on Sunday where guest speaker Shaunti Feldhahn, an author on relationships, gave women frank advice about men. She and Q&A moderator Ron Merrell packed a lot of information in 45 minutes. It was tasteful, educational and thoughtful. If people got up and walked out from being offended, I didnt see them. I suspect more than a few East Valley pastors would relish 4,500 people in their sanctuary on a weekend where they could teach on knotty issues of the day. And they would admit that infidelity, pornography and faulty spousal communications are veritable issues that ought to be addressed. But do they have the courage to tread into areas that might ruffle feathers, drive away members and change the character of their ministries?We see wide discrepancies in how various religions address or ignore human sexuality. Sexual politics, especially those related to homosexuality, are dividing major denominations, and we wonder why they get so sidetracked and allow it to destroy historic relationships.Cornerstone should be commended for taking on this taboo area of life.Scores and scores of people are coming up and saying, I get it. Thanks for talking about this. I know I need to change, Winters said.Religion should be relevant. It should help shape people to be better each time they walk out of a place of worship.

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