Keith Preston: conflating one-worldism with humanism

I like AltRight but this misuse of language is not helpful ...

Keith Preston, Totalitarian Humanism Versus Qaddafi

In past blog postings for AltRight, I have discussed the phenomenon of what I call “totalitarian humanism,” a particular worldview that I regard as being at the heart of the most serious political and cultural problems currently facing the modern West. Specifically, I consider totalitarian humanism to be an intellectual and ideological movement among contemporary Western elites that serves as a replacement for older worldviews such as Christianity, nationalism, cultural traditionalism, Eurocentrism, or even Marxism. Such features of modern life as political correctness and victimology serve as a representation of the totalitarian humanist approach to domestic policy. The present war against the Libyan state provides an illustration of what the totalitarian humanist approach to foreign policy and international relations involves.

Note the glaring contradiction: "I consider totalitarian humanism to be an ... ideology".

Humanism = "A system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values".

Ideology = "A set of doctrines or beliefs".

Hence humanism is human-centred (needs, values, desires, emotions) whereas ideology is literally anything that humans can dream up in our heads.

There is a totalitarian ideology ruling the Western world, but it most definitely is not human-centred. That ideology is one-worldism, diversity, globalisation, open-borders, liberalism, non-discrimination, etc. But that is a distinctly inhuman ideology that grates against our natural preferences for homogeneity and sovereignty.

It's a common attack by Christian conservatives against atheist conservatives to conflate humanism with atheism and nihilism, liberalism, chaos, anarchy, Hitler, baby eating, etc. Whilst it's true than most humanist organisations are nauseatingly pro-diversity and, granted, the conservative atheist movement is relatively small, nonetheless to conflate humanism with one-worldism and diversity is to bastardise the English language and to contradict science which shows that humans prefer their own kin.

I suggest using a term like "totalitarian one-worldism" or "totalitarian liberal atheism" rather than totalitarian humanism. Otherwise you're just making it harder for atheist conservatives to get our own humanist message out there.

Here Preston quotes the source of the term totalitarian humanism:

When one looks up the word 'Humanism' in an encyclopedia it states that Humanism is an ideology which focuses on the importance of every single human being. That it is an "ideology which emphasizes the value of the individual human being and its ability to develop into a harmonic and culturally aware personality". This sounds fair enough, right? Indeed it does, but it is my firm belief that the explanation here does not match the humanism of our time.

The so-called Humanists I have met have been putting a strong emphasis on humanity as a gigantic community rather than on the individual. Often one will even find alleged humanists who insist that the views, aspirations and basic happiness of indigenous Europeans is of no importance. Instead, these Humanists say, indigenous Europeans should bow down and forget about their own wants and desires for the greater good of humanity. The greater good of Humanity usually seems to be to take no interest in Europe's cultural heritage and integrate into a grey, world-wide, uniform "globalization" with the Coca-Cola-culture as loadstar.

Now what would be the right thing to do? Revert to the original individual-centred use of the word, or to propagate the bastardised one-worldism use of the word?

File under: smearing atheism with the stench of one-worldism by misrepresenting the spectrum of disbelief through bastardisation of the English language.

Competing Religious Visions

The Disciples tradition, of which I'm a part, values diversity and freedom in the pursuit of Christian unity.  We have taken hold of texts such as Ephesians 4 and John 17 that affirm this unity.  But every day we see examples of competing visions of the Christian faith.  Of course, the founders of the Disciples movement, understood that there were competing visions, they just wanted to see if they could get everyone together under one banner.  In the end, we added another set of banners to the ever growing sea of religious banners.

David Gushee, a Baptist theologian and ethicist, reminds us that in reality there isn't one Christianity, but competing versions, and their not all the same.    The Terry Jones affair, which involved the pastor of a small Florida congregation, launching an "International Burn the Koran Day," showed Christianity at its worst.  And yet much of the response showed Christianity at its best -- as Christians from across the spectrum replied strongly that this guy doesn't represent us, any more than Fred Phelps does.  

Gushee writes of this contest:

To say that there are competing versions of Christianity is not to say that any version is as good as any other one. Quite the contrary -- the contest over which version of Christianity is truest to the intent of the God we have met in Jesus Christ is a matter of desperate importance. But because of the diversity of the biblical materials, because of the way Christian faith has been transmitted through various traditions, because we are all still sinners, and because we see through a glass darkly, Christians have always contested various versions of the faith. Traditionalist conservatives like to identify a pristine “faith once delivered to the saints,” and to plant their flag there. But despite heroic efforts to pin down the nature and content of that faith, its content was -- and is, and ever shall be -- contested.

And contest we must.  I can value the diversity within the church, but I also need to be discerning.  I don't believe, for instance, that Jonathan Edwards is correct in suggesting that we are "sinners in the hands of an angry God."   I don't believe that God authorized the Crusades either.  In fact, I appreciate Gushee including the story of Francis of Assisi's visit to the Sultan during the 5th Crusade -- While the official church was urging the troops into battle, Francis made his way unarmed to the Sultan and had a conversation about faith.  Francis didn't convert the Sultan, but he gained his respect.

So, what is the kicker?  Well, even as there isn't just one Christianity, then perhaps there isn't just one Islam!  Gushee again writes:

Could it also be that there is no such thing as “Islam,” but only competing versions of Islam? Could it be that those who are casually declaring that al Qaeda’s Islam just is Islam are about as accurate as those who would say that Terry Jones’ Christianity just is Christianity? Could it be that we need a moratorium on people who know nothing about the competing Muslim traditions making blanket declarations about the eternal nature of that religion?

Indeed, my Muslim friends make this very point -- Osama Bin Laden doesn't represent me!   Indeed, Bin Laden doesn't represent them any more than Terry Jones and Fred Phelps represent me and the Christianity I profess!

Shaken and Stirred Up -- A Lectionary Meditation

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Hebrews 12:18-29

Luke 13:10-17

Shaken and Stirred Up

We don’t have much patience for people who stir the pot and shake our foundations. If you make statements that don’t sit well with the “majority” you could find yourself in a difficult situation. Such is the role of the prophet, a role that few preachers dare to take up. But in each of this week’s lectionary passages we have a word that shakes and stirs things up.

If ever there was a rabble-rouser, that person was Jeremiah. He rarely offered a politically expedient word. It’s no wonder his opponents stuffed him in a jar and sent him packing to Egypt. But this was what he was born to do – it was his destiny. The text from Jeremiah gives an account of Jeremiah’s calling. Only a boy, God called him to deliver a message of judgment. God told him that this calling had been placed upon him before he had been conceived in the womb. Indeed, God had commissioned him prior to his birth. Jeremiah’s protests about his youth and the fact that no one would pay attention didn’t deter God, who told him not to fear and then touched his mouth and put in his moth the words of God. Not only would he bear the words of God to the world, but God also appointed him to rule over the nations, to pluck up and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, and then to build and to plant. All of this was in his calling. Here he stood, for he could do no other. Are we ready to hear his word?

As we consider whether we’re ready to hear the word of Jeremiah, a word that has the power to pluck up and pull down nations, to destroy or overthrow the powers that be, and then in the aftermath engage in a bit of nation building, we can attend to the word given in Hebrews. Hebrews is a rather enigmatic document. It is at heart a combination of Midrash and allegory, pulling from and adapting not only the Jewish scriptures and stories, but also taking from Jewish liturgical practice, and redefining it all for the author’s own purposes. This particular text is not easily traversed. We begin with a conversation about whether or not the holy mountain can be touched, lest human or animal die. Yes, when it comes to the mountain of God, even Moses trembles with fear. If we can wade through all of this we come to this part of the passage that seems to fit perfectly in our conversation this week. After being told not to refuse to hear the one speaking, we’re treated to a voice that shakes not merely the earth, but the heavens as well. And, what is shaken is removed – sort of as if speaking of sifting things. In the end, after everything is shaken and sifted, what remains is the realm of God. This we are called upon to take hold of, for it alone remains after the shaking and the sifting ends. And after we take hold of this gift, then we are invited to give thanks and offer to God worship that is reverent and acceptable. What is the picture here? Is it little more than the visit to the Wizard of Oz? There was shaking in the boots then too, but of course, the “wizard” was a mere front. Surely the one we’ve been to worship is more than a projection thrown up on a screen by one who is clever.

Keeping to this train of thought, about shaking and stirring things up, we must deal with Jesus and his tendency to stir up trouble. When we think about pastoral calls, it’s clear that Jesus, like Jeremiah, would never fit in. He had a tendency to upturn traditions and practices that got in the way of what God is up to in the world. In this case it’s a matter of healing a woman who has been bent over in pain for nearly two decades. Jesus sees her, invites her over, and sets her free. The leader of the synagogue complains that he has done work on the Sabbath. Now, surely Jesus could have waited another day. After all it had been eighteen years, what did a few more hours mean to the woman? Jesus’ response was to point out that his critics would untie their oxen and their donkeys and take them to water. Surely, this woman was of more value to God than oxen and donkeys (not to say that these animals don’t have value). The point being – don’t let your traditions, even if they were meant for a good purpose, get in the way of a greater good.

Yes, the message that we find in the biblical story often is a challenging one. It’s not always politically expedient or popular. Yes, even we who consider ourselves to be open minded can find that the message is unsettling to us. As we prepare for the weekend, whether we’re preaching, or teaching, or simply meditating on the things of God, let us prepare ourselves to be shaken and stirred up!

Reposted from [D]mergent, a Disciples of Christ oriented blog

History Through the Eyes of . . . Alcuin of York: Viking Troubles, 8th Century

Randall Stephens

The famous Northumbrian scholar Alcuin (ca.735 - 804) left a record of Viking raids on England. Norseman laid waste to monasteries and villages. The feared seafarers set up colonies and made swept across Europe from the 9th to the 11th century. They were in Iceland by 900, and later tried to establish a foothold in Greenland and North America.

To Alcuin, the Viking scourge looked like history repeating itself. In this 793 letter--written from the Carolingian court to the Bishop and community of Lindsfarne--Alcuin laments the Viking menace and meditates on the problem and nature of suffering.

Excerpt from I. R. Page, Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials, Myths (Toronto: British Museum Press, 1995), 79.

When I was with you the closeness of your love would give me great joy. In contrast, now I am away from you the distress of your suffering fills me; daily with deep grief, when heathens desecrated God's sanctuaries, and poured the blood of saints within the compass of the altar, destroyed the house of our hope, trampled the bodies of saints in God's temple like animal dung in the street. What c.an we say except weep with you in our hearts before the altar of Christ and say, "Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to the Gentiles lest heathens should say, 'Where is the God of the Christians?'"

What security is there for the churches of Britain if St Cuthbert with so great a throng of saints will not defend his own? Either this is the beginning of greater grief or the sins of those who live there have brought it upon themselves. This indeed has not happened by chance; it is a sign that someone has well deserved it . . .

Do not be cut to the heart by this terrible plight. "God chasteneth every son whom he receiveth." You he chastened more severely since he loved you more deeply. Jerusalem, God's beloved city, with its temple of God perished in Chaldean flames. Rome, encircled by the crown of saints, apostles and martyrs without number, was destroyed by the savagery of pagans but quickly recovered through the loving understanding of God. The whole of Europe almost was made a desert by the swords and flames of Goths or Huns. But now, God being merciful, it glitters with churches like the heavens with stars; and the observances of the Christian religion
thrive and grow.

For more, see:

Vikings, BBC

Stefan Lovgren, "Sagas" Portray Iceland's Viking History," National Geographic News, May 7, 2004.

Esaias Tegnér, Fridthjof's Saga: A Norse Romance (Chicago, 1901).

The Orkneyinga Saga (Edinburgh, 1873)

Vinland Archeology, Smithsonian.

Being a Christian in Today's World -- A Sermon

Luke 10:25-37

Growing up, my world seemed pretty simple. Being religious meant being a Christian. I didn't know many Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists. I didn't really even know anything about them. About as exotic as any of my friends got was being a Mormon. Today things are different, even if we don't always notice it. Mosques, synagogues, and Temples are everywhere. Just go two miles up Adams, and you’ll see a Hindu Temple under construction. Continue on up to Auburn Road and take a right, as you head toward Rochester Road, you’ll see two different mosques, one on the left and one on the right. Further down you’ll find an Albanian Catholic church, and then coming back down John R, at the corner of Long Lake, you’ll find a Romanian Pentecostal church. Turning right on Wattles, you’ll come to a Serbian Orthodox Church sitting next to Troy Athens High School, and then further on down Wattles, you’ll find a Croatian Catholic Church, a Greek Orthodox Church, a Jehovah’s Witness church, and a Reformed Jewish Synagogue. Scattered all along this route you’ll find Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, evangelical, Presbyterian, Methodist, and many other traditions. This is just a bit of the religious world I experience all the time, driving around this community.

It is common to hear people say, I'm not religious, but I am spiritual. People who speak of themselves in such a manner tend to be theologically eclectic and often stay clear of the kinds of religious communities I just mentioned. They’re concerned that such entities, whether big or small, Christian or not, might put boundaries on their ability to pick and choose what they believe and practice. With all of this religious diversity, from the institutional to the non-institutional, what does it mean to be a Christian? Or perhaps better, what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus in today’s world?

1. Being a Follower of Jesus Today

To get this admittedly rhetorical conversation going, I’ll give you a definition of what it means to be a Christian. Your definition might differ from mine, but that’s okay. This is just the beginning of our conversation.

A Christian is a follower of Jesus whose life is formed by a relationship with the God whom Jesus revealed to the world, when he took on flesh, lived, and died, and then was raised from the dead, so that in him all things might be made new. Yes, and a Christian is someone who loves God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength, and then loves one’s neighbor as oneself.

Maybe your definition adds to or subtracts from this brief statement, but hopefully we can all agree that if we love God and seek to follow Jesus, then this relationship with God will impact the way we live our lives.

In order for us to stay in relationship with God, we must nourish that relationship by spending time in God's presence. There are many spiritual practices that can aid in nurturing the faith we profess. We can talk to God through our prayers and listen for God's voice in quiet meditation. We can read and contemplate the scriptures, aided by other devotional and theological works. There is music and there is nature, which stir our souls and lead us back to the God who made all of this possible. Nurturing this relationship can and should happen both in moments spent alone with God and in moments spent in the company of others – especially as we gather together at the Lord’s Table. This love for God, which is nurtured by our faith practices, should lead naturally to loving our neighbor. As the prophet Micah put it, God has called us to "do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God" (Mic. 6:8).

2. Living in Right Relationship with Your Neighbor

But, who is this neighbor that we’re supposed to love? That’s what the lawyer wanted to know! He wanted to know where the boundaries were. From the nature of the discussion it would appear that his neighborhood was smaller than that of Jesus.

Jesus answered the lawyer’s question with a parable that turned his world and ours upside down. It wouldn’t be a priest or a Levite, the religious leaders of the day, who would exemplify this love of neighbor. Instead, it would be a Samaritan. This suggestion must have repulsed the lawyer, who likely viewed Samaritans as dirty, evil, and detestable! To get a sense of his surprise, think in terms of an illegal alien from Mexico giving aid to a white suburbanite in Phoenix, as a pastor and an elder from a good middle class Protestant church pass by.

Mohandas Gandhi wasn’t a Christian, but he offers us a good example of the kind of neighbor Jesus is envisioning. It’s interesting that Jesus was one of the influences on Gandhi’s ethic of nonviolence. He took seriously Jesus' call to turn the other cheek and he used it effectively to lead his people to independence, in part by reminding the British of the teachings of their own faith. Gandhi would have appreciated the question everyone was asking just a few years back: “What would Jesus do?” Although Jesus didn't give us instructions on how to deal with modern technology or national policy discussions, he did show us how to love God and neighbor. I don't know what kind of car he would drive – remember he was known for walking -- but I do think that Jesus would have agreed with Micah, when the prophet says that God requires of us justice, loving kindness, and humility as we walk with God.

• 
  
  JUSTICE:

Martin Luther King had a dream "that one day this nation will rise up, and live out the true meaning of its creed: we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." We still haven't reached that day. Racism and discrimination are still with us. After 9/11 many Muslims became victims of prejudice and fear. Christian preachers continue to disparage Islam, Muhammad, and Muslims. Then there’s the issue of immigration, which we as a nation have been unable to resolve. In calling us to love our neighbor, I believe that Jesus wants us to work for the good of everyone, no matter their religion, politics, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, race, or social class.

Although we all fall short in this calling, sometimes things begin to change for us when a new relationship stirs us to action. I had never really thought much about the place of women in church or society until I met Kari. We worked together at a Christian book store when I was in seminary. We quickly became close friends, and since both of us were studying theology and ministry – she at a local Bible college and me at the seminary – we talked a lot about her call to ministry. Although she had the gifts and the calling, her faith community put limits on what she could do. Through our friendship I received a gentle nudge from the Spirit to become an advocate for the equality of women in church and society. Some of you may have felt a similar push from the Spirit on other issues. Being a Christian means being an advocate for justice and that means advocating for the equality of all human beings, even those we don't agree with!

• 
  
  LOVING KINDNESS:

Christian faith leads to compassion and mercy toward others, no matter who they are. The Samaritan didn't ask the injured man about his religion, race, economic status, immigration status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. He was simply moved with pity for a person in need. Consider Mother Theresa, she didn’t ask about the background of the lepers she served in India. She saw the need and got busy. Sharing God’s loving kindness with my neighbor might lead me to volunteer with hospice, serve meals at a homeless shelter, build houses in Mexico or in Detroit, or care for AIDS victims as they face death.

• 
  
  HUMILITY:

Being a Christian also means being humble. Humility recognizes that we don't have all the answers. It leaves room for doubt, and it allows us to listen to the voice of others. We like to be right and we want our answers black and white, with no shades of gray. As Joe Friday used to say, "Just the facts, ma'am." But, in today's postmodern, pluralistic world we must be ready to hear God’s voice in unexpected ways. Disciple pastor Jan Linn speaks of living with "clear ambiguity." That is, sometimes the answers we seek are "as clear as mud." (Jan Linn, How to be an Open-minded Christian without Losing Your Faith, Chalice Press, 2002, p.72).

As Christians living in the 21st Century, we face difficult and complicated questions, and often we don’t have a clear and unequivocal word from God. Issues like the environment, immigration, war, divorce, homosexuality, the use of alcohol, capital punishment, abortion, and the role of women in the church all stand before us. Devout Christians take stands on all sides of these issues, so, what should we do? It takes humility to stop and listen to the other side. History can help us in this. Remember that in the 19th century many Christians believed that it was okay to have slaves. After all, Paul told slaves to obey their masters. It took a war to get our attention, but today most American Christians abhor slavery.

It isn't easy being a Christian. But then justice, compassion, and humility don't come easily. Fortunately, we have a loving and gracious God, who is slow to anger and quick to show mercy. God's wondrous grace allows us to take risks. If we fall, the Spirit is there to lift us up. So, as we consider our calling to be a Christian in today's world, let us recite and meditate upon the “Prayer of St. Francis,” (Chalice Hymnal, 468), praying that God will make each of us an instrument of God’s peace in today's world.

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon:

where there is doubt, faith ;

where there is despair, hope

where there is darkness, light

where there is sadness, joy

O divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
July 11, 2010
7th Sunday after Pentecost

Table Grace -- A Sermon

Luke 7:36-50

H.L. Mencken described a Puritan as a "person with a haunting fear that someone, somewhere is happy."1 Unfortunately that description could apply to many Christian communities. Churches are often places of discord, abuse, and fountains of hate, even though this stands in contrast to Jesus’s message of grace, love and forgiveness. This attitude is often enabled by a legalism that is contrary to Jesus’ message of freedom, healing, and acceptance.

Unfortunately, this reality has led large numbers of people to conclude that the church of Jesus Christ is the last place to go if you’re looking for a word of hope or happiness. The word on the street is that churches are places of ostracism, exclusion, and condemnation, where no one dares to laugh, lest they offend God and their neighbor. I hope that’s not true here, but that’s the reputation we must deal with!

1. AN INVITATION TO DINNER

This reputation of legalism and exclusiveness isn’t new. You see it on display in the attitudes of Simon the Pharisee and his friends, who are sharing a meal with Jesus, as they responded to a woman who enters their meeting without an invitation. But, not only wasn’t she on the guest list, but she was a known sinner; a woman who lived across the tracks and down the back alley. It’s possible that some of the people in that room knew her by more than reputation, but they would never admit to it. Yes, whatever it was that she had done in life, she now lived as an outcast. She was a persona non grata – a person without grace.

When she entered the room, she went over to where Jesus lay at table and knelt before him. As she knelt down, she began to weep uncontrollably, bathing his feet with her tears. Then, perhaps unconsciously, she unloosened her hair, something no woman did in polite company, and began to dry his feet with her hair. Finally she began to kiss his feet and anoint them with the costly perfume she had brought with her in an alabaster jar. These actions, not just those of the woman, but those of Jesus as well, scandalized Simon. How could Jesus, he wondered out loud, let this sinner, this unclean person, touch him like that? It was unseemly, even obscene. Here, he was supposedly a prophet of God, allowing himself to be touched by an unclean woman. Surely no self-respecting prophet would let such a thing happen.

2. THE STORY

Simon’s outburst, led to a brief story. Jesus responded to Simon by telling him a parable about two debtors. One man had been five-hundred denarii, which was a lot of money, and the other had received fifty denarii. Now, fifty is quite a bit of money – maybe two months’ salary, but it’s nothing in comparison to the 500, which might be equal to a couple of year’s salary. When it came time to repay the debt, neither of these borrowers could repay, and so the lender forgave the debts rather than casting the men into debtors’ prison. Then, Jesus asked Simon: "Which of them will love him more?" With reluctance Simon admitted that it was the one who owed the most who loved the most.

Yes the woman was a sinner, but so was Simon. The only difference was that she recognized this fact, perhaps because her sins might have been more obvious. So, it would seem that since she had been forgiven more, she loved more. Simon, believing he was sin-free and pious, had little use for the woman or forgiveness. And therefore, unlike her, he had no need to show gratitude to God or anyone else.

The woman’s actions seemed scandalous, but not only were they acts of gratitude, they contrasted strongly with the actions or lack thereof of Simon. You see, Simon had invited Jesus to dinner, but he failed to act as a proper host. That’s because a proper host greets the guest with a kiss and anoints with oil. The host also makes sure that the guest’s feet are washed. Simon didn’t do any of this for Jesus, but this “sinful” woman did what Simon refused to do.

You see, Simon’s problem was that, like us, he had different categories of sin. So, he concluded that whatever sins he might have committed, they were nothing compared to the sins of this woman. She was impure, perhaps even a woman of ill repute. But Jesus responded to his unspoken sentiment by saying: "those who are forgiven little, love little" (vs. 47).

3. THE TABLE OF GRACE

Well, I’ve been in the church all my life, and I’ve seen the “good, the bad, and the ugly” in the church. I’ve seen families disown their children in the name of God, and I’ve heard Christian leaders utter racial slurs and speak hatefully of others. I’ve seen churches split over such little things as the color of the carpet or the doors. I wish I could say that I wasn’t part of the problem, but I know I’m as guilty as anyone else. Certainly, God is weeping at seeing us fight, gossip, and defaming others. Perhaps we’ve not yet understood the message of grace. Perhaps we’ve not understood the depths of our own sinfulness, and the promise of forgiveness. And, so because we think we have little to be forgiven of, we show very little love to others, especially those who are different from us.

As we come to the Table of the Lord this morning, it’s appropriate to confess to God that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and grace. It’s also important to remember that the table isn’t just for the saints. It’s also for sinners. If this isn’t true, then none of us would have the right to come to the table.

The good news is that the Table of the Lord is truly a place where sinners gather to receive a word of grace and comfort. Bread and Cup are signs of Jesus' body and blood, which beckon us forward so we can find peace, hope, and joy. This is a table of grace that’s open to anyone who recognizes the need for that grace. It doesn't matter what you’re wearing or how you look or even how much money you make. In welcoming both the woman and Simon, Jesus welcomes all of us into his family.

It may sometimes seem like we’ve heard this message of forgiveness one too many times. Shouldn’t we have already gotten the message, so that we can move onto bigger and better things? Simon’s response to this woman, who entered his home without an invitation, reminds us that we can never hear this message too often. Indeed, it is this message of forgiveness and grace that will allow us to live out our core value of acceptance. As a church we’re able to accept others, because we’ve already been accepted by God.

This is a message that requires more from us than mere assent. It is, as William Willimon writes:

For Jesus, forgiveness is not some doctrine to be believed; rather, it is a feast to be received, a party to which the outcasts are invited, a gift to be received with empty hands. So Jesus not only tells a parable at the table, he becomes a parable, a sign to us of what God is up to in the world. In Jesus, God is busy inviting the whole world to the table.2

The invitation has been given to everyone who will hear and receive it: Come to the table and enjoy the bounteous grace of God, for your sins are forgiven, and you have been saved. Go in peace.

1. Quoted in Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing about Grace? (Zondervan, 1997), 29
2. William Willimon, Pulpit Resource, 29 (April, May, June 2001): 53. 

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, MI
Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 13, 2010

A PASSIONATE PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN REVIVAL? (By Bruce Epperly)

I have asked Dr. Bruce Epperly, a Disciples/UCC pastor and professor at Lancaster Theological Seminary to write a series of guest postings.  This is the first of those postings.   Keep an eye out for the next offering as it will follow up on this most important piece.

****************************************************

Recently, I asked my theology students the following questions: “What would you think of Christianity if the only Christian you heard in the public sphere was Pat Robertson asserting that the earthquake in Haiti was the result of divine punishment? If that’s all you heard, would you want to have anything to do with Christianity?” After a spirited discussion, I reminded my class that for most people, especially persons who have not grown up in the church, Pat Robertson, Fred Phelps, Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, and religious spokespersons who denounce the theory of evolution and evidence of global climate change as demonic are the only Christian voices they hear! Progressive and moderate Christians seldom get a hearing in the public sphere, nor do we often share our witness with passion and clarity.

I spent part of Good Friday in conversation with a pastor who believes that the current political and religious context is calling for a moderate and progressive revival, a 21st century progressive Great Awakening. Yes, I said “revival!” She had been mulling over a documentary, chronicling Billy Graham’s career as North America’s premier evangelist and wondered if progressives shouldn’t initiate such a spiritual revival in our time. Her words, to use the language of my evangelical friends, “convicted” me. They reminded me that we are involved in a type of spiritual warfare and that we, as progressives, haven’t yet gathered a strong team of peaceful warriors to get our message out in the theological, spiritual, political, and public sphere. We seem content with slow decline, when we should be moving forward to take a central place in North America’s future spiritual landscape.

There is a gathering cultural and religious storm in the United States: we see it in the racist and homophobic epithets and death threats directed at members of the House of Representatives; the rise of Christian militia groups; the apocalyptic language invoked by the more radical members of the Tea Party movement, some of which is encouraged by the inflammatory language of media personalities and conservative political figures. Some of this is not new, but the volume been raised and has virtually drowned out the voices of progressive and moderate Christians in the public sphere and on cable television news.

One thing I appreciate about many of my conservative friends is that they are quite emphatic about what they believe. They recognize that the stakes are high, and they want to shape the outcome of the political and religious battles of our time. Perhaps, we progressives need to inject greater passion in our theology and spirituality, so that people will know that there is a Christianity that is open-spirited, welcoming of diversity, spiritually dynamic, supportive of the scientific enterprise whether it involves the theory of evolution, genetic research, or the recognition of global climate change. We need to make our witness known in the public sphere because, more often than not, most people outside of the church are amazed that it is possible to be a Christian and believe that:

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  The universe is fourteen billion years old.
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  Evolution is compatible with faith in God.
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  Humankind isn’t necessarily the center of God’s plan and that other species matter as well.
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  The bible is inspired but not infallible.
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  Faithful persons can have serious questions about their beliefs.
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  Persons of other faiths also receive revelations from God.
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  Non-Christians, atheists, and agnostics can be “saved.”
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  Progressives have a prayer life and believe in divine healing.
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  Persons of faith are interested in saving the earth.
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  God treasures ethnic, sexual, religious and cultural diversity.
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  Persons can disagree without hating one another.
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  The Bible supports an ethic of social concern supports the rights of immigrants and the recent health care initiatives.
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  Jesus’ had female followers and these women were given the Great Commission before their male companions.
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  Christianity is a diverse and multifaceted faith.
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  God is alive, present, and moving in our lives.
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  God wants us to be free, creative, and adventurous.
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  God does not cause earthquakes, cancer, or tsunami.
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  God is into love and not punishment.
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  We have a role in shaping the future of the planet.

A few days ago at the Easter Service at Disciples United Community Church (http://www.ducc.us/) in Lancaster, PA., the members of our open and affirming, progressive, spirit-centered church, shared seeds of resurrection. Their words witnessed to God’s seeds of resurrection growing through:

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  Trust in everlasting God’s care for a relative who died in a sudden accident.
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   Recovery from addiction.
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  The first steps toward universal health care.
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   The movement toward marriage equality.
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   The power of prayer to change lives.
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  A relative coming home after a two month absence.
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   Family reconciliation.
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   A healthy pregnancy.

As my evangelical friends say, “that will preach,” and it preached at Easter in our small community of faith. When we boldly give our testimony, our progressive witness does preach – it is good news of affirmation, revelation, healing, and love that embraces all humanity and welcomes diversity. It is good news that God never gives up even at the moment of death. It is good news that small beginnings can lead to great adventures. It is good news that God loves diversity, cherishes multiplicity, and encourages creativity.

We progressives have a witness that we can be passionate about and can share in heartfelt ways at church, in the public square, and in the media. Nearly a hundred years ago, William James spoke of the “moral equivalent of war,” that is, the willingness for persons to become “peaceful warriors,” energetically and ardently committing ourselves to a great cause. As progressive and moderate Christians, we don’t need to demonize or demean those who take different political or religious pathways, but we need to be strong in our witness, faithful in our quest for justice, dedicated in our spiritual practices, and active in our political involvement. Perhaps, we need our own “revivalists” today – on line, in the community square, in the media, and in our pulpits, for the great cause of healing this good earth and its peoples.

In concluding today’s thoughts, let me ask: What would a passionate, progressive revival look like? Where and how might we get involved in shaping such a revival? What are our “seeds of resurrection?” What words do we need to say and whom do we need to challenge? What role might we play in a theological, spiritual, and political revival today?

Bruce Epperly is a seminary professor and administrator, pastor, theologian, and spiritual companion. He is the author of seventeen books, including Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living, a response to Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life. (http://www.bruceepperly.com/)

Mormons Are Christians Too

I am a big fan of the HBO series "Big Love", but the fact of the matter is that it rarely shows what life is like for the average 'Mormon' family in America or around the world. Led on by media depictions of fringe fundamentalists, 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' has gotten a bad name in some circles.

The fact is that the vast majority of the followers of this particular strand of Christianity are regular folks, including many famous people. Donny and Marie Osmond, stars of their own 1970's variety show as teens and now again thanks to recent appearances on the popular "Dancing With the Stars" program are part of perhaps the most famous American Mormon family.

Others who have either been raised in or converted to the faith include the man recently selected as the best 2nd baseman of the 2000's, Jeff Kent, who may one day be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. They also include the recent popular "American Idol' runner-up David Archuleta. And child actor turned adult drama TV star Rick Schroeder converted to the church of which his wife has been a lifelong member.

Perhaps the most important and influential member of the church is former Massachusetts Governor and leading Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. That importance comes from the fact of his legitimacy as a presidential candidate for a major political party. During the 2008 election cycle, Romney ran a year-long campaign during which he won the Michigan and Nevada primaries among the 11 state primaries and caucuses that he won before dropping out in February of '08.

There have been some who have criticized Romney's faith as 'fraud' and wondered how, if he truly believes in the LDS (Latter-Day Saints) tenets as a man he can be taken seriously as a candidate. That is ridiculous on it's face. It's not like he is worshiping an alien mother ship. And his faith should certainly be no more an obstacle than was that of John F. Kennedy's Catholicism in 1960 or any other Christian believer.

In running for the presidency and having his Catholicism brought up, Kennedy responded famously: "..if the time should ever come when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office." Mitt Romney has taken up that challenge and said that he would "no more take orders from Salt Lake City than Kennedy would from Rome."

That should be the end of that story, unless of course you find something mainstream about Catholicism and crazy about the LDS faith. So what do you know about 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints'? It's time to take a look at some of the key elements of that faith system, explore the legends and the fringe elements, and give you a more realistic picture than what you might have currently in mind.

Let's start with the word 'Mormon' itself, which is generally accepted to mean "more good" and which was described that way first by either Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS movement, or another early church leader. W.W. Phelps. It is also the name of the narrator of the 'Book of Mormon', the Bible-esque sacred text of the church first published by Smith in 1830.

The Book of Mormon is widely regarded within the church as not just sacred scripture, but also as a history of God's relationship with His church in the Americas going back over a 1,000 year period. Smith claims that he received the book from an angel in 1827. It was written on what were called 'golden plates', the originals of which Smith had to return to the angel after translation into English.

The main theme of both the book and the faith is described in it's title page: "convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations." The book teaches at one point that after his resurrection, Jesus visited some of the early inhabitants of the Americas.

It goes on to teach that Jesus is: "God himself who shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people, being the Father and the Son — the Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son — and they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth."

Along with solid Christian themes, the book delves into political and philosophical areas, especially in regards to the idea of American exceptionalism. It calls America a "land of promise", and perhaps in what could be a warning to our current time it teaches that "any righteous society possessing the land would be protected, whereas if they became wicked they would be destroyed and replaced with a more righteous civilization."

Joseph Smith himself was born in Vermont in 1805. In 1823 he claims to have been visited by the angel 'Moroni' who was the guardian of and who first revealed the 'golden plates' to Smith, and who eventually allowed Smith to dig them up and translate them. The translation was completed in 1830, and the Book of Mormon was then first published and the 'Church of Christ' was first formed.

The church in it's earliest days under Smith's leadership grew through periods of drama and scandal spreading from New York through to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois among other stops. Many of it's early leaders who would go on to become legendary figures, such as Brigham Young, came to the church in these years. It was in Illinois in 1844 that Smith met his end, assassinated by an anti-Mormon group inspired in part by his embracing and teaching of polygamy.

One idea that had triggered much hatred towards the Mormons was this introduction of 'the Principle' of plural marriage, popularly known as the practice of polygamy. Smith claimed to be inspired to the practice himself, and it is thus still practiced today by fundamentalist Mormons who believe that they should practice the faith in the way that Smith did. The LDS church officially banned polygamy in 1890 after it was officially declared illegal, and any church member now caught practicing it is excommunicated.

While it is these fundamentalist sects that draw much attention from the government and the sensationalist headline-seeking news media, and while it also is the main story line of "Big Love", this relatively small segment does not represent mainstream modern day LDS beliefs. The bottom line is that the LDS church is a Christian church, it has over 13 million members worldwide, is the 2nd-fastest growing church in America, it believes in the divinity of and teachings of Christ, and is as 'mainstream' as any other Christian faith.

As most everyone who follows this little blog of mine knows, I am a Catholic through and through, and I would enthusiastically encourage every single member of the LDS church, any other Christian church, and any other faith system at all to closely explore and strongly consider joining what I believe to be God's one true church. Catholicism is where I believe the best interpretations of his Word can be found. But for all it's critics out there, the fact of the matter on the LDS church is that Mormons are Christians too.

Britt Hume's Advice to Tiger Woods

Everyone pretty much knows the story of Tiger Woods' recent fall from grace. It became public that the mega-star athlete and corporation head was a serial adulterer. The married Woods is the father of two kids in diapers and cashed in greatly not only on his golfing acumen, but also on a squeaky-clean family man image.

Since the numerous affairs began to become public at Thanksgiving following a late night domestic incident and auto accident at his home, Woods' sponsorship deals have disappeared and his golf career put on hold as his family disintegrated in public.

Into this mess last Sunday waded Fox News political analyst and veteran newsman Britt Hume. On the program 'Fox News Sunday', the network's key Sunday news offering on major events, the panel participants were commenting on the big stories in the coming year. In the category of sports, Hume decided to tackle the immediate future of Tiger Woods, opining that Woods would indeed recover his golfing career this year.

However, Hume did not stop there. He went on to add that though Woods, who is believed to be a follower of Buddhism in his religious leanings, would indeed regain his golfing status, he might have a more difficult time in battling and overcoming his personal moral demons. Here is the full, exact quote by Hume at it's relevant point:

"My message would be to Tiger..turn to the Christian faith, and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

Uh oh, take cover, Britt Hume! Head for the hills! Here come the leftists and atheists with their pitch forks! A Christian daring to go on national television and expound that the best course of action for a fallen human being to take would be to turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and redemption? An outrageous scandal in the making!

The responses from the liberals was fast and furious this past week. A perfect example was Huffington Post blogger Eve Tahmincioglu, who termed Hume's commentary "bigotry" and further stated she could only "loosely" call him a journalist. Hume has worked for UPI, has been ABC's chief White House correspondent, and has been in the industry for 40 years, having twice been named 'Best in the Business' by the American Journalism Review.

But that is what liberals do best when their ideals, or lack of them, are challenged. Rather than express their own positive messages that extol their own ideas, liberals attack and smear, taking a page from their Saul Alinsky bible. As Britt Hume showed last Sunday, mainstream America is no longer afraid of these fringe radical attacks on American traditionalism and religious freedoms.

The fact is that the U.S. Constitution does not include any references whatsoever to any 'separation of church and state', and in fact makes numerous references to God, as do numerous other documents including the Declaration of Independence. Rather than stifling or eliminating references to religion, the Constitution simply protects the right of Americans to freely express their religious beliefs without being forced to embrace a state-sponsored particular religion.

For decades now, Christians have been under attack by left-wing radicals who embrace atheist concepts as a part of their socialist or communist agendas. It has been particularly Christians who are attacked because Christianity is far and away the leading religious belief system in America, and because our nation was founded largely by Christians acting on the principles that were espoused by their belief system.

All that Britt Hume did last Sunday was give public utterance to the exact teachings of Jesus Christ Himself. Christ taught "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whomever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." It just doesn't get any clearer than that.

What Tiger Woods did was to sin, plain and simple. Sin has been called "the greatest evil, being the root and source of all evil." Tiger needs to acknowledge his sin for what it is, he needs to seek forgiveness from his God for that sin, and he needs to seek redemption in the only way possible by believing in and accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

Now many believers in other religious systems would take umbrage to that statement. They might believe that there is some other path that Tiger Woods can take to ask for forgiveness and to receive his redemption. Whatever you believe, that isn't the point. The simple point is that Britt Hume, and the nearly 80% of Americans who are also Christian, legitimately believe what he said is plain and simple truth, and that they have a Constitutionally protected right to express that belief.

Expect further attacks from the liberal media including newscasters from other networks, comedians, politicians, and members of other faith systems. At the same time, it is long past time for the more than 200 million Christian Americans to stand up for ourselves and for Christ in a public manner. If they want a fight, it's time to make it a two-sided brawl, for there is nothing more important to humanity or to individual men than the salvation of our immortal souls.

It is not only truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to true redemption for your sins, for Tiger Woods sins, but it is also truth that you will undeniably and absolutely find the peace of mind and the wholeness of self that all human beings seek if you simply do what Britt Hume advised Tiger Woods to do: "turn to the Christian faith", to Jesus Christ and his Word.

NOTE: This is a continuation of the regular 'Sunday Sermon' series, all entries of which you can view by clicking on that label below this aritcle at www.mattveasey.com

The Two Millenia Miracle

What do you believe about Christmas? At this time of year, billions of people on the planet are celebrating the birth of a baby that happened over two millenia ago in a small town in what we know today as the Middle East. Have you ever stopped to ask a simple question, one that would appear to be logical? That question would be, why?

Let's take a trip back in time. We'll make it a reality trip, one that journeys into the real world of those days and a few more over the ensuing centuries. Starting in first century Bethlehem in Judea, we find it dry and hot. No one exchanged Christmas cards. There were no trees being decorated. No one wore a crucifix around their neck.

Depending on whatever you choose to believe, on one mostly quiet night a teenage girl gave birth in a room, or a cave, or a barn, or a stable. Her child was a son, and she and her older carpenter fiancee would eventually take this child home with them to Nazareth and raise him through boyhood and adolescence into early manhood.

As a man, he would eventually become a preacher and a teacher, extolling men to love one another. Many of his teachings would run counter to the religious and political powers of the day, and he and his followers would eventually be seen as dangerous. He was taken into custody and ultimately killed by crucifixion, typical of political prisoners of Rome in those days.

There is little to suggest on the surface that there is anything special about this story. Baby born in a small town in the middle of nowhere to a teenage single mother grows up to become a somewhat popular preacher and is crucified as thousands of others were who also dared to stand up against the powers-that-be of the day.

In the aftermath of his death, his dozen or so closest followers are afraid for their own lives. They deny knowing him and go into hiding. Over the next few decades they will argue among and splinter apart from one another over how he actually would want them to remember him and continue to spread the word.

A few centuries after his death, with all of those original followers long dead and gone, the mother of a Roman ruler suddenly begins to believe, manages to convert her son, and the once obscure belief system becomes mainstream. What has become known as 'Christianity' grows and spreads.

Over the next 1,600 years the 'Church' of these followers in the teachings of Jesus Christ will explode around the world and across history in numbers of believers, material wealth, and influence. It is estimated that today there are well over 200 million Christians in America, over 76% of the entire population of the United States.

Around the world today there are over 2 billion Christians. One out of ever three people on the planet believe in the deity of that small baby born to that unwed teenage mother in that small town over two thousand years ago. How do you account for that, other than divinely inspired and shepherded miracle?

No matter what the actual day and date may have been, tonight we celebrate the birth of that small boy child. Few could possibly have realized it at the time, but the child born that night in those humble circumstances would be an undeniable light unto the world.

So back to the original question that I asked. What do you believe about Christmas? If you celebrate it, but don't believe in Jesus Christ, then why do you celebrate it? Because everyone else does? That's pretty lame of you. If you don't celebrate it, then how do you account for the miracle of these past two millenia? How do you account for more than 2 billion adherents today? Mass hysteria?

The purpose here was to challenge you to think about not only Christmas, but the particular origination of the holiday, the 'reason for the season', the actual birth of Jesus Christ. Think about how that small child grew into a man about whom it can be legitimately claimed has changed and influenced the world more than any other that ever walked the face of the earth.

The two millenia miracle continues to grow and spread today. Despite constant and increasing attacks on the celebration of Christmas here in America, it cannot be erased from the public consciousness. The reason that Christianity has grown and spread and continues to do so against the forces of secularism, radical Islam, and other sworn enemies is a simple one: it is Truth. Merry Christmas.

Remaining Thankful in the Worst of Times

If we live long enough here on earth, every single one of us is going to experience difficult times. Some of those are going to overwhelm us, challenging us to the limits of our ability to recover feelings of joy, peace, and thankfulness.

This coming week here in America we will celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving Day, a day specifically set aside for us all to give thanks for those blessings that we have received in this life. Though it may indeed be difficult, it is important that we remain thankful in the worst of those difficult times.

As this wonderful holiday approaches, I have been reminded recently of a pair of heartening messages, the first taught by Jesus Christ and the second by the apostle Paul: "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world" and "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

In the first of these statements, Jesus let's all of us know in no uncertain terms that we are indeed going to experience difficult times in this world. We are going to experience physical illness and injury. We are going to experience other people in our lives, at times the very closest and dearest to us, letting us down. We are going to experience death, both of our loved ones and ultimately our own.

But also in no uncertain terms, Jesus declares that He has overcome the world. We have all been promised that if we remain strong in our faith, that one day we too shall overcome the world and join Him in His kingdom in Heaven.

Have you experienced the sudden, tragic death of a loved one, perhaps someone who was your best friend, your partner in life, your husband or wife? Perhaps you have experienced the incredibly tragic pain of losing a child, one whom you raised and taught and played with? Many of us have experienced the loss of a parent, a mom or dad who helped preserve our own deepest feelings of security.

I cannot imagine how those with no faith can deal with these situations and remain sane and functional as human beings. With faith we understand that all is in God's loving hands, and that we are all offered a chance at eternal peace, health, and happiness.

We will all pass on from this earth, that is a fact. Tens of billions of people have lived on this tiny planet over the millenia. Every single one of them has died. That includes our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, his mother, Mary, and every single great or holy secular or religious leader that was ever born.

The great gift that we receive when we have faith in Jesus Christ comes in the knowledge that He died for us. His suffering and death were enormous, painful, and difficult. If you have never done so, watch Mel Gibson's truthful, passionate retelling in "The Passion of the Christ."

Jesus Christ experienced people turning away from Him, from the very Word of God. He experienced His closest friends denying they even knew Him. He experienced physical pain and psychological torture. He experienced public mockery and challenges to His sanity and His soul. And He finally experienced suffering and death on a cross.

He experienced all of this so that we might learn the truth that there is more for us beyond this world. He has promised us that if we follow and believe in Him, that we will join him in eternal peace and joy with God in Heaven. Every one of our friends and family members who has ever passed away has also had this opportunity.

We can be secure that those who have died believing in Him, even should that sincere belief have come in their final days or moments, are with Him now in Heaven, and that we will see them again one day. Also, those who left us as innocents are absolutely together with Him this very moment. It should be our life's primary purpose to ensure that we accept Jesus with faith so that we can indeed join them one day.

In the second statement that I mentioned earlier, Paul implores us to "give thanks in all circumstances" because whatever it is that we are going through, if we truly understand God's love in faith then we understand that we are never, ever alone in our difficulties.

Many of us have been given the gift of family and friends to help us through the difficult times that will inevitably visit us. These people are the ones who will stand by us and stay with us, no matter our troubles. They will be there to offer a shoulder to cry on, arms to wrap around us and comfort us, words to encourage and strengthen us.

But even if we have few friends and family, we are still never alone. Even when your friends and family are not physically there with you, you are still never alone. Even if it is that one person who seemed to always be there for you who has been taken from you, you are still not alone. In every moment of your life, God is there. You only need turn to Him and acknowledge Him.

Paul teaches that it was God's will for you to be thankful in all circumstances, including the worst, most difficult, and most painful. He teaches that it is in Jesus Christ and His teachings and example that we are to find the ability to give that thanks.

No matter how difficult the event, no matter how painful the experience, there are others here on earth who are suffering more right now and who have suffered more in the past. Every one of us is promised that peace, joy, and love with God in eternity if we remain faithful.

As this day and season of Thanksgiving comes to us, we should always remember and be grateful for every good time that has come to us on this earth. We should be thankful for the gift of every good moment that we were ever given with every good person in our lives. But no matter what, most of all we must overcome earthly pain and loss, and remain thankful for what will last forever - God's undying love for us.

Christian Plight in the Middle East

Pope Benedict XVI’s recently concluded visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, highlighted the demographic and political decline of Christian communities in the region. Nearly a century ago Christians accounted for 20 percent of the region’s population — today they number less than 5 percent. Israel is the only place in the Middle East where Christian social and political growth is taking place. Elsewhere in the region, a dwindling Christian population is getting close to extinction as a result of Muslim intimidation and violence and, lack of economic opportunities leading to ever increasing emigration.

Significantly, in preparation for the Pope’s visit, few commentators reminded us that the Middle East was once the heart of Christianity, that cities such as Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem were once major Christian centers and, that the modern states of Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey were once part of the Christian Byzantine Empire. The Jihad out of Arabia by the Prophet Muhammad’s successors forced the vast majority of Christian and Jewish populations to choose between conversion to Islam or becoming a dhimmis (a tolerated, heavily taxed and humiliated second-class citizen — manifesting itself in, for example, the invalidation of their court testimony against a Muslim’s and, the restriction against building church spires that exceeds the height of a mosque). This process of Islamization took root and through the centuries millions of Christians converted to Islam by the sword and/or for economic survival. Christian communities that survived intact were usually mountain dwellers, specifically the Lebanese Christians.

In modern times, Christianity became a small minority in the region where they once constituted an absolute majority. In the 19th century, the arrival of western Christian missionaries revived, in small measure, Christian community life. American missionaries built universities in Cairo, Beirut and in Turkey. Catholic and Lutheran schools (grade and high schools) revived education among native Christians but not much reverse conversion occurred. The fear of death on account of apostasy prevented large scale Muslim conversion to Christianity.

The rise of Arab nationalism gave Christians a role to play in various Arab States. Christians seeking to be accepted as equals by the Muslim majority championed various universalist movements. Men like Michel Aflaq founded the Ba’ath Party, an Arab national socialist party that drew its inspiration from European dictatorships such as Germany and Italy. Khalid Bakdash, established the communist party in Syria and Lebanon, and George Habash formed the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist-Leninist Palestinian terrorist organization.

The participation of Arab Christians began to diminish in the 1970s following the Six-Day War, when Israel defeated the much superior forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq with contingents from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria and Yemen. Simultaneously, there was a meteoric rise of Islamism fueled by Saudi Wahhabi petrodollars. Millions of Egyptians and Levantines pouring into Saudi Arabia and the Gulf in pursuit of job opportunities became Wahhabi devotees.

The resulting decline of Arab nationalism affected a change in the Arab psyche; an intense anti-Western attitude arose among the masses and the elites alike. Arab Muslims wanted an authentic Arab answer to their political, social and economic plight, and Islamism became the answer. The success of the Iranian revolution also stimulated a Sunni-Islamist response. National identities retreated as religious consciousness advanced. The importation of ideas from the west during earlier decades, which pushed modernization and enlightenment in the Arab world, was gradually replaced by religious values centered on Islamic spirituality and conservatism. Political Islam became a force that attracted the young and educated.

Back in 1991, this writer interviewed Bethlehem’s legendary Christian mayor Elias Freij, who noted that 40,000 Christians had departed the area. He said, “Go to Santiago, Chile, that is where you will find the Christians of Bethlehem.” When asked why, he replied that “It was difficult for Christians here.” Privately however Christians in the Bethlehem-Beth Sahor-Beth Jala triangle, plead with westerners to let the world know about their oppression at the hands of Fatah gangs. Palestinian Authority (PA) officials intimidate Christians into selling desired properties at undervalued prices. Christian girls are victims of harassment, rape and forced conversion, and Christian-owned businesses are often torched by PA-sanctioned gangs for non-payment of protection money.

Arab-Palestinian Christians are afraid to complain to the foreign press for fear of retribution in the form of rape of their daughters or wives, murder and beatings. Often times, they are required to make anti-Israel proclamations as an offering of loyalty to the Palestinian cause.

The persecution of Christians is pervasive throughout the region. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is likely to take over control of the government following the upcoming June elections and eventually modify the secular nature of the state that was created by the French ostensibly to accommodate Christians in the Levant. And in Egypt, Coptic Christians, about 10 percent of Egypt’s 75 million, are feeling the brunt of the increasingly radicalized Muslim population which has drastically curtailed Christian employment in government, and reduced their once dominant role in the Egyptian economy. Muslim violence against Christians in Egypt is ignored by the Mubarak regime. Churches are torched and young Christian girls are raped and forcibly converted to Islam. Relatives who go to the police end up being beaten and having to serve time in prison.

Six years ago, the Christian population of Iraq was about 1.5 million. The deliberate murder of Christians by their Muslim neighbors and various jihadi groups has caused them to flee, reducing by half the current number of Iraqi Christians

The apparent triumph of radical Islam in the Arab Middle East bodes ill for the remaining Christian minorities. Pope Benedict’s visit to the region should prompt the Holy See to launch a worldwide campaign that demands tolerance, religious freedom and human rights for all minorities in the Muslim world. The Pope must put aside political correctness and multiculturalism, and rally the Christian world including the European Union and the United States, to demand reciprocity from the Muslim world. If Christianity is not allowed to exist freely in the Arab-Muslim world, then Muslims minorities should not be able to erect mosques, and enjoy full equality in the democratic west.

WRITTEN by Joseph Puder for The Bulletin on May 26th, 2009. As always, the title of this item is a link to the original article

National Day of Prayer

In 1775, the First Continental Congress called for a National Day of Prayer. In 1952 Congress established the NDP as an annual event by a joint resolution, signed into law by President Truman. In 1988, the law was amended to designate the first Thursday in May for NDP, and was signed into law by President Reagan.

The mission of the National Day of Prayer Task Force is to communicate with every family the need for personal repentance and prayer, and to mobilize families to personal and corporate prayer, particularly on behalf of the nation and those in leadership on all levels of local, national, church and educational areas of influence.

In 1800, John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail, "I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof!" It was his last year in office, but the first year any president occupied the White House.

Franklin D. Roosevelt had Adam's quote lettered in gold in the marble over the fireplace in the State Dining Room of the White House.

Indeed, prayer is the only enduring path to hope and change, and our nation needs a lot of both right now. However, the current inhabitant of the White House will not be observing NDP. Robert Gibbs told his press club, "We're doing a proclamation, which I know that many administrations in the past have done," but Obama will not be inviting faith leaders to the White House (like Wright, Pfleger and Farrakhan?), or attending any of the events associate with NDP.

That notwithstanding, The Patriot Post's National Advisory Board and staff invite you to join us, and millions of our countrymen, in prayer for our nation today at 12:00 local time. The NDP theme for this year, "Prayer ... America's Hope," is based on Psalm 33:22, "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." Link to the National Day of Prayer Web site (www.ndptf.org) for more information.

WRITTEN by Mark Alexander, publisher of The Patriot Post (http://patriotpost.us), in his email essay dated May 7th, 2009

The Temple of You

We've all done it from time to time, taken a good, hard, long look in the mirror. That isn't meant to be rhetorical. I mean actually looked at our visage as it is reflected back to us, our physical appearance. The reactions to that visage spread out across a wide spectrum from "yeah, baby, I got it goin' on" to a panicked scream. People who don't like what they see have sometimes taken extreme measures to change their bodies, but this does not always change the reflection. Some of these include turning to an eating disorder such as anorexia and bulimia, even plastic surgeries that are not for some medical necessity. Some decide they just want to forget or push away the image. They turn to the bottle or to drugs. Some need constant reinforcement of their worth, and in doing so turn to numerous sexual partners in an effort to constantly stroke their egos. This isn't going to turn into one of those 'hell fire and brimstone' speeches against the evils of the flesh. God knows that I have fallen victim many a time in my own life. Taking control of some of these reactions to the reflection has taken me most of the 47 years that I have looked in the mirror. But maybe it would have all clicked in a bit sooner, and maybe I would have control of my weight and its related concerns, if I had the experience that I had a few days ago at an earlier point. In the past few days I have been re-exposed to an old, famous quotation, and had it more clearly expressed and explained, and I hope that this renewal finally changes my approach to this problem. We have all likely heard the old saying "Your body is your temple", but how many of us have really ever thought much about the meaning behind that saying? The saying comes directly from the Bible. From Saint Paul's first letter to the Corinthians comes this exhortation: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." For each of the more than two billion Christians on the planet, the message should be clear, but it's amazing how little emphasis we place on these simple but vitally important ideas. We all know that the Holy Spirit of God Himself dwells inside of us. That our bodies have been "bought at a price" refers explicitly to Christ's selfless, sacrificial death on the cross so that our bodies and souls might be saved from death itself and eternal damnation. When we abuse or misuse our bodies with drugs, drink, food, mutilation, sex and other measures we are taking that gift of redemption, throwing it to the ground, and stomping on it. We are supposed to "honor God" with our bodies but we do just the opposite. This idea also goes directly to our treatment of the most innocent, those who depend entirely on us for both their perception of their bodies and the direct treatment of them. It goes to the children to whom we are responsible, from the unborn in the womb to the infants, toddlers, pre-teens and teenagers under our daily care. All of this responsibility goes directly to the struggle that takes place every single day in every single human life everywhere in the world. It is the struggle between good and evil that has taken place since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, and since the snake known as Satan was set against our heels. Satan finds that weakness in each of us and tempts, distracts, suppresses, and amuses us all. For the vast majority of us the instrument that he uses against us is our very own body. Pope John Paul II, perhaps the greatest spiritual leader of our time, spoke directly to many of these issues in his 'Theology of Life' talks and his most famous encyclical 'Humanae Vitae', which is a must-read for every Catholic. There are many avenues we can take to begin overcoming our own personal demons, those things that cause us to turn our temple into a slum. But our efforts will be far more effective if they come within the context of a knowledge that when you fight for your body you are fighting a war against evil. It will not be an easy fight, and it will definitely be a life long fight. You will win some battles and lose some. The harder you fight against evil, the harder it will fight back. But ultimately you will always win, because God is on your side. You just have to be willing to believe in Him, receive Him into your life actively, and He will fight alongside of you. He will help you to put out that final cigarette, lose those fifty pounds, put down that bottle, end that affair, escape that sexual hedonism, accept a healthy body image. And as you win, He will help you to tear down the slum that your body has become. He will help you to work from the base that is already there and is always solid to finally build up the 'Temple of You'.

Cast Off Whatever Drags You Down

I have seen it lamented in numerous publications and on broadcast television that there is a general negativity out there among today's youth. And when they talk about 'today's youth' in this fashion, they haven't been referring only to the old stand-by of 'teen angst.' It is a phenomenon that seems to be embedding itself in the entire under-30 generation. Where does such wide-spread negativity come from? I am going to blame two places. First, the old bugaboo of increasingly destructive and negative media. There is no doubt that over the past couple of decades, beginning with the explosion of interpretive music videos on MTV in the 1980's and expanding through ever more dark and violent motion pictures and television shows since that time, those 'today's youth' have been inundated with negative sounds and images unlike any generation before them. It has grown to the point where some visuals or words that would have been completely taboo when I was growing up just as recently as the 1960's and 1970's have now become mainstream. There is a continuing regression in the influential pop media areas of song and motion picture as far as morals. But it is a total copout to blame this all on media, for the second place that we can lay the blame for the ennui of 'today's youth' is right at our own parental doorsteps. We allowed ourselves to get sucked into this lifestyle, these lower forms of expression. As the 'Pandora's Box' of sexual, artistic, lyrical, visual and other expression was cracked open over the past few decades, we were seduced by newly liberating 'freedom' of expression. Little did we know that we were not becoming more free, but were becoming more enslaved. Sin creeps into lives in an insidious manner. It doesn't usually explode on us. Sin slips up behind us, envelops us slowly, sinks in deeply, and drags us down slowly. For the most part my generation did not turn off the television, did not turn off the music videos and radio songs, did not stay away from the motion pictures and television shows. In fact, we embraced them, and our kids watched our behavior, as they always do, and not only modeled it but went beyond it as society 'opened up' even further. I firmly believe that this overwhelming exposure to negative and sometimes profane media is at the root of the problems of 'today's youth', but that there is little or nothing that we can do now to shut it down. You truly cannot close that box once it has been opened. But we can do a couple of things. For one, we can expose ourselves to this media in a more discerning manner. There are positive lessons that can be taken from any story, song, or program and we need to understand that and search for them. If we find no redeeming value in something, then we simply must respond by publicly denouncing whatever the medium might be. We can also begin to publicly and outwardly stand up for the positive values and traditions of our Church. The lessons taught by Jesus Christ and his true followers down through the ages are things that we all should be exposing ourselves to more, and should be exposing our families to more. Turning to Christ is always the best and most effective thing that anyone can do in times of trouble, and the same is true for today's youth. Finally we can realize that there is a great deal of positive, affirming, enlightening media available out there in song, on television, and in theatres. We just need to be more discerning in seeking it out and exposing ourselves to these outlets and resources. All good music does not need to be profane. All interesting films do not need to be violent. All entertaining television does not need to be sexually exploitative. We need to make better choices in our lives a little at a time. For those with young children, you need to take control of what you allow them to be exposed to, and ensure that they are exposed to frequent positive messages, especially the Word. For those with older kids, it may have reached the point where your influence is not enough on its own. In that case, we have to hope that they are intelligent enough to figure the 'right' and the 'good' out for themselves as they get older. To today's youth my message would be to search your life, to search your habits, to search your influences closely. Whatever you come to realize is dragging you down, cast it off, remove it from your life. And if you take the next step of replacing it with more exposure to Jesus Christ and the Word, you will be amazed at the positive transformation in your spirit.