Faith-Based Initiatives

What exactly are "Faith-Based Initiatives"? I'm told that the US government office using that title has historically been a politically-focused office. I'm not sure it's the best representative of this concept. Lots of talk has been generated recently about Obama's resurrection of the idea, so I thought it might be a good thing to discuss.

Who should qualify for funds allocated by such a department? What should it strive to achieve? Is this a good idea? What about the separation of church and state?

Most importantly, what exactly is "Faith"?

JWSTSOOY #007: Faith Healing Instead of Medicine

Prayer is wonderful. Faith is a good thing. I have it, but I don't impose it on others. It's a very personal thing. I wouldn't want someone to judge me on mine and I try my best not to judge others, but it's hard not to find fault on this kind of awful abuse of someone's own children:

Teen from faith healing family dies at Ore. home

This couple were members of the Followers of Christ group in Oregon, and this horrible, easily preventable outcome is consistent with previous deaths associated with members of this group.

Jesus was modern in his own time. So was every prophet who ticked off the authorities or said anything radical for his time. What's wrong with accepting the idea that modern medicine could be a gift from God too? The talents of scientists and doctors I see as such a gift. You shouldn't trust anything (including science or medicine) blindly. I would ask anyone who relies on prayer instead of medical care to read that last sentence again and then post a thoughtful response.

Gay Marriage

Why do people get their proverbial panties in a wad when a homosexual couple gets married? I simply don't understand. Can someone please explain this to me?

If you have no idea why I mention this now, check this out.

Earth + Plastic + Plastic Eaters = :)

For everyone fretting over the future of the planet as we coat it in plastic, it seems Daniel Burd in Waterloo may have found at least the beginnings of a solution to our mess.

Let's hope this pans out!

You have to admire...

You may not be a fan of hip hop or scratch music, but given that this Japanese girl is only 9 and her brother (or friend?) is only 6, you have to admire the God-given talent apparent here:



If you believe (as I do) that Art can be the purest expression of faith, it's all relevant. Want more? Check out the SaraScratch YouTube Page.

Sometimes Faith is Boring

Have you ever found yourself at the point where you're bored with faith? Not that you don't believe anything anymore (although I suppose that could be at play here too), but more along the lines of not feeling the spark of faith... like the honeymoon is over. I guess I shouldn't expect that I will always be a frenetic happy point in my experience of faith.

Usually when I find myself here it's because there's some "hard work" to be done. You know what I mean: The messy, scary stuff!

What do you do to put the romance back into your faith?

Break Time: Home Video

All music videos should be made at home if they come out this cool!

Living In Tolerance

What is intolerance? In the definition I find most useful for this discussion, dictionary.com says it is the incapacity or indisposition to bear or endure. That definition begs the question: Why are we intolerant? This is a much harder question to answer, but I think it typically boils down to four reasons that I will phrase from my own perspective:

• I have experienced something irritating or offensive that I refuse to revisit.
  
• I have a prejudice against something I refuse to tolerate.
  
• Something I have never experienced before seems similar to something I can not tolerate.
  
• Something frightens me and my reaction is to reject it.

Given the above, it seems that intolerance isn't always a bad thing. There are reasonable circumstances that would trigger the conditions above. Some of those you and I might not agree upon, but that doesn't make them any less valid. In other words, my reasonable intolerances may seem unreasonable to you. Hopefully they don't trigger your level of reasonable intolerance.

Whew!

This can easily cause conflict even when everyone is reacting in a way that is reasonable for them. So where is the gold here? I think it's in giving people room to be who they are... to meet people where they are even when they seem irrational or unreasonable. I'm still working on this.

What do you think?

Not sure what to say

So let's say you've done something wrong. (Of course, you and I are perfect, so this is strictly academic.) And let's say you've just recognized what you've done and are living in that moment between realization and resolution. You're not sure what to say or do to make things better... if that's even possible.

Does the Bible talk of this state of being? It's one we rarely talk about except quietly to ourselves. Many people I know (including me) are exceptionally talented at playing such scenes over and over in our heads, but to what advantage? If I'm able to come to a healthier conclusion about how to categorize my actions or react to them, it would seem this is a wonderful exercise, but so often that's not the case.

What do you do when you find yourself in this place? I suppose it depends on the circumstances, but maybe a little public discussion about this is in order. When this happens to me (all too often, it seems) lately I've been trying to find a balance - that delicate balance - trying not to feel awful and unforgivable without letting myself off "the hook" too easily. It's tough, but I have to wonder aloud if it's not a fairly universal experience. It seems easier for me to forgive others than to forgive myself. Even though sometimes I'm as hard on other people as I am myself, I'm able to let go of my judgement of others more easily.

Maybe it comes down to this: How easily should we forgive ourselves?

Let's Learn Together: Grand Mosque Seizure

I work with a wonderful Pakistani man and we both enjoy having regular spirited discussions about religion, politics, and world events. Being very ignorant about Islam, I take every opportunity to encourage him to elaborate on the subject when it comes up in conversation. Today, he began educating me on the Grand Mosque Seizure of 1979. It was quite the turning point in the history of Islam and I'm going to learn as much as I can.

Do you know anything about this event? Can you recommend any good books or anecdotes on the subject? I'll share what I learn along the way so we can all learn together.

Defending God (Please, Just Shut Up)

I had one discussion with my parents when I was a teen about the existence of God. It went something like this:

Me: I'm not sure... I mean... I don't know if... Sometimes I think God doesn't exist.

Father: YOU'RE WRONG! YOU'RE JUST WRONG! (repeat as needed)

Mother: (silence)

Let's just say it wasn't very helpful in my struggle with belief or the existence of God. Now comes Rep Monique Davis of Illinois. It seems that she and my Dad may have graduated from the same school of theological debate.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/08/ill-rep-monique-davi.html

JWSTSOOY #006: Yearning for Zion Ranch (Polygamists)

WTF is up with Texas and weird, explosive/abusive religious cults? I mean, I live here and it's really puzzling me. I don't know. Here's the latest as of yesterday:

Authorities make another arrest in search of Texas polygamist compound

Race and Religion in America

So why is it that the last bastion of open separation between races and ethnicities is within our churches, synagogues, and temples? Is it because we feel compelled to separate by ethnicity for worship? Is the nature of worship itself inherently racist? Do we feel so battered by (un)spoken ethnic division in public that we need the shelter of segregated worship in order to recover? Or is it something else?

I think there must be something deep within us, either installed during our childhood or inherited, that makes us suspicious of things that are different. If you're not familiar with someone else's religion, skin color, or culture, it's easier to be wary of it. Prejudice (i.e. natural prejudgement to stimulus) is not necessarily a bad thing - it can be a helpful survival technique. How we react to it and what lessons we take away from that immediate judgement of the unfamiliar can be very problematic. When we use merely symbolic differences between people as justifications for paranoia (see my last post), that is a serious problem.

To think that the US is free of negative stereotypes and prejudices is ignorance. So what do we do about it? I've been trying to actively examine my reactions and prejudices and come to new conclusions. Only God knows if I'm making things better or just different. I know that staying complacent isn't a healthy option, so I'll keep going and let you know how it goes.

What are you doing and what do you think?

Michelle Obama's Thesis

There is a new viral e-mail floating around. It's not a virus hoax trying to convince you your keyboard will soon explode... although it's formatted almost that badly. This letter, which was just forwarded to me by a family member, is full of misquotes, pejorative speculation about Mrs Obama, and unverifiable accusations about her opinions and those of people around her. In other words, it's crap. After a quick search, I've just started to read her 1985 college thesis and I'll admit it's complex and as difficult to read at times as many other college thesis papers I've seen. It is not, however, what this awful, misleading e-mail makes it out to be. Unfortunately, the e-mail has the potential to rouse the irrational, race-paranoid side of American consciousness and that concerns me.

In it, she deals head-on with some of the heavy, heady issues associated with race and how Black people who integrate into larger (White) culture might run the risk of losing touch with Black culture. Lets face it, this is very dangerous territory. Taking lines of it out of context and slapping inflammatory accusations around them to rouse people's race fears is ludicrous and horrifyingly effective in getting many White people scared of her intentions. It would be sad if our knee-jerk reaction to this 22-year old paper causes a permanent shift in the nature of our political debate. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be a surprise if it did.

If you're curious about the document, feel free to read it (linked above) or check out the Snopes.com review of Michelle Obama's Thesis. I'm sure it will be coming to a radio, TV, or inbox of your's very soon.

Today Should Be A Special Day!

Christians believe Christ died for our sins. He took our place - dying for us so we wouldn't have to die. Through this selfless act, He showed that death isn't the end. Didn't Judas' betrayal merely act as a catalyst bringing about the inevitable? So many people bemoan what Judas did, but wasn't it necessary? Wasn't he an important part of that critical reason Christ came to Earth?

March 31st should be "Give Judas a Freakin' Break" day.

Fellowship or Hollow-ship?

So what is the nature of fellowship in the modern church? It seems like a nice enough idea, but I've talked to some people who bristle at the idea. I think it must be that there is so much plastic emotion permeating our fellowship halls that spending time with those people outside of church services is not appealing to many.

I'm fortunate to have found a faith group that is so relaxed and easy to hang out with that I don't mind spending time with them throughout the week. But I've been a member of a few churches where the members were a bit overenthusiastic if you know what I mean. If the happiness is forced, I'm out the door.

Have you had an experience with false emotions at your church?

Happy Easter!

Who Needs Help? (#0001)

People have begun to build shanty towns after being foreclosed on due to the current US mortgage crisis.



What are we doing to help these people?

Love and Patience

Christ indicates that love should be infinitely patient. But are there times when unconditional loving is not the right answer?

Sometimes it could be that loving (even when it doesn't seem right) is the right thing to do, but I suppose that isn't always true. Sometimes the loving thing is to stop enabling and start the tough love. It just seems that the experiences I've had with "tough love" are 10% love, 40% self-interest, and 50% bullsh*t. I guess it's all about how you go about loving someone.

How do you help someone you love get the help you think they need?

Avoiding Politics

I've composed various posts on politics in the last few weeks, but have decided to post very few of them. This is just a note to let you know that I will do my best to refrain from commenting on such news as I think there is plenty of other sources of my points of view and this blog isn't called to play the political game.

I hope to have a new post on a different subject here very soon. If you have any opinions on this decision, feel free to post away in the comments.