Life is a Journey, Why Not Share it?

The story of Supply Side Jesus actually shares an important message we can all learn from. In the end it has what I would consider overall to be a “Pro-Christian” message, but more importantly, it demonstrates the hypocrisy and greed that has consumed American Christianity as a whole. Seemed to me that there would be no more appropriate day than Christmas to share such a video. Enjoy, Learn, Think!

Comments always welcome.

Recently, late night television show comic, David Letterman, admitted to having sexual affairs with multiple women on the staff of his program. Letterman’s indiscretions have stoked an ongoing conversation about just when is it okay to have relationships — sexual or romantic — with a colleague, especially a supervisor. National Public Radio host, Michel Martin talks about the legality and ethics of workplace relationships with Jennifer Kearns, an attorney who specializes in employment law; author Ruth Houston, a self-described “infidelity specialist” and Tracy Quan, a writer for The Daily Beast Web site. They tackle the subject of workplace indiscretions and the ethical / legal implications of something that happens in the civilian world, the government, and increasingly in the military as well.

There is no doubt in my mind that this photo more perfectly expresses why I suck at math than any words ever could. Don’t get me wrong, I am damn thankful that there are people out there who can understand what is on that board, but I will be the first to tell you that I am not among them.

A Christian friend of mine recent made the following post on FaceBook,

“The thing that gets me is that so many Muslims are willing to die for their faith, yet Christians are afraid to live just as radical. I’m not saying Christians should become suicide bombers, by no means. But Christians should be willing to die to their flesh”

This statement nicely sums up everything that absolutely terrifies me about faith, and the faithful. To me it is a horrifying notion that someone would espouse belief to the point of being willing to die for your faith as virtuous. It is not. This sort of zeal can only serve to divide people. It serves to draw lines and separate us into groups so that we might side us, versus them, and frankly, I think it is disturbing.

When we begin to have faith in our beliefs that are so strong, that we become absolutely convinced that we are right, then we also make concrete in our mind the notion that all others must therefore be wrong. This leads to hate, violence and civil unrest. America is a melting pot, we are a society made great by our diversity, by our differences, to discourage that weakens the very fabric of our society.

Why should someone be disappointed that more people of their faith are not willing to “die of the flesh”? (Side note: Is there any other way to die?) I would contend that it is a good thing that most Christians are neither willing to die nor kill for their beliefs. To claim that the willingness of radical Muslims to martyr themselves is a virtue, is to discredit the fact that Christianity is nearly 800 years more advance in it’s evolution than Islam. It is saying that the progress of the last 800 years should not have happened. It flies in the face of a peaceful and tolerant society. Let us not forget that 800 years ago Christians were burning “witches“, making use of slave labor, and beheading people for the “crime” of heresy.  Would anyone actually want to return to that? Certainly no sane person would.

Over the last 800 years, Christians have grown, matured and become more tolerant, which is a remarkably positive change that has been embraced by society with the exception of a few right wing radicals who have become more vocal (mostly thanks to the internet) supporters of fundamentalism. It is almost always these fundamentalists who are the loudest, and bring the most discredit and shame to their faith, these are the people who kill doctors and blow-up abortion clinics. Is that something people do in a civil society? Honestly, would the Christian deity Jesus Christ have condoned the killing of people? Since when is it the place of mortals to pass judgement upon people, isn’t that the purview of god himself?

Judaism is even older than Christianity, and generally even more tolerant. You don’t here much about too many radical Jewish organizations, and most radical Jews are political radicals more than religious radicals.  The evolution of the Abrahamic religions is clearly evident.

I think the primary thing that all people should understand is this… Your faith does not invalidate the beliefs of anyone else. Nor do their beliefs in any way invalidate or lessen your own beliefs. Tolerance, peace and goodwill are all virtues which lead to a strong, prosperous and civil society. Is it sad that more people of faith are not willing to “die of their flesh” for their beliefs? Absolutely not, it’s a good thing. It’s a sign of progress. Because people can be very strong in their personal beliefs without having to force them on others, and without living in a homogeneous culture.

Question faith, and question authority ALWAYS.  I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes…

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. ”  ~Buddha

As always, comments are welcome, please let me know what you think!

The news is reporting that a 15 year old girl in California was robbed, beaten, and gang raped for over two hours outside of a high school dance. All I can ask is what the hell is wrong with people these days? How does someone manage to raise one kid who grows up to be a rapist, let a lone 15 families raising 15 kids that are willing to participate in a gang rape. The vile nature of this sort of a crime can not be overstated. It’s sick, sad and perverse. The question is, what can we do to prevent it from happening again?

Personally, I think this has all the signs of being a gang-related crime. Reportedly, the victim knew one of her assailants and was invited outside by that person to “hang out” with this group. I think it is entirely possible that this may have been an incidence of this girl being “jumped-in” or “jumped-out” of a gang. It is a common practice for girls to be forced into group sex to gain membership into many gangs, and although my theory is purely speculative, it is the only way I can personally manage to make any sense of this sort of a crime.

Large sectors of America’s youth seem to be spiraling out of control. Aside from the kids who actually participated in the rape of this girl, there were many others who stood around and watched it happen. How is it that this many teenagers lack the morale fortitude to actually stand-up and stop something like this, or at least make an anonymous call to the police? How can someone watch an unconscious girl be brutally raped for over two hours and take no action? It disturbs me how many violent crime reports we are hearing from teens these days.

The girl was finally found, and saved after school administrators got wind of what was going on outside of the Richmond High School gym by over hearing rumors floating around during the dance.

Police have a 15 year old and a 19 year old suspect in custody, and are investigating to find more, but I suspect there are FAR more people than the actual perpetrators who should be prosecuted in this event.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments.

Now destined to make its way across the Internet: a new (and highly subjective) list of the top 10 worst Bible passages, as suggested by readers of Ship of Fools and announced by the webzine’s editor, Simon Jenkins, at the recent Greenbelt festival. The list was reported first by the Telegraph and then made its way, via some cyberintermediaries, to Episcopal Cafe, where I spotted it. I chose verse translations from the New American Bible. Without further ado, the list:

1. “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be quiet.” (1 Timothy 2:12)
2. “Go, now, attack Amalek, and deal with him and all that he has under the ban. Do not spare him, but kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and asses.” (1 Samuel 15:3)
3. “You shall not let a sorceress live.” (Exodus 22:18)
4. “Happy those who seize your children and smash them against a rock.” (Psalm 137:9)
5. “When the men would not listen to his host, the husband seized his concubine and thrust her outside to them. They had relations with her and abused her all night until the following dawn, when they let her go. Then at daybreak the woman came and collapsed at the entrance of the house in which her husband was a guest, where she lay until the morning. When her husband rose that day and opened the door of the house to start out again on his journey, there lay the woman, his concubine, at the entrance of the house with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, ‘Come, let us go’; but there was no answer. So the man placed her on an ass and started out again for home.” (Judges 19:25-28)
6. “And the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.” (Romans 1:27)
7. “Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. ‘If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,’ he said, ‘whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the Lord. I shall offer him up as a holocaust.’ … When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her. When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, ‘Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the Lord and I cannot retract’.” (Judges 11:30-1, 34-5)
8. “Then God said: ‘Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you’.”(Genesis 22:2)
9. “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22)
10. “Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and equitable but also to those who are perverse.” (1 Peter 2:18)

What are your thoughts? Is the effort offensive? Instructive? Are there passages you would add to, or subtract from, this list?