Religiotics

Don't Forget True Meaning of Christmas

2007-12-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

The LA Times put out a nice article about why it is important to remember that there is a real purpose to the holiday of Christmas, before the commercialization.

Advent often is overshadowed by the pageantry -- or commercialism -- of Christmas, but some congregations, such as Irvine Presbyterian, are working to remind Christians of the significance of the four-week holy season, which for most of the 2 billion Christians worldwide begins Sunday. It's also a time of beginnings. In the Western branch of Christianity, the new church year starts Sunday as well.

The author begs readers to rememebr that Advent is an important part of the Christmas season. She claims that over the next four weeks Christians should reflect on their lives in preparation for celebrating the birth of their savior on Christmas. Its a strange place for someone to be making a plea not to forget the real meaning of Christmas, in a liberal, secular newspaper, but as long as the message gets through, I guess that's all that matters.

Illinois School District Trusts in G-d in Every Room

2007-12-01T22:41:00.000-08:00

Evangelical Christians, for better or worse, recently forced the Illinois School Board, in the Bakersfield school district, to pass legislation that forced the schools put up posters in every school that said in big bold letters “In God We Trust”. There are various thoughts about why this happened, and why it was important to the Christian groups, and as one pastor put it:

“we're teaching our citizens -- including our children -- that the very foundation of government is that God gave them unalienable rights that cannot be usurped by the will of the majority or anyone else.”

The law raises a lot of questions about the separation of church and state, especially seeing how the district is made up of public schools. However, as long as the phrase continues to be on money, it could be argued that the move is more capitalist then it is Christian.

Democrats Trying to Become G-d’s Party

2007-11-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

It appears that the inevitable is upon us. The Democratic Party, realizing that they are not seen as the party of g-d, is trying to close the “G-d Gap”.

“In the race for the White House this year, speeches have turned sharply from the political to the biblical as Democrats have strived to close the "God gap" with Republicans over the religious vote. Yet, when pressed about their own faith or faithlessness, candidates have been less eager to answer, claiming that such questions are personal and beyond the pale. But it may be time to demand that, when politicians call to the faithful, they should have to answer to the faithful on their own religious practices.”

If the Democrats really want to be able to close this imaginary gap, then they are going to need to do a much better job of doing so, as currently I really am not sure of where they stand on any religious issue. When they call themselves “my own faith warrior”, it does little more then to make me assume that they are working to get a vote or two, rather then really being honest about who they are with the American people.

Can Dems Capitalize on Evangelical Loyalty Drop?

2007-11-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

In the past few elections, there has always been one constituency that republicans could count on, that being the white, evangelical Protestants. In the re-election of President Bush, 79% of white evangelicals voted for the re-election of the president. Of all of President Bush’s votes in his re-election, 66% were from white evangelicals. The problem however, is occurring with the freefall of Bush’s approval rating, not among the country as a whole, but in this category of American that is particularly important for the Republicans to win in the ’08 election. The Democrats will have to work hard though, as although loyalty to the Republican Party is fading, they are still far more conservative then the rest of the country.

Iowa...Republican or Democrat in 2008

2007-11-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Iowa seems to be moving slightly more towards the center, if current polling is an acceptable predictor. The strong Christian background of the state has made it all but a lock for Republicans in recent history, but they are beginning to stray from these steadfast right-wing beliefs. Iowans are backing more centrist candidates like Giuliani and Romney because there is not a true Christian conservative running in the primaries other then Mike Huckabee, who isn’t seen as a candidate who could win in the general.

"I like Huckabee … Romney -- I wouldn't hold it against him because he's a Mormon, although I have to wonder. … But that doesn't trouble me as much as his change of positions. You have to wonder whether he or Giuliani would put people on the bench that reflect my Christian values."

The question that remains to be seen is whether Iowa, and the rest of the country has seen the end of the road for strong Christian conservatives, and the beginning of a more moderate Republican Party, one that stays toward the center all of the time, rather then just when there’s a Presidential election.

Even Lesbians Have to Play by the Rules

2007-11-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

Should all Christian clergy members have to abide by the same rules? Jen Rude, a lesbian woman who is being ordained in Chicago doesn’t believe so. The fact of the mater is that the bible is quite clear about pre-marital sex. It is also clear about homosexuality, but for one reason or another, Rude is going to be ordained anyway. However, the fact remains that because she is gay, she cannot be married in the church’s eyes, and therefore cannot have sex with her life partner. She has made the choice to become a minister, not me, and therefore opens herself up for criticism about not doing so wholeheartedly. If she is going to be a minister, she knows that she can’t be married. If she can’t be married, she can’t have sex. Period.

Redemption… and Lessons

2007-11-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Roman Catholic Church’s settlement of sex scandal cases just doesn’t seem to have an end, and they have now settled another suit, this time in Alaska. They’ve agreed to pay $50 million to 110 Alaskans who live in remote villages in the nations largest state. Many of the accusers were children in the 1950s and ‘60s, and were molested by Catholic priests and missionaries. They have kept silent due to a fear of worse repercussions taken. The church continues to settle these cases in order to make sure they don’t have to admit guilt for horrendous acts that they probably were party to. The church also believes, at least in this case, that the way the plaintiffs’ attorneys are acting is detrimental to the heath of the church and the healing process. This is really becoming ridiculous, and I hope that the church has to pay for what it has done, but I also hope that a lesson is finally being learned about why it’s important to get these rogue priests out of the church, and recover the good name of Catholics everywhere.

Can Gays Lead Churches? Not According to Jesus

2007-11-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Every so often, the question arises about whether or not gays should be allowed by church officials to become leaders in the church. The bible is pretty clear about homosexuality, but some feel that ignoring passages from the bible is allowable. Theologian Kendall Harmon:

"Jesus said a lot about human sexuality, he anchored his comments in Genesis 1 and 2 and in marriage. It's clear in his overall teaching that sexual intimacy is anchored in marriage.”
"You have to look at what they do say. You really can't get that far with an argument from silence. Jesus said nothing about ax murdering, nothing about terrorism. Arguments from silence are notoriously ineffective. If the fact is that Jesus didn't say something explicitly, then the church's history wouldn't reflect the clear sense that it's off-limits."

And so we get to go another round, with liberals saying the church needs to modernize and change with the times, and conservatives arguing that the bible is a blueprint for life, and that no part of it should be ignored. Who wins? The media for getting to cover the same story again.

Prayer in Schools… Yay or Nay?

2007-11-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

The Illinois school board is delaying implementing the Silent Reflection and Prayer Act after US District Court Judge Robert Gettleman barred one of the Illinois school districts from observing it. According to the judge, the statute “instructs pupils to choose between prayer and thinking about 'the anticipated activities of the day'". This, he claims, is unconstitutional because it places restrictions on thought, and that’s unallowable. It’s ridiculous because this is a way for each student to have time to reflect each day, and if the student feels that prayer is how they can reflect, then more power to them. The further secularization of American society will not be good for the morality of the country, and its about time a non-specific piece of legislation like this one is allowed to be implemented and students can do what they want with this time.

Illinois School District Trusts in G-d in Every Room

2007-11-23T22:41:00.000-08:00

Church Feels It's Being Bled Dry

2007-11-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

The concept of making a defendant pay for pain and suffering, and putting a price tag on it, has always been an interesting proposition to me. Who is anyone to say how much money can justify a despicable act such as the molestation of a child? Well, Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Paprocki told newspapers that he feels there should be a limit on the amount of money that the Catholic church is paying out to accusers. He says,

"If you have faith and trust and that trust is violated, it's very upsetting, but I hear them saying 'I want the church to clean things up.' I don't hear them saying 'I want to put the church out of business.'."

I happen to agree with him that there should be a limit placed on these cases when they are decided in court. However, most of these large monetary sums are being paid out in settlements, and it’s up to the church to impose a cap like this on themselves. Maybe if they weren’t so afraid of stories leaking out, they would put more faith in the American legal system, where they might not have to pay as much.

The Money Behind Televangelism, and the Senator Who’s Going After It

2007-11-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Something needs to happen with regards to the amount of money that churches and other religious organizations raise, not only is it tax free but they make bogus promises that if you give them money they can show you the path to go; I always thought that path was free? Recently Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, launched an investigation into an Atlanta mega-church and how they “raised” 69 million dollars in 2006.

The reason why Grassley launched his government supported investigations into these churches was because he found out that many of the ministers of these churches were living lavish and over the top lives. For example Rev. Creflo Dollar was caught driving around in a 200,000 dollar Bentley and when he flew out of the state it was nothing but private jets and limos, the concern is how can simple reverend have his type of money, unless he is related to Rev Run. He claims that is it is his own money, form personal investments, but I think that is a load of bull, the money he used is from the members of his church that he dupes into giving him money so they can find god. I was always under the impression that members of the church are supposed to be humble, but when they drive exotic cars to their services then something is wrong there and maybe they should be taxed…and heavily.

Seriousness of Church in Dealing With Abuses Questioned

2007-11-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

The major issue with the Catholic Church scandal that continues to slowly progress across the country is that many members of the church want so desperately to put the scandal behind them that they are willing to ignore current problems in order to put it our of the public’s consciousness. However, the public is still enamored with the story, and so the church is having a difficult time telling people to put it behind them, when Congressmen are speaking out on the issue:

"it confirmed for me what is at the heart of this [pedophile priest] problem -- the [Catholic] hierarchy's failure to understand the seriousness of the crisis."
- Rep. Leon Panetta, a California Democrat

If the government becomes involved in the issue in any serious way, there will most definitely be problems for the church, and it would force longtime Senators and Congressmen to speak out on an issue that many have completely avoided since the major number of charges levied against the church have come out. Bad news for the Catholic Church.

Attempted Ban on Same-Sex Marriage in Iowa

2007-11-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

I have the most respect for gay and lesbian couples and believe that the State should recognize that they want to be more than a couple, however I do not think that the term they should use when they take part in this process should be called marriage. I believe that “marriage” should be limited to only the marriages between a man and a woman, both because my religion that has existed since Abraham has made it quite clear that marriage is an act that happens between one man and one woman, but also because in America, the secularization of society has also come with an incorporation of religious traditions into “American Society”, and marriage, since the Declaration of Independence has been between one man and one woman. “Civil Unions” are fine with me, but marriage is sacred, and until they start lobbying for civil unions rather then marriage, I will be staunchly on the other side of the picket line.

10% ?

2007-11-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

Only 10% of the Evangelical sect of Christianity believes that it is morally allowable for a woman who is raped and becomes pregnant to have a baby. This is curious, especially when major members within the group have spoken out in the past about how that should be the one form of abortion that should be legal. Most of the prominent Republicans running for President have also stated that in an overturn of Roe v. Wade, stated should put into place safeguards that would protect women who have been victims of this heinous crime. 10% is far too low for that portion of society, and church leaders should make it a priority to educate their flock about why when women are raped, it is inappropriate to force her to have any baby accidentally conceived by her and the rapist.

Is This Really Necessary?

2007-11-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

When George Fain is absent on a holiday known as Samhain, he won’t have to worry because his school has given permission, for the first time, for pagan students to be excused from class for their recognized holidays and festivals. Marshall may be the first university to give protection to these students, as most schools feel no need to specifically protect the rights of their Pagan students. The chool sees this as just an extension of their protections of students of all faiths, or so says Marshall's Dean of Student Affairs Steve Hensley.

“That's part of the struggle for modern pagans," said Pitzl-Waters, a pagan. "Even though modern paganism has been in public since the 1950s, a lot of people still see it as a rebellious teenage activity, not necessarily something you do as a religious observance."

I’m not so sure that this is a necessary protection, but who am I to argue with a University who has had a major motion picture made about them recently?

Reflection Should Prove Worthy in Illinois

2007-11-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

There is no way that this law should be overturned. Nowhere in the law does prayer get mentioned, and the laws purpose is merely to allow students time for reflection each day at school. I wish that I had a moment of silence when I was in school to allow me to do what I wanted to reflect. Some schools are allowing upwards of ten minutes, which may be a little bit excessive, but the law in general is good and will give religious students time to reflect in their way (possibly prayer), and the non-religious students an opportunity to reflect in theirs (with the prayer of other not encroaching upon them). A similar law was passed in South Carolina, and the Supreme Court upheld it, therefore there should be no more argument about it, and the people of Illinois and the rest of the country should accept this as a nice way for students to reflect.

G-d's Politics

2007-11-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

The GOP has done well in holding onto the White House, despite a largely unpopular president occupying it, and they did so by focusing their platform and attention on G-d and marriage, while staying away from such “controversial” topics as abortion and gay rights. In doing so, they are able to avoid major disputes between them and the American people as a whole. Smart politics allows them to not be the people who speak about the problems occurring in the country, they simply let the Democrats do that. It’s smart politics, and it’s G-d Politics, and as some have said for a long time, G-d’s Politics can’t lose.

A Movie of Importance to the Debate on Abortion

2007-11-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

“Lake of Fire,’” is the new movie project by influential director, Tony Kaye who also directed “American History X,’” and this time he is tackling both the pros and cons of the abortion debate in the United States.

“He believes abortion to be murder, and on a purely emotional level - the level so many exploit so well on both sides of the debate - he is ‘completely opposed’ to it,”
-Guardian interview with Kaye

But, he also shows the the “pro-choice” view in the film, and explains why they feel how they do. This movie will be critical and instrumental to the abortion debate because it will show the people on both sides of the debate who are so fervent in their beliefs, that they at times seem crazy.

Ann Coulter Crosses the Line..... Again

2007-11-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

Ann Coulter is crazy. She knows it, and we all know it. Usually, she goes on cable news networks and rants about the hot topic issue of the day. But now, she is saying that some people, based solely on their religion are imperfect. She rarely actually contributes anything to the marketplace of ideas, rather then just being a talking head for the ultra-right of the country, allowing herself to be demonized in the name of getting her message out. It is far passed time for her to either tone it down, or for cable news networks to end their infatuation with her.

Romney Connects With Christian Right

2007-10-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Finally, Mitt Romney is beginning to make headway within the strong Christina Right and Evangelical sects of Christianity, these groups have realized that despite Romney’s religion he will make a very fine president. The major turning point for Romney's campaign came when Bob Jones University, an influential Christian college that teaches that his Mormon church is a cult, decided to embrace him as a presidential candidate; they had to put aside their teachings and look at what is best for the country as a whole. Along with the university, Bob Jones III and Robert Taylor, the universities founding family and dean, began to endorse Romney after he showed strong early voting in South Carolina. “Taken together, the endorsements and straw poll victory show that while evangelicals may not agree with the tenets of his Mormon faith, or even the standing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a Christian faith, some have decided to heed Romney's request for support.” In my opinion it was about damn time that these two influential voting groups pulled their heads out of the ground and realized that when voting for a president you vote for the best candidate who can lead out country out of this tail spin.

"I'm not going to judge somebody's religion, what their personal decisions are," Hawkins said. "If he can make good decisions and lead us and bring us back to be a strong country, then that's all I care about."

A Continuation of the School Holiday Debate

2007-10-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

Should Christmas be allowed in classrooms? Should Chanukah? How about Ramadan? If the answer to any of these questions was no, then the answer to all three has to be no. There is a separation of church and state in this country, and although we have allowed the line to blur in the past, and continue to allow a blurring of the line today, but if all religions aren’t represented, the one shouldn’t be. In private schools, whatever the leaders of the school want can occur, but in public schools, it just can’t be allowed to happen.

Billy Graham Land

2007-10-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Recently many evangelicals have decided to create a memorial museum for one of their most profound and highest ranking leaders, Billy Graham, who lead them on a path to G-d for over 40 years until he retired due to failing health. It is absolutely amazing that these people that they have $30 million to spend on the museum. Graham has been honored by many in the country, and the progress he helped create in making the country more conservative should be recognized, this really will be merely another museum that people will go to if they have nothing better to do. There is a Newport Beach Athletics Museum right next to Fashion Island. Have you ever been there?

Can Moderate, Centrist Candidates Woo Christian Right?

2007-10-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

In order to win the Republican nomination for President, one must be able to gain the support of the religious right of the party. Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani both have issues with this very influential section of the party. The Pew Research Facility claims that the Evangelical Christian vote makes up almost half of the entire Republican voting bloc. Romney, being Mormon, has to sway the group to believe that although he is a member of a religion that many within the Christian Right believe to be a cult, that he is in fact a Christian and will represent Christian values and represent the Religious right in the White House. Giuliani needs to convince the bloc that he can be pro-choice and still represent the party and lead the country. The Republican primaries may well come down to whether or not the religious conservative base of the party feel that they can embrace candidates who aren’t steadfastly Christian like themselves, but stand a chance of winning the White House so that their enemies (namely Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton) don’t inhabit the Presidency for at least four years.

Dalai Lama Recieves The Conressional Gold Medal

2007-10-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

Again the Dalai Lama has appeared in the news, and again it is dealing with his problems with China. China has been persecuting their Buddhist population because they believe the Dalai Lama is the leader of an “evil cult,” which needs to be done away with. In an effort to make China deal with the Dalai Lama and his Buddhist followers, or at least accept and let them live in peace, President Bush has given the Dalai Lama the United States’ highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold medal is given to a person who has done a lot to help shape the world we see today. President Bush has stood up to China and demanded for everyone in the world to have religious freedom and not turn our eyes away from the religiously oppressed; because of this he “urges the leaders of China to welcome the Dalai Lama to China…They will find this good man to be a man of peace and reconciliation.”