Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Last week's Christian Carnival was held at Wittenberg Gate.

A few that caught my eye are:

• To Judge or Not to Judge over at Brain Cramps for God
• sensible? i don't think so over at love without an agenda

Tags: Christianity, Christian Carnival

Posted by Amanda at 5/30/2006 11:38:00 AM 1 Comments

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

What happens when someone who is ignorant about the Bible starts to read it? David Plotz, deputy editor of Slate Magazine, is attempting to find out just that. David is a Jewish man who thought he knew the Scriptures well. But when he found the story of Dinah's rape in Genesis 34, he became unsettled. This was a story he had never been taught as a child.

If this story was strutting cheerfully through the back half of Genesis, what else had I forgotten or never learned? I decided I would, for the first time as an adult, read the Bible. And I would blog about it as I went along.

I have to say, I'm inspired by this. I want to pick up my Bible and see what forgotten treasures are lurking in the pages. Did you know there's a story in the Bible about a king who was killed and the killer couldn't get the sword out of him because he was so fat? And then his servants didn't discover his death for a while because they thought he was using the bathroom! Who would have thought stories like that exist in the Bible? It's there--Judges chapter 3. Or what about Jezebel? She was thrown out of a window, trampled by a horse, and eaten by dogs. These are stories we're never taught in Sunday School. David's goal is a good one:

So, what can I possibly do? My goal is pretty simple. I want to find out what happens when an ignorant person actually reads the book on which his religion is based. I think I'm in the same position as many other lazy but faithful people (Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus). I love Judaism; I love (most of) the lessons it has taught me about how to live in the world; and yet I realized I am fundamentally ignorant about its foundation, its essential document. So, what will happen if I approach my Bible empty, unmediated by teachers or rabbis or parents? What will delight and horrify me? How will the Bible relate to the religion I practice, and the lessons I thought I learned in synagogue and Hebrew School?

 I'll spend the next few weeks (or months) finding out. I'll begin with "in the beginning" and see how far I get. My wife, struck by my new biblical obsession, gave me a wonderful Torah translation and commentary for Hannukah, the Etz Hayim, which was prepared by conservative Jewish scholars. I'll read that and dip into the King James and other translations on occasion. (But I'll avoid most commentary, since the whole point is to read the Bible fresh.) I'm sure I'll repeat obvious points made by thousands of biblical commentators before; I'll misunderstand some passages and distort others—hey, that'll be part of the fun. I hope you'll tell me how I've screwed up by e-mailing me at plotzd@slate.com.

I'm excited to read his thoughts and discoveries. You can find the series here.

HT: Rhett Smith

Tags: Christianity, Blogging, Bible

Posted by Amanda at 5/23/2006 09:52:00 AM 3 Comments

Monday, May 22, 2006

A Christian by the name of Erik Rigney has written a fascinating essay on the ethics of cussing (HT: Internet Monk).

Listed under "Poor Reasons not to Cuss," he writes:

B.  You shouldn’t cuss because those words are just wrong –

I mean, look at their filthy meanings!

Well, okay, I will sort of give you that one: the literal, original meanings of cuss words are usually pretty raunchy or insulting.  You have your defecation, your fornication, your eternal punishment, and a smorgasbord of otherwise sordid actions and bodily functions.  Not exactly a Miss Manners primer of politeness and good thoughts, right?  So isn’t this the proof, the proverbial smoking gun, the final straw that settles the issue?  If their meanings are so filthy and crude, shouldn’t we avoid saying them under any circumstances?

Well, again, no – not necessarily.  Let’s face it: meaning is what we’re talking about here, and what we mean when we say a word is far more important than what the word itself is.  This concept is not really all that foreign – we use words this way all the time.  Here, I’ll show you.  Quiz: when I say, Will you pass me that pot?, do I mean a) Hand me the cooking implement, or b) Don’t bogart that doobie?

The answer, of course, is: It depends.

He goes on to say:

So my question is: Why don’t we allow words that are traditionally regarded as cuss words the same flexibility?  After all, people certainly do not always mean the same thing when they cuss.  Take, for example, the word “sh*t.”  In its base, literal context, that word means defecation, as in, “I stepped in dog sh*t.”  Due to the vulgarity of this meaning, I suppose the argument could be made that a person should not say that word.  But what if I wake up in the middle of the night, stub my toe on the door jamb, and yell, “Oh, sh*t!”  What do I mean then?  I mean, “Ow, that hurts!”  I am neither talking about, referring to, nor thinking about defecation.  “Sh*t!” literally means the exact same thing as “Ow!”  Curiously enough, however, “Ow!” won’t land me in the doghouse with most of my Christian brothers and sisters nearly as fast as “Sh*t!” will.  What a bunch of sh*t that is!

I think he makes a good point. But I'm still not convinced. Of course, it would take a whole lot to convince anyone who had been taught something for more than 20 years to change their mind.

What do you think?

Tags: Christianity, Language, Cussing

Posted by Amanda at 5/22/2006 04:50:00 PM 6 Comments

Saturday, May 20, 2006

I'm having a really bad day. And I feel guilty for it. For some reason, it's always been ingrained into me that Christians can't have bad days. I mean, I know that's not true, so why do I still feel guilty for it?

So I'm depressed. It happens. It's not the end of the world. It doesn't mean I'm a bad Christian.

So why do I feel so bad for feeling bad?

Posted by Amanda at 5/20/2006 02:34:00 PM 2 Comments

Friday, May 19, 2006

Tags: Christianity, God, Ben Stein

Posted by Amanda at 5/19/2006 08:37:00 AM 4 Comments

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Someone has created a video game based on the events of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.

Columbine video game upsets relatives

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at 16:10 EDT

Read the entire article here.

What do you think? I think it's of very poor taste to do this, and I really don't see how it could possibly "promote a real dialogue on the subject of school shootings." Kids who would play this game would probably not see it as anything more than another violent video game.

Tags: Columbine, Video Games

Posted by Amanda at 5/17/2006 02:32:00 PM 3 Comments

Christian Carnival 122

This week's Christian Carnival is up at Pursuing Holiness (Make sure you stick around to read Laura's blog too!). All of the entries are worth taking a look at, but here are a few that stood out to me:

Kyrios-Theos: Read this one for a very blunt account of why the Church is in shambles.

Is God a poor designer? God didn't fail; we did.

Following the Storyteller This is a great defense of Christian fiction.

Tags: Christian Carnival, Christianity, Blogging

Posted by Amanda at 5/17/2006 09:54:00 AM 0 Comments

Screaming Lettuce

Chicago has banned foie gras. While I myself would never eat the liver of a goose, I find it appalling that it could be banned somewhere in the United States. Read about it here (HT: Randy Thomas).

Posted by Amanda at 5/17/2006 09:31:00 AM 0 Comments

Monday, May 15, 2006

Honeymooning wrote this over on her blog about The DaVinci Code:

Here's what I think:

1. The book is a work of fiction. do not use this book for spiritual guidance, that's not its purpose, it is made for entertainment.
2. The controversy is not new - it's as old as the nicene creed.
3. The church will survive the exposure.
4. This book gets people thinking and talking (and unfortunately, some people talking without thinking).
5. If this book makes you think and even question your faith, that's good. Unthinking and unquestioned faith is one of the sources of our current problems in the world (and yes, I mean Christians too).
6. Use your brain. Try to avoid knee-jerk reactions.

Tags: The DaVinci Code

Posted by Amanda at 5/15/2006 11:17:00 AM 7 Comments

Women in Ministry

Rhett Smith has recently posted his views on women in ministry, and I want to take the opportunity to say, "Hey Rhett! I agree with you!"

My journey, on this topic, has been similar to his. I grew up an Independent, Fundamental Baptist in the South. As such, it was ingrained in me that women have no place in leadership. Women weren't even allowed to teach Sunday school if there were little boys over the age of 12 in the class (this practice was adopted because Jesus was 12 when he first taught in the temple).

But as I grew in my relationship with the Lord, I felt a longing to do more. The only problem was my church kept telling me there wasn't anything I was fit to do except raise good Christian children. I had to ask myself, " Why would God give me the desire to do more for Him if it was wrong in His sight for me to do it?"

Then I discovered Joyce Meyer. My pastor routinely spoke against her from the pulpit, but when I listened to her teach I could clearly see the hand of God on her. It was evident that she was called to do what she does. So I asked myself another question, "Would God call someone to do something He considered sinful?"

The answer to that question is a resounding no.

What bothers me about the issue is the constant debate. This is an issue that only serves to divide the body of Christ. It certainly isn't a salvation issue, so why argue? As Rhett stated, there are brilliant and faithful Christians on both sides of the fence. It doesn't make either side more or less of a Christian.

And FYI to any of you in the Denver area: Joyce Meyer will be speaking at the Pepsi Center August 24-26. Admission is FREE.

Tags: Christianity, Women in ministry, Joyce Meyer

Posted by Amanda at 5/15/2006 11:05:00 AM 4 Comments

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Brian McLaren gave an interview about his thoughts of The DaVinci Code with Sojourner Magazine (HT: Finding Rhythm). I think that McLaren has possibly the most objective reasonable opinion from a Christian perspective about the book. A few of my favorite questions:

So you think The Da Vinci Code taps into dissatisfaction with Jesus as we know him?

McLaren: For all the flaws of Brown's book, I think what he's doing is suggesting that the dominant religious institutions have created their own caricature of Jesus. And I think people have a sense that that's true. It's my honest feeling that anyone trying to share their faith in America today has to realize that the Religious Right has polluted the air. The name "Jesus" and the word "Christianity" are associated with something judgmental, hostile, hypocritical, angry, negative, defensive, anti-homosexual, etc. Many of our churches, even though they feel they represent the truth, actually are upholding something that's distorted and false.

I also think that the whole issue of male domination is huge and that Brown's suggestion that the real Jesus was not as misogynist or anti-woman as the Christian religion often has been is very attractive. Brown's book is about exposing hypocrisy and cover-up in organized religion, and it is exposing organized religion's grasping for power. Again, there's something in that that people resonate with in the age of pedophilia scandals, televangelists, and religious political alliances. As a follower of Jesus I resonate with their concerns as well.

Do you think the book contains any significantly detrimental distortions of the Christian faith?

McLaren: The book is fiction and it's filled with a lot of fiction about a lot of things that a lot of people have already debunked. But frankly, I don't think it has more harmful ideas in it than the Left Behind novels. And in a certain way, what the Left Behind novels do, the way they twist scripture toward a certain theological and political end, I think Brown is twisting scripture, just to other political ends. But at the end of the day, the difference is I don't think Brown really cares that much about theology. He just wanted to write a page-turner and he was very successful at that.

You can find the entire interview here.

Tags: Christianity, Dan Brown, DaVinci Code

Posted by Amanda at 5/11/2006 10:47:00 AM 2 Comments

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

I've noticed a trend among Christians recently that really disturbs me. Christians seem to think that it's perfectly acceptable to judge nonbelievers. I keep hearing snide comments about that "slutty girl" or the man who lives with his girlfriend.

Thinking like that is never going to bring lives to Christ! And if you're someone who says, "I would never say that to their faces!" then I urge you to consider this verse:

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' (Matthew 15:18).

What you say reflects what you really think and feel. Even Jesus didn't judge nonbelievers:

John 12:46-48: "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day."

And Paul actually said we aren't to judge those outside of the church:

1 Corinthians 5:12-13a: "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside."

So why is that Christians are so intent on holding nonbelievers to a godly standard? We don't expect our children to walk before they learn how. We don't expect a newborn baby to eat solid food. So how can we expect someone to live by godly standards when they don't think anything is wrong with theirs?

It is our job to show the nonbeliever Christ. It is only by being introduced to Christ that lives will change. Changed lives do not come from snide comments. Changed lives do not come from condemnation. Changed lives do not come from judgment.

Tags: Christianity, Judgment

Posted by Amanda at 5/10/2006 11:55:00 AM 3 Comments

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

I haven't posted much in the last week and, as a result, there's a lot I want to talk about.

First, Zacarias Moussaoui. He has the audacity to request his plea of guilty be removed after being sentenced to life in prison.

In an Associated Press article:

"I had thought I would be sentenced to death based on the emotions and anger toward me for the deaths on Sept. 11," he explained in an affidavit. "But after reviewing the jury verdict and reading how the jurors set aside their emotions and disgust for me and focused on the law and the evidence ... I now see that it is possible that I can receive a fair trial even with Americans as jurors."

Explain to me why he wanted the death penalty if he didn't have anything to do with September 11?  If death would have been honorable for him, wouldn't it logically conclude that he had done something to deserve the honorable death? And since he didn't get that death, he wants to try and get off scot-free? I don't think so.

And I have completely forgotten what else I wanted to write about. When I remember, I'll write another post.

Tags: Moussaoui

Posted by Amanda at 5/09/2006 01:38:00 PM 0 Comments

Friday, May 05, 2006

Click on the link in my sidebar to visit my new tenant this week. ...in the outer... is a fabulous blog written by The Bloke. His writing is thoughtful, intelligent, and relevant to our culture today. His posts have often challenged me to think more critically, and I've come out a better person for it.

Go read it.

Posted by Amanda at 5/05/2006 12:37:00 PM 1 Comments

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

This week's Christian Carnival is being hosted over at Daddypundit. There are some fabulous posts this week, especially Christian Logic's "The Problem of Evil" and Pursuing Holiness' "Chicken-hawk Christians" which addresses how Christian should handle this problem of war.

Go read them. Seriously. You'll be glad you did.

Tags: Christian Carnival, Christianity, Blogging, Evil

Posted by Amanda at 5/03/2006 01:14:00 PM 2 Comments

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

I mentioned earlier how I felt like a failure because I didn't show up to the GNC. I've been reflecting further on how social justice fits into Christianity. Am I just lazy? Is that why I didn't go? Or is it bigger than that? I think it's bigger than that.

In America, we, as a nation, take so much for granted. We have certain liberties and rights that we have grown accustomed to. When we don't get them, we complain. The irony is that we have the right to complain.

As a Christian in America, I have so much more to take for granted. I have the freedom of religion. I have the freedom to meet with my small group without fearing for my life. I have the freedom to tell people about my faith. These are freedoms that other countries don't have. These are freedoms that I don't even think about most of the time. Like air, they are just there all the time.

The verse that keeps springing to my mind is Luke 12:48, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more" (NKJV).

I praise God for the freedoms that He has allowed us to have. And I thank Him for not punishing us for the way we use them. I don't want to speak for all Christians, but when I hear the phrase "social justice," I always think of the hippy free-spirited type of person who is always protesting something.  But in reality, we all have the job of achieving social justice in the world--so much more so if we are Christian.

As Christians, we are to show God's love to the world. Not just to our best friend or next door neighbor. If we sit and ignore the atrocities going on in the rest of the world, then we are no better than the monsters who are causing them. I think this quote, spoken by a Kansas Senator about the war in Uganda, can apply to any situation in the world that we close our eyes to in order to stay blind:

“If you had known about the holocaust, would you have done anything to stop it? You have access and the ability to do things to help people. And if you don’t do it somebody’s gonna die. If these guys don’t do this, more people are going to die. Literally. They’re going to die. Because there’s no voice, it’s not heard, it’s not seen, it’s invisible. They’re invisible children, and they’re gonna die. Because we didn’t do something.”

Tags: Social Justice, Christianity, Uganda, Invisible Children

Posted by Amanda at 5/02/2006 02:09:00 PM 2 Comments

We're all immigrants...

...some of us just came sooner than others.

Click here to read the best post about immigration that I've seen.  The Library Lady is brutally honest and, I believe, offers a solution that is most definitely American. Go read it. Leave a comment and tell her Amanda sent you!

Tags: Immigration, American

Posted by Amanda at 5/02/2006 11:37:00 AM 0 Comments

Monday, May 01, 2006

I did not participate in the Global Night Commute. After all of the stuff I posted here about it, I didn't go.

I'm full of the desire to change things. To show the world that Christians are full of love and grace. But when it comes down to it, I'm all talk. If I won't actually take a stand and do something, then I'm worse than the person who says they won't do anything.

I feel like a failure.

Posted by Amanda at 5/01/2006 09:57:00 PM 0 Comments