Two posts in a row featuring an ABC video—you’d think I was living on the ABC News site. Not so, but with my floors being refinished, my universe has been limited a bit as of late.
I digress. This video raises an interesting question: Is the US a Christian nation? Sarah Palin says it’s “mind-boggling” to suggest otherwise. The GOP in Florida certainly thinks so as they’re pushing for more religious influence in their sunny schools. And if you go by the pure number of people who call themselves Christian, they are clearly the majority.
But did our founding fathers set up a Christian country? Did they want the country governed by the rules of Christianity? Did they envision a place in America for those who believe in other religions or no religion at all? Faith and reason battle in the debate:
Religion scholar Scott Korb has written a history book detailing everyday life 2,000 years ago. It is entitled ‘Life In Year One’: The World As Jesus Found It and he is careful to point out that, while the book describes people in Jesus’ time, it is not a book about Jesus. Korb was interviewed yesterday on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. You can find out more, listen to the interview and read an excerpt here.
I thought his response to a question about the accuracy of the written record was interesting:
…where we find discrepancies from one Gospel to another, that doesn’t really tell us anything about Jesus. It tells us about the people who were writing about Jesus.
Travis Bishop was released from a military brig last Thursday. He had been serving a 12-month sentence after being court-martialed for refusing to serve in Afghanistan. Here’s what Bishop had to say upon being granted a 3-month reduction in his sentence:
“Three months clemency. Wow. I am truly astonished. Great for me? Sure. Great for future resisters? Even more so. I cannot believe that I told the Army ‘No,’ refused to deploy, pleaded not guilty, and then indicted the entire system and blamed my command in court, and still merited clemency.”
And here’s what he said back during his court-martial:
“As a real Christian, I must be opposed to all violence, no matter what, because that is what Jesus taught.”
While I applaud his feelings toward violence, I can’t help but feel strangely ambivalent about the case. The US Army is currently a volunteer outfit; there’s no draft involved. If Bishop felt this way all along, why did he join the Army in the first place?
The title of this post is taken (hence the quotes) from this NPR story by Barbara Bradley Hagerty. You can read the text of the story, but I recommend listening as the voices add a lot. It concerns reaction over Brian McLaren’s new book, “A New Kind of Christianity.” McLaren is a prominent and influential evangelical and a writer of both books and blogs.
He was also one of the first people to give us a review of What He Said. Again, listen to the story.
Despite President Obama saying he would issue an executive order pledging that no federal funds be used for abortions, some healthcare reform opponents kept up the fight. Texas Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer shouted “it’s a baby killer” while fellow Rep. Bart Stupak was speaking. Neugebauer says he “remains heartbroken over the passage of this bill and the tragic consequences it will have for the unborn…”
I understand the concern for the unborn. But does that concern end at the moment of birth? Once you’re born you’re on your own? Too bad you keep getting rejected by the insurance companies because of that infant skin rash? Sorry you’re one of 45,000 Americans who die each year because of no health coverage?
What about the tragic consequences not passing reform will have for the born?
Health care reform is grinding down the home stretch with detractors and supporters on both sides. Especially within the Catholic Church. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has come out against the bill, saying it is contains a “backdoor subsidy of abortion.”
But nuns have a different view. 60 leaders of women’s religious orders representing 59,000 nuns have signed a letter proclaiming their support for reform:
“Despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions. It will uphold longstanding conscience protections and it will make historic new investments … in support of pregnant women. This is the real pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it.”
One other thought (Go, nuns!):
“We are the ones who work every day with people who are suffering because they don’t have health care. We cannot turn our backs on them, so for us, health care reform is a faith-based response to human need.” – Sister Simone Campbell
A few weeks ago we posted about the Pope urging clergy to use the new social media tools to reach their parishioners. Now, a new tool has launched to help all church leaders digitally reach their flocks. SendingWord “digitally distributes scripture passages and church news. Simply input content to share with your congregation or specific ministry, and we’ll electronically send the messages to members’ chosen communication method: email, text message, phone call, Facebook or Twitter.”
“Studies show that few religious followers turn to the physical Bible–an essential component of Christianity–daily. The recent surge of digital technology development removes barriers, enabling streamlined and convenient access to relevant content: a logical platform for daily religious integration.”
Yet Irish Cardinal Sean Brady has said he won’t resign over the scandal. This despite his collection of information in 1975 about Father Brendan Smyth who pleaded guilty in the mid-90s to 74 counts of child sex abuse. Brady then sat on the information for decades while more children were abused.
He told the Irish Times:
“Frankly I don’t believe that this is a resigning matter.”
The Pope, thus far, incredibly, he has not accepted the resignations of 3 other Irish Bishops implicated in the abuse cover-ups. He is in the process of writing a pastoral letter to the Irish people that contains a “clear and decisive voice.” About what, exactly, we’ll have to see.
Ethnic violence between the Muslim North and Christian South in Nigeria broke out over the weekend with 500 deaths, many of them women and children driven from their homes by fire and then killed by machetes. This time the attackers were Muslim herdsmen and the victims were Christian. The attack was apparently launched to avenge January’s violence, when Christians did the killing.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:43-45
At NC State University, a street preacher known as “Brother Ross” is bombarding students with his views on homosexuality and the role of women in Christianity. Apparently, the meat of his sermons consists of screaming “whores” and “sodomites” at the top of his lungs to passing undergrads.
“If I started preaching in the Brickyard without permission and started shouting profanities about my fellow female students, I would probably be arrested, sent to a disciplinary review board and rightfully offend all of the women who attend school here.
Regardless of the religious aspects, his words and actions clearly violate the school policy with regards to discrimination and verbal abuse. You drilled this point into my head during student orientation when you said that this type of behavior is unacceptable at anytime, anywhere.”
Yet Brother Ross’s behavior is somehow accepted. When do freedom of speech and religious freedom go too far?
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