UnEqually Yoked!
Said Politics to Religion, “I Want A Divorce!”
If President Obama’s recent political support of same-sex marriage has done nothing else, it’s ignited discussion about the relationship between church and government.
It annoys me to no end that so many in the Christian community want to equate American freedom with biblical doctrine. It’s so common to hear “America is a Christian Nation,” and that “if we don’t go back to following God, we’re gonna receive his judgment,” and other such, frankly, frustrating epithets that make for great sound bytes, but have little to no real substance.
Do we really think about what we’re saying before we say it. It’s no wonder a generation of free-thinkers and activist reject the ” talking loud, saying nothing” nature of the Christian American church.
So let this be a call to all of us Holy-Ghost-having, cross-bearing, Lord’s-Prayer quoting, little-Jesuses. Politics has asked for a divorce. And we should acquiesce its request. Quickly.
ENTITLEMENT AND THE CHURCH
It doesn’t matter the subject: prayer in schools, legalizing abortion, same-sex marriage, capital punishment, the Christian church, in large part, has come to expect that its rules for life should also be America’s rules for life. Maybe not down to every detail (after all, we haven’t made fornication illegal yet. And we certainly don’t expect American government to take care of the poor the way Jesus asks his followers to), but for the most part, we expect the Bible to carry some weight in American legislation. For some unsubstantiated reason, we feel we deserve it. We don’t.
Well, here’s the unfortunate newsflash: America did not accept Jesus as its personal Lord and Savior.
An Alzheimer’s Small Miracle
Three Words
Alzheimer’s sucks. Hard.
I was introduced to the effects of the disease about 4 years ago. I was in a writing critique group with an author who was retelling her story about how she’d lost her mother to Alzheimer’s. I remember reading her manuscript. About her mom. About her dad. And about their fights and fears, triumphs and tears. Reading it on the page, I thought how difficult it must have been.
When Al hits, he hits everyone. The whole family. It’s a seismic shift of position: physically, mentally, and emotionally. My author friend is a fantastic writer. One of the best I’ve ever read. But the words on the page are not like experiencing it for myself.
My mom and dad don’t have Alzheimer’s, thank God, but a dear, dear friend of mine does have a mom who has it. I’ve watched the family. How hard it is to see someone you know turn into someone you don’t. How tough the decisions are to handle their care. How trying it is to want to go on, to want to smile and live your life after visits that are depressing.
It’s enough to make you turn to the sky with arms wide. Where are you now, God? Mr. Almighty! Where are you now?!
The Visit
I know this is a Christian blog, and I’m supposed to have answers. But if I’m honest. I don’t have any answers. No one does.
We visited with our Alzheimer’s patient today. And like every time, it was tough. Christian music played lightly as we entered. My friend tries to speak to her mom with joy. She’s upbeat as she speaks close to her mom’s face, or sometimes right in her ear. “How you doing today, Mom? It’s me.” I usually just observe. Sometimes I feel I’m an intrusion. I never want to be in the way of these precious moment. On this visit, upon my friend saying her name, I saw a response. “Hi!” her mom replied. Always a good sign. I even thought I saw a smile.
Mother’s Day… Again?
Guest Post – DiAne Gates (www.dianegates.wordpress.com)
Oh dear, Mother’s Day—again. One of the most difficult days of the year for me.
February 17, 2001, forever changed my life. Our twenty-eight year old daughter suddenly died from a hemorrhagic stroke in her brain stem.
Gone in an instant.
She left behind a four-and-a-half-year old daughter, a seven month old baby boy, a grieving husband and family.
For you who have experienced tragic loss, you understand. You know the tsunami of grief and the secondary losses that bring chaos to your life and to the family. I’m sure you’ve asked the same why questions I asked—with one exception.
Thirteen months earlier our Michelle was three months pregnant with this now motherless seven-month son, Noah. She and her husband had gone for a routine sonogram one Friday. After reviewing the images the doctor learned the baby was horribly deformed with organs outside the body.
The doctor recommended an abortion.
He gave them ‘til Monday to make a decision—abortion or life with a special needs child.
Same Sex Marriage, President Obama, and the Church
The President is Right.
President Obama supports the constitutional right for same sex couples to get married.
It’s big news. Huge news for both sides of the aisle.
On one hand, the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans) community feels the thrill of victory. Their fight for equal rights for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, has taken a monumental step forward. With President Obama’s historic backing of the constitutionality of same sex marriages, their sweat and tears come a reward for their tears and trials. CNN news reports Chad Griffin saying, “[President Obama]‘s words provide genuine hope that they will be the first generation to grow up with the freedom to fully pursue the American dream.”
And then, there is the other hand. The villainous hand. The perceived hand of tyranny with cross-shaped holes in them. The Christian, or “values” group will respond, no doubt, with great ferocity. To them, Obama has affirmed his place as the trailblazer of a modern Sodom and Gomorrah, as the head of the demonizing force against an otherwise “Christian” nation, under God. A spineless moral coward.
The Question Behind the Question
Needless to say, mass confusion abounds around the subject of homosexuality. Let alone homosexual marriage. This is largely the case because the two sides have different starting points. For the “right,” this is a biblical issue. And thus, acquiescing the advances of this country’s increasing immoral community is equivalent to dragging the valueable and pristine Stars and Stripes through spiritual mud. But the community that backs same sex marriage sees this as a freedom issue. For them, the “land of the free” should, by definition, be a land sans all prejudices, including those involving sexual orientation.
So you see the disconnect. One side begins with the Bible. The other with the Constitution. Needless to say, the two documents were written to achieve very different ends.
To take a page from Rob Bell, getting to the real nitty gritty of the issue means asking “the question behind the question.” No doubt Judeo-Christian influenced the formation of the Constitution, but the question is to what degree. Where’s the line for bible-based legislation and governmental leadership? Just how much should we allow religion to influence legislation?
The Avengers Review
Avengers Unite!
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
Directed by Joss Whedon
Action, Adventure : Rated PG-13
Quick Take:
Who knew that a superhero movie not named Batman could be so good. Avengers fans have waited years for a movie adaptation of their favorite superheroes and this is that movie. Strong acting, pretty good story, explosions, a Hulk … What else could we ask for?
The Skinny:
It’s easy to be on superhero movie overload these days with one coming out every 21 days for the last 5 years. But don’t let that stop you from paying the dollars to see The Avengers. While slow to begin with (almost by necessity for a movie like this), the show picks up for quite a ride once the momentum gets going.
I took my son to see this at the midnight showing, and I was surprised to see that the theater was barely filled. I’d taken my daughters to see Hunger Games at midnight and we could barely find a seat. Maybe the world is on Marvel overload. But I dare you not to have a good time with The Avengers. Joss Whedon takes on the challenge of giving each character their time to shine.
I help Christians to (re)think about how to interact with the world and each other. In so doing, I hope to help restore the voice and authority of the Church in our society,
