Rosalynn Carter

The world could use more Christians like Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and fewer like Lauren Boebert and Mike Johnson.

Easter Reflection

Jesus fed the hungry. What’s your position on assistance to the poor?

Jesus healed the sick. What’s your position on healthcare for all?

Jesus condemned institutionalized greed. What’s your position on tax cuts for the wealthy?

Jesus sought refuge in a strange land as a child, when staying in his homeland was too dangerous. What’s your position on asylum seekers and immigrant children?

Jesus saved a woman from a vengeful mob. What’s your position on women’s rights?

Jesus never condemned a person for being gay. What’s your position on LGBTQ rights?

Jesus’s best friend was a prostitute. How do you treat the most marginalized members of society?

Epiphany

A Christian doesn’t try to overthrow the government on Epiphany. The word you’re looking for is Barbarian.

Post Jesus

Jesus will never shame you into sharing posts about Jesus.

Spammers will.

Trust Funds

Blessed are those who have Trust Funds, for they have Exploited the Labours of others. - Fascists 13 : 1099

Religion and Power

Religion has a long history of influence in politics and rarely for good. European monarchs were so often persuaded by the cardinals and bishops who advised them, that the US Constitution expressly forbade such interaction between Church and State.

Religion was used to justify conquest, colonization, even slavery. The Church had no sympathy for the plight of the “Godless savages” whom European settlers displaced and forced into lives of bondage.

The Old Testament lists Ten Commandments. Jesus added an eleventh commandment when he urged his disciples to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Notice that Jesus didn’t qualify which neighbors to love and which to exclude. He didn’t say, “Love your successful neighbors, love your agreeable neighbors, love your neighbors who come from a similar ethnic background.” He didn’t say, “Love your Christian neighbors.” He didn’t say, “Love the neighbors who share your political views.” He didn’t say, “Love the neighbor who occasionally gets extra tickets to the big game.”

Love thy neighbor as thyself. That means all of them. Love the neighbors with whom you disagree. Love the neighbors who come from different places and cultures. Love the neighbors that have nothing to do with you. Love the neighbors who frighten you.

And when you are loving this wide array of neighbors, love them “as thyself.” Care about them. Express concern for their well-being. Help them to achieve their goals. Stand up for them when their rights and their safety are threatened.

Notice some other very important points that Jesus did not suggest.

He didn’t say, “Love thy neighbor, but if they seem suspicious, call the police.”

He didn’t say, “Love thy neighbor, but protect the neighborhood from strangers moving in by enforcing discriminatory housing and lending policies.”

And as sure as the sun comes up in the East, Jesus did not advise anyone to use the power of the government to control the behavior of others in their neighborhood.

Leveraging governmental authority to control one’s neighbors is not Christian. In fact, it’s anti-Christian. This is what the priests and the officers of the temple did to Jesus, himself. They were so fearful of this strange, mystic man with a growing and dedicated following, that they pleaded with the Roman authorities to have him punished.

At first, Romans were confused. “This man hasn’t broken our laws,” they noted. “Why do you want us to punish him? Take him over to the local king. Maybe he will have some issue with the man.”

The priests took Jesus to Herod, but Herod wasn’t interested in prosecuting him, either. So, the priests dragged him back to the Romans.

“You again? We told you, we’re not interested.”

“Please! You have to do something. He’s bad. He’s wicked. He’s really, really bad!”

“Okay, what do you want us to do with him?”

“We want you to KILL him! But first, make him feel a lot of pain. Would that be okay?”

“Sure, fine! Consider it done. Now, get out of my office!”

People who claim to be Christians but who advocate for the government to punish and control others, others with whom they do not agree, others whom they fear, these people are not following the teachings of Jesus Christ. They are following the petty, self-serving, manipulative behavior of the priests who sentenced Jesus to execution on the cross.

Religion and Politics

If you believe that God wanted Donald Trump to be president, and if you believe that God is Almighty, then you have to believe that God the Almighty wanted Barack Obama to be president TWICE (because that’s what “almighty” means), and you’re going to have to support whomever Almighty God decides elect this November, whether you like them or not.

Alternatively, you can accept that God is neither Red nor Blue and does not care about the outcome of worldly events like political contests, in which case you should stop using His good name in association with any party or candidate. (There’s a Commandment about that.)

A Christmas Story

The week, we celebrate Christmas, the holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the founder and central figure of the Christian religion. Whether you are a Christian or not, you’ll probably recall the story. 

Jesus was not born in Nazareth. The Romans were holding a census, and all citizens and families were required to return to their ancestral homes. Joseph was a descendant of the family of King David, so he and his bride-to-be Mary journeyed to Bethlehem (The City Of David). They found no accommodations when they arrive, so they stayed in a hut with animals. It was here that Jesus was born.

You may also recall that three wise men visited this newborn child and brought him gifts. The wise men were spurred to make the journey when they noticed an unusually a bright star in the sky. They interpreted this as a sign that a new king had been born.

But the wise men made a foolish miscalculation. Along they way, they stopped and announced their intentions to King Herod. Herod was a villainous king, known for his debauchery, cruelty, and vanity. When the wise men mentioned the birth of a new king, Herod felt threatened and plotted to have the infant Jesus killed.

Joseph was warned of the plot by an angel who came to him in a dream. He and Mary left Bethlehem with their newborn child and journeyed to Egypt, where they stayed until they received news that Herod had died.

So, think about this for a moment. When Jesus was a child, he was a refugee. His family sought asylum in another country, because they feared that if they stayed, he would be killed. 

Imagine if the Egyptian authorities had refused entry to Joseph and his family.

“Hey, look, Joseph, we’re sorry, but there’s nothing that we can do right now. Our government has put restrictions on the number of refugees that we can let in, and we are no longer accepting applications for asylum for any reason. If you noticed along the border, we’re building a big new wall to keep people like you out. You’re just going to have to go back where you came from. And if you try to sneak back in, we’re going to take your child away from you and lock him up in a makeshift detention center.”

Immigration has become a political football in recent years with tragic consequences. The administration that has taken repeated draconian and downright cruel actions against immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers rose to power with strong support from people who claim to be Christians. 

That’s right. People who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who himself was once a Middle Eastern child refugee fleeing violence in his homeland, have enabled public policy that has lowered the number of refugees that the USA will accept, stripped children away from families and imprisoned them, and blocked all immigration from a number of Middle Eastern nations. How’s that for a thick slice of bitter irony wrapped up in a hypocrisy sandwich soaked in a toxic helping of fuck you sauce?

We need to go better as a nation. Much better. If you claim to be a Christian, start acting like one.

Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved

Christian Holy Week

I have mentioned this before, but since the dates are coming up, I thought that I would post a reminder. :-) Masses held during the Christian Holy Week, particularly on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Easter, are unlike those held throughout the rest of the year and, in my opinion, are uniquely fascinating. I think that anyone, Christian, non-Christian, or agnostic, would enjoy the experience of attending one of these masses. I would encourage you to check with churches in your area to see what they have planned for Holy Week. 

Happy Easter!

Reflections On A Year Of Worship

Over the past year and a half, I have attended Catholic masses almost every week. The only exceptions were on weekends when I was traveling. 

I’m not Catholic. I’m a Lutheran, but I play music at a Roman Catholic church in my neighborhood. Why is a story for another time, but the choir director is happy to have me, and the pastor doesn’t seem to mind that I was raised a Protestant. 

Weekly attendance has been a fulfilling experience for a number of reasons. The pastor is a sharp fellow, and he speaks well; his homilies are interesting and never overly dogmatic. The music is enjoyable, and I enjoy my small role in the apparatus that makes it.

I have gained, through this experience, an appreciation for things that I had not thought about before. One is the liturgical calendar. The Roman Catholic church is well-organized. They follow a schedule, focusing on certain books and themes at different times of the year. My favorite masses were the ones leading up to Easter: Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the day after. The Passion is told beautifully during these masses. If you only show up on Easter Sunday, you would have missed some beautiful moments. The Easter Sunday mass is like any other Sunday’s mass. Go on Palm Sunday or Good Friday if you want an experience that you’ll remember for a while.

I have also gained an appreciation for the work that goes into preparing for worship services. The church that I attend holds two masses a day and four on Sundays. It’s an exhausting schedule, and a lot of the work is done by volunteers. 

So, first of all, I would like to extend a huge thank you to pastors, church staff, and the countless volunteers who work hard, week in and week out, to put on worship services near your home and all over the world. It is a labor of love that those of us who enjoy these services should acknowledge and appreciate.

Secondly, I’m not going to suggest to anyone that they attend a church service if it’s not something that they wish to do. If the desire doesn’t come from your own heart, it won’t do you much good, anyway. I will however suggest that if you want to see something that is different and truly moving, consider attending a well-regarded Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, or Good Friday mass in your area, or a children’s Christmas pageant. I find these masses to be uniquely fascinating. I think that there is a good chance that you will enjoy them as well.

Astounding Religious Hypocrisy

In a gesture of perhaps unintended but nevertheless ridiculous religious hypocrisy, a private Christian college has announced that they will no longer use Nike brand gear in their athletic program in protest of the new Nike ad featuring Colin Kaepernick. They feel that the ad is an insult to the country and our flag. First of all, Mr. Kaepernick never protested the country or the flag. He protested police brutality against people of color in our country. But the most astounding thing is that despite claiming to be a Christian college, they seem to be blind to the fact that Jesus had little regard for countries or earthly power constructs. He preached that his followers were members of the Kingdom of Heaven, which in his view, was the only kingdom of any importance. Would Jesus have rebuked Colin Kaepernick for standing up for the rights of unfairly persecuted people? We can’t know the answer, but I’m pretty sure that Jesus would not have criticized anyone for their disregard of flags, kings, or countries.

Mysticism and the Ego

A mystical religious experience, a clear and unmistakable communion with a higher power, is one of the most ego-free moments of life, a moment when we realize, vividly and unmistakably, how delicate and insignificant we really are as we bear witness firsthand to the boundless grace, power, and understanding of our Creator.

Copyright © 2017 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved

A Religion of Hate

Islam gets blamed for a lot of problems, these days. I remember people mocking Islam as a "religion of hate" in the tense days after 9/11 when Muslims tried to popularize the idea that Islam was "a religion of peace."

Religion can be corrupted, distorted, and co-opted for negative purposes. But this principle is not exclusive to Islam.

For example, consider the following quote featured today on CNN. This is a Christian minister discussing the horrific shooting that occurred ten days ago at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

"Hey, are you sad that 50 pedophiles were killed today?" Sacramento, California, pastor Roger Jimenez said from the pulpit the Sunday of the shooting. "No, I think that's great. I think that helps society. I think Orlando, Florida is a little safer tonight ... The tragedy is more of 'em didn't die." (Link to the Article)

Really, Pastor Jimenez? Did you actually study the teachings of Jesus Christ when you were at seminary? Or did you stumble into a hate rally by mistake?

Any religion can be corrupted when those professing to follow - or even lead - that religion let their hearts turn cold and their minds grow opaque and obstinate.

‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ - Matthew 25:40

Are you a good steward for your faith? Do you live its values truly and fairly, even when those values conflict with your personal feelings? Do you treat your neighbors - the believers, the non-believers, and those of different faiths - with love and respect? Or do you let yourself fall into the abysmal trenches of judgment, ridicule, and exclusivity? 

Our faith depends on us just as we depend on our faith. When we let our own hearts turn cold toward the plight of our neighbors or abandon "the least among us," our faith suffers in kind. We pull it down into the well instead of letting its spiritual buoyancy raise us up to a higher level of understanding and acceptance.

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved 

  

What Happened To The Gifts?

A child is born. A bright star lights up the sky. Three wise kings see the star as a sign that something significant has happened.

The kings organize caravans. They travel for twelve days until they find the child, his mother, and her husband making the best of their stay in a stable.

The kings realize that the boy is special. A Messiah. A Saviour. They give to him the finest gifts that they have to offer: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And then the kings depart. They go back to their respective lands. But what happened to the gifts?

Granted, two of the gifts were not durable. Myrrh is a scented oil. It has to be used to be appreciated. Perhaps the myrrh was used from time to time to anoint the child.

Frankincense gives off a fragrance when it burns. Perhaps it was used to cleanse and purify the child's home and quarters.

Gold, on the other hand, is one of the most durable materials in the universe. It doesn't tarnish. It doesn't react with other materials. Gold lasts forever. 

What happened to the gold that was given to the boy? As a young man, he worked as a humble carpenter. There's no mention of material wealth at this point of his life, no portfolio of precious metals.

Was the gold spent over time to take care of basic family needs? Was it lost? Stolen? Gambled away? Was it used for bribes in an effort to keep the boy safe from Herod's soldiers?

And what of the kings? Did they ever return to look in on their young protégé? Were they interested in his progress? Did they see intervention in his life as unnecessary? Or did they meet their demise before they could return?

So many unanswered questions! Unfortunately, none of the extant accounts were recorded as the events occurred. The Gospels were written decades later. 

Over the centuries, people have kept the tradition of giving gifts. We give gifts on the anniversary of the Christ child's birth. We observe the Epiphany twelve days later in honor of the travelers who gave the very first Christmas gifts - gifts presented by kings to a newborn infant sleeping in a stable.

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved 

  

Religious Authority and Logical Fallacy

I had a Social Studies teacher whose family was active in the mission field. One day she spent a few minutes talking about the part of the world where her missionary relatives were stationed. "They're lovely people," she said. "But we know that we're right and they're wrong." The sheer audacity of the statement shocked me. Her perspective was completely arbitrary. She assumed that her religion was the one true religion solely because it was the one that she had been born into. I found it reprehensible that a teacher could subscribe to such a fallacy and not recognize the folly of it. From that day forward, I vowed to respect all peaceful religious and cultural traditions. I am proud to be a believing and practicing Christian, but that doesn't give me license to dismiss someone else's religion as false. If we feel compelled to dismiss someone else's belief system, it betrays a lack of confidence in our own. I am comfortable being a Christan. I don't have to run around telling other people that I'm right and they're wrong.

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved 

  

Storm of Vengeance

For those who believe that God actively uses weather to punish people, note that recent storms have caused catastrophic damage in Texas and South Carolina, while the biggest hurricane in history just passed over Mexico but left the country virtually untouched.

Maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere. Can a brother get an Amen?

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved