This is worth a watch and a discussion about the importance of "fun" and where we ought to find more of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw
Friday, October 9, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jimmy Carter and the Church
I found the article below extremely interesting. Partly because my M.A. Thesis involved work at The Carter Center and an interview with Jimmy Carter himself . But more so, because it raises all kinds of wonderful questions for thoughtful discussion. Here are a few:
When should someone leave a congregation or denomination they are a part of?
Why should someone leave a congregation or denomination they are a part of?
How should someone leave a congregation or denomination they are a part of?
What does the Bible teach about the role of men, women, and children in the church?
How do you read the Bible in a way that leads to correct and not erroneously-held beliefs on issues?
Throughout history how has the church done at living out it's beliefs?
A few months ago, I read a book by William Webb, Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis. It is a very helpful book about how we can read the Bible and apply it more responsibly.
The article, quoted below, is by Ria Misra, contributor to Inside Politics Daily. (it was posted on 7/20/09 at politicsdaily.com)
After more than 60 years together, Jimmy Carter has announced himself at odds with the Southern Baptist Church -- and he's decided it's time they go their separate ways. Via Feministing, the former president called the decision "unavoidable" after church leaders prohibited women from being ordained and insisted women be "subservient to their husbands." Said Carter in an essay in The Age:
At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.
And, later:
The truth is that male religious leaders have had -- and still have -- an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world.After watching everyone from philandering politicians to Iran's president taking a sudden look heavenwards when the roof starts to come down on them, it's refreshing to see Carter calling out the role of religion in the mistreatment of women.
The question for Carter -- and for others who find themselves at odds with leadership -- is, when a group you're deeply involved in starts to move away from your own core beliefs, do you stay and try to change from within or, at some point, do you have to look for the exit? Carter did give the former a shot -- in recent years publicly criticizing and distancing himself from church leadership, while staying involved with his church. Now, he's seeing if absence might do what presence did not.
AND HERE, BELOW, is JIMMY CARTER'S WHOLE ESSAY as it appeared in theage.com.au
by Jimmy Carter
Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God.
I HAVE been a practicing Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.
This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries.
At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.
The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.
In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements, punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the guilty party in the crime.
The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family.
It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and outdated attitudes and practices - as we are seeing in Iran where women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.
I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are powerful and sensitive areas to challenge. But my fellow Elders and I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy - and we are deeply committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.
The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. We have decided to draw particular attention to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in ensuring equality and human rights and have recently published a statement that declares: "The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."
We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasise the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share.
The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.
I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.
The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
From the Water, Moses AND Clean Water, Bono
FROM THE WATER...
At my church, I'm in the last weeks of teaching an almost 10-part series on the life of Moses. It's been a blast to teach and has stirred many questions and discussions outside of Sunday morning. And today I'm more convinced than ever that, outside of Jesus, Moses might be the most influential human to ever live. The basic Judeo-Christian worldview today is still influenced by Moses. The Islamic worldview, too, is shaped by their interpretation of the life of Moses.
Several people have asked me what research/books informed my teaching during this series. So below are a few of the more significant ones...
The Bible (seriously if you want to study Moses, become a master of this text first)
The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill
Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
Moses: A Life by Jonathan Kirsch
CLEAN WATER...
A few years ago, led by U2's lead singer, Bono, the ONE campagin began (ONE.org). ONE is a global advocacy and campaigning organization backed by more than 2 million people from around the world dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.
A good friend of mine, Steve, sent me this email today. The email was a forward from David Lane at ONE.org. Since the topic of the email is directly related to my passion (and the passion of many of my friends) to dig wells in Africa (our church has teamed up with our local community to help dig six so far) and the ultimate goal--to be part of bringing clean, safe water to all of Africa--I thought I'd copy/paste part of David Lane's email for you to read....
BEGIN QUOTE
In his Inaugural Address, President Obama said, "let clean waters flow." With those words, he brought recognition to the suffering of 884 million people who do not have access to clean water and 2.5 billion without adequate sanitation.
Senators Durbin and Corker introduced S. 624, The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009, a bipartisan bill to make clean water a reality. But with only five cosponsors, the bill isn’t getting the attention it needs for a hearing and further action by Senate leaders. It must have at least 20 cosponsors to move forward.
Now is the time to follow through on Obama’s inaugural pledge to poor countries. Ask your senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, to cosponsor S. 624 now:
http://www.one.org/us/waterfortheworld/o.pl?id=982-3282311-46zd42x&t=2
The petition reads:
Please cosponsor the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 (S. 624), and help provide 100 million people with first-time, sustainable access to clean water and sanitation by 2015.
Together, unclean water and poor sanitation are a leading cause of child mortality: an estimated 4,100 children die every day from diarrheal diseases spread through poor sanitation and hygiene. That such conditions continue to exist demonstrates a failure on the part of all nations to provide access to the most basic life-sustaining element: clean water.
The Water for the World Act targets underdeveloped countries with focused initiatives to improve access to clean water and sanitation; fosters global cooperation on research and development; provides technical assistance and capacity-building; provides seed money for the deployment of clean water and sanitation technologies; and strengthens the human infrastructure at USAID and the State Department to implement clean water and sanitation programs.
This bill will help establish the capacity and momentum we need to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on increasing access to water and sanitation by 2015. If those MDG targets are met, the benefits will include a total annual economic return of $22 billion for Africa in saved time, increased productivity and reduced health costs. And 203,000 fewer children will die in 2015 from lack of access to clean water and sanitation.
Thank you for making a difference,
David Lane, ONE.org
END QUOTE
I'm not familiar with all the nuances and all the pros and cons of this bill, but I love the passion and vision and hope behind it.
At my church, I'm in the last weeks of teaching an almost 10-part series on the life of Moses. It's been a blast to teach and has stirred many questions and discussions outside of Sunday morning. And today I'm more convinced than ever that, outside of Jesus, Moses might be the most influential human to ever live. The basic Judeo-Christian worldview today is still influenced by Moses. The Islamic worldview, too, is shaped by their interpretation of the life of Moses.
Several people have asked me what research/books informed my teaching during this series. So below are a few of the more significant ones...
The Bible (seriously if you want to study Moses, become a master of this text first)
The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill
Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
Moses: A Life by Jonathan Kirsch
CLEAN WATER...
A few years ago, led by U2's lead singer, Bono, the ONE campagin began (ONE.org). ONE is a global advocacy and campaigning organization backed by more than 2 million people from around the world dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.
A good friend of mine, Steve, sent me this email today. The email was a forward from David Lane at ONE.org. Since the topic of the email is directly related to my passion (and the passion of many of my friends) to dig wells in Africa (our church has teamed up with our local community to help dig six so far) and the ultimate goal--to be part of bringing clean, safe water to all of Africa--I thought I'd copy/paste part of David Lane's email for you to read....
BEGIN QUOTE
In his Inaugural Address, President Obama said, "let clean waters flow." With those words, he brought recognition to the suffering of 884 million people who do not have access to clean water and 2.5 billion without adequate sanitation.
Senators Durbin and Corker introduced S. 624, The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009, a bipartisan bill to make clean water a reality. But with only five cosponsors, the bill isn’t getting the attention it needs for a hearing and further action by Senate leaders. It must have at least 20 cosponsors to move forward.
Now is the time to follow through on Obama’s inaugural pledge to poor countries. Ask your senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, to cosponsor S. 624 now:
http://www.one.org/us/waterfortheworld/o.pl?id=982-3282311-46zd42x&t=2
The petition reads:
Please cosponsor the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 (S. 624), and help provide 100 million people with first-time, sustainable access to clean water and sanitation by 2015.
Together, unclean water and poor sanitation are a leading cause of child mortality: an estimated 4,100 children die every day from diarrheal diseases spread through poor sanitation and hygiene. That such conditions continue to exist demonstrates a failure on the part of all nations to provide access to the most basic life-sustaining element: clean water.
The Water for the World Act targets underdeveloped countries with focused initiatives to improve access to clean water and sanitation; fosters global cooperation on research and development; provides technical assistance and capacity-building; provides seed money for the deployment of clean water and sanitation technologies; and strengthens the human infrastructure at USAID and the State Department to implement clean water and sanitation programs.
This bill will help establish the capacity and momentum we need to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on increasing access to water and sanitation by 2015. If those MDG targets are met, the benefits will include a total annual economic return of $22 billion for Africa in saved time, increased productivity and reduced health costs. And 203,000 fewer children will die in 2015 from lack of access to clean water and sanitation.
Thank you for making a difference,
David Lane, ONE.org
END QUOTE
I'm not familiar with all the nuances and all the pros and cons of this bill, but I love the passion and vision and hope behind it.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Influence
A recent issue of a popular news magazine highlighted 100 of the world’s most influential people. Each “influential” person was highlighted with a brief essay written about them, written by another individual who has witnessed this person’s influence.
I loved reading the magazine. Cover to cover. And while I did not agree with every person selected, the quality of the writing (the sheer excellence in the handling of the English language) and the emotions and ideals it evoked were inspiring, challenging and beautiful all at once.
Below are excerpts from just six of the one-hundred essays. Each excerpt below was written about a different person.
With one exception, I’ve deleted the names of the people being written about. I’ve done so for two reasons. First, it allows you to put your own name in the blank…."what if these things were being written about me and were true of me?" Second, it eliminates potential bias you might have against the person and their selection in the “Top 100” which could result in an inability to wrestle with the qualities being written about. The point isn’t whether or not you agree with each author’s analysis, but the ideals and qualities it calls out in each of us.
#1
If I ever had to be stuck in a long line. I would like to be stuck there with _______. It wouldn’t matter what we were waiting for or how long it would take to get it. It wouldn’t even matter if it was the kind of line we had to camp out on because it went around the block. It’s nice to stand around with ______. He’s interesting because he’s interested. He asks great questions, and he waits for the answers. He has a sort of wondrous capacity for wonder.
#2
His courage—the courage to go first, to lead, where none have gone before—is unmatched. When he speaks, he gives those who hear him confidence: not in him but in themselves. It was said of
#3
She is a fighter for causes that count. Whether people agree with _____________ or not, they learn quickly that it is worth paying attention to what she has to say.
#4
I have never seen such tenacity, such ambition, such fight and such honor go into every shot as when I watch Rafael Nadal.
#5
It has been said that after meeting with the great British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, you left feeling he was the smartest person in the world, but after meeting with his rival Benjamin Disraeli, you left thinking you were the smartest person. That latter touch is the essence of _____________.
#6
It’s said the average human has 100,000 heartbeats a day. ________ may not have more of them than the rest of us, but each one is powered by purpose. And every year, somehow she reminds us anew of the song that plays in our best dreams.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Lists
Time Magazine's cover a few weeks ago was all about lists. It was called "The List Issue" and had dozens of "best of 2008" lists including things like "Top Ten TV Series," "Top 10 Crime Stories," "Top 10 Buzzwords," and "Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs."
So I thought I'd make a few 2008 lists of my own.
Top Five Movies I Saw:
1. Gran Torino
2. Charlie Wilson's War
3. Body of Lies
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Horton Hears a Who (on a "date" with my five-year old daughter)
Top Five Websites I Visited:
1. Ted.com
2. Thunderstruck.org
3. Pandora.com
4. Tarheelblue.com
5. CNN.com & CBSsportsline.com
Top Five Books I Read:
1. Surprised By Hope by N.T. Wright
2. The Language of God by Francis Collins
3. The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs
4. God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now by John Dominic Crossan
5. This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
Top Five Restaurants I Ate At:
1. Cheesecake Factory
2. La Parilla
3. Ledo's Pizza
4. Sid's Pizza
5. Frontera's
Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:
1. Growing my relationship with my wife and children
2. Tutoring kids at Esther Jackson Elementary School
3. Helping fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa
4. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings.
5. Spending time with friends (esp. watching football at Taco Mac and hanging out at Starbucks)
I'd recommend making a few lists of your own. In addition to being fun, it's a good exercise in reflecting on how/where you spent your time/energy in 2008 and where you want to focus your time/energy in 2009.
So I thought I'd make a few 2008 lists of my own.
Top Five Movies I Saw:
1. Gran Torino
2. Charlie Wilson's War
3. Body of Lies
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Horton Hears a Who (on a "date" with my five-year old daughter)
Top Five Websites I Visited:
1. Ted.com
2. Thunderstruck.org
3. Pandora.com
4. Tarheelblue.com
5. CNN.com & CBSsportsline.com
Top Five Books I Read:
1. Surprised By Hope by N.T. Wright
2. The Language of God by Francis Collins
3. The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs
4. God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now by John Dominic Crossan
5. This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
Top Five Restaurants I Ate At:
1. Cheesecake Factory
2. La Parilla
3. Ledo's Pizza
4. Sid's Pizza
5. Frontera's
Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:
1. Growing my relationship with my wife and children
2. Tutoring kids at Esther Jackson Elementary School
3. Helping fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa
4. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings.
5. Spending time with friends (esp. watching football at Taco Mac and hanging out at Starbucks)
I'd recommend making a few lists of your own. In addition to being fun, it's a good exercise in reflecting on how/where you spent your time/energy in 2008 and where you want to focus your time/energy in 2009.
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