Who cares what's coming?

What will happen in the future?

The more I contemplate this question, the less interested I am in the answer. We simply don't know. Some people have proven somewhat adept at prediction, but more often than not these predictions are completely wrong or have to be interpreted in hindsight to seem accurate. Where's the value in that? I've never seen much. More often than not it seems that the end result is people getting whipped into a frenzy over some potential horrible ending when no such fate comes to fruition. It's just a distraction from the Kingdom which is at hand... within reach... not in the future nor in the past.

I have come to somewhat of an epiphany on this subject and it boils down to a simple (I think) well-crafted sentence that came to me in a moment of clarity:

This is not the end of times
except that you wish to make it so.

What do you think?

Taking One for the Team

So I went to see The Golden Compass last night. I know it was supposedly watered down, but it didn't seem particularly anti-God to me. In order to learn more about the hubbub surrounding this release, I decided to purchase read the book upon which this movie was based. In fact, I bought the three-book trilogy "His Dark Materials" (The Golden Compass is the first of these books) and plan to read them all to see what's up. I'll report back to this blog as I make progress and will prepend all my posts with *Spoiler Alert* whenever appropriate (which I anticipate will be often).

Stay tuned and remember to keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times during the ride.

Reflecting on one thing I did...

Other than gain weight, I did achieve something while I was away on holiday. I finished reading (well, listening to) A.J. Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically. It's a fun, insightful book and I would encourage anyone, secular or spiritual, to check it out.

When I started reading it, I posted about that, but now that I'm done, I would like to share something really cool from that book with you. At the end, the author reflects on what he's experienced during the last year... living by following every rule and suggestion for living provided in the "old" and "new" testaments of the Bible. He comes to a very insightful conclusion about literal translation of the Bible that I agree with whole-heartedly.

Robbie Harris, one if the author's Rabbis is asked about whether a literal interpretation of the Bible's text is appropriate:

He says, "We can't insist that the Bible mark the end of our relationship with God. Who are we to say the Bible contained all the wisdom? If you insist that God revealed Himself only at one time, at one particular place, using these discreet words, and never any other time than that, that in itself is a kind of idolatry."

His point is you can commit idolatry on the Bible itself. You can start to worship the words instead of the spirit. You need to meet God halfway in the woods.

Amen. This is something I had always believed, but never brought far enough forward in my mind to put into words nearly this eloquent. What do you think?

Short Thanksgiving Break

While much of the world doesn't officially celebrate Thanksgiving the way many Americans do, I encourage everyone (regardless of where you live) to take a moment to reflect on good things in life for the next couple of weeks. There are two reasons I advocate this:

1) It's a healthy thing to do. We get so caught up in judgement of ourselves and others that it's important to search our lives (whatever our current state of mind) and look for something positive to consider. Share that good thing with someone else. Make a positive difference in someone's life... even if it's your own.

2) I'll be offline for the rest of November. I know it's a selfish thing, but there it is. I am thankful for everyone who takes the time to read these rambling blogs. Connection via virtual avenues of communication is a relatively new phenomenon and we all benefit when the activity is two-way. This blog has been blessed with all kinds of readers and posters and I'm humbled when anyone takes to time to thoughtfully read or post.

I'll miss you for a couple of weeks, but look forward to coming back and talking again very soon! Challenge me and I'll do the same. Hopefully we'll both learn something. I can't wait!

...and if you're bored while I'm out, check out the sites listed on the right of this page. There are some wonderful blogs out there just waiting for you to get involved!

See you in early December!!!!

The Year of Living Biblically

I read the Onion. We get it here for free, so I can't help but pick it up since it's funnier than the other local papers and has all the movie, club, and book reviews I could want each week. This time around, they reviewed the new book The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs which received high marks. Essentially, it's a book about an agnostic man's experience when he tries to come to terms with his Jewish heritage by reading the entire Bible (both Testaments) and living by every life suggestion, rule, and law simultaneously for an entire year.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to voyeuristically experience his very personal experiment. I've only finished a few short chapters and it's already very cool. I'll post more here as I keep reading, but here's a link so you can find out more if you're interested:

Hardcover Book @ Amazon

Trade As One

This is awesome in the truest sense of the word...

Trade As One.

I'm getting all my Christmas gifts through these wonderful people. If you're going to buy things for people, why not help out those who need your help and benefit directly from the purchases your make?

Like I said: Awesome.

Lars and the Real Girl

Run, don't walk, to the closest theater showing this magnificent film and see it today! For those with interest in finding out more, drop by the Lars and the Real Girl website (Flash intenstive & sound).

It's amazing. Don't worry... it's only rated PG-13. :D

Here's a trailer:

Couldn't have happened to nicer people...

Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest

A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

You know these scumbags... they're the "God Hates Fags" morons. Can't say I'm at all sad or surprised.

Watching House. Learning About Life.

Although I'm not a huge fan of network TV, I've been watching House, M.D. lately. For those who haven't, you should consider giving it a chance. I'm also not a huge fan of medical shows, but I've loved Hugh Laurie (the actor/comedian who plays the main character) ever since his early BBC days with Stephen Fry.

House is an avowed atheist and a curmudgeon. In the intense episode I watched last night (One Day, One Room), he interacts with a rape victim (intriguingly named Eve) who challenges his notions of God. There are two quotes from the show I would like to share with you:

Quote #1 - House and Eve are discussing abortion (I told you it was an intense show). Eve's contention is that everyone's life is sacred. House doesn't agree:

House: If we were to care about every person suffering on the planet, life would shut down.

Certainly life as we know it would. Sounds like a perfect plan. :D

Quote #2 - House and Eve finally get down to discussing the nature of existence and why she chose him to discuss all of this. She confesses that she doesn't really know why... simply because he was there in the room with her. He doesn't understand the irrationality of her choice:

House: Are you going to base your whole life on who you're stuck in a room with?

Eve: I'm gonna base this moment on who I am stuck in a room with! It's what life is, it's a series of rooms, and who we get stuck in those rooms with, adds up to what our lives are.

Yes it does.

Neuroscience and God

Neuroscientists have been able to track down sections of the brain that light up when nuns recall epiphanous moments. So what does this mean about God and our relationship with God? Not being a neuroscientist, it doesn't mean a whole lot to me, but be certain that people will use it an excuse to argue about the existence of God.

Just because the brain lights up in reproducible ways when a person is thinking about God doesn't mean God is a figment of their imagination. It's like saying that litmus paper changes colors when I drop lemon juice on it because the paper really likes acids.

I'll stop now... it's early and I need coffee. What do you think about all of this?

Cephalopod Awareness Day - Dang, I Missed It!

How did we miss this one. Man, I seem to be good at finding out about these things the day after they happen. Oh well... better late than never.

Cephalopod Awareness Day

Radiohead Rules, I think...

Being a musician of (very) little note, I love it when artists take control of their work and make it available to fans in unique ways. It's one of the things that attracted me to Jonathan Coulton whose Thing A Week series is awesome!

Now Radiohead, a very popular band who've sold millions of copies of previous albums, has decided (now that they are no longer under contract to EMI) to let the fans decide how much to charge for access to download their new album. How cool is that?

There's something very Jesus about this to me.

Having said that, I'm not sure what I think about the band Radiohead. I like some of the songs I've heard and am not as eager to re-listen to other tracks. I've been told they are very melancholy. I can respect that and I do respect the work they've put out so far. None of it sucks. I need to learn more about them. Anyone in here a Radiohead fan?

Unexpected Hope and Love

Even in the midst of the terrible, good can spring. There is hope.

September 22, 2007 - Purse snatcher (Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis)

Make sure to read the caption under the picture.

Vincent Black Lightning - Does it get any better?

The bike is awesome. The song is awesomer. Richard Thompson makes it all sublime. He's right when he says, "in my opinion, there's nothing in this world Beats a 52 Vincent and a red headed girl."

The Banality of Evil

I didn't live through World War II, but I have learned quite a lot about it since then. The juxtaposition of the relaxed normality of the people in these photos and the horrible events they facilitated (and that were happening right then in close proximity to where these photos were taken) should remind us that this kind of intolerable violence can happen even when everything on the surface seems calm and normal. Without going into personal political or social beliefs, I'll just provide a link to the interactive photo album below and hope it will give you an opportunity to think.

Interactive Auschwitz Photo Album

Ending Slavery

It seems to many like this might be a subject to have been discussed 150 years ago, but (according to the Not For Sale Campaign site) there are 27 million people in slavery today in 2007. This is pretty depressing stuff, but the reason I bring it up here is to highlight things that can be done to reverse this awful fact.

So what can you and I do? Well, I don't know. The site listed above indicates that we can donate money, read books, and create art to raise awareness. All of this is wonderful stuff. But assuming that we're both very aware and willing to talk to others about it, I want to know what we can actively do right now to ease suffering and end slavery for at least a few people (if not a whole lot more).

My commitment is to keep learning what we can do and bring that information to this blog. What I would ask from anyone reading is to let me know what you know about this subject and what you find out can be done to help make a real difference.

BBS - The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (continued)

So, back in July, we started discussing the Parable of the Wicked Tenants but we didn't get very far and that's my fault. Maybe we can get further this time around...

In the version I've read, Jesus tells the parable and then asks the Pharisees and chief priests around him what will happen to the tenants when the owner of the vineyard comes back (after the tenants have killed his son). They respond that they will meet a "wretched end" and the owner will put someone responsible in their place.

Jesus then points out (and they realize) that He is talking about them and the awful way they've managed His church. It seems that the owner is God, the tenants (at least at that moment) were the leaders of the church, and the vineyard they were supposed tend is the church.

So what does this parable mean to us? If we take the perspective mentioned above, then it is interesting to me that the ultimate state of the vineyard isn't called into question. Does that change your perspective on what's going on in this parable?

Bathe in the abyss of silence.

It's Monty Python Day!

Yes, like nearly every other geek in the English-speaking world, I can recite large portions of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. When I realized that today is Monty Python Day at Doune Castle, I had to post about it.

My favorite quote, from the scene when God is speaking to Arthur (which is the rendering of Him in the header for this blog), is this:

God: "Arthur, King of the Britons, your Knights of the Round Table shall have a task to make them an example in these dark times."
Arthur: "Good idea, oh Lord!"
God (in booming voice): "'Course it's a good idea!!!"

Not laughing? Well, check out this clip (which also includes the Knights of the Round Table song (best 2 minutes in the history of cinematic comedy):

Simple Question #015a: Does Culture Trump Morality?

I think we can agree that there are cultural differences between almost any identifiable groups of people. That's a really good thing. Even if I don't happen to like the same things you do, you should have the freedom to express your individuality within your unique culture.

But when someone takes cases like Michael Vick's (where he was found guilty of dog fighting by his own admission) and tries to provide some meaningful perspective by saying that he was involved in something that was part of his culture, I see no value in that. Culture is irrelevant. That doesn't make his actions even slightly more acceptable or understandable. It is our responsibility to stand up against those things in our culture that are disgusting so they cannot survive. I would say training dogs to tear each other apart and then violently killing the losing animals, even if part of someone's "culture", is absolutely reprehensible.

What do you think?

Simple Question #015a: Should We Love Gay People Unconditionally?

I have an answer to the Simple Question this time around. That answer is an unqualified YES.

JWSTSOOY #004a: Ted Haggard is Back!

If you'll remember, this is the guy who was caught doing meth and having sex with a gay prostitute while preaching intolerance against gays and imploring others to live a righteous life like him. How do people like this get away with this kind of (seemingly inevitable) crap?

Ted Haggard is back and wants your cash.

Simple Question #014a: What Does it Mean to "Behave"?

Especially when the coffee is flowing, I'm late for work, everyone wants something from me, and I can't hear God's loving voice in my ear telling me life is good, I don't feel like behaving. I know what I think it means to behave, but it seems so nebulous. I see a definition on thefreeditionary.com that states, "To conduct oneself in a specified way," but I'm not sure that's the whole story.

What does "behave" mean to you?

Learn Something New: Toki Pona - The Happy Language

Feeling blue? So was the creator of Toki Pona, Sonja Elen Kisa, who came up with the idea while feeling depressed one day. I'm not too much of a polyglot, but it seems like with less than 120 words, I might even be able to master this one. There are so many hateful words in all of today's most popular languages, this is a breath of fresh air... or, rather, a breath of sin kon.

The Unicorn Museum & Intolerance - Learning to Breathe

So I recently visited a site mentioned on BoingBoing.net that was created in response to the Creationist Museum. It's the Unicorn Museum and it's worth a look. I found it kinda boring in its one-note sarcasm, but I'm probably not the intended audience.

Then I looked at the comments and (not surprisingly) found quite a bit of "back and forth" between people with differing views on religion. Of particular interest to me was a post by someone clarifying the nature of the passage in the Bible mentioning unicorns and a response by someone dismissing the clarification as merely a crutch to help someone grapple with the inconsistencies of their source of faith. I wanted to respond, but instead I decided to post my initial response here to allow it to mellow like I do when I have an emotional reaction to such things. So here, for your edification, is my initial response:

Especially when viewed from a scientific standpoint, understanding the history of the words in any particular translation of any book is important regardless of whether it is religious in nature. Of the dozen or so most popular Biblical translations currently available in English, the word "Unicorn" is only used in the one most poetic of all - the King James Version.

It's honestly not a matter of sleeping well at all (I have Sonata to help me with that). I welcome open discourse on religion and faith, but if we do so assuming we are undeniably correct and everyone else is hopelessly wrong, the only result can be to thoughtlessly gainsay ideas you didn't bring to the table. This helps nobody.

The bottom line for me is that this site is funny, but it's also pretty juvenile. Literalism in any discipline deserves a healthy dose of humor, but belligerent ignorance can be ugly when professed in public regardless of spiritual inclination. I get it - you think people with religious faith are stoopid. Unfortunately, this site responds to someone else's ridiculousness (i.e. the Creationist Museum) with their own wrapped in the convenient, flame-resistant robe of satire. Like so much humor in that vein, this ends up just sounding shrill and smug rather than truly funny.

Now I will take a few deep breaths and see if I want to post this to their comments section later today.

Simple Question #013a: Should Churches Have a Sense of Humor?

According to Wikipedia, Heresy is defined as, "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Roman Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox." Simplifying this down to its essence, it means openly disagreeing with any religion. Given the historical trend of Churches falling away from the teachings of Christ, isn't it our responsibility to be active heretics when the circumstances are appropriate?

So much heresy is tied up with humor. Many Churches over the years seem humorless to me. Why is that? What is the nature of humor that is so threatening to leaders of any stripe... especially so many in charge of the world's religions?

Just in case you're completely un familiar with the idea of heresy as humor, here's one of my favorite examples:

Cool Quote #001a: Thomas Jefferson

"I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility toward every form of tyranny over the minds of men."

To Serve or Not to Serve?

During normal business hours, I am surrounded with people who don't care about what isn't profitable for them. It's a small company, so I can see why keeping an eye on profitability is important. In some ways I've tried to deal with it and find a way to continue to be who I am without playing into that mentality or be changed by it. Things seem different today. Maybe it's just me...

If service lags for people who don't bring in a lot of revenue, nobody seems to care. As a result, I can't provide the service I would like to because the people who don't care are blocking the resources I need to do so. Their negative "stuff" is starting to rub off on me.

So how do you stay positive when everything around you seems negative? How do you reconcile faith in such a negative, competitive business world? I don't know, but I'll keep going forward and let you know. Maybe I just need to let go.

Maybe I'm Not Wrestling Enough?

I'm scared.

It seems as if my life is going pretty well these days, but I know there's the clear and present possibility that trouble's just around the corner. I know it's important to enjoy this time, but I can't help but think that maybe there's something to my concern (which makes that difficult).

I hope everyone in my life lives longer than I do. I know that's not technically likely (or maybe even desirable) , but I can't help feeling some dread in going through the loss of a parent or friend or mate... hell, even the loss of a pet is tough.

I'm generally a happy person, but I know trials probably loom ahead. I know they will help me grow, but I like it where I am. Just as I'm getting comfortable here, I can sense change coming. Writing all this down makes it seem more inevitable too.

Maybe I just won't publish this and everything will stay the same...

Simple Question #012a: Should Politics and Religion Mix?

We're getting closer to an election for President (among other things). You know politics will come into discussions of religion as time flows on, so let's get this one out of the way early:

Should Politics and Religion mix?

What you do matters.

In every way you can imagine, the things you do matter.



Thanks to Spulch for linking me to this video.

JWSTSOOY #003a: Grandparents Strangle Grandchild Covered in Blood, Blame Their Actions on Her "Demonic Possession".

'Exorcism' call leads to death of man

We'll leave the discussion for whether demonic posessions are real or not for a later post. These grandparents are simply insane.

Simple Question #011a: Do animals have souls?

Is there anything in the Bible indicating that animals don't have souls? If not, then why does this theory persist? Humans have an awful track record of assuming what God intends, so I'm not sure we should assume not just because it's more convenient or easier.

What do you think?

Tammy Faye Goes to Huge Diamond-Encrusted Auditorium in the Sky

On the heels of the last post about mega churches comes the news that one of the earliest and most iconic examples of televangelism, Tammy Faye Messner has died.

Are Mega Churches Evil?

If the title of this post isn't leading, I have no idea what would be.

If I had to give a simple answer, I would say that they are not. I would quickly follow up with the observation that the tendencies of these kinds of Churches (their size, their fast-food/fast-faith mentality, their money obsession, etc...) are symptoms of a deep rooted flawed (some might argue evil) approach to organized religion.

Don't get me wrong. Some of the leaders of these groups are really quite dangerously manipulative of their followers. Any form of prosperity theology is wrong-headed and counter-intuitive to Jesus' teachings, in my opinion. Very often it seems that the very people preaching in a judgmental, buzzword-heavy manner end up being found guilty of the very sins they publicly reject so vociferously.

Well, now you know some of what I think on the subject. What do you think?

8 Random Factoids Meme

I've been tagged by my friend and co-blogger Revrin Rick over at the fantastic yes yes yes ... is the answer blog in a random facts meme.


Rules to play:

1. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
   
2. Those who are tagged should post these rules (on your blog or in emails if you want, and send 'em around, since not all my pals have blogs, or just list 'em in comments on this post) and their 8 random facts.
   
3. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

My 8 random factoids:

1. I'm easily amused by animals.
   
2. The current two-party political system in the U.S. is repugnant to me.
   
3. A world without irritating people is unimaginable to me and I'm not convinced that's a bad thing.
   
4. I love a wide variety of music. Having said that, I must admit that most modern religious music does nothing for me.
   
5. Horror movies with no sense of humor are useless to me.
   
6. I hate cilantro. I've tried to like it... really, I have.
   
7. Marcel Duchamp is one of my favorite modern artists, but he also ticks me off.
   
8. I realize that there are people who do not love their fellow human beings and I hate people like that. ;)

Whew! That was harder than I expected. What are your 8?

Comments are Encouraged & New Section: Twitter

Just in case it wasn't apparent to anyone who drops by this site, I heartily encourage comments. In fact, there are days where I don't create any new posts because I'm more directly involved in talking with other people who comment here. In fact, I anticipate a good discussion will ensue in the BBS: Parable of the Wicked Tenants post below and it would be great if you would chime in!

I've also added a relatively new section to this site: Twitter. What the heck is that? We'll, without getting too deep into it, Twitter is an easy way for me to tell you what I'm doing related to this blog. I update my Twitter status multiple times a day which can be good if you're wondering whether I've fallen off the face of the earth or I'm just working on a new post.

FYI: For those wondering, I fell off the face of the earth a long time ago.

BBS - The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants.

This one is maybe a bit confusing to me. It seems like the people responding to Christ's question about what will happen is (at least somewhat) appropriate. Then His response is cryptic to me. Maybe it's just because I haven't had enough coffee this morning, but maybe you can help me understand what's going on here. Is Jesus differing with their opinion or just agreeing with them and then pointing out their inability to see prophecy through His words?

I love when Jesus does this: telling a story with a complex, yet obvious outcome and then simply pointing out how it's relevant to the current situation. In everyday life, I believe these kinds of connections are the basis of Deja Vu. Christ makes that connection part of the conscious rather than the subconscious.

What do you think?

Simple Question #010a: Is Intelligent Design Necessary?

For Christians, is the concept of Intelligent Design really necessary to reconcile science with the Bible?

It's a straightforward question. There are many ways in which, at least on the surface, the Bible seems to contradict scientific findings of the last 100 years. Does this mean you need to "find God" in these scientific results before you can rest easy in your faith?

I have an opinion or two, but I'd love to hear what you think first!

Simple Question #009a: Where do you see God?

I was looking at some pictures recently and reflecting on how we can see God in it all. Some images seem to bring up God more presently than others for me. That prompts me to ask this question: In what do you see God most clearly?



Too sweet? Maybe, but I still like it. :D

Christian Paintball

Why not?

Christian paintball park provides friendly fire

Wisdom from a Bathroom Wall

This was passed on to me many years ago from someone who claimed it to be found among the other scribblings on a public bathroom wall:

Not old enough to know better.
Old enough to know better.
Not old enough to know.
Old enough to know.
Not old enough.
Old enough.
Not old.
Old.
Not.

I think I got that right. :D

Simple Question #008a: What Makes Someone a Christian?

After listening to an NPR segment on Mormonism, I must admit I feel as if I have a better understanding of this religion (however illusory that assumption may be). It was interesting that someone just before the segment aired said she didn't consider Mormons or Catholics to be Christians. Wha-wha-what?

That got me thinking about what exactly is it that makes someone a "Christian". What do you think?

Stem Cells from Eggs?

Scientists: Stem Cells Created From Eggs

If this ends up being a legitimate source for stem cells, will this silence those who argue it's better to destroy unwanted embryos than save existing human life? I doubt it.

I have to admit that this subject raises concerns in me. I can see that there is a clear line of progression between zygotes and babies. At what point in development should a moral person, regardless of faith, believe the cluster of viable joined human zygote cells becomes human life with some sort of defensible rights? Or maybe that's not the true framing of the argument at all...

We all have living organisms inside of us that we kill everyday. Those of a developing human have more value to us as humans. Maybe it's a matter of who gets to say what happens to the cells growing inside of each of us. Why should the government have a say in what happens inside my body that can overrule my wishes.

God knows we're not going to solve the abortion debate within the confines of this blog. But maybe we can have an intelligent discussion about the subject. What do you think?

Dang, I Missed National Catfish Day

With Jesus as my witness, I can't believe I missed this one:

National Catfish Day is a national observance of the United States celebrating "the value of farm-raised catfish."

Okay, now I now why I missed it. :/

Oh, and July 4th is Independence Day over here. Have fun, but make sure you don't blow your head off:

What makes up the Christian Bible?

Are we just talking about the books in today's New Testament? What about the The Book of Splendor or The Gospel of Judas? Someone wrote all that stuff down a long time ago, but someone since decided it was heretical. Why?

It seems that early Christianity was a very segmented and heterogeneous collection of interpretations of Christ's teachings - many of which didn't agree with each other. The oldest original surviving manuscripts are translated copies of texts originally written down and copied by hand over and over many years after Christ and His disciples left this planet. We're so used to the Bible as it stands today that it's easy to understand why books previously expurgated seem odd, fanciful, or even downright bizarre.

But what if the Book of Revelations was a new find? Wouldn't it seem completely odd when compared to other books of the New Testament? To me, it seems more comparable to some of the removed texts than much of the rest of what was deemed acceptable. It almost seems, dare I say, more like a gnostic tract than comparable to Matthew or Mark.

So what makes up the real Christian Bible? That's a question to which I don't have an answer, but I have lots of incomplete opinions. I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

JWSTSOOY #0002b - The $54 Million Pants Followup

Thank God. Literally.

No $54 Million for Missing Pants, Judge Rules

BBS - The Parable of the Sower

Welcome to the first BBS at Twisted Christian Blog. The first Bible quote we'll study is...

Matthew 13:1-9 - The Parable of the Sower

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear."

In case anyone wants to read the following discourse between Christ and His disciples (something I whole-heartedly encourage because it's great stuff!), here's a link to the entire surrounding section of Matthew for this parable - Matthew 13:1-23.

I'll refrain from commenting here in the post, but please check the comments below and join in on the discussion!

New Section - Blog Bible Study (BBS)

I'm seriously considering an online blog-based Bible study. I love the idea of taking a section of the Bible and reviewing it with smart people who want to dig for the truth. My main concern now is how to get started, but I think the solution might be to choose a concept and dig into it from some "random" starting point.

How about we begin with a miracle? I love Jesus' miracles, the (usually unexpected) lessons taught, and the strange way people around him react to them. Does anyone have a favorite they would like to get started with?

I think today would be a great day to select a miracle (or parable) and Monday would be a great day to begin discussing it. What do you think?

The world is going to hell?

If the title of this post is accurate, who wants to be meek? I guess I shouldn't be so pessimistic, but I have to admit that I'm a little upset by the current state of affairs in the U.S. How can someone who professes belief in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit also be so diametrically opposed with me on nearly everything... including how to understand the Bible and live his (or her) life?

Of course, I'm perfect. :/

Note: On Friday, June 22, I changed this post to end the title with a question mark. I guess I'm feeling better about things today and didn't want to scare anyone away with such a pessimistic title.

JWSTSOOY #0002a - The $54 Million Pants

First, if you haven't heard of this case, please read this: Dry Cleaner Calls $54 Million Lawsuit Over Pants a ‘Nightmare’

Now that you know what's going on, you have to admit something is really fishy here. I can't imagine Jesus wouldn't shake his head at the huge pair this dude must have grown to expect anyone to take this case seriously. There are always two sides to every argument, but at what point is a single pair (or even a closet full) of pants being damaged or lost, even with personal abuse being heaped on, worth $54 million?

Update: Here's a link to the man's Wikipedia page (search term: 'Pants Lawsuit'). It should be interesting to watch over the next few weeks.

Note: The last link above is an archived version of his Wikipedia page which was revised and then locked due to this kind of inappropriate (but funny in a NSFW way) vandalism.

Simple Question #007a: Should Drugs Be Legalized?

Who needs coffee? I do, for one. Is that an addiction? Maybe, but since I have a steady supply, it's cheap and legal, and I'm not hurting anyone when I "get high" I think I'll stick with it at least for now. There is one kind of coffee I would probably never try and I'm sure it's possible to overdose, but I don't abuse it that badly.

Some drugs are seriously problematic. Getting addicted is easy. Staying high becomes more important to the user than anything else. Using can destroy your life. Cessation can kill you (or make you wish you were dead). But not all illegal drugs are like this. Maybe there's room for legalization of at least some? Some would argue that marijuana is safer than alcohol. Is a drug okay just because it's legal? Jesus turned water into wine, so it can't be all bad.

Maybe the bigger issue is over whether the legal definitions of drug use are the same as the moral parameters. What do you think?

What happened to all the "challenging" posts?

I admit, I've fallen away from the big, somewhat argumentative, challenging posts. Does that mean there will never be another one? Hell no. In fact, I know there will be more. But life isn't about long, tedious platitudes. It's the small details where true wisdom and enlightenment lies (or is it lays?).

I also think a blog clogged with longer posts tends to wear out the author and alienate the reader. It seems the discussions in the comments have been more stimulating than anything else going on here. I love that people are participating and thank everyone for reading and chiming in!

So, in summation, the State of the Blog is strong and growing. ;)

Mr Wizard Goes to the Big Lab in the Sky

Mr. Wizard (1917-2007)

Dang, I Missed Pig Day!

I can't believe I missed a national (to the U.S.) event as critical and notworthy as National Pig Day! Oh well. I'll look forward to next March 1. The site claims that pigs are "our most intelligent domesticated creature." I wonder if this person has seen the first episode of Deadwood.

Oh, and Father's Day comes up on the 17th!

Simple Question #006a: What Makes a Word "Cursed"?

I know there is a long list of "forbidden" words in today's world. In English alone there are dozens. Some of them are really fun to say, but what exactly is it about then that makes them less than acceptable to say in mixed company?

Would Jesus use some of these words? If not, then why? Methinks He might not avoid them just because he's supposed to. There must be an underlying reason beyond avoiding offense.

What do you think?

Jesus Wants You to Quit Smoking!

I know He does... He told me so. If you just need a little encouragement, check out this smoking cessation info-porn:

Followup: Creation Museum - Ars Technica Visit

For anyone wanting to see what the insides of the Creation Museum are haunted with, check out this page where Ars Technica takes a field trip: the Creation Museum.

Simple Question #005a: Does Old = Prejudiced?

What is it about getting old that makes (some?) people so prejudiced? Is it the outdated intolerance of a passing generation or is it something we will contend with too? I ask because in my more honest moments, I have to admit that I feel it occasionally creeping into my head and that sucks.

I need to determine whether this is an inevitable aspect of aging or something that can be avoided with a judicial application of resistance. Am I an eventual old, grumpy, hateful bigot or am I just dealing with the same demons we all face as our minds slow down and we have something more to lose if society changes.

I tell ya, those damn kids with their spirographs and their iPods messin' up my lawn are really hoarkin' me off. Did I just say that out loud?

So, is "Old" the same this as "Prejudiced" and, if so, is that a bad thing?

What is it that's really close to Godliness?

The old saying is "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." I think Brendan McBride, the author of the wonderful Off the Beaten Path, has found the real concept close to God's heart: Laughter.

Simple Question #004a: What is a Church?

Is it the building? Is it the leader? Is it the people? Is it the community efforts? What really is a Church?

I know that Christ said, For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. So what about when I'm all alone? Why isn't that a Church too. What if I'm standing alone at the altar of a well-known cathedral and praying earnestly? I guess that's not really a Church... but why?

Set your recorders: June 2 & June 16

BBC Celebrates Sgt. Pepper's 40th Anniversary

Should be good if I can remember it's playing many hours ahead of the time they listed.

Upcoming Date to Remember!

Get out the psychedelic posters, fire up the blacklight, and turn up the stereo! Sunday, June 1st, is the 40th anniversary of the 1967 release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Science and Faith

So what do you think of the Creation Museum?

There were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark? I'm not sure what to say. I'd love to visit, but I'm not sure I want to go to Kentucky just yet. Something about those pesky commonwealths makes me suspicious.

Dream Thoughts

I'm not a big "dream interpretation" kind of person. My general theory is that dreams are the brain's attempt to work through the experiences you don't, can't, or won't address during your waking hours. Some are just garbage and some can seem amazingly relevant. Either way, it's your brain and your "Stuff" it's rifling through, so at least occasionally the "messages" from your dreams are going to be (or seem) important.

The other day, had a dream where I was being reprimanded by someone with religious authority who was holding a Bible over his head as he took me down a couple of notches. My response was one that only comes from the clarity of a dream where your ego is turned off and the inspiration can flow evenly. As soon as I had finished the thought, I bolted up out of bed, and scuffled into the other room, and wrote this down:

The weight of the responsibility for truly knowing God's loving forgivenes is great.

I wonder, as you hold that Bible over your head as if to beat someone down with it, how you do not feel the heavy wisdom of God's forgiving love within its pages for it is there if only you would listen and accept it... And yet obviously you do not.

I have no idea why this came to me the way it did. When I try to compose things like this, they always come out too wordy. I've even (in my more pretentious moments) tried to write in parables, only to be left with lots of words and little wisdom on the written page. I'm much better with the quick, one-off metaphor.

Does this really mean anything?

Birth Control & Christianity - Part One: More Babies!

This was almost a JYSTSOOY post, but I'm refraining from that for the sake of extending some modicum of decorum here...

Let me also state up front that I will do my best to avoid posting links to sites that are political. Sometimes, however, they provide information that can spur debate on the subject of religion (which is germane to this blog). This is such an instance.

The movie on the page I'm about to provide a link to underscores clearly the problem I have with Fox News (which is not really a news channel) and many Christian's flawed understanding of the debate around birth control and all its related subjects. Even if you don't like the political views of this site, take a second to drop by just to watch this video:

‘Pro-Life’ Activist: Birth Control Is A ‘Pesticide’ That Will Make Women Just ‘Like Men’

I don't think I really need to discuss this beyond saying one more thing: If modern American Christians can't represent themselves any better than this, I need to find another name for my faith. She represents the worst in Christianity and I reject everything she and her ill-conceived (pun intended) phoney-baloney organization stand for.

Celebrate: Towel Day

In honor of the man himself, I must say I'm proud to carry my towel around today (or any day). Hey, even if you forgot your's, there's still time to head out to the store or go home and pick one up!

If you're looking for more information about this wonderful annual event, check out the Wikipedia page on Towel Day.

For a refreshing look at Douglas' work, check out The Private Life of Genghis Khan (Warning - Contains Naughty Words!) which was written by him and Graham Chapman. Both are now deceased and must be looking at us thinking how silly we all are.

by the way... Yes, I recognize that Mr Adams was an Atheist. Does this mean I can't like his work or celebrate his life? Should I shun all of what he has to say just because I disagree with him about one thing? That seems awfully closed-mined, doesn't it? But let's not get into politics. If that doesn't satisfy, I would gently remind you that this is a blog (not the end of the universe) and simply request that you get over yourself.

He was a wonderful author and humorist. His work lives on and so does the fact that this world is enriched because of his efforts.

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Celebrate: Talk Like Bob Dylan Day

In honor of Bob Dylan (it's also his birthday today), and to keep up with the supposed spiritual nature of this blog, I would like to quote the song Gotta Serve Somebody:

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Ain't it da trut!

P.S. In further tribute, here's a silly irreverent tribute to the man. This clip is undoubtedly NSFW due to course language (but it's also funny). You have been warned.

Upcoming Dates to Remember!

These are hugely important dates to remember for this week:

May 24, 2007: International Talk Like Bob Dylan Day

May 25, 2007: Towel Day - A Tribute to Douglas Adams

Oh, and Memorial Day is Monday the 28th.

How much of an American am I?

Well it seems I'm less of an American than I thought...

You Are 57% American

Most times you are proud to be an American. Though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home. You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you!

How American Are You?

I wonder what "average" American I am being compared to here. :/

Thanks to Julie over at Observations from the Roof of a Buliding for pointing me to this little test. She's more of an American than I. ;)

BTW: I tried and the "most American" I could come up with was 95%. I really tried.

Simple Question #003a: Holy Trinity: Science, Math, & Art?

I'm not coming to any conclusions here. I'm just expounding publicly on a concept that hit me the other day. Maybe you can tell me where I'm wrong or reshape/reinforce the concept a bit...

Maybe, just maybe, as manifestations of measurable phenomenon, the following can be equated regarding the Holy Trinity:

God is Science
Jesus is Math
Holy Spirit is Art

Consider me unconvinced, but intrigued. What do you think?

JWSTSOOY #0001a - Satan Made Me Do It.

You gotta be kidding me, man. This is the oldest lie in the rulebook and yet people are still using it to distance themselves from responsibility for the things they do:

Galveston Woman Blames Devil For Baby In Microwave

Today this lame excuse is almost as effective as recovery from exhaustion in wiping away the culpability.

According to the article linked above,

Eva Mauldin says her husband is not "the monster people are making him out to be.

No, he's just easily convinced to toss your kid into the microwave and blame "Satan" when he becomes a pariah. Please... JW definitely STSOOY.

New Section - JWSTSOOY

What the heck do all those jumbled letters stand for? JWSTSOOY? They mean whatever you want them to mean. For me, it's Jesus Would Slap The Stuffing Out Of You (or some socially unacceptable variant therein).

I'll start right off today with a doozy!

New Link to Review - Observations from the Rooftop of a Building

I ran across this blog when trying to find some information for a recent post and couldn't stop reading. Cool stuff. I'll place it in the usual "Review" section for now, but have a feeling it will be part of the "recommended" link area very soon.

Check it out today!

Letting Go

I saw an old boss of mine yesterday. He was the single most irritating boss I've ever experienced. Short of physical abuse or direct verbal berating, I'm not sure how this work experience could have been worse.

It's been years since I worked for him and I thought I had distanced myself and healed from the experience, but a lot of my old feelings surfaced again. I think it must have been from the shock of seeing him when I didn't expect to. Oh well.

The question this all brings up is how should I have dealt with the interaction? Here's the setup: I drove up to a local restaurant. He was sitting at a table facing my parking space. I saw him and I'm sure he saw me. As I was leaving my car to go in and get something to eat, he said hello (when I wasn't looking). I have no idea if he was addressing me, although (bring self-centered) I think he probably was. Since I was already turned away, I didn't bother looking back or acknowledging him.

I don't think I did the wrong thing. Lord knows I don't want to invite him back into my life or keep me from enjoying my normal activities, but I have to wonder if I'll ever be over the awful experience of working for such a toxic person.

I have been working on a post about tapes that play over and over in your head. Hopefully I'll push that live soon. He's definitely in at least one of those tapes, but I think it's fairly well worn out and put away... at least until I see him again.

Simple Question #002a

Can a Christian be overtly political without compromising his or her faith?

Falwell's Dead

I can't say I'm sad to say that Jerry Falwell is dead. I certainly don't wish any of his remaining family or friends any ill, but this guy was an old school koot who gave Christianity a really bad name. Sure, he was probably full of love, but he also did a lot of very negative things in the name of God while he was a live and (in my opinion) probably did more to turn people away from faith in the last 70+ years than just about anyone else in the U.S.

Simple Question #001a

From a Christian standpoint, it's important to be aware of the rules of faith, but without the ever-ignorant disciples at His side, Jesus wouldn't have had such ample opportunity to tell his wonderful parables. This raises the question:

Is it ever a good thing to be ignorant?

New Section - Simple Questions

I've decided that sometimes it's better to post a question I have no formal answer for than to avoid posting about it. In those instances, I'll title it a Simple Question and listen for answers. If none are forthcoming, I may post on the subject again later or just let it go. Consider these placeholders with comments encouraged.

New Section - Random Stuff

Not every post in this blog will mention faith directly, but it's all part of who I am. For example, the posts I make under Random Stuff will be of this ilk.

I like cute things involving animals. Something about it just warms my heart. But I love when animals are caught in pictures like this:



The entire "lolcats" concept seemed to have come out of left field. I'm not sure what it all means, but it sure can be entertaining.

And when was the last blog post you read that used the word "ilk"?

New Recommended Link - nonprofitprophet

So now we have three awesome recommended links on this site. The last one (nonprofitprophet) gives rise to a creative streak in me to come up with new blog names for similar sites. The only one I can think of right away is Feral Christian. Wish I had thought of that one when I was making this blog. Oh well...

Any suggestions should be submitted here as comments. Maybe we can get other people to start their own blog!

Note: link suggested by revrin rick over at the fantastic Yes Yes Yes... is the answer blog

Is it better to think or believe?

Note: This article wrestles with the most basic aspects of faith and contains links to sites with information actively challenging its fundamentals. If you wish to avoid such information, please do not read this entry. But then, I'm not sure why you would be dropping by here if that were the case. Either way, I've warned you so I've done my part...

Note 2: Since this is my first attempt to really pound away at some important issues surrounding faith, I would appreciate a little understanding. I'm sure I'll get better at this over time and I'm sure I'll say some things people don't agree with. That's good. I just hope you'll take the time to respond and let me know where I'm wrong or where I've offended you. That way we both have an opportunity to learn and grow.

Let's get started...

=--------------------------------=

I can see why some people have chosen to reject faith.

Many of today's "moral" leaders are seriously screwed up. Most visible examples of modern religion are poisoned with intolerance, ignorance, and hate. Not that the followers are doing "the cause" any favors either. Some people, when they believe something and don't even really know why, end up using that ignorant righteous indignity to push others further away - maybe without even realizing it.

On top of all that, some of what is in the Bible sounds far removed from our modern, secular existence - even downright bizarre. How can a book used to inspire some of the worst human atrocities be divinely inspired? God seems so far away sometimes.

So any thinking human eventually wonders if God is just an invention of the human mind created just to provide a placeholder for the answers we cannot fathom. Isn't there more to faith than that? I think there is. For me, God is not just a band-aid for our lack of knowledge. I value science but I don't see that as a replacement for my faith. Otherwise, every time science offers another reasonable hypothesis for an unanswered question, my faith would be shaken... and yet it isn't.

For many faithful people, trying to accurately describe in words even the emotions surrounding God is difficult. Some might argue it's impossible, but I would disagree. Science, being a language-based phenomenon has its limitations as well. It is perfect for describing "how", but nearly useless at describing "why" other than to invoke the limits of Science itself. This is as "bogus" as proving the existence of God by quoting the Bible. The wonderfully freeing concept of hypothesis even allows educated people to guess at answers and have them generally accepted by other educated people. And yet Atheism is not merely defined by a replacement of God with science is it? Or is it? I won't be so presumptuous to assume the answer for that question.

So if the two concepts don't have to be in conflict, why so often are they? I know I easily fall into the trap of seeing my ideas as correct and other's as flawed - especially when our differences are personal. This can be true independent of your personal views of faith. I try to keep my blinkered, philistine pig ignorance at bay by remembering that within the next 20 years I'll probably look back and see how wrong I had been about something. If the current trend continues, it won't be something small either. The further away I get from today, the bigger and more important the flaws in the reality I so vehemently defended will become.

And yet my faith is stronger than ever. So what is the answer to the question I posed up front, "Is it better to think or believe?" I would have to say to exclude either is a mistake and the two are not in opposition. It's not a matter of one or the other. Both are essential and important to me and both compliment each other. Learning about this world strengthens my faith. Having faith allows me to stare into the wonders of science, soaking up the answers to "how" without worrying so much about the answers to "why".

I may not agree with everything my five senses experience in this world, but I'm struck by how often the process of acquiring knowledge reminds me of the most important commandments.

Version 1.0

New Link to Review - Godlorica

I ran into this one during my recent wrestling match (see previous post). Up for grabs or removal as usual...

Tussling In Progress #00001

This is just a post to let people know that there are more posts coming. I'm just struggling with a big one and don't want to post something half-baked.

I'm a bit of a history buff and I love technology. With that in mind, and to keep you occupied while I'm wrestling with God, here's a clip from Google Video on some new technology being used to investigate what Hitler said on previously silent home movies:

I don't have "the answers"

Not that this would come to a surprise to anyone who knew me, but I do not have any of the answers to life's tough questions without distilling them all down to the most important commandments.

In fact, I tend to believe that many of the answers to life's challenging questions change over time although the questions tend to stay constant. Wait! Maybe that means that true enlightenment is found in the questions themselves (and the contemplation of the answers) rather than absolutely determining those answers and nailing them down (dare I say, to a cross?).

Since we're still getting to know each other, you're possibly asking yourself whether I believe that morality is absolute. Well, I do, but not in an effort to beat anyone over the head with that fact. I think we all innately know what is "right" but we often confuse that with what we should do. It's also really easy to confuse that with what we'll be forgiven for. In other words, we're easily confused... at least I am.

I guess that's an answer, isn't it?

New Link to Review - Off the Beaten Path

This is a blog I ran across when looking for a copy of the caricature of God as drawn by Terry Gilliam for Monty Python & the Holy Grail. I have no idea what this person's views are, but the post I quickly read made it seem like a good opportunity to read and learn. I might not agree with everything said, but maybe it will stimulate discussion. I especially like the url of this blog since it's one I toyed with many years ago, but never felt it fit me well enough to use: Agnostic Gnostic. Neither word really describes my faith, but together they sure do sound great.

New Link to Review - I'm Forgiven, You're Forgiven

I've added a link to the Links to Review section on the right side of the page titled "I'm Forgiven, You're Forgiven". I ran across this page when researching for an upcoming post and haven't had a chance to review it thoroughly, so I thought I would post it here. If it ends up being used in that post, I'll remove it from the link section. If it ends up being useful, but not appropriate for that post, I'll move it to a new section of more permanent links. If it ends up being completely inappropriate for this blog, I'll remove it from the link list, but provide a link here so people can still discuss it.

New Section - Links to Review

I've added a section to the right side of this page titled "Links to Review". This is intended to provide you and me some links I've stumbled across and think might be interesting (for whatever reason), but haven't looked at long enough to know whether they are appropriate for this site.

When I add a link to that section, I'll add a post here so you and I can comment on the content of the link and determine if it's reasonable to keep on the site or more appropriate to remove.

Hope this helps... we'll see.

Twisted Christian Mission Statement (beta)

So here I am blogging into the black, inky depths that has come to represent the InterWebs.

How the heck did you find me?

I guess it might be best to start things off by telling you what I'm trying to do here...


Mission Statement (beta - to be revised)
The Twisted Christian Blog was created to make a place for me to post things I find interesting, funny, scary, stoopid, and important, regardless of taste or traditional "Christian Standards" in order to say what I think many Christians feel but are less than comfortable saying in a sentence ending with, "and I'm a Christian."

With me still? Good. Put on your heat-resistant swimsuit and follow me. You'll need a towel. This is going to get messy.