Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
RIP Christopher Hitchens
I saw in the news this morning that Christopher Hitchens has died at the age of 62. Hitchens was a columnist, author, and pundit famous for his wit, his intellece, and his often controversial views.
I know him bast as an outspoken critic of religion. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism were his main targets but he viewed all religion as wrong-headed and evil, as can be seen inthe subtitle of his book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.
I've got mixed feelings about Mr. Hitchens. On the one hand I think his criticism of religion was mean-spirited and unfair, his understanding of the Bible superficial at best, and his suppositions about Christian theology often wildly innacurate. He was fond of making blanked condemnations such as this from God is Not Great...
Despite this, I have to must acknowledge that Hitchens often pointed to real problems that need to be dealt with. He raised important issues that need to be discussed honestly and seriously. While I often disagree--and strongly--with his conclusions, I think his questions are important and am grateful to him for raising them.
Goodbye, Christopher Hitchens. I'm not sure what to offer in farewell because I'm sure you'd scorn my blessing and be offended by my prayers. I guess I'll just thank you for making me think about uncomfortable things. I didn't end up where you'd have wanted me to, but I am better for having struggled with the questions.
I know him bast as an outspoken critic of religion. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism were his main targets but he viewed all religion as wrong-headed and evil, as can be seen inthe subtitle of his book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.
I've got mixed feelings about Mr. Hitchens. On the one hand I think his criticism of religion was mean-spirited and unfair, his understanding of the Bible superficial at best, and his suppositions about Christian theology often wildly innacurate. He was fond of making blanked condemnations such as this from God is Not Great...
"violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children".
Despite this, I have to must acknowledge that Hitchens often pointed to real problems that need to be dealt with. He raised important issues that need to be discussed honestly and seriously. While I often disagree--and strongly--with his conclusions, I think his questions are important and am grateful to him for raising them.
Goodbye, Christopher Hitchens. I'm not sure what to offer in farewell because I'm sure you'd scorn my blessing and be offended by my prayers. I guess I'll just thank you for making me think about uncomfortable things. I didn't end up where you'd have wanted me to, but I am better for having struggled with the questions.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Some Pre-Christmas Musings
There are some things that we don't always think about in the Christmas story as it appears in the Bible.
Mary and Joseph were not married when Mary was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. We sometimes gloss over the scandalous implications of this because of the miracle, ut put all your expectations aside for a moment and think about it.
When we look at the age women were generally betrothed, Mary was an unwed, pregnant teenage girl. That's something that could be awkward even our more tolerant modern world, but think about thas. Mary lived in a culture that believed in "honor killings." The y may not have called them that but this law from Deuteronomy shows that it what they were.
It wasn't just a scandal; Mary's life was hanging by a thread. Joseph could have demanded that the men of the city stone her to death. Even putting her aside honorably would make her, as an unwed mother, an outcast, condemned by the whole community for her assumed loose morals. She knew what it meant to be vulnerable.
Which really gives a lot of extra meaning to what she says in the song we call the Magnificat.
This passage in Luke 1:46-55 is remarkible for what it tells us about God. This is not a God who kowtows to kings and presidents or takes special notice of the rich and famous. This isn't even a God who stands in solidatiry with the decent and morally upright church-going folk of the world.
The God who Mary sings about is a God who cares about the poor, the despised, the rejected, and the vulnerable. This is a God whose son is born out of wedlock to a poor couple with no social standing. It's scandalous but God's love is scandalous as he breaks all the social and religious rules out of love. And it's something that carries over to the ministry of Jesus who grows up to touch the untouchables, forgive the unforgivables, and embrace the unacceptables.
Mary and Joseph were not married when Mary was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. We sometimes gloss over the scandalous implications of this because of the miracle, ut put all your expectations aside for a moment and think about it.
When we look at the age women were generally betrothed, Mary was an unwed, pregnant teenage girl. That's something that could be awkward even our more tolerant modern world, but think about thas. Mary lived in a culture that believed in "honor killings." The y may not have called them that but this law from Deuteronomy shows that it what they were.
It wasn't just a scandal; Mary's life was hanging by a thread. Joseph could have demanded that the men of the city stone her to death. Even putting her aside honorably would make her, as an unwed mother, an outcast, condemned by the whole community for her assumed loose morals. She knew what it meant to be vulnerable.
Which really gives a lot of extra meaning to what she says in the song we call the Magnificat.
And Mary said, "I'm bursting with God-news; I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened - I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
This passage in Luke 1:46-55 is remarkible for what it tells us about God. This is not a God who kowtows to kings and presidents or takes special notice of the rich and famous. This isn't even a God who stands in solidatiry with the decent and morally upright church-going folk of the world.
The God who Mary sings about is a God who cares about the poor, the despised, the rejected, and the vulnerable. This is a God whose son is born out of wedlock to a poor couple with no social standing. It's scandalous but God's love is scandalous as he breaks all the social and religious rules out of love. And it's something that carries over to the ministry of Jesus who grows up to touch the untouchables, forgive the unforgivables, and embrace the unacceptables.
Friday, December 2, 2011
A Kinder, Gentler World?
This is a fascinating topic and one that gives me hope for the world.
Stephen is vague about the role of religion in this. He dismisses the Bible a bit sarcastically as the "source of our morality" when decrying the ancient practices of total annihilation of enemies, and the use of the death penalty for so many crimes. At the same time, he suggests the "logic of the Golden Rule" as one possible reason for the growing ethic of peace.
For what it's worth, I think he's right in criticizing the ancient rules about genodide (though it no good archaeological evidence to show that the ancient Israelites ever took them literally enough to wage a genocidal war), and the use of the death penalty (though Rabbinic tradition asserts that death was only the punishment of last resort and was seldom used).
I'll agree with him that The Golden Rule is a huge step forward from the ethics of honor and revenge. Of course, Jesus is not the only person to formulate the rule, which is sometimes also referred to as the Ethic of Reciprocity but I think his version is the best known and most influential in the western world.
Does this show the ethics of Jesus slowly but surely chipping away at the violence and hatred of the world? I think it does, and you can bet I'm going to learn all that I can about this. In the meanwhile I'll just say, I'm very happy to learn that "Peace on Earth and goodwill to all people" is so much more than just a hopeful saying.
Stephen is vague about the role of religion in this. He dismisses the Bible a bit sarcastically as the "source of our morality" when decrying the ancient practices of total annihilation of enemies, and the use of the death penalty for so many crimes. At the same time, he suggests the "logic of the Golden Rule" as one possible reason for the growing ethic of peace.
For what it's worth, I think he's right in criticizing the ancient rules about genodide (though it no good archaeological evidence to show that the ancient Israelites ever took them literally enough to wage a genocidal war), and the use of the death penalty (though Rabbinic tradition asserts that death was only the punishment of last resort and was seldom used).
I'll agree with him that The Golden Rule is a huge step forward from the ethics of honor and revenge. Of course, Jesus is not the only person to formulate the rule, which is sometimes also referred to as the Ethic of Reciprocity but I think his version is the best known and most influential in the western world.
Does this show the ethics of Jesus slowly but surely chipping away at the violence and hatred of the world? I think it does, and you can bet I'm going to learn all that I can about this. In the meanwhile I'll just say, I'm very happy to learn that "Peace on Earth and goodwill to all people" is so much more than just a hopeful saying.
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