Before we get to your other questions, here are some frequently asked questions about me.
Who are you? What do you do?
Who are you? What do you do?
My name is Dr. Carl Rosenblum. I have been a pastor for 34 years, many of them in the big, multicultural community of New York City. I have a doctoral degree in Pastoral Counseling and over 30 years of experience listening and responding to people in need. In my life I’ve given over 1,500 sermons. (That's a lot of quality time with the Bible.) I have served as a pastor in both the Presbyterian church and the Reformed church.Though recently retired, I continue to help others by leading study groups and offering pastoral counseling services.
In my lifetime I have witnessed the moon landing, the Civil Rights Marches, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the election of the first Black man to President of the United States. I have three daughters and six beautiful grandchildren, and I’ve traveled through 40 countries. You could say I’ve been around the block, and I've got some wisdom to share.
What kind of Christian are you?
My theological perspective is Christian, but I am not part of the right wing of the church. I believe God loves all people, and all are welcome. I believe in the revelation of God in Jesus the Christ who provides for our salvation by his death and Resurrection. Yet no one is saved by a correct theology, for nobody has one! God is beyond our ability to formulate a perfect expression of what God is or has planned for us. I believe that all religious expression is imperfect and incomplete--even the Christian expression--but the sincerity of the heart with humility is always loved and accepted by God.
Why is God and the Bible important to you?
A sense of God came to me when I was about 16 and has been with me ever since. It provides me with a feeling that I am not alone in the universe and that, even though I do not understand everything about the world, or even my own life, I am in touch with Someone who does. The Bible is a collection of stories about people who also had a sense of God in their lives, so these stories let me know I am not alone in my spiritual experience and that I am witnessing God’s plan for the world. The Bible provides me with guidance in the areas of faith and morals, as well as the strength to try to do what is right.
I believe that all people have a spiritual side. Not all attribute their spirituality to God, but they do experience what we call “transcendence.” I believe that God speaks to all people through transcendent experiences, unless they choose to turn this aspect of themselves off.
Why do people come to you for advice or perspective?
You can learn more about my training as a pastor over here. I have met with and counseled people from over 100 countries—all nationalities, all races, all religions, all education levels, all economic situations, gay and straight. I haven’t quite seen it all, but close. I truly believe that although not all problems are the same, humans are basically all the same in our hearts. Of course, we have individual and cultural differences that make us unique—but every human heart seeks the same result: to be at peace with others and with its own soul. This is my perspective when I offer advice.
In my own life, I have been a child, a son, a brother, a husband, a father, an uncle, a grandfather, a single man, a young man, a senior man.... In all these aspects of living, I have given thought to my spiritual responsibilities, my role towards others, and how to resolve my own questions. I believe that when we share our life experiences, we can all help one another.
Are you going to give me preachy advice?
No. Counseling is not preaching at people. It is a way of helping them to understand themselves and why they feel lost at a certain point in their lives; and then helping them to find their footing and strike out in a positive new direction. Of course, if you ask me a question about the Bible, you can be pretty sure I’ll respond with some good old fashioned scripture!
How do you handle questions about everyday problems (vs. questions about the Bible or spirituality)?
It seems that most people’s concerns are about relationships: either about peers, like their co-worker, girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse; or about power dynamics, as with bosses, parents, or children. With any kind of problem, the most important thing a pastor can do is listen deeply and ask questions that help bring to light any deeper sources of the problem. In this way, the person can hear what is really going on inside them and begin to make different choices.
Helping a person with concerns is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together; but at first, all the pieces are turned upside down. Listening deeply allows the pastor to help the person turn the pieces over and find out how they fit together. After a while, the picture begins to come into focus, and the person can make better choices about what to do to improve their life. Of course, we can’t do all that here in an advice column. You can learn more about my pastoral counseling services over here.
