Who's Been On Notice This Week?

First off, Cyclones: Stop trying to fool us, just call it a hurricane. The average American doesn't know the difference and those in the Cincinnati area think you're talking about ECHL Hockey. Overheard last weekend in Cincinnati "I have no idea where this Myanmar team came from but the Cyclones sure crushed 'em!". (All joking aside, if you'd like to support the relief efforts in Myanmar UNICEF and World Vision are both accepting donations) Seriously, "Tropical Cyclone Nargis" doesn't sound nearly as devastating as "Hurricane Nargis".

Is anyone else appalled by this talk about the possibility of the first FeMinority President? (that's right, I combined Female and Minority into one word, recognize the skills) Am I the only one that doesn't think that race or gender should matter in a presidential election? For some reason people think being a minority or a woman gives you super-leadership and presidential-y powers... I think not. I'd buy it if this was an athletic event or cooking/parenting competition then I would be all for this perceived advantage.

Did anyone outside of Ohio hear about the newest $.23 pizza apology/marketing ploy from Papa Johns? Basically someone had a great idea to make up No. 23 T-shirts with the word "Crybaby" and the Papa John's logo, which Washington Wizards fans flaunted during Friday's playoff game in Washington DC in reference to Lebron James complaining about hard fouls during the last playoff series.

So what did Papa Johns do? They gave a public apology and offered $.23 pizzas for customers in the Cleveland, Toledo & Columbus areas. Nice, just goes to show that if you whine and cry enough you'll get your way (and $.23 large, single topping, pizzas from Papa Johns).

Oh, and what the hell is PETA doing? I understand being all weepy over the whipping of race horses, but calling for the suspension of Gabriel Saez (the jockey of Eight Belles, who was euthanized shortly after breaking both ankles after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby) is just really stupid. While I agree that this tragedy should help pave the way for safer surfaces, PETA just needs to settle down and take a breath, as long as it does not abuse an animal or insect in the process.

Mother's Day is right around the corner... do we really need to make it an official holiday? I thought every day was Mother's Day... but maybe that's just me.

Bomb-Diggity: Like "Your Mom" jokes were to 2007 bomb-diggity is the "retro-bring-back-phrase" of 2008. Pass it on, because we're bringing it back.

Conforming Non-Conformist: Yeah, I get it, you're a rebel just like all your friends. Its a good thing you aren't one of those mindless sheep wearing what everyone else wears just like the rest of your hippie-crew. In reality you just want to shock people with your statements and "original" thoughts... Here's a clue be different, be eclectic, just because you don't agree with "pop-culture" doesn't make you any less or a conformist (or hypocrite) than the other 6 billion sheep on the planet. Oh and cut that emo-bang, you look like a tool. Oh, and while you're at it, cut the self-loathing crap, if you're reading this, you have a computer, or you have access to a computer so you live better than most of the world. Your life is great. Stop thinking about your own piddly little issues, step back and take a look around this world. Don't start getting all upset about how you live so good and don't do enough for others either... that's still your self-centered self-loathing sneaking in on the other side. If you're always bogged down in the negative when can anything good happen? But go ahead call me a conformist who doesn't see your pain. Tell me I don't understand or that I'm out of touch, just keep focusing on your self-loathing so you don't really have to deal with the real issues that make your life suck. Maybe you're really just afraid of what it would take to change yourself instead of blaming everyone else for your poor whiny woe-is-me existence.

Peace.

Little Chocolate Crosses

Everyone probably asked the question at one point or another we all reach that moment in their young lives where we question what colored eggs and confused rabbits have to do with the resurrection of Jesus. Even the name "Easter" probably derives its origins from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility, Eostre.

During the consumer driven Christmas season you probably also questioned the relevance of a fat man in a red suit delivering presents around a dead evergreen tree littered with lights. Yes, the secret is out, most of the holiday traditions we hold near and dear to our hearts have pagan (or simply, non-Christian) origins.

But what does that mean?

So far it seems skeptics have decided to use theses holiday add-ons as a basis for their contempt for Christianity as a whole. Since we paint eggs and pass out chocolate bunnies, Christ was not raised from the dead, right? Or since we decorate dead trees with lights and top them with a "pagan" pentagram, God did wasn't born of a virgin as Jesus here to save us from our sins.

I digress...

This leads me on a journey of perspective... Hundreds of years from now, I wonder what the modern skeptics will say about the state of the church in 2007. Maybe they will see the addition of the "devil's music" to popular Christian worship services the same way we now see the Easter Bunny and Santa. After all, it wasn't too long ago that the official position of the church was to discourage individuals from reading the Bible.

Luckily, Christianity has been trying to find ways to stay relevant to the culture of the time. All of these elements were added to make the transition to following Christ easier for believers of different (mostly pagan) religions. To me, its only natural to draw the conclusion to Christian rock. Using rock/pop/rap (whatever) to appeal to the current culture is just our generations way of adapting the secular culture to the church.

Note: I said "adapt" not "change"...

The basic precepts of Christianity do not change, but the way we present Christ to people needs to continue to evolve and adapt to new generations of people. Sure, Easter peeps and the Christmas season's slow assimilation of all other winter and late fall holidays may be taking it too far but I never said all "Contemporary Christian Music" was good either...

Throwing Stones

I have been really thinking about this subject lately, in fact it was the topic of my rant in the most recent episode of Element: C3, which, if you haven't heard it yet, you should. Its awesome...


Anyway, I've been really struggling with this idea of people who throw stones and run away.

What I mean to say is, these people who are all about dominating you with their belief and wanting nothing to do with what anyone else has to say. I fall victim to their trap all the time, the stone thrower is looking for you to engage him (or her) in conversation so they can continue to play the broken record over and over, trying to convince you that you're wrong.

I really respect Rob Bell's response to criticisms that he's received from various people over his views on Christianity:

"Some people, no matter what you say, have a hardness of heart and aren’t going to change. Please be very, very careful who you engage with. Some people simply have questions, and simply want to discuss. Wonderful. But some people are miserable, and they use religion as a crutch to avoid dealing with their misery and their pain. And what gets masqueraded as Christian faith is not. And we need to be careful spending all sorts of energy engaging with people who don’t have any interest in coming along on the journey with us. I would ask you before you engage - and there’s nothing wrong with engaging - to perhaps ask, “Could I redirect the energy I’m about to spend towards somebody who’s never, ever heard that God loves them?” And let us be the kind of community who engages in the right kinds of discussions, but otherwise we’re too busy loving people with the transforming love of Christ to engage in the mudslinging that goes on. You are too valuable to me, and your time and your energy, you’re too valuable in our community to end up in some sort of theological kung-fu with somebody who ultimately thinks they’re right. There will always be Pharisees. God’s on the lookout for disciples.”

"There will always be Pharisees. God's on the lookout for disciples" I think that's awesome... Am I using religion as a crutch or am I using it as a powerful tool to discover the deeper meaning of life with others and within the teachings of Christ?

It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine

What is the world coming to?  Taking "under God" out of the pledge, removing "in God we trust" from our money, not allowing the Ten Commandments on federal property, outlawing prayer in school.  It seems Christianity is under attack.



Good.



Maybe that's the way it needs to be.  "Christianity" is mainstream now, its a part of pop culture.  Its so mainstream that now "Christians" are getting up in arms over this Congressman Keith Ellison taking his oath on the Qu'ran instead of the Bible (Story).
"Conservative radio commentator Dennis Prager stoked the flames this week by writing that "America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a Congressman takes his oath on."

Prager challenged Ellison to either take his oath using the Bible or "not serve" in Congress. He said swearing on the Qu'ran, "undermines American civilization."

The American Family Association issued an electronic action alert to its members across the nation, calling attention to Prager's article. The organization also urged its followers to write their members of Congress, demanding that a bill be passed naming the Bible the only book that can be used in oaths.

Ellison's transition team has been bombarded with e-mail messages, most of them hateful in tone, attacking Islam, the Qu'ran and especially Ellison. The Ellison staff forwarded some of them to KARE 11 News.

"You worthless human being," began one. It continued by saying, "Your actions will play well with your terrorist buddies."

Another declared, "the devil is ruling."

"Shame on you!" said one writer, who added, "I think you want to serve the Muslim call to destroy our nation."

"You are using political correctness to push down the heritage of America," said one contributor.

"This country was not created on religion but on Christianity.""

Is this really what its all about? Is this what the message of Jesus has been reduced to?  We've taken a message of "love God and love everyone else" and turned it into a justification for prejudice and hatred.  We have used our "religion" as an excuse to hate people who aren't like us.  After all Jesus was a white, middle-class suburbanite who voted Republican and was a card-carrying member of the NRA, right?   I don't think so...  It's like the popular Christian bumper sticker:

"Christian's aren't perfect... Just forgiven"
(and smug, apparently) 

Maybe the decline of Christianity in this country will lead to the rise of Christ followers.  It's so easy to be a "Christian" here in America, try going to China or a Middle Eastern country and professing your faith.  As Rick McKinley says, suffering isn't in our western vocabulary.  Sure, we are inconvenienced by set-backs here and there but our experiences are nothing compared to people who live in war-torn areas of the world or in nations where owning the Bible is grounds for capital punishment. 

Often times I get caught up in the idea that its all about me and my feelings, I know all of the answers and it's my duty to be the morality police.  I can be a real prick sometimes...well most of the time.  I see the quotes from the haters who are bashing this Muslim man and I think "I would never say a thing like that".  But I have and, in some situations, I'm sure I would.

I think there is an underground Christian movement that's behind the scenes trying to right the name of Christ followers, and I want to be apart of that Christianity.  Not the one who would persecute a man for standing up for what he thinks is right and true and good.  The truth is, we are bombarded by the worst caricature of Christianity.  When there is a hot moral/religious issue (like this one) who do the reporters go to for a reaction?  Who do the talking heads in the mainstream media bring on their shows?


No seriously....


Is it the guy who says "Hey, there are many sides to this issue and it might take a long time to get things all sorted out and in the end we may never really have the answer".  Of course not, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Rush, Franken, Hannity and others want to bring on the psycho-Christian wack-job who will say that God hates "those people" and Christians don't want anything to do with them.

I say bring on the popular decline of Christianity, and let's continue to support the idea that people are a unique and special creation of God.  It's our job to love them and help them through the process of following Christ.  I want to support the idea that Christians are a group of people getting together to make lives better.  Its not my place to judge whether this guy's "saved" or going to hell.  Yes a sin is a sin but a sinner is still a person.  I am a sinner and my sin is no better or worse than theirs. 

Bring on the revolution!