A Grain of Salt

These people have it wrong.

Oh, come on.

For all of you that don’t like following links, I’ll sum this up for you. In a new book called “Why Wish You a Merry Christmas”, Bishop Nick Baines trashed many traditional Christmas hymns for their lack of accuracy.

…Baines cites the line in “Away in a Manger” that goes “no crying He makes,” and wonders, “How can any adult sing this without embarrassment?”"It’s nonsense,” he says, adding that he finds it “slightly bizarre” that parents could sing that carol “as if it actually related to reality.”

I’ll give him this- Christmas carols do not have a history of being one-hundred percent Bible accurate. But it seems to me that all this guy is really doing is stirring up to controversy to draw attention to himself. Maybe that’s not true. But as I said last week, there are certain people who seem to have no purpose in mind other than to make themselves known and earn a quick buck. More than that, there seems to be no logical point in calling these carols embarrassing. What purpose does bashing these time honored songs serve? I have no problem with calling them inaccurate in order to make a point, and perhaps drive home the true message of Christmas, but this… well, I think I can sum this up with a one sentence.

CALM DOWN ABOUT CHRISTMAS IT IS A HOLIDAY

I know Jesus came to us this time of year, (supposedly), but.. I’ll save it for next week.

Well. This is certainly good news.

I think starting off with a quote would probably be for the best.

In Washington, Margie Phelps balanced several signs targeting Jews, Israel and the Obama administration. One read “Rabbis Rape Kids,” another said “God Hates Jews.” Margie Phelps’ T-shirt read “Jews Killed Jesus.” She argued with men and women passing by, warning them that God will soon send the Jews to hell.

Actually, let me narrow this down to one sentence.

Margie Phelps balanced several signs targeting Jews… One read…  “God Hates Jews.”

What? If this weren’t so sad, I would probably be laughing hysterically at that sign.  I honestly don’t know if this woman has ever read the Bible, with special emphasis to the Old Testament. ( I believe ) Israel is still God’s chosen nation. Whatever this “Christian woman” is thinking, well, she’s obviously mistaken. Next, one of the quotes about this church’s past.

Since then, they have angered many by protesting at funerals for American military killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, holding signs reading “Pray For More Dead Soldiers.”

Reading this honestly made me sick. They claim that the dead soldiers are a result of America becoming more and more complacent with homosexuality. As much as I was disturbed by this, I have to admit that these horrible statements do hold at least a grain of truth… America is becoming more and more complacent with homosexuality. I agree that God is definitely against homosexuality. But claiming that the death of soldiers overseas was a result of this? AT THEIR FUNERALS? I ( quite literally ) would not know what to do with myself if I ever met this man face to face.

But the list of grievances doesn’t just stop there. He goes beyond merely taking Biblical condemnations to their natural extremes, claiming that God hates all Swedish persons because of the countries gay-rights laws. He picketed Billy Graham for not spreading their God Hates F*gs message.  Not only that, he has called Ireland.. well, I can’t reprint what he called Ireland. But all of his attacks were centered around one event-

His sermon was in response to the Literary and Historical Society, a debating society in University College Dublin, which invited him to participate in a debate on homosexual adoption. The invitation was made in error, and was withdrawn within a few days.

The only reason he preached this sermon was on a vengeful, spiteful, rampage in a childish tantrum. He was angry at the withdrawal of his invitation to a debate. That is all. If you doubt any of this, you can visit the websites- godhatesfags.com, godhatessweden.com, godhatesireland.com, and priestsrapeboys.com. If this sounds like a joke, it’s not. Those are the man’s beliefs. I am speechless.

Remember, Martin Luther said Catholic churches, seminaries and monasteries are nothing but sodomite whorehouses filled with unnatural brute beasts and devils. We warned that the very leprechauns of Ireland are likely to be f*gs!

A quote directly from the man’s mouth. I should move on before I become guilty of the same sins as this man.

I guess the point I’m trying to make here is..

²⁶If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

²⁷Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

I don’t believe anyone in the world can claim that this man keeps a bridle on his tongue. And the activities that he takes part in do nothing but draw attention to himself. Remember- not all people that call themselves Christian deserve respect. And no, I’m not saying only approve of the ones I agree with. Some people just have vain religion that can only be loosely called even that, who so twist Jesus teachings of love that they aren’t recognizable,  someone that does nothing but puffs themselves up through pharisee-like “holier-than-thou”ism. He only gives us a bad name.

I apologize for any language used in quoting.

Wait, what?

Picking up where I left off last week.

The second half of the article concerns what it sees as the gap between Science and Faith. Apparently, the new head of the National Institute of Health stepped down as leader of an organization that promotes unity between scientific theory and religious belief  called The BioLogos Foundation. The group describes itself thusly:

BioLogos represents the harmony of science and faith. It addresses the central themes of science and religion and emphasizes the compatibility of Christian faith with scientific discoveries about the origins of the universe and life.  To communicate this message to the general public and add to the ongoing dialog, The BioLogos Foundation created BioLogos.org.

Now, to return to the topic at hand, several groups have protested Dr. Francis Collins, the founder of this organizations appointment to his new position. Why? Because they feel his religious views may prevent him from making accurate judgments. As I mentioned last week, this conclusion is both misguided and vaguely hostile towards all Christians. Surely his religious views won’t influence his views on health, right?

But I digress. What I meant to talk about was the apparent rivalry between religion and science. So called scientists across the nation refuse to admit any work from Christian scientists ( again, not Christian Scientists, but scientists who are Christian ) purely on the ground that their “delusion” prevents them from making any sane decisions. But centuries ago, faith and science were indelibly linked. What happened since then? Some would say (as the author of this article does) that the church oppressed scientists in the 15th century- a fact that is hotly contested and hardly supported by any historical text. Galileo was, after scrutiny, cleared of the charges against him and was free to defend his belief- to the chagrin of many other scientists of the era. Science and faith have always been seen as relying on one another, as the author mentions-

…in medieval times theology was known as “the queen of the sciences,” existing for the most part in harmony with astronomy and cosmology, as well as with astrology and alchemy. Catholic observers were pioneers in celestial observations.

The main point I’m trying to make is that Christians seem to have fallen into a trap. Because the media says that science and our religion cannot coexist, we try to push them as far apart as possible. What we need to is, with the help of organizations like BioLogos, explore science, become comfortable with or stances and learn to support what we believe. With that in our belt, people will be proud to have a Christian at the head of any scientific pursuit.

Startin’ here this week.

In recent years, some Americans have come to view science and religion as consistent antagonists, butting heads over everything from the origin of the cosmos to when human life begins (abortion) and when it ends (euthanasia).

This article was written by a columnist on the USA Today website. After a brief explanation of the views of “Conservative denominations,” he states the reason for bringing the topic up.

The issue surfaced again over the summer. When President Obama named Francis Collins, an outspoken evangelical as well as former director of the Human Genome Project, to head the National Institutes of Health, some scientists, secularists and at least one prominent atheist criticized the appointment. They were concerned that Collins’ faith might influence his decisions at the NIH. This despite the fact that Collins, author of The Language of God, supports both evolution and embryonic stem cell research

This really shows a lot about… well, everyone. First, the “scientists, secularists, and at least one prominent atheist.” They believe that the new appointee would be influenced negatively by his faith. Maybe they don’t entirely realize the point of this government- to represent the people. When the majority of the nation is against abortion, isn’t it logical to have a leader who reflects those views? And if President Obama felt it appropriate to appoint the man to the position in the first place, then shouldn’t we trust that the decisions made will be good ones that reflect common opinion? I realize that their exists a very simple argument against this one, so I’ll go ahead and address it. “Well when people you disagree with are appointed,” some of you may be thinking, “why do you always go up in protest against them?” Well, first of all, I prefer to wait and see a politicians decisions before I decide anything about them, while trying not to pin the blame on their moral character. And if I do decide to protest, it’s because I disagree with some of the decisions that they have made. Not for the reason of disagreeing with their belief system.

Next is the way the Christian community as a whole is viewed. These people obviously see us as all holding the same opinions- the outcry wasn’t against him, it was against the way they felt he would respond. So these scientists may think that all evangelical Christians hold the same opinion. Sure there are several beliefs that all Christians should share, but some are simply a matter of belief. I think that Christians should embrace and share the differences that we have, explore them, and then maybe come to a reasonable conclusion. That may be too much to ask. But maybe if we can get the world to see us differently, these kind of disgraces wouldn’t happen.

More on the rest of the article next week.

First, check out the song, and read the lyrics.

A cat came drifting onto my porch from the outside cold
and with eyes closed, drinking warm milk from my bowl,
thought:

“nobody hears me!(nobody hears me) I crept in so soft!
and nobody sees me!(nobody sees me) as I watched six steps off.”

like the peacocks wandering the walkways of the zoo
who have twice the autonomy the giraffes and the tigers do,
saying:

“no one can stop me,(no one can stop me)
no one clips my claws! now everyone watch me(everyone watch me)
scale these outside walls!”
you took the pious and profane,
turned around the praise and blame,
said “a glass can only spill what it contains”
To the perpetually plain and the incurably inane
a glass can only spill what it contains

what new mystery is this?
what blessed backwardness??
the Immeasurable One is held and does not resist!
struck by wicked words and foolish fists of senseless men
the Almighty One does not defend!

I was halfway listening to what she thinks she knows
We’re like children dressing in our parents’ clothes, saying:

“Nobody knows me,(nobody knows me)
no one knows my name,
No, nobody knows me,(nobody knows me)
nobody knows me…”
I half-heartedly explained
but gave up peacefully ashamed
as a glass can only spill what it contains
we went to Portugal and Spain
and in her mind the entire time it rained!
a glass can only spill what it contains

what new mystery is this? in overflowing emptiness
the Invisible is seen among the shadows and the mist,
before my doubting eyes the Infinite appears in time-
the Unquestionable is questioned but makes no reply!

what new mystery is this(x5)?!
“my Rabbi!”
my lips betray with a kiss

what new mystery is this?

What powerful lyrics. mewithoutyou, a Philadelphia based experimental rock band, has always made me think twice, but this song really amazes me. I’ll break it down into two parts. First, the lines that involve the seemingly egotistical animals. (Wow, what a strange sentence.) These phrases tell about a problem that many people don’t really recognize- this is God’s world. What gives us the right to march around, saying what we will and will not do, acting like no one can stop us and we are masters of our own fates. How proud! Like God is some distant figure, looking the other way as the little ants march around, sneaking little sins while he shakes his head, unable to stop them. What we (myself included) need to figure out is that GOD IS WITH US. He is watching you, waiting for you to make your choice to do what is right. When we become the peacock, proud of our power and ability to do anything, we slowly start to lose our respect for God and his boundaries.

Next are the other sections that describe the crucifixion- or, more accurately, the betrayal, along with one of the most baffling moments in the Bible. During the betrayal at the garden, the Lord of the universe is bound in human form and beaten by his own creations. Imagine his disciple’s fear! This man, who says he is God, is now “held powerless and does not resist!” Even now, as we see the whole story, we seem to have missed out on quite a bit of the meaning by skipping the various trials before the actual crucifixion. How could the “Immeasurable One” allow himself to be struck down by his own foolish creations? The necessary love is absolutely mind-boggling. We should realize this and give more (if it’s possible) weight to the terrible suffering Christ endured.

I guess this isn't King James...

Ha ha. Wow.

For all of you who may have happened to miss the link… well, I’ll just copy the entire article.

CANTON, North Carolina (AP) — A North Carolina pastor says his church plans to burn Bibles and books by Christian authors on Halloween to light a fire under true believers.

Pastor Marc Grizzard told Asheville TV station WLOS that the King James version of the Bible is the only one his small western North Carolina church follows. He says all other versions, such as the Living Bible, are “satanic” and “perversions” of God’s word.

I just… wow. Again, I have two main points about this article. The first of which is, well, get over it. The King James version, while poetic, striking, and powerful is NOT THE ONLY VERSION OF THE BIBLE. You read that right. I do love me some King James, to be true, but when people claim it is the only REAL version that can be trusted, it gets to me. Sure, several other translations may leave out verses, making King James one of the most accurate. But to a new Christian, accuracy may take a back seat to readability. To anyone new to the faith, I recommend a read-through of John, in a version like NIV. But for later study, I cannot recommend King James highly enough. It’s accuracy is unparalleled. Now, this person has taken this thought process to it’s logical extreme- the versions that don’t match up with this one are from the devil… Offending anyone who reads them and deeply confusing new believers who rely on their language.

Secondly, this is exactly the sort of action that portrays Christianity as a fragmented religion. I can see nothing wrong with the books of Billy Graham, (though Rick Warren… meh.) and think he is one of the centuries’ greatest evangelists. If you’re going to do something like this, try something a little less…drastic. Perhaps a seminar on why you believe these things are wrong, a sermon, or maybe even your own book. But actions like this serve no purpose other than to rile people up and draw attention to yourself. So THINK BEFORE YOU ACT. The appearance of our religion is failing, and we need to set the public right about the world’s true religion of love.

A small side note- appearance isn’t everything. More on that later.

The answer to God?

While exploring last week’s topic, I came across this little gem. In the article, it explains the recent trend of  de-baptism, where the water of baptism is symoblically blown off with a hairdryer labeled “Reason”. Afterward, the newly de-baptized enjoy an “anti-sacrament” of peanut butter and crackers. The group said-

“We made fun of Islam, we made fun of Hinduism, we made fun of Christianity with intent to be blasphemous on purpose to make a point” about a proposed anti-blasphemy initiative at the United Nations, Scott said. “It’s not done with malice or intent to offend. But anytime you criticize religion or poke fun at what atheists would call the sillier parts of religion, you’re going to offend somebody. There’s just no way around that.”

First, personal freedom is a pillar of the American ideal. I believe that this person had every right to say what he said. I also believe that I have the right to disagree with him. This statement is entirely innapropriate. If the only way you can get your point across is to be “blasphemous”, then maybe you should rethink your standing. Secondly, and bigger…

The actions described in this article are a great way to demean the power of God. Just by performing this action they (if they care) are saying that God is not as powerful as… a hairdryer. They are saying that they can remove themselves from the will of God with a quick burst of air. Once you have accepted Christ, (I believe) you cannot leave him. Like a father and son, you can never stop being his child, though your relationship may change. Also, with the hairdryer marked reason, what are the really saying?

That reason is the enemy of God.

No.

We CANNOT let this become a commonly thought ideal- if it does… well, we’re done.

We have to act against this, letting people know that God is not anti intelligence, anti science, or anti anyone. Show love, show intelligence, show passion, and show restraint in all these, and spread the word of the love of Christ.

Nones- American’s who profess no religious affiliation- now make up 15 percent of the population. Given their rapid growth, their numbers might soon surpass the nation’s largest denominations. but get this: Twenty-four percent [of Nones] say they believe in ‘a higher power but no personal God,’ the belief that used to be called Deism. they don’t believe in Scripture, or cotton to organized religion. But in the privacy of their home, they think that the distant, aloof God occasionally checks in to listen to their prayers.                             – Beliefnet founder Steve Waldman, quoted in  the Wall Street Journal

This is… shocking. According to USA today, the Nones now take up more of the population than Catholics and Baptists. ‘Baptist’ is very broad, however, and encompasses several different denominations.

It seems the people of the United States have decided to join the movements against Christianity. Why would they choose to believe in an impersonal, uncaring god, when they have the choice of a loving God, who cares for them and wants the best for them? It doesn’t seem to me to be too large of a step from ‘a higher power’ to God. The good news is that people who do believe in a ‘higher power’ will (most likely) more easily turned to Christ than one who does not believe in any sort of God. But the main point seems to me to be this blurb near the bottom of the USA Today piece.

The percentage of those who choose a generic label, calling themselves simply Christian, Protestant, non-denominational, evangelical or “born again,” was 14.2%, about the same as in 1990.

This is very interesting to me- not the content, but it’s placement. It takes digging to find this. In addition, the title of the articles is “Nones now 15% of population.” Simply reading that, along with the opening paints a very different picture of the religious affiliations of our country today. When you read into it though, you see a new portrait- one of a constant group of faithful Christians who call themselves just that, while the different denominations have slowly decreased. I find it interesting that this facet was placed farther down the page- almost as if showing the steady faithfulness of the church would somehow discredit the rest of the article or it’s message. Of course, I could be mistaken. Maybe it was placed their purely arbitrarily. Who knows.

Lying is FUN!

It’s been a desire of mine to see this movie for the longest time. Then, an article in Entertainment Weekly, which is summed up here, brought my attention to the true point of the plot. It seems that in order to comfort the residents of the world that cannot lie, the main character invents religion as a whole, or as he puts it, “the man in the sky.” “It’s not atheist propaganda,” says Ricky Gervais. I don’t think that the simple inclusion of the plot device is the main issue here. It’s the movie’s rating.

Other movies have had anti-religious viewpoints before, but they were very up front about the ideas portrayed in the movie. Any one who wanted to see the film, and the ways that other people view our religion, and even some ways that we can defend the faith. But this is an anti-religious film hiding in the clothes of a comedy. I haven’t seen it- it could be the most hilarious movie in decades. But that won’t change what it is trying to sell. The hundreds of thousands of teenagers that go to see this movie will be met with a statement-  “God is a good idea, but c’mon, who actually believes that?”

At a certain point, thoughts like this will become all to prevalent. Then we reach a point that Frederick Nietzche talked about- God is dead. I think now would be a good time to explain that I still believe in God. I think Christianity is the best explanation for everything that has ever gone on in the world, and that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to get to heaven. But, at a certain point, the idea of God is beyond saving in a society. This is getting ever closer in ours– even now the name of God is seen as the epitome of irrational, illogical thought. Unless we make a stand for God, it will soon bet too late- his cause will be seen as “only for the unintellectual.”

Hmm.

This article, from The Christian Post, involves the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009, or ENDA. Basically, the jist of the bill is it prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of “actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.” Now, to be fair, I have no hate for homosexuals or transgender people. I believe that we need to show them the love of Christ. That is not say I believe that homosexuality is not a sin, only that I believe we have no right to judge them more than any other sinner. And everyone belongs in that category.   But that’s outside the point.

I am more shocked by the wording of one part of the bill. It includes the phrase “perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.” I believe (oh boy, here it comes) that this leaves the bill to open to any sort of crazy person who claims that “I was born in the wrong body.” This could open the gate to allowing men into women’s restrooms simply because they believe they should be there. Again, no hate is involved. I simply believe it’s an open door to a very real security risk. A simple lie can get you the ability to attack women with ease. I;m not saying transgendered males are all rapists, only a few truly sick people would twist the weaknesses of the system in order to attain pleasure. “But that’s terrible, Granular!” you’re yelling. “How can you hate the transgendered? Tolerance!” See paragraph 1. Then, move on with me.

Mainly, this bill is too broad. Again, it could lead to several dangerous situations. Thankfully, it has a provision that allows religious organizations to be exempt- but only religious organizations. Imagine having a male with a different “perceived gender identity” for an elementary school teacher. It would be impossible to refuse him hiring for any reason without it being seen as discrimination. Again, I think it is only right for those who hate homosexuals (again, NOT ME.) to be punished for not hiring a well educated and highly deserving homosexual simply on those grounds , but with a bill such as this, it could be possible for reverse discrimination to become prevalent, and some people may resort to some despicable things just to get a job.  But hey, the bill has already failed 17 times in Senate… So I guess we can trust our Congress one more time. I can only pray.

A point of clarification. I believe homosexuality is wrong. Nothing can change that. I believe gender change will destroy God’s purpose in your life. I simply believe Christians should watch what they say to shield themselves from being called hateful and giving our religion as a whole a bad name.