Culture
Amy Laura Hall, one of my favorite evangelical ethicists, gives a suberb answer to the question, "How can followers of Christ be a counterculture for the common good?" Her answer is a challenge to change the way we currently treat unwed mothers and their children:
"We could do so by advocating for and working within alternative high schools where pregnant girls may continue their education. We could work for maternity leave and flexible schedules at all levels of education and enterprise, especially at institutions overtly committed to Christian witness. To be a people committed to the incalculable gift of life may mean myriad commitments that interrupt our plans for our own families. It may mean that a young couple without children find themselves babysitting a child not their blood kin several evenings a week, rather than watching their favorite science fiction series on DVD. A single man may find himself fixing a young single mother's clogged sink on a lunch break or building her toddler a swing set during a holiday weekend. For many mothers and fathers, it may mean adapting their entire life and career to care daily for an unexpected grandchild. And by my own political reckoning, witnessing for the common good not only means hands-on local action, but also advocating for systematic acts of mercy through a matrix of services to offer single mothers a safety net of care."
(HT: Dawn Eden)
First, they went after the small-town retailers. Now Wal-Mart is trying to put the Mom-and-Pop pharmaceutical companies out of business. Have they no shame?
Edward Feser has a brilliant article explaining why conspiracy theories exist. Even if you could care less about that topic, Feser's piece is worth reading for the examination of how the "standard Enlightenment narrative" undermines authority.
Politics
Death and Taxes is an amazing representational graph of the federal discretionary budget, the amount of money that is spent at the discretion of our elected representatives. It's stunningly complex yet makes it possible to do some quick comparisons (e.g., more money is spent on NASA than on pay for military enlisted personnel). (HT: BoingBoing)
Princeton professor Robert George -- one of the smartest men in America -- explains he cannot support the Democratic Party:
I find no cause for joy in this. I wish that it were possible for pro-life citizens legitimately to support Democratic candidates. I wish that the party of my parents and grandparents had not placed itself on the wrong side of the most profound human rights issue of our contemporary domestic politics. I wish that the killing of embryonic and fetal human beings by abortion and in biomedical research were resolutely opposed by both parties so that we could cast our votes based on our assessments of the candidates’ and parties’ competing positions on taxation, immigration, education, welfare, health-care reform, national security, and foreign policy. It is hardly satisfactory that pro-life citizens—representing a variety of views on the range of issues in economic, social, and foreign policy—find themselves bound to the Republicans because the only viable alternative is a party that has abandoned its commitment to the weakest and most vulnerable members of the human family by embracing abortion and embryo-destructive research.
Every Christian has to follow their own concience. But for the reasons George lists, I cannot fathom how a Christian can justify supporting the Democratic Party. They have placed themselves on the wrong side of morality and history and until they repent and find their way back, they don't deserve the support of pro-life citizens.
(HT: Southern Appeal)
People with only a rudimentary understanding of world religions often claim that Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the "same" God. Nothing could be further from the truth. As Keith Plummer points out, according to the Christian faith, "God is inseparable from reason" while "the Muslim vision of God is that he is so transcendent that he has no limitations whatsoever, not even those of his own nature. Thus, immutability or unchangeableness is not ascribed to Allah by Muslims."
Ruminating on these differences leads Keith to ask:
Who is being most consistent with the inconsistent deity of Islam - peace-loving, moderate Muslims or those willing to justify all manner of atrocities in his name?
Matt Anderson considers this to be the question for the West. Unfortunately, I think he may be right.
Speaking of interesing questions, Martin Roth asks, "What does a devout Christian do when his country’s authorities force him to become a suicide bomber?"
If you’re World War II kamikaze pilot Ichizo Hayashi you write a final letter to your mother stating that “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” and you vow to “be sure to sink an enemy vessel.” Then you fly off on your deadly mission with your Bible and hymn book.
Actually, a Bible, a hymn book, and Kierkegaard’s “Sickness Unto Death”...
http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/mt/mt-trackback.cgi/3102
» Death and Taxes from AnotherThink
Think Google Earth meets the US Federal Budget and you'll begin to understand what Jesse Bachman's "Death and Taxes" website is all about....[read more]
Tracked: September 27, 2006 2:03 AM
1
Now Wal-Mart is trying to put the Mom-and-Pop pharmaceutical companies out of business.
Heh.
posted on 09.26.2006 12:45 AM2
On the Christian God being "inseparable from reason":
There are different ways of answering WHY/HOW God is so inseparable. Depending on the answer, you have different kinds of Christianity.
posted on 09.26.2006 4:52 AMIf theology matters (and clearly it does for terrorism), we cannot ignore the WHY/HOW.
See Roy Clouser's [doc] IS GOD ETERNAL?
3
Walmart may put some pharmacies out of business, but if that means making medicines more affordable, then It's all good.
posted on 09.26.2006 7:25 AM4
Joe:
Everything that Amy Hall advocates in your post is being done every day across churches in our country. This is not to minimize what she says. I hope it amplifies it. But I certainly hope that you didn't mean to say that her thinking is somehow revolutionary.
I would add that I certainly have not done it enough, but I HAVE done it.
posted on 09.26.2006 8:12 AM5
I'm a Canadian, so maybe I shouldn't be sticking my nose into American politics, but the whole idea of voting Democrat or Republican based soley on the abortion issue does not seem to make much sense to me. You've had plenty of Republican administrations in office in the past couple of decades without much of a reduction in the number of abortions being performed. And I bet you could elect Republicans into office for the next fifty years and not see much change made. By and large, people either don't care enough about the issue to bother fighting it anymore or would actually prefer to maintain the status quo of existing abortion policy.
posted on 09.26.2006 8:54 AM6
As Keith Plummer points out, . . .
Actually, that was exactly the Pope's point last week. And that worked out so well.
But as far as this goes:
Who is being most consistent with the inconsistent deity of Islam . . . ?
Why don't you let Muslims answer that question? Would you accept any opinion of an obnoxious, self-satisfied Muslim about the "inconsistent deity" of Christianity?
posted on 09.26.2006 9:08 AM7
You've had plenty of Republican administrations in office in the past couple of decades without much of a reduction in the number of abortions being performed.
Gary,
Judges appointed by Democrats believe that the U.S. Constitution guarantees an unlimited right to abortion.
Some percentage of the judges appointed by Republicans don't believe this.
posted on 09.26.2006 10:02 AM8
I wholeheartedly agree with the section on unwed mothers and their children. Several members of our congregation fit in this category, and after getting to know many of them very well, everyone unanimously agrees that single-parenting is one of THE most challenging and stressful occupations today. The single moms I know are heroic in their efforts, and they claim that much of their success not only depends on their tenacity, but on the company of a support network both institutionally and personally. thus spoke churchpundit!
posted on 09.26.2006 11:18 AM9
Kevin T. Keith:
Why don't you let Muslims answer that question?
I may have missed it, but how is Joe not letting Muslims answer that question? If you meant to say that hearing opinions from Muslims is important, I don't think anyone would dispute it. But if you believe only Muslims may answer that question, I disagree.
Would you accept any opinion of an obnoxious, self-satisfied Muslim about the "inconsistent deity" of Christianity?
It simply depends on the content of the opinion. After all, Joe has to deal with comments from many an obnoxious, self-satisfied atheist about the irrationality of Christianity. Nevertheless, they get their answers--until they show themselves to be bad investments of time.
posted on 09.26.2006 1:02 PM10
I'm a Canadian, so maybe I shouldn't be sticking my nose into American politics, but the whole idea of voting Democrat or Republican based soley on the abortion issue does not seem to make much sense to me. You've had plenty of Republican administrations in office in the past couple of decades without much of a reduction in the number of abortions being performed. And I bet you could elect Republicans into office for the next fifty years and not see much change made. By and large, people either don't care enough about the issue to bother fighting it anymore or would actually prefer to maintain the status quo of existing abortion policy.
Gary, stick your nose in any time...especially when you have such a salient point that Republicans refuse to hear. About the best response you're going to get is "Well...well...the Republicans are...uh...a little better...sort of... maybe, well, um, yeah". They can point to Republican rhetoric and (supposed) beliefs, but keep pointing them to actions and results. They've had enough time to show whether they truly care about the abortion issue. "By their fruits you shall know them".
posted on 09.26.2006 1:17 PM11
I love "Death and Taxes!" Thanks for the link, Joe.
posted on 09.26.2006 1:33 PM12
A comment about Conspiracy Theorists I made to another blog this past 9/11:
Back in the Eighties a local radio talk-host described over the air how it was literally impossible to shake a Conspiracy Theory. (I think the one going around at the time was the "Repressed Memory Recovery/Satanic Panic".) Any evidence against the theory Was Obviously Planted By The Conspiracy; any lack of evidence for the theory Proves The Theory Because It Was All Silenced By The Conspiracy; etc. Usually it ends with everybody in the world *except* the conspiracy theorist being Part Of The Conspiracy. (Check out Bob Dylan's "Talking John Birch Society Blues" sometime. Do you think the reason conspiracy-theory types are so bitter is *because* they're the only one in the whole world who ISN'T part of The Conspiracy?)
We're expected to believe that Everybody In The Entire World (except for ourselves and The Conspiracy Expert) has been involved in One Vast Conspiracy for decades to centuries without a single leak. Ever.
It's really the essence of Gnosticism; the "Secret Knowledge" (TM) that only a Privileged Enlightened Few (TM) can know. Since I Am The Only One To Know What's REALLY Going On, I MUST BE IMPORTANT!!!!
And (at least when I get my weirdness fix from Art Bell), a lot of Conspiracy Theorists are of the "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! THERE'S NOTHING ANYBODY CAN DO! IT'S ALL OVER BUT THE SCREAMING!" (as in Deros from the Hollow Earth, Reptoids and Organic Robotoids, Alien Greys, Satanists, and Communist Gangster Computer Gods on the Dark Side of the Moon). But (the conspiracy theorist gives a smug smirk), "I Know What's REALLY Going On".
Years ago, underground cartoonist Roberta Gregory did a parody of "The Three Little Pigs" where one of the pigs is into Conspiracy Theory. He's always oinking at all the other pigs to "WAKE UP!", that everything in their lives is All a Conspiracy to kill them all at the "Slaughterhouse". (However, at no time does he ever give a reason or an idea on how to escape this fate or stop The Conspiracy.) He keeps spinning his conspiracy theory through the ride to the packing plant and up the slaughter chute, finally (as he is the last up the chute to be slaughtered) screaming "SEE! SEE! I WAS RIGHT! I WAS RIGHT! I WAS RIGHT! SLICE - GAAKKKKKKKKKK!!!"
No chance of survival, no attempt at stopping The Slaughterhouse Conspiracy, nothing except the smug smirking satisfaction of "YOU'RE ALL WRONG! I WAS RIGHT! I WAS RIGHT! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" That's what Conspiracy Theories (especially on Art Bell at 3 ayem) are all about.
posted on 09.26.2006 2:12 PM13
So in Islam, "God's Will" is totally and utterly ARBITRARY, whatever is the Cosmic Sultan's whim of the moment.
Mercy one moment, massacre the next -- "GOD WILLS IT!" No consistency whatsoever, no interconnection whatsoever. Only God's Will (TM).
Communism took one facet of Christianity ("Woe to the rich" and justice to the poor) in isolation and firewalled it to the point of excluding/destroying everything else.
Islam did the same with the Soverign Will of God.
As Chesterton said, these are doctrines that can cause great destruction if allowed to get out of balance and run wild.
posted on 09.26.2006 2:23 PM14
The title of the Kierkegaard book is Sickness Unto Death, and the Muslim theology presented in the post is highly oversimplified (as is the contrasting Christian theology, of course).
posted on 09.26.2006 3:52 PM15
Although I think the question of which faith is more reasonable is a legitimate one, it is also a highly subjective one. For Muslims, the idea of a God that is totally transcendent (and therefore unable to associate with men by incarnating Himself) is highly reasonable.
Here is a question that I feel is a bit more appropriate. Does Islam have a concept of God's unconditional love for all people? The key words to this question are "unconditional" and "all". I'm not referring merely to a general love for people as products of His creation, but a love that seeks the highest good of the other at the expense of personal sacrifice. I invite my Muslim friends around the world to answer this question.
posted on 09.27.2006 1:55 PM16
"(e.g., more money is spent on NASA than on pay for military enlisted personnel)."
Eh? Army: $93.7 billion, Military Personnel subsector, $37.389 billion. NASA: $15.469 billion (space flight: $6.1 billion.)
posted on 10.02.2006 9:00 AM17
Good afternoon. Was glad to a meeting.
posted on 11.14.2006 6:04 PMtotylkotescik
18
Good afternoon. Was glad to a meeting.
posted on 11.14.2006 8:59 PMtotylkotescik
19
Good afternoon. Was glad to a meeting.
posted on 11.14.2006 9:53 PMtotylkotescik
20
Good afternoon. Was glad to a meeting.
posted on 11.14.2006 10:49 PMtotylkotescik
21
Good afternoon. Was glad to a meeting.
posted on 11.14.2006 11:45 PMtotylkotescik
22
Good afternoon. Was glad to a meeting.
posted on 11.15.2006 2:37 AMtotylkotescik
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Nice!
posted on 03.16.2007 5:07 AM