A person would have to be one of Rip Van Winkle’s progeny to not be aware of the unprecedented number of natural disasters that have afflicted our nation during the past couple of months: wildfires, tornadoes, and flooding. If you think this is going to be about global warming, surprisingly it is not.
In the past, we’ve heard the reflexive proclamations by Pat Robertson, John Piper, Daniel Blair, Mike Heath, and others of similar visibility and theological view that certain natural disasters were warnings from God, as examples of God’s anger being directed at the sinful among us. Of course, in their minds, the ‘sin’ was that some people are homosexual, that some denominations were rising above the anti-homosexual agenda, and that (in their minds) some locales seemed to be havens of promiscuity.
So when New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, it was God’s wrath being directed upon that city. When Minneapolis was struck by a tornado in 2009 at the same time that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was meeting to discus, among other things, the suggestion to allow ordained gay clergy to serve its member churches, it was described as a “warning” from God “to turn from the approval of sin.” When Haiti was devastated by an earthquake, the declaration is that it was God’s wrath because two centuries ago the Haitian people sold their soul to the devil. Earthquakes in the San Francisco area were also declared to be evidence of God’s hatred of sinful people. When Maine was experiencing bad weather and a resultant potato blight, it was declared to be caused by same-sex marriage.
Of course, when it was pointed out that at the same time of the Minneapolis tornado communities in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana were struck no interpretation was forthcoming. When it was pointed out that many other communities – along with their churches – were destroyed by Katrina, no interpretation was forthcoming. When it was noted that an earthquake devastated Lisbon in 1755 and an estimated 60,000 people, mostly Christians, were killed by the quake and resulting tsunami, no interpretation was forthcoming. And the great potato famine that pushed many Irish persons to the brink of starvation goes equally ignored.
You get the picture. Natural disasters are equal opportunity destroyers. Churches are destroyed along with bars. Bookstores that sell Bibles are destroyed as well as porn shops. Christians lose their lives at the same time as atheists lose theirs. And (please forgive me for using these wretched, disdain-filled labels) the lives of ‘conservative’ Christians are devastated to the same degree as are the lives of ‘liberal’ Christians.
Americans – and many others in the world – have the most unfettered access to information the world has ever known. Anyone with an awareness of the natural world in which we live knows simply by observation that Jesus’ words ring true: “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” [Matthew 5:45a]
I always wonder why any media outlets of repute bother giving these ‘angry God’ peddlers the exposure their egos so desperately want. And it shocks me beyond description when I hear Christian people repeat any such proclamations as if they have some measure of validity simply because they were spouted by a high-visibility person that’s hooked in with a network of radio stations.
That’s what I think. What do you think?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
God and Science
Roughly and somewhat inaccurately put, science is the study of God’s creation. The hope is that we might come to better understand creation and know how best to respect it while, at the same time, we take advantage of it for our survival. The scientific method may be a recent development in human history, but our investigation of creation in order to explain what is seen and experienced is as old as human existence.
One only need look at the first creation story in Genesis chapter 1 to see the brilliance of human observation of God’s created order. Detailed knowledge based on in-depth observation led the author(s) to realize that there are distinct dependencies within the biosphere that practically demand an orderly progression of life forms. It also presents the belief that there must have been a given sequence in the development of the physical world even before life appeared.
Bud unless a person has done a bit of research, the tone and belligerence that many American political and religious figures use might lead them to believe that scientific inquiry and theological reflection are bitter enemies – that scientists are anti-God. And once people are brought to the point that they believe such things, they might easily conclude that it’s up to that vocal group to protect God from scientists.
When a lot of money can be made via scientific discovery (e.g., drilling for and refining oil, pharmaceutical development, telecommunications and computing) the ‘advancements’ gained for humanity are gladly taken advantage of without complaint. But if the study of scientists involves such topics as evolution, human biology, ecology, or climatology – among others – critics find ways to present it as “the work of the devil”. Not always in so many words but certainly in attitude.
There was a time when the church was fully in support of science. Yes, there’s the famous incident when Galileo was imprisoned by church authorities (church and state were not separate in that time and place) for his accurate observation that Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around, but the church was not rejecting science. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s, when scientists were able to examine in depth the unseeable, that the church turned against science. There was the fear that the secrets of God would be discovered.
The most peculiar part about the anti-science crusade of today is that so much of it is being waged against those scientists whose findings tell us we are in the process of destroying what God created – and loves. Instead of being grateful and heeding such warnings, we hear that God would not allow us to destroy God’s creation, that God would stop us. We hear that God put us in charge of Earth and that having dominion over it means that we can do whatever we please. We have even heard things like, “Who cares about snail darters, anyway?” and “What value are spotted owls?”
The way I see it, all creatures created by God are loved by God. The environment God created to support all living things is also loved by God. God blessed humanity with both the inquisitiveness to want to know more about creation and the cleverness to investigate those questions. When scientists that specialize in archaeology and paleontology explain what they are discovering, they are using the resources they were blessed with by God. If what they uncover doesn’t quite fit the rigid belief system that some demand we all accept, who is being worshiped? The God of creation - or Those who claim to have all the answers? When scientists that specialize in climatology and the biosphere explain what they are discovering and their findings are blasted by that same rigid crowd, who is being worshiped?
I think the God who equipped humanity to engage in scientific inquiry is hardly threatened when we do so. In fact, I believe that God's proud of what He brought forth when we do so. What do you think?
One only need look at the first creation story in Genesis chapter 1 to see the brilliance of human observation of God’s created order. Detailed knowledge based on in-depth observation led the author(s) to realize that there are distinct dependencies within the biosphere that practically demand an orderly progression of life forms. It also presents the belief that there must have been a given sequence in the development of the physical world even before life appeared.
Bud unless a person has done a bit of research, the tone and belligerence that many American political and religious figures use might lead them to believe that scientific inquiry and theological reflection are bitter enemies – that scientists are anti-God. And once people are brought to the point that they believe such things, they might easily conclude that it’s up to that vocal group to protect God from scientists.
When a lot of money can be made via scientific discovery (e.g., drilling for and refining oil, pharmaceutical development, telecommunications and computing) the ‘advancements’ gained for humanity are gladly taken advantage of without complaint. But if the study of scientists involves such topics as evolution, human biology, ecology, or climatology – among others – critics find ways to present it as “the work of the devil”. Not always in so many words but certainly in attitude.
There was a time when the church was fully in support of science. Yes, there’s the famous incident when Galileo was imprisoned by church authorities (church and state were not separate in that time and place) for his accurate observation that Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around, but the church was not rejecting science. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s, when scientists were able to examine in depth the unseeable, that the church turned against science. There was the fear that the secrets of God would be discovered.
The most peculiar part about the anti-science crusade of today is that so much of it is being waged against those scientists whose findings tell us we are in the process of destroying what God created – and loves. Instead of being grateful and heeding such warnings, we hear that God would not allow us to destroy God’s creation, that God would stop us. We hear that God put us in charge of Earth and that having dominion over it means that we can do whatever we please. We have even heard things like, “Who cares about snail darters, anyway?” and “What value are spotted owls?”
The way I see it, all creatures created by God are loved by God. The environment God created to support all living things is also loved by God. God blessed humanity with both the inquisitiveness to want to know more about creation and the cleverness to investigate those questions. When scientists that specialize in archaeology and paleontology explain what they are discovering, they are using the resources they were blessed with by God. If what they uncover doesn’t quite fit the rigid belief system that some demand we all accept, who is being worshiped? The God of creation - or Those who claim to have all the answers? When scientists that specialize in climatology and the biosphere explain what they are discovering and their findings are blasted by that same rigid crowd, who is being worshiped?
I think the God who equipped humanity to engage in scientific inquiry is hardly threatened when we do so. In fact, I believe that God's proud of what He brought forth when we do so. What do you think?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
God and Black History Month
It’s about as predictable as rain in April and flowers in May. Every year about this time I hear some people grumbling about Black History Month. For example, “Why should we separate their history from our history? Aren’t we all from the same country?” (Spoken by a non-black person, obviously.) Other comments are quite derogatory. But, generally speaking, the perspective seems to be that recognizing those who have made contributions to our nation should be color blind, even though little else in our nation seems to be.
Of course, there is no acceptable response to such statements – not acceptable to the other person, anyway. They’ve already make their opinion known with their question, and it wasn’t asked in an attempt to acquire knowledge or broaden their horizon.
Recently, I was speaking with an adult child of alcoholics. She related the constant abuse she lived with as far back as she could remember – verbal, physical, and emotional. (The only bright spot is that there was no sexual abuse.) Whenever either ‘parent’ was present the tension of fear was in the air. It didn’t matter if one of them was just coming home from work – and a bar; if she was coming home from school; or if it was the first thing in the morning. That little girl lived in fear.
No matter what was said to her – no matter how crude, undignifying, hurtful, degrading, humiliating, or insulting – she had no recourse but to agree, to apologize, to degrade herself, or all three. Breaking into tears would put an end to the verbal abuse, but only long enough for them to inflict physical abuse as punishment for crying. In private at home or in public in front of all her friends, the setting did not matter.
She had a brother and a sister and they received the same treatment. For years, she thought it was normal for a kid to live in fear of their parents. But as she became more aware of the dynamic in other families, she knew something was wrong. She wavered back and forth between being convinced that she was pretty much worthless and that if she and her siblings weren’t such a disgrace to the family name that her mom and dad wouldn’t have to treat them as they did; and a seething hatred of her situation – and of her parents.
She left home and married an abusive alcoholic. You can guess what that was like for her.
But, at some point, she found God. Or, put more accurately, God made God’s presence known in such a strong way that she couldn’t miss it.
At first she went to a church with an authoritarian Pastor – a person that reminded her of her father. It felt “normal” to her to be dominated and verbally browbeat. Eventually, through the help of a friend, she found a church that nourished her. Over the years, the people in that church helped her to see that she had value simply because she was created in God’s image. She discovered that she did not ‘deserve’ any of the abuse that had been heaped upon her all those years. Sadly, she also learned that the abuse she was heaping upon her own teen-aged children was just as destructive to them as it was – and had been – for her. To make matters worse for her children, they were receiving the same type of abuse from their grandparents.
What chance did they – and their future children – have as they fled home as soon as they were able? Will she have the chance to make a difference in the lives of her grandchildren? Only time will tell.
In a way, this is how it is for so many of our African-American brothers and sisters – neighbors, actually, according to Jesus – the type of people he expects us to love. But simply “aging out” and leaving home did not bring them an escape from the abuse. It has been inflicted upon them by the structure of our society and how that structure formed the attitudes of the abusers as well as the abused. Even though the theory of that structure has changed by law, the attitudes that had been formed before those legal changes have been passed down from generation to generation.
Black History Month is an attempt for all Americans regardless of descent to recognize the inherent value of each person by focusing on the fruits of the labor of a class of folk that has for generations been minimized.
So, what does God have to do with all this?
Well, these statements made by Jesus come to mind: “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” And “He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'” (Matthew 25:40, 45).
That’s what I think. What do you think?
Of course, there is no acceptable response to such statements – not acceptable to the other person, anyway. They’ve already make their opinion known with their question, and it wasn’t asked in an attempt to acquire knowledge or broaden their horizon.
Recently, I was speaking with an adult child of alcoholics. She related the constant abuse she lived with as far back as she could remember – verbal, physical, and emotional. (The only bright spot is that there was no sexual abuse.) Whenever either ‘parent’ was present the tension of fear was in the air. It didn’t matter if one of them was just coming home from work – and a bar; if she was coming home from school; or if it was the first thing in the morning. That little girl lived in fear.
No matter what was said to her – no matter how crude, undignifying, hurtful, degrading, humiliating, or insulting – she had no recourse but to agree, to apologize, to degrade herself, or all three. Breaking into tears would put an end to the verbal abuse, but only long enough for them to inflict physical abuse as punishment for crying. In private at home or in public in front of all her friends, the setting did not matter.
She had a brother and a sister and they received the same treatment. For years, she thought it was normal for a kid to live in fear of their parents. But as she became more aware of the dynamic in other families, she knew something was wrong. She wavered back and forth between being convinced that she was pretty much worthless and that if she and her siblings weren’t such a disgrace to the family name that her mom and dad wouldn’t have to treat them as they did; and a seething hatred of her situation – and of her parents.
She left home and married an abusive alcoholic. You can guess what that was like for her.
But, at some point, she found God. Or, put more accurately, God made God’s presence known in such a strong way that she couldn’t miss it.
At first she went to a church with an authoritarian Pastor – a person that reminded her of her father. It felt “normal” to her to be dominated and verbally browbeat. Eventually, through the help of a friend, she found a church that nourished her. Over the years, the people in that church helped her to see that she had value simply because she was created in God’s image. She discovered that she did not ‘deserve’ any of the abuse that had been heaped upon her all those years. Sadly, she also learned that the abuse she was heaping upon her own teen-aged children was just as destructive to them as it was – and had been – for her. To make matters worse for her children, they were receiving the same type of abuse from their grandparents.
What chance did they – and their future children – have as they fled home as soon as they were able? Will she have the chance to make a difference in the lives of her grandchildren? Only time will tell.
In a way, this is how it is for so many of our African-American brothers and sisters – neighbors, actually, according to Jesus – the type of people he expects us to love. But simply “aging out” and leaving home did not bring them an escape from the abuse. It has been inflicted upon them by the structure of our society and how that structure formed the attitudes of the abusers as well as the abused. Even though the theory of that structure has changed by law, the attitudes that had been formed before those legal changes have been passed down from generation to generation.
Black History Month is an attempt for all Americans regardless of descent to recognize the inherent value of each person by focusing on the fruits of the labor of a class of folk that has for generations been minimized.
So, what does God have to do with all this?
Well, these statements made by Jesus come to mind: “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” And “He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'” (Matthew 25:40, 45).
That’s what I think. What do you think?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
God and Christmas
There are so many people that express their opinions about Christmas, you may wonder why on Earth do I feel compelled to put in my two cents.
Besides the “why not?” response, I realize there are many folks who have heard the handwringing that ‘Christ is being taken out of Christmas’; the anger expressed by some when not every store clerk wishes them ‘merry Christmas’ – or, worse, wishes them ‘happy holidays’; the righteous indignation when public resources can no longer be used to display manger scenes. Without an appropriate response, some are very likely to agree with those expressed sentiments.
There are so many aspects to this. There’s the historic development of establishing Christmas and the many secular / pagan traditions and symbols that were given new meaning. I could come at this from the fact that we live in a nation based on the ground-breaking, history-changing concept of having a complete separation of Church and State. But I’ll look at this from who I am as Pastor of a local congregation and as a minister of the Gospel.
Personally, I don’t think Jesus would want us to make a big deal about his birthday, regardless of what date he was actually born. But, since we do, I think it’s necessary for people who are Christian to do so in the same manner and purpose that Jesus called his disciples – including you and me.
He called them to be in community with one another. He brought people close to him by attraction, not with in-your-face belligerence. He acknowledged who people were at the place they were in life. Instead of demanding the people meet his every expectation so that he felt all warm and fuzzy inside with the threat of ignoring them if they failed to, he interacted with them on their level and in their world view.
If celebrating Christmas is about being completely self-absorbed and self-centered, then complain away. Go ahead and bellyache to the cashiers; bellow about your local government officials; blast ‘this decadent society’; because there’s something that isn’t totally to your liking. And, oh yes – I almost forgot. Announce your displeasure in such a way so the impression might be that you’re offended for Jesus.
But, on the other hand, if celebrating Christmas is about bringing glory and honor to Jesus, then live out your commitment to Jesus during the Advent season just as you would any other time of the year. Model Jesus’ attitudes and demeanor in every aspect of your life. Interact with people in such a way so that people who don’t know might say to themselves, “Was - - was that – Jesus?!?”
In my opinion, that would be the ultimate celebration of Jesus’ life. And birth.
Besides the “why not?” response, I realize there are many folks who have heard the handwringing that ‘Christ is being taken out of Christmas’; the anger expressed by some when not every store clerk wishes them ‘merry Christmas’ – or, worse, wishes them ‘happy holidays’; the righteous indignation when public resources can no longer be used to display manger scenes. Without an appropriate response, some are very likely to agree with those expressed sentiments.
There are so many aspects to this. There’s the historic development of establishing Christmas and the many secular / pagan traditions and symbols that were given new meaning. I could come at this from the fact that we live in a nation based on the ground-breaking, history-changing concept of having a complete separation of Church and State. But I’ll look at this from who I am as Pastor of a local congregation and as a minister of the Gospel.
Personally, I don’t think Jesus would want us to make a big deal about his birthday, regardless of what date he was actually born. But, since we do, I think it’s necessary for people who are Christian to do so in the same manner and purpose that Jesus called his disciples – including you and me.
He called them to be in community with one another. He brought people close to him by attraction, not with in-your-face belligerence. He acknowledged who people were at the place they were in life. Instead of demanding the people meet his every expectation so that he felt all warm and fuzzy inside with the threat of ignoring them if they failed to, he interacted with them on their level and in their world view.
If celebrating Christmas is about being completely self-absorbed and self-centered, then complain away. Go ahead and bellyache to the cashiers; bellow about your local government officials; blast ‘this decadent society’; because there’s something that isn’t totally to your liking. And, oh yes – I almost forgot. Announce your displeasure in such a way so the impression might be that you’re offended for Jesus.
But, on the other hand, if celebrating Christmas is about bringing glory and honor to Jesus, then live out your commitment to Jesus during the Advent season just as you would any other time of the year. Model Jesus’ attitudes and demeanor in every aspect of your life. Interact with people in such a way so that people who don’t know might say to themselves, “Was - - was that – Jesus?!?”
In my opinion, that would be the ultimate celebration of Jesus’ life. And birth.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
God and Politics
Now here’s something I try to avoid. Those who have worshiped with us might say, “What?!?”
That response is understandable since many people equate speaking about an issue with speaking about politics. The distinction I make is that politicians choose to politicize an issue – either claiming it by putting their ‘brand’ on it or condemning it if the other party (their enemy) has put their ‘brand’ on it. Of course, that condemnation usually extends to that other party.
Looking at any issue through the lenses of our politicians could lead people to think there are only ever two options. And many, many Americans fall for that unspoken assumption. The result is that a person is lead to feel they are either ‘for’ the political party they have given their allegiance to – or they’re ‘against’ their party. Heavens! We couldn’t let that happen!
This brings up at least two major difficulties for me as Pastor and theologian, and another for me as a person.
As a person, I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I’m far from the dullest. And it doesn’t require a lot to realize there are (almost) always other ways to consider an issue and its ramifications than what the two dominant parties put forth. I find it a bit insulting to me that credible persons with a third (or fourth) way are treated so shabbily by politicians.
But that’s not bothersome enough to energize me to blog about it. It’s the part about me as Pastor and theologian that got me to this point.
If we spend enough time with the Old Testament Prophets and even more time in the with Jesus in the Gospels, we may discover that God has a certain way of seeing things. I am not going to say that I know how God sees things, and - please - don’t even assume that. (By the way, I would advise you to run from anyone who tells you they know how God sees things, how God thinks, etc. They would be making a claim that is totally false - and the next thing such a person might try is to tell you what God wants you to do.)
But – we can get an idea of what would be pleasing to God.
I have come to believe that God has a preferential prejudice for the poor; for those who are oppressed; for people who are taken advantage of; for those who are pushed aside with contempt. And, if I may be so blunt, it seems God has a preferential prejudice against those who piously consider themselves to be better than others; those who oppress; those take advantage of others; those who push aside others with contempt.
The message from the prophets to their power structures were all about this. And the message from Jesus to all who would hear goes even further; he takes it all personally. These words of his, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me,” are ignored to our peril.
Those words scream to us that God has a stake in almost everything that we do and fail to do – as individuals, as a community of believers, and as a society. I can’t think of any decisions our politicians have made that God didn’t care about.
Do I know what our politicians could do that would make God happy? No. But I do have an idea what would make God unhappy. As I see it, it’s not my job to draft legislation or write public policy. The second I would become party to such activities would be the moment I would no longer be a qualified critic of my own work.
No, my role is to stand outside of such activity and evaluate the impact our politicians’ actions will have on the poor, the weak, the beaten down, the forgotten, the lowly, and the widows and orphans. And then to ask them to go back to the drawing table.
My second objection is when people give their loyalty to a political party instead of to God. Certainly, when the rubber meets the road, we do need to decide which of the two options will be least offensive to God. But to side with an option because it’s presented by ‘your’ political party goes against everything Jesus stands for.
I also think that God does not now and will not ever side with a political party. God isn’t the one that picks sides. People are.
That’s what I think. What do you think?
That response is understandable since many people equate speaking about an issue with speaking about politics. The distinction I make is that politicians choose to politicize an issue – either claiming it by putting their ‘brand’ on it or condemning it if the other party (their enemy) has put their ‘brand’ on it. Of course, that condemnation usually extends to that other party.
Looking at any issue through the lenses of our politicians could lead people to think there are only ever two options. And many, many Americans fall for that unspoken assumption. The result is that a person is lead to feel they are either ‘for’ the political party they have given their allegiance to – or they’re ‘against’ their party. Heavens! We couldn’t let that happen!
This brings up at least two major difficulties for me as Pastor and theologian, and another for me as a person.
As a person, I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I’m far from the dullest. And it doesn’t require a lot to realize there are (almost) always other ways to consider an issue and its ramifications than what the two dominant parties put forth. I find it a bit insulting to me that credible persons with a third (or fourth) way are treated so shabbily by politicians.
But that’s not bothersome enough to energize me to blog about it. It’s the part about me as Pastor and theologian that got me to this point.
If we spend enough time with the Old Testament Prophets and even more time in the with Jesus in the Gospels, we may discover that God has a certain way of seeing things. I am not going to say that I know how God sees things, and - please - don’t even assume that. (By the way, I would advise you to run from anyone who tells you they know how God sees things, how God thinks, etc. They would be making a claim that is totally false - and the next thing such a person might try is to tell you what God wants you to do.)
But – we can get an idea of what would be pleasing to God.
I have come to believe that God has a preferential prejudice for the poor; for those who are oppressed; for people who are taken advantage of; for those who are pushed aside with contempt. And, if I may be so blunt, it seems God has a preferential prejudice against those who piously consider themselves to be better than others; those who oppress; those take advantage of others; those who push aside others with contempt.
The message from the prophets to their power structures were all about this. And the message from Jesus to all who would hear goes even further; he takes it all personally. These words of his, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me,” are ignored to our peril.
Those words scream to us that God has a stake in almost everything that we do and fail to do – as individuals, as a community of believers, and as a society. I can’t think of any decisions our politicians have made that God didn’t care about.
Do I know what our politicians could do that would make God happy? No. But I do have an idea what would make God unhappy. As I see it, it’s not my job to draft legislation or write public policy. The second I would become party to such activities would be the moment I would no longer be a qualified critic of my own work.
No, my role is to stand outside of such activity and evaluate the impact our politicians’ actions will have on the poor, the weak, the beaten down, the forgotten, the lowly, and the widows and orphans. And then to ask them to go back to the drawing table.
My second objection is when people give their loyalty to a political party instead of to God. Certainly, when the rubber meets the road, we do need to decide which of the two options will be least offensive to God. But to side with an option because it’s presented by ‘your’ political party goes against everything Jesus stands for.
I also think that God does not now and will not ever side with a political party. God isn’t the one that picks sides. People are.
That’s what I think. What do you think?
Saturday, October 9, 2010
God and Civility
First, I must apologize for being ‘gone’ for the last month or so. I hit a low spot and, since blogging isn’t my primary responsibility, I focused the energy I had towards my works of ministry.
Like almost everyone else, I am more than appalled over the complete lack of civility in our public discourse. Many point the finger of blame to our politicians, but the ugliness is not just confined to the halls of Congress. Talk radio, cable news, tea party gatherings – and more, I’m sure – all feel free to get into the act. It’s almost as if being vile and uncivil is the current cost of admission for those who feel the need to get attention.
Columnists, pundits, commentators, and others have expressed their opinions about the roots of this current state of affairs. Nobody really knows because people had no idea this is where we would find ourselves, in a downward spiral of mean-spiritedness. So I’m going to throw out my opinion as to the origins where we find ourselves.
First the what.
In Congress, there have always been rhetorical battles waged, with barbs being traded over ideological differences. But, for the most part, the worst of the spoken words were aimed at the ideas expressed, not at the ones expressing the ideas. That has since shifted with the attacks clearly being personal.
That is bad enough. But what made these attacks unacceptably ugly is when the attacker took aim at the spiritual nature of their adversary. When the one on attack presents themselves as being Christian, a man of the Bible, and a spiritual paragon of virtue and characterizes their adversary as being exactly the opposite, the one being attacked has no place to go. The core of their identity as a human being has been dealt a life-threatening blow. The victim is left powerless, and without a leg to stand on.
In my observations, these types of attacks were launched on a consistent basis when the Religious Right was in its ascendancy and became standard fare during the 1990s. And their lashings were relentless. Such brutality is not much different from the days when citizens were dunked or locked in stockades.
For a while, it worked to their political benefit. Their targets found it impossible to defend against the negative assaults, much less push back.
The spiritual attacks may be gone by now, but the legacy of the Religious Right lives on in the unbridled character assassinations we hear every day. It seems the only editing being done is not to tone down the rhetoric, but to ratchet it up.
To me, the worst part is that this was done to achieve power and control over others. That is to say, the ways of the world were used to achieve the goals of the world. And Christ, the one whose name we take as our own, refused to use the ways of the world or to seek the goals of the world.
I suggest the religious community take a public, bold, forceful, and unflinching stand against all personalities who engage in these tactics. Since, as I see it, this was borne from within the ‘christian’ community [I use a lower-case ‘c’ and quotes on that word, because there is absolutely nothing closely resembling the person of Christ in such conduct], it is up to the Christian community to put an end to it.
Why? We all are God’s image-bearers – even those that we do not like. Unless and until Christians are able to break their ties of loyalty to their political party or social ideology and, instead, commit them to God, the image of God and the Church will continue to carry the tarnish of the intolerance, the condemnations, and the display of non-love toward neighbor.
How each of us chooses to take such a solid stand is up to you. There will be countless opportunities for us to do so. It will not be a popular position to take, you will likely be given derogatory labels, and many will not like you. But – and this is important – you will not be crucified for doing so.
What do you think?
Like almost everyone else, I am more than appalled over the complete lack of civility in our public discourse. Many point the finger of blame to our politicians, but the ugliness is not just confined to the halls of Congress. Talk radio, cable news, tea party gatherings – and more, I’m sure – all feel free to get into the act. It’s almost as if being vile and uncivil is the current cost of admission for those who feel the need to get attention.
Columnists, pundits, commentators, and others have expressed their opinions about the roots of this current state of affairs. Nobody really knows because people had no idea this is where we would find ourselves, in a downward spiral of mean-spiritedness. So I’m going to throw out my opinion as to the origins where we find ourselves.
First the what.
In Congress, there have always been rhetorical battles waged, with barbs being traded over ideological differences. But, for the most part, the worst of the spoken words were aimed at the ideas expressed, not at the ones expressing the ideas. That has since shifted with the attacks clearly being personal.
That is bad enough. But what made these attacks unacceptably ugly is when the attacker took aim at the spiritual nature of their adversary. When the one on attack presents themselves as being Christian, a man of the Bible, and a spiritual paragon of virtue and characterizes their adversary as being exactly the opposite, the one being attacked has no place to go. The core of their identity as a human being has been dealt a life-threatening blow. The victim is left powerless, and without a leg to stand on.
In my observations, these types of attacks were launched on a consistent basis when the Religious Right was in its ascendancy and became standard fare during the 1990s. And their lashings were relentless. Such brutality is not much different from the days when citizens were dunked or locked in stockades.
For a while, it worked to their political benefit. Their targets found it impossible to defend against the negative assaults, much less push back.
The spiritual attacks may be gone by now, but the legacy of the Religious Right lives on in the unbridled character assassinations we hear every day. It seems the only editing being done is not to tone down the rhetoric, but to ratchet it up.
To me, the worst part is that this was done to achieve power and control over others. That is to say, the ways of the world were used to achieve the goals of the world. And Christ, the one whose name we take as our own, refused to use the ways of the world or to seek the goals of the world.
I suggest the religious community take a public, bold, forceful, and unflinching stand against all personalities who engage in these tactics. Since, as I see it, this was borne from within the ‘christian’ community [I use a lower-case ‘c’ and quotes on that word, because there is absolutely nothing closely resembling the person of Christ in such conduct], it is up to the Christian community to put an end to it.
Why? We all are God’s image-bearers – even those that we do not like. Unless and until Christians are able to break their ties of loyalty to their political party or social ideology and, instead, commit them to God, the image of God and the Church will continue to carry the tarnish of the intolerance, the condemnations, and the display of non-love toward neighbor.
How each of us chooses to take such a solid stand is up to you. There will be countless opportunities for us to do so. It will not be a popular position to take, you will likely be given derogatory labels, and many will not like you. But – and this is important – you will not be crucified for doing so.
What do you think?
Friday, August 20, 2010
God and the Moon
Have you ever allowed yourself to gaze at the moon? I don't mean to glance or look; I mean let time not be an issue and allow your mind drift to wondering about that body in space and what it might be like to experience being right there, on the moon itself. I know I have.
But actually getting there isn’t such an easy task. See, much of what we’ve ‘learned’ about Earth and Moon aren’t really true; they’re approximations. For example, Earth is not perfectly round, the force of gravity at sea level is not the same worldwide. Neither Earth’s orbit nor Moon’s orbit is circular. Neither the Sun, the Earth, nor the Moon orbit in the same plane. And so forth.
Consider these. The Moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of 1 1/2 inches per year. The difference between nearest point of the Earth-Moon distance and its farthest point is about 26,230 miles. And the difference between the nearest point of the Earth-Sun distance and its farthest point is about 3.1 million miles. This means that the orbital velocities of both Earth and Moon are variable.
Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees, which makes it appear to wobble relative to the position of the Moon. The tilt of the Moon’s axis is 1.5 degrees, meaning it has a slight wobble, too – but these wobbles are not in sync with each other. Moon's orbit tilts about 5.1 degrees relative to the earth's orbit. Earth's orbital tilt relative to the Sun is 7.1 degrees.
Gravity on the Moon is about 1/6 that of Earth’s at sea level. But, the force of gravity varies from place to place, on both bodies, due to uneven distribution of mass. The Moon orbits Earth once every 27 ⅓ days relative to the stars – and once every 29 ½ days relative to the sun.
And, Earth is slightly flattened and somewhat pear-shaped.
So, what does all this stuff mean, and why should it matter to you? If all you care to do is sit back and admire the moon, it doesn’t matter one bit. All the precise ‘facts’ you’ve been taught will keep you satisfied that you have the moon figured out.
But, if you were ever interested in having a meaningful experience with the Moon – if you think you might like to be truly connected with the Moon – why, then all this (and much, much more) would be vitally important. In preparation for your encounter, you would quickly learn that there’s an awful lot more that you don’t know about the Moon than you do know. Look how long it took NASA to finally put astronauts on the moon – and bring them safely back again. Along the way, there were lots of failures.
I think it works the same with God. There are things that some people think they ‘know’ about God and are satisfied with sitting back and admiring God. They enjoy talking about what they ‘know’ and are satisfied with the belief that they have God figured out based on their collection of precise ‘facts’ about God.
But when people become interested in having a meaningful experience with God – if they truly want a vital connection with God – they have to be willing to set aside some, or all, of what they think they know about God.
If a person took a shot at going to the Moon based on their collection of precise, black-and-white ‘facts’, who knows what would become of them? And if a person thinks they’re going to be hooked up with God because they’ve got a handle on all there is to ‘know’ about God – well, who knows what might become of them? I can’t say this happens all the time, but I know some who are hard-hearted, cold-blooded, judgmental, bullies and are ready and willing to cut the legs out from under anyone who does not see things their way. Sad, really.
All I know for certain about God is that – for some strange reason – God cares enough about me that, the moment I yielded control and humbly and sincerely gave God permission to take control of my life, God was right there.
No, my life problems were not eliminated; the consequences of my actions were not short-circuited; I did not step into a wonderland of problem-free living. But – I was at peace, for the first time in years. And, I was given the inner strength, the desire, and the inspiration to slowly but surely, change the direction of my life – one step at a time.
Oh. There’s one more thing I think I know for certain. If I thought I had God figured out and knew how to get God to work for me (some refer to this as “calling the Father to action” – seriously, they do. I’m not kidding!) I’d still be languishing in the mess I had created for myself.
What do you think? What’s been your experience?
But actually getting there isn’t such an easy task. See, much of what we’ve ‘learned’ about Earth and Moon aren’t really true; they’re approximations. For example, Earth is not perfectly round, the force of gravity at sea level is not the same worldwide. Neither Earth’s orbit nor Moon’s orbit is circular. Neither the Sun, the Earth, nor the Moon orbit in the same plane. And so forth.
Consider these. The Moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of 1 1/2 inches per year. The difference between nearest point of the Earth-Moon distance and its farthest point is about 26,230 miles. And the difference between the nearest point of the Earth-Sun distance and its farthest point is about 3.1 million miles. This means that the orbital velocities of both Earth and Moon are variable.
Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees, which makes it appear to wobble relative to the position of the Moon. The tilt of the Moon’s axis is 1.5 degrees, meaning it has a slight wobble, too – but these wobbles are not in sync with each other. Moon's orbit tilts about 5.1 degrees relative to the earth's orbit. Earth's orbital tilt relative to the Sun is 7.1 degrees.
Gravity on the Moon is about 1/6 that of Earth’s at sea level. But, the force of gravity varies from place to place, on both bodies, due to uneven distribution of mass. The Moon orbits Earth once every 27 ⅓ days relative to the stars – and once every 29 ½ days relative to the sun.
And, Earth is slightly flattened and somewhat pear-shaped.
So, what does all this stuff mean, and why should it matter to you? If all you care to do is sit back and admire the moon, it doesn’t matter one bit. All the precise ‘facts’ you’ve been taught will keep you satisfied that you have the moon figured out.
But, if you were ever interested in having a meaningful experience with the Moon – if you think you might like to be truly connected with the Moon – why, then all this (and much, much more) would be vitally important. In preparation for your encounter, you would quickly learn that there’s an awful lot more that you don’t know about the Moon than you do know. Look how long it took NASA to finally put astronauts on the moon – and bring them safely back again. Along the way, there were lots of failures.
I think it works the same with God. There are things that some people think they ‘know’ about God and are satisfied with sitting back and admiring God. They enjoy talking about what they ‘know’ and are satisfied with the belief that they have God figured out based on their collection of precise ‘facts’ about God.
But when people become interested in having a meaningful experience with God – if they truly want a vital connection with God – they have to be willing to set aside some, or all, of what they think they know about God.
If a person took a shot at going to the Moon based on their collection of precise, black-and-white ‘facts’, who knows what would become of them? And if a person thinks they’re going to be hooked up with God because they’ve got a handle on all there is to ‘know’ about God – well, who knows what might become of them? I can’t say this happens all the time, but I know some who are hard-hearted, cold-blooded, judgmental, bullies and are ready and willing to cut the legs out from under anyone who does not see things their way. Sad, really.
All I know for certain about God is that – for some strange reason – God cares enough about me that, the moment I yielded control and humbly and sincerely gave God permission to take control of my life, God was right there.
No, my life problems were not eliminated; the consequences of my actions were not short-circuited; I did not step into a wonderland of problem-free living. But – I was at peace, for the first time in years. And, I was given the inner strength, the desire, and the inspiration to slowly but surely, change the direction of my life – one step at a time.
Oh. There’s one more thing I think I know for certain. If I thought I had God figured out and knew how to get God to work for me (some refer to this as “calling the Father to action” – seriously, they do. I’m not kidding!) I’d still be languishing in the mess I had created for myself.
What do you think? What’s been your experience?
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