A Fire Dragon living in The Year of the Dragon.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
an article from texas' own iconoclast...
Please read this article by a newspaper in Crawford, TX, Bush's hometown. It is an endorsement of Kerry.
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
the pope again indicts the war...
i heard this on NPR today driving... and i am thankful because 60-70% of the christian world is catholic... i just wish the people of the protestant world would do the same...
From an old Christus Rex posting: "POPE JOHN PAUL II: 'MAY GOD WANT THIS CONFLICT TO END SOON!' - 'I think in particular about the Iraqi civilian population, which is going through very difficult times in many cities ravaged by war.' - V.I.S., Città del Vaticano - 6 April 2003
From an old Christus Rex posting: "POPE JOHN PAUL II: 'MAY GOD WANT THIS CONFLICT TO END SOON!' - 'I think in particular about the Iraqi civilian population, which is going through very difficult times in many cities ravaged by war.' - V.I.S., Città del Vaticano - 6 April 2003
why its painful for me to call myself a 'christian'...
...there are things that i am tired of being identified by when using the word 'christian'... closedmindedness, bigottedness, homophobes, war-supporters, 'an eye for an eye'-ers, fearful escapists... i am weary of those who are representing jesus in these ways... i am weary of it...
read the article below from jim wallis' sojo.net newsletter... it will hopefully irk you... i remember hearing a friend telling me this a month ago, that liberals were going to ban the bible... nosense, non-freaking-sense...
Republicans say "liberals" will ban the Bible
by Jim Wallis
Imagine this. A political party does a mailing in important states. They accuse the other party of wanting to "ban" the Bible and establish gay marriage. Well, imagine no more. That's what the Republican National Committee has done. I'm not sure even Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson would go this far, but the Republican Party has in its aggressive campaign to make sure its conservative church base votes for George Bush.
To say this is outrageous seems like an understatement. I have never seen such a blatant and dishonest political manipulation of religion by a political party. But the Republicans seem shameless about it. The RNC acknowledged doing the mailings (when another religious group got a copy and circulated it to reporters), but they have yet to apologize for them. Instead, the Republicans admitted the mailing was part of their effort to mobilize religious votes for President Bush.
The mailing includes an image of the Bible labeled "banned" and a photo of a man putting a ring on another man's hand labeled "allowed," and suggests that's exactly what "liberal politicians" would seek to do. Then the good church folks are warned, "This will be Arkansas if you don't vote." A similar mailing was sent in West Virginia. This new Republican campaign in the churches is similar to an earlier effort that asked church volunteers to perform 22 "duties" in this election year, including turning over congregational membership lists to the local Republican Party. That suggestion even offended some of the Republican religious base as a too-partisan intrusion into church life and an attempt to manipulate the faith of voters.
The Charleston Gazette in West Virginia responded to the mailings in an editorial headlined, "Holy Moley! Who concocts this gibberish?" The paper went on to suggest that such behavior on the part of the Republicans could actually alienate swing religious voters and others: "Most Americans see morality more complexly," the paper said. "Many think a higher morality is found in Christ's command to help the needy, prevent war and pursue other humanitarian goals. Churchgoers of this sort aren't likely to believe childish allegations that Democrats want to ban the Bible."
Behind these partisan religious activities lies a fundamental assumption by top Republican operatives, that they OWN religion in America. Sojourners' "God is Not a Republican...or a Democrat" petition and ad campaign has resonated deeply around the country. Christians will be voting for both George Bush and John Kerry in this election, "for reasons deeply rooted in their faith," as the ad says. It also reminds us that all Christian values and ethics cannot simply be reduced to hot-button social issues.
Yet Republicans are not only assuming, they seem to be demanding that religious people vote only one way - their way. What the Republican Party is doing in these mailings is claiming that the religious vote in American belongs only to them and disrespecting the faith of all believers who disagree with their political agenda or candidate. Neither Republicans nor Democrats should be allowed to get away with that.
It also must be said that the Republican disrespect for Christians who disagree with them runs right along racial lines. The members of black churches will be likely be voting overwhelmingly Democratic this election, as they have for many years. If President Bush is being presented as the only moral choice, what exactly is the Republican Party saying about the faith of black Christians? Does the president not know that millions of Christians, including many evangelical Christians, disagree with him on the war in Iraq, on his budget priorities and tax cuts for the wealthy, on his dismal performance in poverty reduction, or on his policies that so negatively impact the environment? What is he saying about their faith with mailings like this one? And are the Republicans also saying that gay marriage is the only issue Christians should be voting on this year?
When I read about the new RNC mailing, my first response was to ask how conservative Republicans can accuse the "liberals" of wanting to ban the Bible when they ignore it altogether on the weighty scriptural matters of social and economic justice or on Jesus' command that Christians be "peacemakers." There should at least be a serious debate in this election about what those biblical teachings mean in relation to Christian voting. But the Republicans apparently don't want any debate about religion and the election. They have just declared themselves the winners.
Well, not so fast. Sojourners and many allies are committed to taking that debate to every corner of the nation during this election season. And you can help. As the candidates begin their debates this week, we say let the debate about religion and the election continue! Here's what you can do this week:
This outrageous, partisan, and manipulative mailing to churches must not be allowed to go unnoticed. And the Republican National Committee must not be allowed to get away with this abuse of religion and disrespect for the faith of believers who disagree with their political agenda. George Bush himself owes the Christian community an apology for this mailing that disrespects the faith of millions of committed Christians.
TAKE ACTION today. Write to Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and write to President Bush. Ask them to apologize and denounce these mailings. Tens of thousands of Christians sending this message to the Republican Party will get noticed and will make a difference. Hold the Republicans accountable for this mailing and ask George Bush to tell them not to manipulate or disrespect religion in this campaign again. Do it today.
go to sojo.net to take action.
read the article below from jim wallis' sojo.net newsletter... it will hopefully irk you... i remember hearing a friend telling me this a month ago, that liberals were going to ban the bible... nosense, non-freaking-sense...
Republicans say "liberals" will ban the Bible
by Jim Wallis
Imagine this. A political party does a mailing in important states. They accuse the other party of wanting to "ban" the Bible and establish gay marriage. Well, imagine no more. That's what the Republican National Committee has done. I'm not sure even Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson would go this far, but the Republican Party has in its aggressive campaign to make sure its conservative church base votes for George Bush.
To say this is outrageous seems like an understatement. I have never seen such a blatant and dishonest political manipulation of religion by a political party. But the Republicans seem shameless about it. The RNC acknowledged doing the mailings (when another religious group got a copy and circulated it to reporters), but they have yet to apologize for them. Instead, the Republicans admitted the mailing was part of their effort to mobilize religious votes for President Bush.
The mailing includes an image of the Bible labeled "banned" and a photo of a man putting a ring on another man's hand labeled "allowed," and suggests that's exactly what "liberal politicians" would seek to do. Then the good church folks are warned, "This will be Arkansas if you don't vote." A similar mailing was sent in West Virginia. This new Republican campaign in the churches is similar to an earlier effort that asked church volunteers to perform 22 "duties" in this election year, including turning over congregational membership lists to the local Republican Party. That suggestion even offended some of the Republican religious base as a too-partisan intrusion into church life and an attempt to manipulate the faith of voters.
The Charleston Gazette in West Virginia responded to the mailings in an editorial headlined, "Holy Moley! Who concocts this gibberish?" The paper went on to suggest that such behavior on the part of the Republicans could actually alienate swing religious voters and others: "Most Americans see morality more complexly," the paper said. "Many think a higher morality is found in Christ's command to help the needy, prevent war and pursue other humanitarian goals. Churchgoers of this sort aren't likely to believe childish allegations that Democrats want to ban the Bible."
Behind these partisan religious activities lies a fundamental assumption by top Republican operatives, that they OWN religion in America. Sojourners' "God is Not a Republican...or a Democrat" petition and ad campaign has resonated deeply around the country. Christians will be voting for both George Bush and John Kerry in this election, "for reasons deeply rooted in their faith," as the ad says. It also reminds us that all Christian values and ethics cannot simply be reduced to hot-button social issues.
Yet Republicans are not only assuming, they seem to be demanding that religious people vote only one way - their way. What the Republican Party is doing in these mailings is claiming that the religious vote in American belongs only to them and disrespecting the faith of all believers who disagree with their political agenda or candidate. Neither Republicans nor Democrats should be allowed to get away with that.
It also must be said that the Republican disrespect for Christians who disagree with them runs right along racial lines. The members of black churches will be likely be voting overwhelmingly Democratic this election, as they have for many years. If President Bush is being presented as the only moral choice, what exactly is the Republican Party saying about the faith of black Christians? Does the president not know that millions of Christians, including many evangelical Christians, disagree with him on the war in Iraq, on his budget priorities and tax cuts for the wealthy, on his dismal performance in poverty reduction, or on his policies that so negatively impact the environment? What is he saying about their faith with mailings like this one? And are the Republicans also saying that gay marriage is the only issue Christians should be voting on this year?
When I read about the new RNC mailing, my first response was to ask how conservative Republicans can accuse the "liberals" of wanting to ban the Bible when they ignore it altogether on the weighty scriptural matters of social and economic justice or on Jesus' command that Christians be "peacemakers." There should at least be a serious debate in this election about what those biblical teachings mean in relation to Christian voting. But the Republicans apparently don't want any debate about religion and the election. They have just declared themselves the winners.
Well, not so fast. Sojourners and many allies are committed to taking that debate to every corner of the nation during this election season. And you can help. As the candidates begin their debates this week, we say let the debate about religion and the election continue! Here's what you can do this week:
This outrageous, partisan, and manipulative mailing to churches must not be allowed to go unnoticed. And the Republican National Committee must not be allowed to get away with this abuse of religion and disrespect for the faith of believers who disagree with their political agenda. George Bush himself owes the Christian community an apology for this mailing that disrespects the faith of millions of committed Christians.
TAKE ACTION today. Write to Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and write to President Bush. Ask them to apologize and denounce these mailings. Tens of thousands of Christians sending this message to the Republican Party will get noticed and will make a difference. Hold the Republicans accountable for this mailing and ask George Bush to tell them not to manipulate or disrespect religion in this campaign again. Do it today.
go to sojo.net to take action.
...
been so busy... i hate living this way... i do not mind waking up early, but i do not like having so many unfinished things on my plate... but this is life right now... and i am working to make it better...
some articles to take up your time...
BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Get real' on Africa, urges Bono
Yahoo! News - Six Flags Unveils Fastest Roller Coaster
Scared to Talk Politics in Church?, Sojourners Magazine/September 2004
some articles to take up your time...
BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Get real' on Africa, urges Bono
Yahoo! News - Six Flags Unveils Fastest Roller Coaster
Scared to Talk Politics in Church?, Sojourners Magazine/September 2004
Friday, September 24, 2004
an alternative future for evangelicalism...
a blog i found to be very enlightening...
i will be at the youth workers convention today, listening once again to mr. rob bell... i tell you, i think i have like a crush on him... i mean, i am just captivated listening to him... wow... such insight and understanding...
i will be at the youth workers convention today, listening once again to mr. rob bell... i tell you, i think i have like a crush on him... i mean, i am just captivated listening to him... wow... such insight and understanding...
Thursday, September 23, 2004
imac g5 in full glory...
it arrived today... wow... i dare not speak...
and it came with a firewire transfer feature to grab all the stuff off your previous mac... wow...
and it came with a firewire transfer feature to grab all the stuff off your previous mac... wow...
Monday, September 20, 2004
my weekend in pictures...
it was a good weekend... especially for all it encompassed... wow...
jesse and wendy came down this weekend to hang (after their hell week) and play with me sunday... i got to show jesse some small pieces of garageband...
and on the way out on sunday with jesse we saw this street sign and just busted up... it was at all four corners of this intersection... someone's art or vandalization i suppose...
spent time at the beach, at harbor days, at rei, at the movies... oh, the movies... saw a rather interesting film last night... it may or may not be worth your time and money... it is informative on one hand and almost funny on another... we accidentally busted out with a prayer laugh in a serious part!... oops...
it's called what the bleep do we know?... muy interesante... i have found many strings of talk about it on the web... might be worth checking out... here's a message board worth checking out...
anyways, on with the week...
jesse and wendy came down this weekend to hang (after their hell week) and play with me sunday... i got to show jesse some small pieces of garageband...
and on the way out on sunday with jesse we saw this street sign and just busted up... it was at all four corners of this intersection... someone's art or vandalization i suppose...
spent time at the beach, at harbor days, at rei, at the movies... oh, the movies... saw a rather interesting film last night... it may or may not be worth your time and money... it is informative on one hand and almost funny on another... we accidentally busted out with a prayer laugh in a serious part!... oops...
it's called what the bleep do we know?... muy interesante... i have found many strings of talk about it on the web... might be worth checking out... here's a message board worth checking out...
anyways, on with the week...
Thursday, September 16, 2004
yoga and life...
i am taking a hatha yoga class every monday and wednesday this semester... the class runs about and hour and it is seated in a perfectly inconvenient spot... the class starts at noon and i am not supposed to really eat much before class, but the class is bordered on the other side by a spanish class that begins usually the time i am getting out of my yoga class...
anyways, that is not the point... the point is: i have learned much from my yoga class... much for life, much for god, much for reality... so on to that...
first is the importance of breathing... as i am reading merton, he calls a phrase over and over in one of the first several chapters... 'take your mind with you down into your heart'... for this is contemplative thought/processing/life... and i hear my yoga professor ask us to take our minds with us down into our breath... for this is where the subconscience and conscience meet... true, right?... i mean, breathing is one of our most subconscious acts we perform all day, every day... and to meet it by controlling it... by taking our minds into our breathing, into our core, into our hearts (metaphorically)... deep three-cycle breath: first, fill the stomach, then bring the breath into the chest and let it open up the chest, then bring the breath into the back of the throat... and then let it all out and begin the cycle again...
a second thing that i have realized in regards to religious functions and why it is good for people to participate on a weekly basis, even if that is all they do... you see, i used to kind of be against the whole sunday morning service experience because that would be the crux of a person's 'spiritual' life, but i can now see its importance... you see, i cant do yoga all day... i cannot even do it every day, but doing it twice a week for an hour has a changing effect on my life... i can feel myself trying to straighten my posture even as i write, i go into deep breathing more frequently... its effects on my week are huge... what are the implications of this for the church in performing religious services?...
a third thing is to realize that change takes time... i think we have short-circuited the 'growth process' in many ways in our turbo-charged efficient western world... we hear of people who changed their lives on a dime and we praise god for it... but the other 99.5% of people change on a slower basis... what is that quote about how many times it takes repeating something before it actually becomes a natural habit?...
i was talking with jasen yesterday and we laughed about our trip to j tree several weeks ago and how we had to interject this 'event' into our lives to get clarity... we jump to some big thing to hopefully change us quickly... instead of doing little things that change us, but change us slowly... like breathing... and posture... and healthier eating... these will not bring instant results... but they will change me...
my brother is on atkins (i think) and i have read bad things about atkins in its more long-term effects (though there isnt quite enough evidence long-term yet)... i can see why people are drawn to it though: quick turn-around on losing weight... who wouldnt want that?... but what about its long-term sustainability and health?... i will go the other way and enjoy my carbs, but in a healthier lifestyle...
i am not saying that 'quick-fixes' are worthless... they can provide a means to get out of a rut, but if we are to truly realize that we are on a journey towards beauty and wholeness, let it take time... dont jump the gun...
one final thought from yoga and i will close... this is ancient yoga philosophy that my instructor shared and i found it very enlightening...
"Do not seek the way to happiness... for happiness is the way."
... and so i say do not seek the way to god, for god is the way...
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
how i am self-centered...
i mean, i guess i heard there was something going on in the sudan... but it didnt really concern me... i mean, what can i do right?... and how will this directly affect me, right?...
god, what a self-centered man i am... and here i could bleed on and on about how much i wish the situation wasnt so bad, but to what end?... am i going there?... am i sending aid?... is it even that simple?...
at a conference this last weekend that i attended, i heard a person say that the bible means nothing if you are not involved in service to the least of these... its some thought process called 'praxis' i believe... and it really got me thinking that day as we discussed the church's posture towards the least of these... we tend to overspiritualize much of the earthiness when we think of the scripture in abstractions, away from interacting with it in the way jesus interacted with it...
the least of these... not the spiritually least of these, but the truly least of these... not so we can make them like us, but so we can meet their needs... not so we can teach them the american dream, but so we can help them in their darkest hour...
is this too overdramatic?... perhaps... i guess i feel like if i go on and on about it, then somehow i will be released from any responsibility...
jen lemen's blog has some insightful and heart-wrenching points in her last two posts on the sudan... she updates alot and i chose not to link to just one story because its worth reading at least the two i read today...
what must we do?... what can we do?... well first, what are the implications to each of us?... i mean, in doug's word, 'how does this news implicate you, me, us?'... and then what must we do?...
Monday, September 13, 2004
one of the wisest men i never knew...
i am sitting here with fischer's 'the life of mahatma gandhi' and i am itching to read it... i did love the epic film with ben kingsley and i have found his snippet-quotes so very inspiring...
here is one i found today on the blogsphere...
"What does it matter to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" - Mohandas K. Gandhi
i do not want to oversimplify the situation abroad in iraq, but doesnt this just bring a sense of conviction and heartbreak when you consider all who have died, all that has happened, all that has been torn apart for the holy name of liberty and democracy?... and thats if youre relatively optimistic about the reasons the us invaded iraq...
here is one i found today on the blogsphere...
"What does it matter to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" - Mohandas K. Gandhi
i do not want to oversimplify the situation abroad in iraq, but doesnt this just bring a sense of conviction and heartbreak when you consider all who have died, all that has happened, all that has been torn apart for the holy name of liberty and democracy?... and thats if youre relatively optimistic about the reasons the us invaded iraq...
Saturday, September 11, 2004
the kingdom of america or the kingdom of god?...
i find many people thinking these days on what is the best thing for america to do with the situation were in... by situation, i mean iraq, other foreign relations, foreign debt, security for our country, the economy, the assurance of a good future, etc...
here is what strikes me about jesus of nazareth's understanding of his reality: he makes the comment that he doesnt even hold his own blood family above his family of world-changing, cheek-giving, first-is-last followers... he gives no commendment to helping rome or even helping the nation of israel... interesting... seems this homeless man who had no place to rest his head held no allegiance... except to do what he saw the father doing...
[stop it ryan, you are oversimplifying matters... besides, you dont own a home or have kids... you are not paying higher income taxes like some of the rest of us... you dont have as much at stake in this place where you live... perhaps... they do say that idealism is the luxury of elite non-working trust-fund babies...]
anyways, as a person who is looking to be identified (some would say 'solely identified') as a follower of jesus, then i must make decisions that way, not through a strainer of american idealogy... but of world/humanity/creation idealogy... with special interest into only what jesus had special interest in, ie. the poor among us (not the spiritually poor who are driving their bmw's, but the really poor), those marginalized, especially by religion, and so on and so forth...
my point?... i think its simply that we vote this fall (and any time for that matter) and make some decisions that will affect the world, not just the united states... will we vote for the convenience and security of america or by the conviction of the heart of jesus, that we would love our neighbors...
am i oversimplifying?... perhaps... i just think we need to sometimes define the difference between the kingdom of god and the kingdom of america... thoughts?...
here is what strikes me about jesus of nazareth's understanding of his reality: he makes the comment that he doesnt even hold his own blood family above his family of world-changing, cheek-giving, first-is-last followers... he gives no commendment to helping rome or even helping the nation of israel... interesting... seems this homeless man who had no place to rest his head held no allegiance... except to do what he saw the father doing...
[stop it ryan, you are oversimplifying matters... besides, you dont own a home or have kids... you are not paying higher income taxes like some of the rest of us... you dont have as much at stake in this place where you live... perhaps... they do say that idealism is the luxury of elite non-working trust-fund babies...]
anyways, as a person who is looking to be identified (some would say 'solely identified') as a follower of jesus, then i must make decisions that way, not through a strainer of american idealogy... but of world/humanity/creation idealogy... with special interest into only what jesus had special interest in, ie. the poor among us (not the spiritually poor who are driving their bmw's, but the really poor), those marginalized, especially by religion, and so on and so forth...
my point?... i think its simply that we vote this fall (and any time for that matter) and make some decisions that will affect the world, not just the united states... will we vote for the convenience and security of america or by the conviction of the heart of jesus, that we would love our neighbors...
am i oversimplifying?... perhaps... i just think we need to sometimes define the difference between the kingdom of god and the kingdom of america... thoughts?...
Friday, September 10, 2004
an interesting article...
... on atonement theology... or actually an interesting turn on it from bishop spong... i don't always buy into what he says, but some interesting thoughts...
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
a generous pdf...
the introduction and first chapter of brian's newest book is available here in pdf format... and here is chapter one... great book, please read and then purchase... holly and i did the design and photography and layout of the interior of the book...
its an amazing book about the beauty of a multiplicity of christian tradition (even some tradition outside of the 'church', ie. 'why i am incarnational' was going to be titled, 'why i am buddhist/hindu/muslim/jewish')... very good for any of us who think we have the market cornered for truth... this will be mind and heart-opening...
Monday, September 06, 2004
aliens and the bible...
...you think they wrote it?... thats actually not what this post is regarding...
two independent thoughts that are fresh in my mind... i have thought a little about each...
first, aliens... i just picked up this devotional book that my wife's company designed... they design that kind of stuff from time to time... some of the stuff is good, some of the stuff is the same christian-junk that i grew up with... but anyways, i picked up the devotional cause it had cool design and the first entry is how in the new testament paul told some christians that they were like aliens, strangers in this world... so i am thinking about this and how a palestinian jew of that time might think about this notion... because i mean, most christians think that means that earth is not our home and that we should escape and thank god that hes gonna rapture us and leave all those bad people behind... this kinda stuff, you know?...
but i am remembering in reading the old testament how the jewish people were not a pure-blood, closed-off nation, right?... i mean, they took care of the alien and even made ways to help him to integrate into their society... i mean, aliens were people who were at the mercy of others, not people who were running away from others cause they 'spoke a different language and lived by different customs'... i really dont know where this is going except that some of the jews round jesus time were getting all high on themselves cause they were god's chosen people (sounds a whole hell of a lot like many christians i know!...) and here paul tells that in this new way of existing/being/living, that they would be aliens, strangers... perhaps this is from christ's law of inversion... you know, that the last would be first, and now they first are being told that they will be last?... hmm...
another thought (bear with me)... and then i have to get my sister at the airport... so, this is thought two... the bible thought...
so, i was asked to read the statement of faith to see if i agreed with it and there was a part that really bothered me... it is not uncommon of church creeds... it said that the bible is the only inspired word of god... that this book is gods only authorized biography and history... this is common in most parts of the christian church, i know... but i have had issue with this for some time now...
anyways, i am reading 2 timothy 3.16 the other day... this is the classic passage that 'confirms' (by some peoples guess) that the whole of the bible as we have it today was written by god, so its innerrant, infallible, and perfect in its original manuscripts... the passage says that all scripture (which i think means the hebrew bible, not the gospels and epistles) is god-breathed... read that a couple times... all scripture is god-breathed... anything strike you as odd?...
would you say that god 'wrote' the bible or god 'writes' the bible?...go with me here... probably that he 'wrote' the bible, right?... i mean, you would use the past-tense... but paul uses some form of the present... that all scripture is god-breathed... so what if its less about that god 'wrote' or 'breathed' the bible, but more that he 'breaths' the bible?... i mean, that what is holy and perfect and amazing is his breath as we read these ancient texts?... or perhaps this is way out of context... i tend to do that from time to time...
crap, gotta go pick up my sister at the airport... cheers...
two independent thoughts that are fresh in my mind... i have thought a little about each...
first, aliens... i just picked up this devotional book that my wife's company designed... they design that kind of stuff from time to time... some of the stuff is good, some of the stuff is the same christian-junk that i grew up with... but anyways, i picked up the devotional cause it had cool design and the first entry is how in the new testament paul told some christians that they were like aliens, strangers in this world... so i am thinking about this and how a palestinian jew of that time might think about this notion... because i mean, most christians think that means that earth is not our home and that we should escape and thank god that hes gonna rapture us and leave all those bad people behind... this kinda stuff, you know?...
but i am remembering in reading the old testament how the jewish people were not a pure-blood, closed-off nation, right?... i mean, they took care of the alien and even made ways to help him to integrate into their society... i mean, aliens were people who were at the mercy of others, not people who were running away from others cause they 'spoke a different language and lived by different customs'... i really dont know where this is going except that some of the jews round jesus time were getting all high on themselves cause they were god's chosen people (sounds a whole hell of a lot like many christians i know!...) and here paul tells that in this new way of existing/being/living, that they would be aliens, strangers... perhaps this is from christ's law of inversion... you know, that the last would be first, and now they first are being told that they will be last?... hmm...
another thought (bear with me)... and then i have to get my sister at the airport... so, this is thought two... the bible thought...
so, i was asked to read the statement of faith to see if i agreed with it and there was a part that really bothered me... it is not uncommon of church creeds... it said that the bible is the only inspired word of god... that this book is gods only authorized biography and history... this is common in most parts of the christian church, i know... but i have had issue with this for some time now...
anyways, i am reading 2 timothy 3.16 the other day... this is the classic passage that 'confirms' (by some peoples guess) that the whole of the bible as we have it today was written by god, so its innerrant, infallible, and perfect in its original manuscripts... the passage says that all scripture (which i think means the hebrew bible, not the gospels and epistles) is god-breathed... read that a couple times... all scripture is god-breathed... anything strike you as odd?...
would you say that god 'wrote' the bible or god 'writes' the bible?...go with me here... probably that he 'wrote' the bible, right?... i mean, you would use the past-tense... but paul uses some form of the present... that all scripture is god-breathed... so what if its less about that god 'wrote' or 'breathed' the bible, but more that he 'breaths' the bible?... i mean, that what is holy and perfect and amazing is his breath as we read these ancient texts?... or perhaps this is way out of context... i tend to do that from time to time...
crap, gotta go pick up my sister at the airport... cheers...
sean and me...
my buddy sean leaves today for france... i told him to not be an arrogant, loud american while he is over there... he will do whatever he wants... and thats one thing i admire about him... he doesnt seem to need the approval that i seek so badly...
i mean, just yesterday, we had an amazing day at the beach... wow, the waves were single overhead for surfers out there... i stayed a little closer to home... you know, body surfing and boogie boarding and all... and i wanted so badly for holly to watch me body surf... in fact, i would almost go as far to say that if holly wasnt watching me, it didnt hold much merit to be out there to me... i wanted her approval... or to show-off or whatever...
sean and i were talking this morning about how he wants to try to be a little more in control of his life (and all that entails), but how he typically just lets go and moves with the flow... i said how i needed to let go and try to stop controlling so much... it just amazed me how one man's virtue can be another man's holding cell... you know?... he said we were both looking for balance in our lives... perhaps he had more yin and i, more yang... who knows...
have fun in paris, sean...
Friday, September 03, 2004
jim wallis' thoughtful response to the president's speech...
i get the sojourners email and in it was an great article by jim... if you have not registered on their site yet, please do so now... this article is well worth the read...
Responding to President Bush's speech by Jim Wallis
After the scurrilous (one could say vicious) attacks on John Kerry by Republican convert Zell Miller at Wednesday night's Republican convention, and Dick Cheney's speech - in which he didn't seem to care about facts (no apologies for his certain claims about imminent threats from weapons of mass destruction in Iraq), I really was hoping for something better from the president of the United States.
And it was better. The president spoke about many important issues - education reform and opportunity, health care security, job training, and support for low-income families and neighborhoods. I disagree with some of Bush's Democratic critics who found nothing new in the domestic portion of his speech. There are new and promising directions in his notion of "an ownership society," which focuses on things like tax credits, educational equality, and home ownership for lower-income families as an alternative to relying only on entitlement programs. In an interesting article in The New York Times magazine last Sunday, conservative writer David Brooks laid out a vision for "progressive Republicanism," which has a clear role for the positive action of government to make work actually work for low-income families through a range of wage supplements and wealth creation for poor working families. There were signs of such a vision in the Bush speech. I also appreciated the president's self-deprecating humor, which softened his image as a leader who is less than reflective and dismissive of mistakes and flaws.
But what the president failed to deal with was how his central domestic priority, "making permanent" his tax cuts that most benefit the wealthy, will simply not allow such positive government initiatives - because of a lack of resources. Nor did the president acknowledge or take any responsibility for the largest net job loss in any presidential administration since Herbert Hoover; the country's record deficits; the rise in the number of Americans living in poverty in each of the last three years (now one in eight of us); or the one million Americans who have lost their health care insurance each year he has been in office. As we have continued to say, poverty is a religious issue.
The Brooks vision will never be possible if Republicans stick to their characteristic anti-government ideology (present throughout the Republican Convention) and best summed up by Republican strategist Grover Norquist. He openly states the conservative goal of making government so small "it could be drowned in a bathtub." The Republicans have some serious internal debating to do.
But the visioning of new domestic possibilities was followed by yet another personal attack on John Kerry (as opposed to clear distinctions to his record), attacks that stained this whole convention. Honest comparisons between the candidate's policy proposals and records are, of course, valid in a political campaign, but the Republican Convention went over the top again and again (as Al Sharpton did at the Democratic Convention). The president's most offensive line in that regard was, "If you say the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood, I'm afraid you are not the candidate of conservative values." Come on. I don't know anybody in America who believes that about Hollywood. And which convention was it that featured a Hollywood action hero as one of their rising stars? (And a parenthetical question I've puzzled over - has anybody heard the "family values" preachers of the Religious Right say anything critical of the notorious womanizer and body-builder?) Wouldn't it be better to see a serious campaign debate on important topics like whether the privatization of social security is a good or bad idea? Don't count on it.
But the heart and passion of President Bush's speech and of this Republican Convention throughout was a ringing defense of the administration's war on terrorism, especially in Iraq, and attacks on John Kerry as weak, indecisive, and unfit to command. The Republican Convention has laid down the gauntlet, bolstered by the "Swift Boat" attack ads on John Kerry's Vietnam record.
In the furious August debate on that topic, the press eventually began to scrutinize the accuracy of those attacks on Kerry's military service (after the damage had already been done), but mostly stayed away from the most controversial question about Vietnam - whether the war was fundamentally wrong and characterized by the regular commission of "war crimes." That's what the young and decorated naval officer John Kerry testified to Congress when he came home from the war. I was a young anti-war organizer then and say today - 30 years later - that it was the truth then, is still true now, and it was John Kerry's finest political hour.
But the country is still polarized over Vietnam and is again over another war. There is no disagreement in America about the need to protect our families, our nation, and the world against terrorism, and that this vicious and, yes, evil terrorist violence must be defeated. But whether that goal and our national security were advanced or whether they were seriously damaged by the war in Iraq is indeed the real and divisive question. Nobody was willing to "take the word of a madman" as the president caricatured his war opponents, but many of us, including most every major Christian body in the world, believed this "war of choice" to be unnecessary and unjust.
Even as an opponent of the war, I found the most moving part of the president's speech to be the stories of his times with military families who had lost their precious loved ones. Those losses are heartbreaking for all of us (as the loss of Iraqi lives should be too). But the most heart-wrenching question is whether they were tragically unnecessary, and whether the call to virtual permanent and pre-emptive war is the most effective and moral response to the real threat of terrorism.
President Bush's speech last night was summed up in the line, "You know what I believe and where I stand." Yes, we do. And that will be the issue when each of us walks into the polling place on November 2.
Responding to President Bush's speech by Jim Wallis
After the scurrilous (one could say vicious) attacks on John Kerry by Republican convert Zell Miller at Wednesday night's Republican convention, and Dick Cheney's speech - in which he didn't seem to care about facts (no apologies for his certain claims about imminent threats from weapons of mass destruction in Iraq), I really was hoping for something better from the president of the United States.
And it was better. The president spoke about many important issues - education reform and opportunity, health care security, job training, and support for low-income families and neighborhoods. I disagree with some of Bush's Democratic critics who found nothing new in the domestic portion of his speech. There are new and promising directions in his notion of "an ownership society," which focuses on things like tax credits, educational equality, and home ownership for lower-income families as an alternative to relying only on entitlement programs. In an interesting article in The New York Times magazine last Sunday, conservative writer David Brooks laid out a vision for "progressive Republicanism," which has a clear role for the positive action of government to make work actually work for low-income families through a range of wage supplements and wealth creation for poor working families. There were signs of such a vision in the Bush speech. I also appreciated the president's self-deprecating humor, which softened his image as a leader who is less than reflective and dismissive of mistakes and flaws.
But what the president failed to deal with was how his central domestic priority, "making permanent" his tax cuts that most benefit the wealthy, will simply not allow such positive government initiatives - because of a lack of resources. Nor did the president acknowledge or take any responsibility for the largest net job loss in any presidential administration since Herbert Hoover; the country's record deficits; the rise in the number of Americans living in poverty in each of the last three years (now one in eight of us); or the one million Americans who have lost their health care insurance each year he has been in office. As we have continued to say, poverty is a religious issue.
The Brooks vision will never be possible if Republicans stick to their characteristic anti-government ideology (present throughout the Republican Convention) and best summed up by Republican strategist Grover Norquist. He openly states the conservative goal of making government so small "it could be drowned in a bathtub." The Republicans have some serious internal debating to do.
But the visioning of new domestic possibilities was followed by yet another personal attack on John Kerry (as opposed to clear distinctions to his record), attacks that stained this whole convention. Honest comparisons between the candidate's policy proposals and records are, of course, valid in a political campaign, but the Republican Convention went over the top again and again (as Al Sharpton did at the Democratic Convention). The president's most offensive line in that regard was, "If you say the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood, I'm afraid you are not the candidate of conservative values." Come on. I don't know anybody in America who believes that about Hollywood. And which convention was it that featured a Hollywood action hero as one of their rising stars? (And a parenthetical question I've puzzled over - has anybody heard the "family values" preachers of the Religious Right say anything critical of the notorious womanizer and body-builder?) Wouldn't it be better to see a serious campaign debate on important topics like whether the privatization of social security is a good or bad idea? Don't count on it.
But the heart and passion of President Bush's speech and of this Republican Convention throughout was a ringing defense of the administration's war on terrorism, especially in Iraq, and attacks on John Kerry as weak, indecisive, and unfit to command. The Republican Convention has laid down the gauntlet, bolstered by the "Swift Boat" attack ads on John Kerry's Vietnam record.
In the furious August debate on that topic, the press eventually began to scrutinize the accuracy of those attacks on Kerry's military service (after the damage had already been done), but mostly stayed away from the most controversial question about Vietnam - whether the war was fundamentally wrong and characterized by the regular commission of "war crimes." That's what the young and decorated naval officer John Kerry testified to Congress when he came home from the war. I was a young anti-war organizer then and say today - 30 years later - that it was the truth then, is still true now, and it was John Kerry's finest political hour.
But the country is still polarized over Vietnam and is again over another war. There is no disagreement in America about the need to protect our families, our nation, and the world against terrorism, and that this vicious and, yes, evil terrorist violence must be defeated. But whether that goal and our national security were advanced or whether they were seriously damaged by the war in Iraq is indeed the real and divisive question. Nobody was willing to "take the word of a madman" as the president caricatured his war opponents, but many of us, including most every major Christian body in the world, believed this "war of choice" to be unnecessary and unjust.
Even as an opponent of the war, I found the most moving part of the president's speech to be the stories of his times with military families who had lost their precious loved ones. Those losses are heartbreaking for all of us (as the loss of Iraqi lives should be too). But the most heart-wrenching question is whether they were tragically unnecessary, and whether the call to virtual permanent and pre-emptive war is the most effective and moral response to the real threat of terrorism.
President Bush's speech last night was summed up in the line, "You know what I believe and where I stand." Yes, we do. And that will be the issue when each of us walks into the polling place on November 2.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
my hero...
... is always the man called bono...
on why he thinks america is great:
I'm like an annoying fan. I'm like the one that reads the liner notes on the CD. I’m the one that -- I read the Declaration of Independence before a speaking tour we did on AIDS in the Midwest. I've read the Constitution. I've read these poetic tracks. And I suppose, you know, I'm just going around trying to remind people that their country -- why it is great, and in case they forget, why it’s great. Because the United States that I love is like the Statue of Liberty with its arms open, give me your tired, your poor and huddled masses. It’s not the continent behaving like an island, which sometimes it behaves like.
read the whole article here... but dont tell anyone that i actually sent you to a fox news site...
on why he thinks america is great:
I'm like an annoying fan. I'm like the one that reads the liner notes on the CD. I’m the one that -- I read the Declaration of Independence before a speaking tour we did on AIDS in the Midwest. I've read the Constitution. I've read these poetic tracks. And I suppose, you know, I'm just going around trying to remind people that their country -- why it is great, and in case they forget, why it’s great. Because the United States that I love is like the Statue of Liberty with its arms open, give me your tired, your poor and huddled masses. It’s not the continent behaving like an island, which sometimes it behaves like.
read the whole article here... but dont tell anyone that i actually sent you to a fox news site...
the truth about yoga...
... or at least some cool stuff i am reading for my hatha yoga class...
"It has been my experience that Yoga is not about getting my students or me to 'perform' physical feats of body or breath. It is my sincere desire that the practice of Yoga simply help point the way to one's true self... A beautiful Indian story tells that a bubble searching for its true self floats along in the sea when it pops, discovering itself to be part of the ocean all along, the ocean in which it had thought itself to be seperate."
to me that holds great truth for those of us who seek to follow god in the way of jesus... it is practice, not performance... it is encouraging others in their own practice, not judging yourself by their ability/inability to do certain postures... understanding our one-ness with all of humanity and all of creation and all of god...
another...
"One may also define yoga as a kind of universal spirituality beyond all religions. It is a non-religious spiritual orientation. It believes that when a Hindu achieves the ultimate objective of his spiritual effort, namely, integration with truth, he ceases to be a mere Hindu. Born as a Hindu he becomes a world citizen or cosmic man. When he reaches the goal of Hinduism he sees that this is also the ultimate goal of other great religions. Hinduism is thus fulfilled in his life beyond itself. Similarly, when a Christian reaches the ultimate goal of his sincere spiritual effort he ceases to be a mere Christian. Human labels cannot restrict him anymore. He becomes a cosmic man. The same is true for a sincere Buddhist, a sincere Muslim, etc. Different religions are like so many boats helping different peoples to cross the river of ignorance and self-alienation. When the other shore is reached, the boats are left behind. The content of wisdom for which the other shore stands is found to be identical. It is this concept of the identical spiritual destiny of man - this ideal of cosmic integreation with the ground of existence - which is the basis of yoga."
i mean, isnt this jesus and the kingdom of god?... it was to be held by the jews alone, it was beyond that... and i would sure say that the kingdom of god is not the church... the church, as mclaren says, is a grand catalyst for the kingdom of god, but not the kingdom itself... nor is christianity... the kingdom of god is where we become cosmic men... when we live in the way of jesus, live the dao, realize our atman/brahman, become enlightened and changed forever...
lets try crossing this river together with people of other traditions, understandings, realities... lets do it together...
"It has been my experience that Yoga is not about getting my students or me to 'perform' physical feats of body or breath. It is my sincere desire that the practice of Yoga simply help point the way to one's true self... A beautiful Indian story tells that a bubble searching for its true self floats along in the sea when it pops, discovering itself to be part of the ocean all along, the ocean in which it had thought itself to be seperate."
to me that holds great truth for those of us who seek to follow god in the way of jesus... it is practice, not performance... it is encouraging others in their own practice, not judging yourself by their ability/inability to do certain postures... understanding our one-ness with all of humanity and all of creation and all of god...
another...
"One may also define yoga as a kind of universal spirituality beyond all religions. It is a non-religious spiritual orientation. It believes that when a Hindu achieves the ultimate objective of his spiritual effort, namely, integration with truth, he ceases to be a mere Hindu. Born as a Hindu he becomes a world citizen or cosmic man. When he reaches the goal of Hinduism he sees that this is also the ultimate goal of other great religions. Hinduism is thus fulfilled in his life beyond itself. Similarly, when a Christian reaches the ultimate goal of his sincere spiritual effort he ceases to be a mere Christian. Human labels cannot restrict him anymore. He becomes a cosmic man. The same is true for a sincere Buddhist, a sincere Muslim, etc. Different religions are like so many boats helping different peoples to cross the river of ignorance and self-alienation. When the other shore is reached, the boats are left behind. The content of wisdom for which the other shore stands is found to be identical. It is this concept of the identical spiritual destiny of man - this ideal of cosmic integreation with the ground of existence - which is the basis of yoga."
i mean, isnt this jesus and the kingdom of god?... it was to be held by the jews alone, it was beyond that... and i would sure say that the kingdom of god is not the church... the church, as mclaren says, is a grand catalyst for the kingdom of god, but not the kingdom itself... nor is christianity... the kingdom of god is where we become cosmic men... when we live in the way of jesus, live the dao, realize our atman/brahman, become enlightened and changed forever...
lets try crossing this river together with people of other traditions, understandings, realities... lets do it together...
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
the inefficiency of god...
so, a thought has been swirling in my head the last month or so as we as a church community have been discussing giving and sabbath and how i dont think we are supposed to tithe to a church per se, but we should 'be generous with everything' and give our resources (ie. money) away... and some people say, 'well thats being a poor steward of your resources' or 'i cannot allow myself a sabbath, i have too much work to do'...
perhaps its me who says those things?...
so a huge virtue of americans (perhaps most westerers?) is efficiency... so much so that we understand christ as this ministry burnout who was doing it 'for the kingdom' so the burnout and frazzled life is worth it... so far do we value efficiency that we create 'gospel tracks' or deliver messages to thousands of students we have never (and will never) have a meaningful relationship with... short-circuiting the way god designed us to work/live/play together?... hmm...
< -- begin sarcasm -- >
so, sabbath is a ridiculous way to live here in america... right? i mean, who can set aside a sundown to sundown and devote it to bettering ones self, ones family, ones community... not by working, but by being... very inefficient...
or giving, i mean, could you imagine how much money you could save if you took your 'tithe money' and invested it into a medium-risk money market account?... how are we supposed to 'get ahead'?... what if i only make enough to 'survive'?... surely god doesnt expect me to be generous like the woman with the two mites, right?... i mean thats not me...
< -- terminate sarcasm -- >
i do not like giving money to churches... thats my thing... but i do like giving money away... and i do enjoy the idea of sabbath... we begin ours this friday... as a church community... committed to living life in the way of jesus... here we go...
perhaps god doesnt value efficiency the way we do... i mean, one problem with efficiency is that we begin to expect things to be efficient for us... wait, i think thats called impatience... hmm...
has efficiency cost us our relationships, our concepts of reality, our very lives?...
perhaps its me who says those things?...
so a huge virtue of americans (perhaps most westerers?) is efficiency... so much so that we understand christ as this ministry burnout who was doing it 'for the kingdom' so the burnout and frazzled life is worth it... so far do we value efficiency that we create 'gospel tracks' or deliver messages to thousands of students we have never (and will never) have a meaningful relationship with... short-circuiting the way god designed us to work/live/play together?... hmm...
< -- begin sarcasm -- >
so, sabbath is a ridiculous way to live here in america... right? i mean, who can set aside a sundown to sundown and devote it to bettering ones self, ones family, ones community... not by working, but by being... very inefficient...
or giving, i mean, could you imagine how much money you could save if you took your 'tithe money' and invested it into a medium-risk money market account?... how are we supposed to 'get ahead'?... what if i only make enough to 'survive'?... surely god doesnt expect me to be generous like the woman with the two mites, right?... i mean thats not me...
< -- terminate sarcasm -- >
i do not like giving money to churches... thats my thing... but i do like giving money away... and i do enjoy the idea of sabbath... we begin ours this friday... as a church community... committed to living life in the way of jesus... here we go...
perhaps god doesnt value efficiency the way we do... i mean, one problem with efficiency is that we begin to expect things to be efficient for us... wait, i think thats called impatience... hmm...
has efficiency cost us our relationships, our concepts of reality, our very lives?...
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