Thoughts and Prayers are the Inverse of the Gospel

Yes, this is "piling on".

Yes, "thoughts and prayers" has already jumped the shark.

Yes, senators and congresspeople are now saying things like, "our prayers are with...." because the phrase has moved from a joke to toxic in a few weeks.

That said, whatever will come post-"thoughts and prayers" will serve in its place, another empty platitude in the place of actual action.

And that's the point. Prayer is never a substitute for action.

Let's try out the parable of the Good Samaritan with thoughts and prayers....

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.^... But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. The Samaritan told the man, "You will be in my thoughts and prayers," and continued on his journey. 

Or how about this one....


 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me your thoughts.  I was a stranger and you prayed for me.  I was naked and you posted on social media.  I was sick and you felt sad. I was in prison and you felt bad for me.

Or how about one more... 

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”  They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “My thoughts and prayers are with this woman."

Thoughts and prayers in the place of action is the actually inverse of the gospel. It's heresy. The good news was not about platitudes and "feelings" but compassionate acts of love. 

Of course we should pray for those in mourning and for healing but when we only pray for healing and fail to actually act to prevent further pain, we make our Christian faith perverse. God works in mysterious ways, but never though the NRA.

Similarly, I have found many Christians blaming the fact that God is "banned" from schools. 

This t-shirt. This was obviously designed by an elderly person or a 11 year-old. Look at those fonts, and COMIC SANS. A prayer in COMIC SANS.

Who knew that God can be held out of a solidly built brick building? Is this like the silver bullets of theology? God is all knowing and all powerful....well, except in schools! It's bad theology and it's factually incorrect. Students can pray, bring their holy books and schools must make accommodations for religious groups and meetings after school hours. It's also a slap in the face of teachers living out the gospel with their actions. American Christianity has become a cult of fantasy and anti-science, of trusting politics and laws rather than changing hearts. Embracing "winning" over ethics and morals that were supposedly important. Evangelicals see themselves as victims, even though they are in the numerical majority. American Christianity is in its final fits of it's spiral of death. Death is ugly but the rebirth is necessary. May God save us from the Christians. 

(To cover my bases #notallChristians)

Who Would Jesus De-friend? The Problem with American Christianity

One of my FB "friends" posted this the other day:

"If you in any way, shape, or form support Planned Parenthood, please unfriend me now. You are no friend of mine."

Of course, this was in response to the recent Planned Parenthood controversy. Of course, she is a conservative Christian.

My mind instantly contrasted her attitude with that of  Jesus'.  So, I thought of questions I could send her:

• Who would Jesus "unfriend"? 
• Wouldn't you be more likely to change a friend's mind on abortion if they remained your FB "friend"? 
• Might your attitude help reinforce stereotypes of the "Judgmental Christian"?
• Could your attitude help foster ill will towards your political allies and more importantly, Christianity? 

Of course I didn't send them.

I am sure she posted out of sheer anger and frustration. I am sure she felt compelled to preach the "truth" to others because she (and I) feel like we have little control over a crazy world around us. I suppose the real question to ask is:

When will Christians figure it out?

Love is the answer, not judging.

You will not change minds by being angry. You will not change minds by screaming at people in person or online on Facebook. You will most certainly not change minds by allying yourself with politicians. 20th century Christianity sold it's soul for 3 more decades of "cultural relevance" but its alignment with politics has left it bankrupt in the mind of the public.

Christians are seen as walking in lockstep with the GOP. Christians are often seen as mean, judgmental, anti-poor, even anti-tipping! Christians are generally seen to hate homosexuals and even science. The stereotype ain't that far off, either. They are defined by fear, repression and basically the word "no".

Judging others dismisses their perspective and makes the other person feel angry and not valued.

Love includes others in the conversation, listens and gains respect of the other person.

I don't blame my "friend" for the downfall of American Christianity, but she sure ain't helping either.

Flippin Fragments

Blah Blah Blah-diddy do

I've been working on a project at work unrelated to the Study Abroad and it has eaten my life for about 10 days now. Thinking, planning, writing, investigating and now promoting it among the faculty. Ready for it to be done with and move on to more stress about if students are paying their fees for the Study Abroad (many are already falling behind, one has already dropped out).

Classes have begun and I feel good about the first few classes. Good kids, and I've had energetic classes thus far.

The first "real" day of class we discuss Plato's Cave.  It's one of my favorite classes and one question I ask the class is for small groups to come up with the "caves" we are currently living in. This is a hard question so I let them grapple with it awhile. After all, if you take up residence in a cave, you're usually in denial of it being a cave. So often we can clearly see the past;  the racism, sexism, injustice, etc. etc. but in our own time we have huge blind spots.  I mentioned that you know someone is in a cave when they say there is no evidence you can provide for them to change their mind.  Conspiracy theorists are the worst at this. I once tried to provide a CDC chart for a anti-vax person and OF COURSE it was part of the conspiracy to make us take vaccines.

So, in this "debate" with the anti-vaccine person on FACEBOOK - she told me the dramatic shift in childhood diseases and decline in childhood mortality was related to HAND WASHING. You might as well conclude it was NAPKINS or because KETCHUP really took off in the mid-20th century.  

This had actually already been on my mind.

Not vaccines, but the idea of changing my mind. I was talking with a fellow Christian when he mentioned that even if Christianity was somehow proved false, he would continue to be a Christian. Although we didn't spend too much time on what evidence that would be - let's assume it's Jesus existence or the resurrection itself. This means, he would continue to practice a faith - church attendance and a worship of a God that he no longer believes in. He says he would do this because he believes this lifestyle is the best one offered on earth. 

I get that on some level. However, on the other hand, I disagree.

I believe if I found or was provided good evidence that Jesus never existed or the physical resurrection did not happen, I would stop being a Christian. This doesn't mean I would let go of my Christian ethics and I will always love the Sermon on the Mount and the concepts of non-violence, love over hatred, forgiveness and helping others. However, I couldn't drag myself to a church on a weekly basis nor consider myself a "Christian" in any real sense.  For me the light out of the cave would be too much.  I always ask questions, second-guess, wonder and maybe that's a dangerous thing but I don't know any other way.

Still working up ideas for a hadith post on women but it's on a back burner so far away I can barely see it.  Wrote about a 1/3 of a post of another Weezer post (on an alternate and better Red Album) that will get done. Eventually. Also, about 1/3 done on my second post on the Beatitudes. The other day I felt bad about my lack of posting and then I remembered no one really reads and I am going to make time for it when I feel like it. Cause, you know, as Bon Jovi said it, "IT"S MY LIFE". (Didn't anyone else think that song sounded exactly like "Livin' on a Prayer"??????

Found me some 90's gold from some demos from the band Supersport 2000. Maybe something I will actually upload to Youtube as there are only a few tracks there.

Pandas are cool. One time I was flippin' channels when my oldest daughter was 4 and we stopped on one of the Spanish Channels that had a movie/documentary about this panda that lived with a little boy in China. It was so realistic I couldn't tell if it was a movie or documentary (I blame the fact that it was in Spanish, that kinda sucked). We were transfixed. It was amazing and yet I had no idea of the title nor how I can find this film. It was so good I still think about it to this day.

Happy Evenin' to ya folks. Stay Warm, Stay Happy and Take a look out on clear winter night and Wonder about the cosmos for a few minutes.

State of Mind

Sometimes I feel worn out.  The kids are in bed. The dishes aren't done but I am.

I don't mean just physically but mentally and spiritually. Lately, my spiritual life feels like I am running in place in one of those huge hamster wheels.

My actions show that I feel like God doesn't mind if I miss a prayer (or two or three or four). I feel disconnected from it all. This life has ups and downs and all arounds, and right now I'm in one of those ruts.

Frequently, I find my mind wandering to the future, never satisfying with what's right in front of me. Too busy to just be. Many people would be surprised to hear me say that because I am "in the moment" for most of my life. This is true for sometimes in moments with my children I am almost brought to tears of joy or beauty. When I am alone though, my mind betrays me.

The truth is, the future isn't better. The future might not exist at all. Now is better than the past and the future. It's all we have. The plans I make are just preparation. They should not be a substitute for living. If you are familiar with the Buddhist concept of mindfulness you know I just cribbed all that from my little bucket of Buddhist knowledge.

God, help me to see what's right in front of me.

I wanted to litter this little post with quotes from the Buddha and scripture and add a cute picture or two but it would just be for my pride's sake and plus, it's getting late.

Being mindful will help me be open to being closer to who God wants me to be. When I do pray, here's what I pray for.

Faith
Patience
Love of others especially my enemies
For the poor and helpless
To help those in need
Those in conflict areas of the world
For the scared and sick
To be a servant of others
All these characteristics to be in myself and family
To be where God wants us to be.

The Formula to my Faith

Because nobody asked and there is no demand, here it is. A percent breakdown of how my patch-work faith is put together I  created while sitting at a child's birthday party under black lights.  

25% - Traditional Christianity   - I am an unabashed liberal in so many areas of my life but when God and Jesus are reduced to symbols…it bothers me. Some say these events really didn’t happen or that they are symbolically true…there may even be some truth in that. However, I believe in the historical accuracy of most of what is the recorded in the gospels (with some obvious examples of inclusions in the text). I believe Jesus actually defeated death and rose again…. otherwise, why am I doing this?  

25% - Liberal Christianity – While I am pretty traditional in my beliefs surrounding the gospels, everything else gets complicated.  I don’t believe everything literally happened in the Bible (nor do I think the author’s original intent in many cases was that it was supposed to be understood in a literal sense).  On the other hand, I don't believe everything is patently false either. I believe in evolution, I don’t believe in hell, I have problems with Paul, I am fine with women leadership and practicing homosexuals in the Church.

17% -Kierkegaard's Understanding of Faith – Faith and reason are not reconcilable in my book. There’s no need to attempt to do so, it only makes us look silly. Also, just because I don't understand 50% of what he writes doesn't mean I can't dig his concepts. 

12% - Historical Criticism – Some may claim foul here. I mean, this isn't a reason why I believe but without this tool in the tool chest, I wouldn't be a believer. We must put an ancient text in its historical context of culture and possible author motivations. Otherwise, we simply won’t understand the text clearly..  If the Bible is only understood “as is” it’s not half as impressive and you’re missing out on it’s true beauty.   

10% - Cosmological Argument – Look, it’s not convincing to some, but for me, it works.

5% - Pascal’s Wager – I mean, it makes sense. Besides, it's a fun little story. 

3% - Personal Experience - There have a been a few times that seem too good to be chance events. On the other hand, one can fool one’s self very easily.

2%  - Ontological Argument – eh, only here because an agnostic that I respect said it was the most convincing argument he had heard. That’s how much I respect him.  

1% - Hope in things unseen – Well, hope is a beautiful thing now isn’t it?

 

Well, there's this too but just wanting something can't make it true, nor would it be a good reason to believe in something. There's a lot of research that shows genetic predisposition to believe in religion (or not to believe).  I think my brain is split down the middle on that one.

That's all party people, keep it real and keep working it 'till the cows come home. 

The Problem with Truth

What is truth?

Lately the question has been kicking around in my life, so here I find myself typing out my thoughts.  When it comes to truth, I am no relativist.  I have little patience for those folks who believe all opinions, religions or cultures are all “equal” or “the same”.  I mean no one is stopping you from believing that way, but it’s just plain lazy.  

On the other hand, I think the Buddhist/Hindu/Jain story informs my point of view as well.The story goes like this… there were once six blind men that were taken to an elephant and asked to describe what an elephant was like. 

I know this looks and sounds like a mean fraternity prank.

Each of the six men had a different description of what an elephant was based upon where they stood in relation to the elephant. The man at the trunk was convinced an elephant was like a huge python, the man at the tusk believed an elephant was like a spear, the guy at the ear thought it was like a fan, etc., etc. Of course the point of the story is that none of the men were completely right and none of them were completely wrong. They each had a part of the truth but not the full truth. 

For Hindus, the "truth" (and for that matter, God) is too subjective (or in God's case incomprehensible) for anyone person to claim they can see the whole truth. Most people are like those blind guys, believing they know what the elephant is.  

When Buddha was asked by people what truth was, he was said to have been silent. Jesus was also silent when Pilate asked him what the truth was.  Maybe the question is just a big trap question. Maybe the truth about truth is that it's like the Tao, once you name it, you’ve lost it. 

..................

I am a Christian, so in theory, I am supposed to have a clue about the truth. On Sunday my pastor had a whole sermon on truth and Christianity. One of his points was that good, sincere people can be wrong about their beliefs.  One example was about  the woman who believed she could survive like a plant, off of only sunshine and water.  Yes, the story was true. 

In this particular case the woman was proved wrong by the simple fact that she almost died (she had to end her little experiment).  As silly and disturbing as her truth claim was, it could be verified in the here and now. She could be proved right or wrong.  

The "truth" is, religion kinda sucks as a truth claim.

Not too long ago, we had a visit from some Mormons in our house. They came by while I was doing yard work, so I set up an appointment with them the following week. After about 40 minutes about talking about the cross, Joseph Smith and the Book of Abraham, I finally asked them how they knew they were "right". One of them replied that they had prayed about it and they felt God had given them confirmation of the truth of The Book of Mormon. This is a standard Mormon line. They feel it's true, so therefore, it's true.

I asked him if he thought the Islamic terrorists "felt" they were "right".  He replied that yes, he thought that they believed they were following "God's will". If religion's truth is based on how you as an individual feel about it - isn't this a problem?  Even if I move beyond my "gut feelings" and I put my trust in the Bible, a church, a pastor, etc., you are still no better (although you might be better informed). Any given church may have misrepresented, mistranslated or even misunderstood "God's will" thus muddying the water even more.

This brings me to the idea of unfalsifiable beliefs. This is best explained by John Wisdom's Parable of the Invisible Gardner:

 "Two people return to their long neglected garden and find, among the weeds, that a few of the old plants are surprisingly vigorous. One says to the other, 'It must be that a gardener has been coming and doing something about these weeds.' The other disagrees and an argument ensues. They pitch their tents and set a watch. No gardener is ever seen. The believer wonders if there is an invisible gardener, so they patrol with bloodhounds but the bloodhounds never give a cry. Yet the believer remains unconvinced, and insists that the gardener is invisible, has no scent and gives no sound. The skeptic doesn't agree, and asks how a so-called invisible, intangible, elusive gardener differs from an imaginary gardener, or even no gardener at all."

This parable brings up some problems for all religious believers, as faith can’t be verified. It cannot be proved true (or false) in our lifetime.  One could say that some Christian claims might be able to be "proved" wrong by a discovery of an ancient artifact. However, many believers might question the authenticity or realiablity of any discovery thus undermining this claim of falsifiability. 

While falsifiability does prove to be a problem for the veracity of any truth claim, I don't think it sinks all religions. If the religion's truth claims can be proved likely to be not true at all (i.e. Mormonism) then, you have a clear case for disbelief.  However, I would posit that if God exists, a level of mystery would be needed in order to retain the moral free agency of people. Either way, I do find problems with discovering what the “truth” is from any religion’s point of view.

All this week I kept thinking about why my pastor’s sermon rubbed me the wrong way. What’s the problem with stating that Christians have “the truth”? I mean, I am a Christian after all, don’t I believe my own faith?

I guess that’s what it comes down to – faith.  For me, faith is ultimately a call for the believer to stop trying to answer what the “truth” is. Because once our faith is something you know as a fact then it’s not really faith anymore.  You cease to have free will and are only responding to something you have to respond to.   I am suspicious of people who seem to know it all.   

"You should never never doubt what no one is sure about"

Some people take comfort in answering life's riddles - they put their faith into a church or God or something else entirely. That way their doubts are silenced, their "truth" preserved.  My profession has honed my skills as a thinker - every question can be questioned, every query can be reversed to show another side. When I come up with an answer, a new question is then created. Maybe I am insane. Lately I've been consumed with doubt.

Authentic faith, like the pursuit of truth, requires authentic doubt. Questioning your beliefs or your faith isn’t just a burden, it’s a gift. That’s how Kierkegaard saw faith, as a miracle from God.  When Jacob wrestles and struggles with God he isn’t struck down by a lightening bolt, he is blessed. It is because of his struggle he gets the blessing.  

The more I struggle, the more I risk, the more I feel like this is the way it’s supposed to be. 

I guess my problem with claiming I have the truth is that in doing so, I am ignoring the fact that I have doubts about my truth claim. It doesn’t mean I don’t believe in my truth claim, it’s just it can’t be proved.  The idea that my truth claim is somehow better than the other blind guy trying to feel the elephant is a little silly.  So, we’ll just keep feeling together, hoping the elephant is really there.

Postscript: Just read an interview with the new pope and I thought he pretty much summed up this whole post a lot better than me:

"In this quest to seek and find God in all things there is still an area of uncertainty. There must be. If a person says that he met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then this is not good. For me, this is an important key. If one has the answers to all the questions—that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble. Uncertainty is in every true discernment that is open to finding confirmation in spiritual consolation. Our life is not given to us like an opera libretto, in which all is written down; but it means going, walking, doing, searching, seeing … We must enter into the adventure of the quest for meeting God; we must let God search and encounter us."

Mohammad and Jesus: A Case Study in Forgiveness

I used to think that underlying all the surface differences between religions (at least those with a belief in a god) was one important similarity. I believed at the core of every successful religion was the belief in a purposeful, loving, creator God. And I found just that depiction of God in two of the major world faiths, Christianity and Hinduism. However, this winter my fears and doubts about Islam were confirmed - it is fundamentally a different kind of faith.

This past holiday break I began a quest to re-edit our course selection of the Qur'an for our Introduction to the Humanities class. This meant I finally put in the time to finish reading the Qur'an, researched various translations, went to pro-Islam sites, anti-Islam sites, academic websites, watched videos, trawled Wikipedia and basically spent a lot of time and thought on Islam and the Qur'an. It was interesting but honestly tough to go through.

Let me begin by stating I respect Muslims. Heck, I lived like a Muslim two years ago for one week (admittedly, it was a mixed bag of success). I find the dedication to prayer and fasting a beautiful thing. The sense of community Muslims have here in the US is impressive - I have visited one of our local mosques a few times and I have always come away enriched by the whole experience. Additionally, I do not think the Qur'an justifies terrorism in any form. Only when the text is taken out of context can the book be used to justify violence toward those who are unbelievers (and even then it wouldn't be a call to kill non-combatants either). This isn't to say there aren't issues with violence in the book or the faith as a whole (as Muslims have used "Islamic law" to promote violence). However, the Qur'an itself creates a well developed "just war" theory. War is to be limited and only allowed in certain situations. 

All that said, the more I have learned about Islam and the Qur'an the more I find the faith troubling in numerous ways. I don't necessarily mean in the ways you might expect (i.e., terrorism) but in the conception of God itself. The Qur'an displays a God that is brutal, heart-hardening, punishing (and ultimately) a hateful God. Humans do not have complete free will once you have "rejected" God, there is little promise for forgiveness, as he will harden your heart:

“Surely, those who disbelieve and did wrong; God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to any way except the way of Hell, to dwell therein forever.” (Qur'an 4:168-169)

Note: All my quotes are double-checked for fairness and accuracy. In this case both this quote above and the one below are not taken out of context and are representative of the Qur'an's discussion on free will and hell.

As an added bonus, once in hell, your punishment will be quite horrifying and torturous beyond your imagination. It's all narrated in the most terrifying detail:

“And you will see the criminals that Day bound together in shackles, their garments of liquid pitch (melted copper) and their faces covered by the Fire.” (Qur'an 14:49-50)

                                            Well, at least they give you shorts in hell.


In my research, I kept a narrow focus to Islam, the Qur'an and a little bit on Mohammad and his family. My translation was a part of the Oxford World's Classics series, translated by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. The translation itself is quite poetic (especially compared to other English translations) and is quite clear. Haleem's introduction and introductory notes for each sura are indispensable. Haleem puts each sura in a historical context for the readers that is necessary for understanding a difficult text for those of us born outside an Islamic culture. I purposefully steered clear from hadiths to narrow my scope. However, one evening after reading an anti-Islam website, I saw a story about Mohammad and an "adulteress" woman that caught my attention.

For those who aren't familiar with hadiths - hadiths are stories or sayings of Mohammad. They aren't considered scripture (as each hadith may or may not be verified or trustworthy as other hadiths). However, they are extremely important in Islamic life, especially where the Qur'an is vague or silent on an issue. They have had a vast influence on Islamic law.

Anyway, back to the hadith that caught my attention. When I first read this particular hadith, I frankly couldn't and didn't believe it. I am a liberal after all, I believed the stonings that still happen today were a result of culture, not the religion itself.

Absolutely terrifying and horrible.

Besides, this was coming from some anti-Islam extremist. However, after more web research I finally found the hadith number and the reference. The hadith is hosted on a neutral academic site which finally led me to accept the fact that I had already known: Islam is vastly different from Christianity. Grace, forgiveness as understood by Christians is a foreign concept to Muslims. The obvious parallel to this hadith is the story of Jesus and the adulteress that was about to be stoned in the gospel of John. If there was a story to encapsulate the differences between the two faiths, it can be found in these two stories. First, here's the hadith of Mohammad:

http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/hadith/muslim/017-smt.php

Book 017, Number 4207:

"Imran b. Husain reported that a woman from Juhaina came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said: Allah's Apostle, I have done something for which (prescribed punishment) must be imposed upon me, so impose that. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) called her master and said: Treat her well, and when she delivers bring her to me. He did accordingly. Then Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) pronounced judgment about her and her clothes were tied around her and then he commanded and she was stoned to death. He then prayed over her (dead body). Thereupon Umar said to him: Allah's Apostle, you offer prayer for her, whereas she had committed adultery! Thereupon he said: She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than this that she sacrificed her life for Allah, the Majestic?"



This hadith brings up interesting issues concerning hadiths (especially if I was a believing Muslim). First I want to note that the woman comes to Mohammad asking for punishment. According to the Qur'an (24:2) the prescribed punishment for adultery is 100 lashes on the back (ouch). Maybe she already knew that, maybe she didn't. Maybe, if I'm going to be fair-minded beyond what I need to be- maybe Muhammad hadn't received that "revelation" just yet. Either way, it's clear the woman's intentions are noble and brave as she is seeking forgiveness with the person in her community with the most authority (not to mention he's got the total "in" with God).

Mohammad sends her off to take care of her growing baby only to have her come back and be executed for her sin - this act is accepted without question and believed to be necessary in order for true repentance and forgiveness to take place. Being humiliated in front of the community's leaders is not enough, nor is simply asking for forgiveness to God enough. What the woman thought of the ordeal after her initial confession is left to our imaginations. Physical punishment is the atoning act - there can be no other option.

Maybe, you're a Qur'anist (and if I were Muslim I would be) - you ditch the whole story and call it for what it is (hogwash). Still, the story is indicative of the faith proclaimed in the Qur'an. The story reflects the elements already in the Qur'an - it doesn't have to be true to be "true". The threats of hell that exist on almost every page in the Qur'an show that violence is the prescribed punishment for sin. Forgiveness isn't cheap in the Qur'an.

Some of this can be explained by the Middle Eastern preoccupation with shame and dishonor (themes that if you really squint can see hints of in the gospels). Adultery produces shame and dishonor and the only way it can truly be eradicated is by punishment.


Now let's visit the famous passage from John 8. Like the concept of hadiths, it has it's own problems of verification (as it's not in the earliest manuscripts of the John)...we'll get to that in a little bit...here's the story:

From John 8: 2-11:

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

In this story the woman isn't nobly coming before Jesus asking for forgiveness - she's caught in the act (if we take the men at their word). Making matters worse, she's playing the bait in a game to trap a (possibly) religious nut - she must be just as scared out of her mind as the other woman in the other story was (or will be, as in theory, this happens about six hundred years before the Islamic story does...you get the point, right?).

Jesus (as he often does) answers a question with a challenge - we can sit in judgement only if we have no sin of our own. From a Christian perspective, mercy comes from God and while I am on earth, I can't judge because I am no better than anyone else. I'm screwed up, just as much as they are (See also Matthew 7).

However, there is a similarity that Christianity and Islam share. Traditionally, Christians have believed in a fiery, violent tortuous afterlife as well. Of course, I don't prescribe to that particular poor exegesis but that's a story for another post. The point is, forgiveness isn't cheap in Christianity either. In fact, it's already accomplished by the cross. In order to repent, you don't have to be stoned. 

The fact is this story is a late addition to the gospels and it most likely circulated orally for decades in some form before being written down here in John. Maybe, just maybe it's not even true (although it sure as heck makes a great scene in The Last Temptation)....but it's still "true" in its reflections of the message of Christ. The real miracle is that the God of the New Testament believes in grace - all that is "required" for the woman is to "go...and leave your life of sin".

In some sense, the demand is the same in both stories - your life in exchange for forgiveness. For Jesus, this didn't mean your life in a physical sense (although your faith may cost your physical life). The fact is, if I know I am truly forgiven, it means I act upon that fact and live a life towards Christ-consciousness. I am thankful I can work to bring the Kingdom a little closer to earth. I'm already forgiven.

This post isn't about judging Islam or Muslims. I only wanted to contrast where the two faiths split - these differences are real and do change the way believers of their respective faiths see themselves and others. I see much hope in the Qur'anist movement and in my fellow American Muslims to help reform global Islam.

Postscript: I had three Muslim women speak during two of my intro classes today. During the break I asked two of them about this hadith and it's inconsistency with the Qur'an's teaching on adultery. They saw no inconsistency. She said the hadiths and the Qur'an were "harmonious" and that the woman wanted to be stoned to be forgiven in this life - rather than face punishment in the next. When I asked could she have been forgiven without the stoning - she said yes. Which at this point, begs the question, why get stoned then? She said it "broke Mohammed's heart" to do that, and that he didn't want to do it (which clearly is reading into the text). I said, I could understand if someone wanted to be killed (even if I think this is highly unlikely, let's go with it) - I said I have a big problem with someone taking these stories as "law" and forcing "forgiveness" by murdering the woman - which  seems much more like brutal punishment rather than atonement. At any rate, it goes to show me that people pretty much believe what they want.  They were very nice though and I learned a thing or two myself.

Acting on Faith: The Parable of the Two Sons

In my recent faith journey I have been reflecting on the importance of acting. You know, actually doing something. Unfortunately , like most people I find this hard to do.

I'm busy/tired/being a father/washing the dishes/writing a blog/reading a book/watching television/eating a meal/ grading papers...I think you get the idea.

I grew up in a church that preached a "soterian gospel" as Scot McKnight puts it. The soterian gospel emphasizes that salvation is given by the grace of God in my faith in Jesus Christ. You believe and you're saved, it's all that simple. You see this message often in churches, television and billboards. It's seducing because it feels good to be saved and frankly it is half true, it's just not the full story. 

We are saved by grace but we are judged by our actions. Never once does Jesus judge someone based on the wrong theology. This wasn't due to a lack of opportunity either. In his meeting with a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) he doesn't correct her theology but her actions ("Go and sin no more"). When Jesus heals the Roman centurion's daughter (Mark 5) he doesn't stop to ask what the Roman believed about God (likely he was one of the "God fearing" Gentiles but how well could he have understood God?) - instead Jesus praises the faith he does have.

We find believers fighting until they are blue in the face about theology, rules, traditions, worship practices, rituals...all the things Jesus spends little to no time preaching about. We have made faith primarily about the way we think about God instead of the way I act in life.  Rather than uniting behind righteous deeds, endeavoring for justice, and good works, we find ourselves judging those who don't believe the same things about God that we do.

I am reading a great book about Jesus' parables by Snodgrass called,  Stories with Intent. A few weeks back I came to the section on the parable of "The Two Sons".  As is often the case with the Bible, it hit me for some reason as if I had never read it before. 

What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Matthew 21: 28-32

According to Jesus, judgement always comes to people based upon their actions (or lack thereof). This parable is a double-edge sword. It makes me feel good that God can see through all the b.s. we put up - the divisions of religion, domination, theology, etc. I think Jesus is discussing "the kingdom" here on earth (and not necessarily "Heaven"). As Jesus reveals elsewhere and multiple times, one can't be too sure who will make it to the other side based on our earthy knowledge.

So the last shall be first and the first shall be last... (Matthew 20:16)

At the same time it makes me fear that I am not doing enough. As we wait for our son to get home we're stuck in middle of maybe (possibly) doing something radical. But maybe I am just using this as an excuse - I mean when is it a good time to start all over and do something scary/crazy/life-altering? “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:60

Deep down I'm scared about letting go (this has been a reoccurring theme of this blog). I am plagued by doubt about myself and about God. Maybe this is all a charade I am playing in my head. I question my assumptions and beliefs to the point where I undermine myself. I am learning to let go of it, but the self is a hard thing to defeat (ask anyone trying to be "spiritual').

So it seems the words of Jesus have brought me down, maybe even bummed me out a bit. The truth is that I need to be challenged. Who said life was easy anyway? However, I have also found comfort and encouragement as well. Even my own blemished and fractured faith can be enough to change everything.

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. (Luke 17:6)

Rich and Foolish

"Who, then, is greedy? The one who does not remain content with self sufficiency. Who is the one who deprives others? The one who hoards what belongs to everyone. Are you not greedy? Are you not one who deprives others? You have received these things for stewardship, and have turned them into your own property....The bread that you hold on to belongs to the hungry; the cloak you keep locked in your storeroom belongs to the naked; the shoe that is moldering in your possession belongs to the person with no shoes; the silver that you have buried belongs to the person in need. You do an injury to as many people as you might have helped with all these things!" - St. Basil


I came across this quote by St. Basil in a book I am currently reading. It was a splash of water on my greedy little soul.

Like most Americans I hoard things. I hoard books, clothes, food and lots of children's toys for my children. I even make myself feel better by comparing "my stuff" to other people's excess. You see in my heart I am terrified at what we are called to do. The parable of the rich fool will further illustrate:

"Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ "Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God”.  - Jesus according to Luke 12

You see I am in love with my life. I hang on to my secure, warm and comfortable existence. I love my career, my comfortable air conditioned house, the internet, my books, the Netflix subscription. I can't plead ignorance like some- and that's what worries me.

Even now as our family explores these questions deeply.  In the interim I feel like the rich fool in the story above. I am placing my security and pleasure in my worldly possessions. So, we've got our work cut out for ourselves. I hunger for justice and righteousness, but I'm not nearly hungry enough. Help me, Jesus.

Oh Hell...

The last five years I have become more and more interested in the concept of hell. After much reading, reflection, thought (and not enough prayer) I pretty much have come to the conclusion (about three years ago) that I don't believe in the traditional Christian understanding of "hell".  These are based on the biblical texts themselves as well as logic and my understanding of the nature of God. Eventually, I'll write a blog post on this.

The last few days I started reading the Qur'an again. I am on a quest to finish the entire book but I typically get off track after a few weeks every time. I am about 25% in it and I just started again. This time the concept of hell just kept jumping out at me. 

If you're into hell, you're gonna love the Qur'an. If you thought the Christian idea of hell was gory (the "lake of fire", gnashing of teeth, etc.) take a gander at this from wikipedia:

"The Quran and Sunnah offer detailed descriptions of the methods of torture in jahannam. The Quran states the punishments will be: the burning of skin, only to be replaced for reburning; garments of fire will be worn, and boiling water will scald the skin and internal organs;faces on fire;lips burnt off; backs on fire; roasting from side to side; faces dragged along fire; bound in yokes then dragged through boiling water and fire"

Had enough?

I've always found the medieval artistic depictions of hell to be not only insanely horrifying but detailed enough to keep 13-year old boys entertained for minutes on end.

I can vouch for having (so far) personally read 3/4 of those examples given. Another personal favorite is the use of gold to brand those who have hoarded gold (9:34-35).

Completely and utterly horrifying. Making matters worse is that God seems to take delight in the whole ordeal, "That is what you get! Taste that!" (8:14). I should also note that the God of the Qur'an has a habit of hardening hearts and getting in the way of free will all together.

I write all this in confusion of how anyone can swallow this concept and still love and respect God at all.  I don't write this to disrespect Islam. I believe most Muslims to be respectful, moral and good people. Many of the traditions and teachings of Islam are beautiful (granted there's also some not related to hell that I am also disturbed by).  Heck, last summer, I "lived" like a Muslim for a week (with admittedly mixed results).  Basically every Muslim I have ever met has been friendly and nice. That's not what I can say for all the Christians I know! I'm not letting Christianity off the hook either - this isn't about proving Christianity to be "better" than Islam (even if it's my belief system).

The concept of hell (as it's generally taught today) is a moral quandary that has to be addressed by all serious believers.

I write this knowing there are millions living in fear of this kind of God. Millions are closed off from religion because they believe that a God that allows an eternal hell doesn't deserve their worship or a relationship.  Any God torturing humans forever - can't be a God of love but only of judgement and violence. As for me, I stand hopeful that the Bible is right - God really is love (1 John 4:8) and as Paul says, "love never fails" (1 Cor 13:8).

The Earthly Self vs. The Eternal Self

The concept of eternity is hard to imagine. After all, nothing lasts forever.

Change seems to be the singular, consistent force in the world. Our life spans reflect the natural, seasonal change that surrounds us all. We even thrive within change. Our hopes and dreams are shaped by the ticking of the clock.

A Christian's ultimate goal is usually stated as "heaven". Paul believed life was best lived focused on the afterlife.

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - Paul in 2nd Corinthians 4 


Traditionally, Christianity has not emphasized the transitory nature of life, but focused on the eternal resting place of our souls. It is understood our time on earth will only represent a fraction of a second compared to our eternal existence.

Courtesy of Google when I searched "heaven". Just tickled this exists. Amazing.

Eternal life, heaven, whatever you want to call it, is a warm and appealing idea. Surely, everlasting life is humanity's greatest wish fulfillment. To step outside of time and become reunited with all our dead loved ones is the greatest hope one could possibly imagine. It makes this earthly suffering tolerable.

No doubt there are positive aspects in helping people realize the eternal. In doing so, some turn to view themselves as part of a larger plan or seek spiritual answers within their lives. However, many have posited that Christianity has overemphasized the afterlife to the determent of our lives on earth.

"The Christian religion and morality extols the glory of the Hereafter, and therefore remains indifferent to the horrors of the earth. Indeed, the idea of self-denial and of all that makes for pain and sorrow is its test of human worth, its passport to the entry into heaven." - Emma Goldman


The quote bites because, in too many cases it has been the true.

A few years ago I was surfing the channels and came upon Dr. Jack Van-Impe's stupefying television program (this is a one-stop show for laughs, Bible cherry-picking and fear-mongering). In this particular show, Van-Impe claimed that not only was global warming a hoax perpetrated by Al Gore, but that we could take comfort that even if it was real, "Jesus would be back soon" and it didn't really matter.

Just dawned on me that he goes by "Dr." Totally great way of getting some cheap creditability (speaking of creditability, posting ridiculous or bad photos of them is a cheap way to discredit someone.....but it's too fun not to). 

I'm not claiming most Christians think this way, just that it was an extreme example of focusing on the afterlife, rather than focusing on life here on earth.

Focusing on heaven narrows one's focus in our spiritual vision. If Christianity is reduced to just a personal relationship with Jesus and my personal salvation - how do others fit into the picture? Is it okay for the church to focus on eternal salvation while the rest of the world rots in a worldly hell?

"What, in fact, is the Absurd Man? He who, without negating it, does nothing for the eternal. Assured of his temporally limited freedom, of his revolt devoid of future, and of his mortal consciousness, he lives out his adventure within the span of his lifetime..." - Albert Camus


I don't mean to say Christians should agree with all of the above quote. Nor should we ever stop talking about the afterlife - it's just we shouldn't miss Camus' point.  The church needs to do a better job by focusing on our impermanence rather than the eternal soul. Our pastor recently said something that I have felt for a long time, "My goal isn't to get into heaven - but to be like Jesus". It's about being, not obtaining. Life is about the process not the end goal.

If we are focused on being like Jesus then people will be forced to notice. By focusing on the impermanence of life, we might actually increase the "harvest" of the eternal.