Quotes From "the Other Side"
My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.
-Desmond Tutu
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Real Jesus Forgives Your Jesus for being an idiot.
Axe to Grind:
I have a friend who hooked me up with a link to a site that sells bumper stickers.
One of the bumper stickers reads...
"The real Jesus forgives your Jesus for being a conservative warmonger".
The site is politically biased. However my friend is not. He's one of those (non-churched is the name he's given) believers that finds himself in a lot of different places politically. Neither left... or right... And so consequently has a hard time in the existing religious world.
The website (and bumper sticker) came up because he was talking to me about a post that went around Facebook a few weeks ago... It was one of those posts demanding that if you agreed... you had to repost it... so people would know you were a great Christian... or patriot... Or whether you believed certain things about Aids... or politics.. or ice cream... or cheese.
This one was political. It read something like this:
Let's be clear on this: Obama did not kill Bin Laden.... An American Sailor.... did. Obama just happened to be the one in office when our soldiers finally found Bin Laden and took him out. This is not an Obama victory, but an American victory. Repost if you agree.
My friend talked to me about how most of the reposts he was getting were from his Christian friends. But he was frustrated because as he noted "the logic of the post" was all wrong.
"It's not an either/or... thing"... he said. It's not Obama... or "the sailor".... but everyone had a job to do... Sailors don't do things without commands... and leaders sometimes have to make tough decisions. And so... his conclusion was.... everyone had a role to play... right?...
Which made total sense to me.
But what he told me was that as he posted that as a comment... all the "Jesus Sharks" came out... Snapping at him about George Bush... and who deserved more credit... And all the other things wrong with Obama (in their view) and by the time he was done... he told me... I never said anything political at all.... I just said the truth. Then he added... "Christians don't really care much about the truth... do they?"...
And I've been thinking about the question ever since.
Do Christians really care anything about the truth?
I have a friend who hooked me up with a link to a site that sells bumper stickers.
One of the bumper stickers reads...
"The real Jesus forgives your Jesus for being a conservative warmonger".
The site is politically biased. However my friend is not. He's one of those (non-churched is the name he's given) believers that finds himself in a lot of different places politically. Neither left... or right... And so consequently has a hard time in the existing religious world.
The website (and bumper sticker) came up because he was talking to me about a post that went around Facebook a few weeks ago... It was one of those posts demanding that if you agreed... you had to repost it... so people would know you were a great Christian... or patriot... Or whether you believed certain things about Aids... or politics.. or ice cream... or cheese.
This one was political. It read something like this:
Let's be clear on this: Obama did not kill Bin Laden.... An American Sailor.... did. Obama just happened to be the one in office when our soldiers finally found Bin Laden and took him out. This is not an Obama victory, but an American victory. Repost if you agree.
My friend talked to me about how most of the reposts he was getting were from his Christian friends. But he was frustrated because as he noted "the logic of the post" was all wrong.
"It's not an either/or... thing"... he said. It's not Obama... or "the sailor".... but everyone had a job to do... Sailors don't do things without commands... and leaders sometimes have to make tough decisions. And so... his conclusion was.... everyone had a role to play... right?...
Which made total sense to me.
But what he told me was that as he posted that as a comment... all the "Jesus Sharks" came out... Snapping at him about George Bush... and who deserved more credit... And all the other things wrong with Obama (in their view) and by the time he was done... he told me... I never said anything political at all.... I just said the truth. Then he added... "Christians don't really care much about the truth... do they?"...
And I've been thinking about the question ever since.
Do Christians really care anything about the truth?
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fight the Power
Sometimes he suggested that one day we would take over the planet. He once said that the gates of Hell couldn't stand because of our unstoppable force.
Not religion. Love.
I was watching a historical documentary the other day about the last week of the life of Jesus (on the green channel) and one of the historians was talking about the political times of Jeaus under Roman rule and he pointed out that anything that looked remotely like insurrection to the Roman government during that time was brutally put down.
The last week of the life of Jesus involved Passover which was a Jewish festival that brought thousands of people into the city of Jerusalem every year. It was crowded (think of the ball drop at Time Square in New York on New Years Eve.. about 2 to 3 hours before midnight).
The streets were filling up with fresh pilgrims doing business. getting ready.... Some making their way to the temple. All of them.. there to celebrate the feast. A Hebrew feast.... packed with symbolic meaning... centrally built around the concept of deliverance... and escape from oppression.
To a ruling foreign government anything out of the ordinary would be threatening. Any scuffle. Anything that drew the sudden attention of the masses. Anything that had a mob of people chanting. Everything to the governing authorities balanced precariously on the edge of a very thin razor blade during Passover time.
And into all of this rides a suddenly popular young teacher... A healer... a prophet. The young man Yeshua (Jesus) returning to the scene of an ancient crime where humanity were once taken hostage. That's the story.
Don't think about Peace... he once said. Think about War. Because what I've brought to the earth is a sword.
And so riding down the street through the chants and waving palm branches like patriotic flags.... he comes humble... But still... a revolutionary.
The Historian says that what he was doing was radical... outrageous... equivalent to black men holding up black fists during the national anthem of the 68 olympics.
A gesture.
But more than that? A sword. A defiance.
Unconditional Love... in your face. Backing you into a corner. Demanding that you make a choice.
What will you do?? He asks.
Continue in the Greed.... The hatred. the prejudiced power that rules the world?
Or love?
What will you do?
Not religion. Love.
I was watching a historical documentary the other day about the last week of the life of Jesus (on the green channel) and one of the historians was talking about the political times of Jeaus under Roman rule and he pointed out that anything that looked remotely like insurrection to the Roman government during that time was brutally put down.
The last week of the life of Jesus involved Passover which was a Jewish festival that brought thousands of people into the city of Jerusalem every year. It was crowded (think of the ball drop at Time Square in New York on New Years Eve.. about 2 to 3 hours before midnight).
The streets were filling up with fresh pilgrims doing business. getting ready.... Some making their way to the temple. All of them.. there to celebrate the feast. A Hebrew feast.... packed with symbolic meaning... centrally built around the concept of deliverance... and escape from oppression.
To a ruling foreign government anything out of the ordinary would be threatening. Any scuffle. Anything that drew the sudden attention of the masses. Anything that had a mob of people chanting. Everything to the governing authorities balanced precariously on the edge of a very thin razor blade during Passover time.
And into all of this rides a suddenly popular young teacher... A healer... a prophet. The young man Yeshua (Jesus) returning to the scene of an ancient crime where humanity were once taken hostage. That's the story.
Don't think about Peace... he once said. Think about War. Because what I've brought to the earth is a sword.
And so riding down the street through the chants and waving palm branches like patriotic flags.... he comes humble... But still... a revolutionary.
The Historian says that what he was doing was radical... outrageous... equivalent to black men holding up black fists during the national anthem of the 68 olympics.
A gesture.
But more than that? A sword. A defiance.
Unconditional Love... in your face. Backing you into a corner. Demanding that you make a choice.
What will you do?? He asks.
Continue in the Greed.... The hatred. the prejudiced power that rules the world?
Or love?
What will you do?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Pride and Prejudice and the problem of Porn
How incredibly Lazy we all are.
Or is it something worse than that?
I've been reading a book by Vladimir Nabokov called "Lolita". High school friends will remember the reference by Sting... in that 80's song... "Don't stand so close to me".
-It's no use... he sees her... he starts to shake and cough...
just like the... old man in.... that book by Nabakov".
Traditionally its a very controversial book.... considered at times in history to be pornography... (primarily I think because of the tendency for moralist masses to knee jerk... and miss the point).
It was banned in England for a time because of it's subject matter.... the story of a French Literary Scholar (Humbert, Humbert) who only finds very young women... girls... attractive.. (in Humberts case.... Lolita... 12.)...
* Before judging Humbert too strongly as a random historical freak... BTW... please see the history of European monarchs... and the tradition to pledge marriage of daughters as young as 4 and 5... (actually not wedding... until around age 12 to 13)... Near eastern cultures as well.. It's believed that perhaps Mary... the mother of Jesus could have been as young as 12 or 13 when she was betrothed to Joseph.
The Nabakov book is controversial because it's a look into the polluted mind of a pervert.... a willful pedophile.. He... (Humbert.. the character.... not Nabakov... the writer)... is a dangerous ass for sure.
He's dangerous because he roams free. He has the ability to do what he wants... when he wants... Manipulate... etc. But most dangerous when he's thinking.
He is dangerous primarily because he has the freedom to think what he wants... about a thing... or a person... with no concern for rightness... accuracy... truthfulness... or reality.
He's not concerned about knowing a thing as it is... for what it is... rather he's content to settle in on his own preconceived notions about it.
What I had madly possessed was not she.... but my own creation... another.... fanciful Lolita- perhaps.... More real than Lolita... Overlapping... Encasing her.... Floating between me and her... and having no will.... no consciousness.... indeed no life of her own.
-Humbert.
This is the pornography. The idolatry. The "unholiness of it".
It's the pornographic mind of the character... (not the book) because Humbert is content to settle on conveniences in his own mind about the girl... He settles on the things he wants to believe about her.... Not the things about her that are actually true.
Let me ask....
Is this the reason that... say.. things like lawn jockeys are offensive to black people?
Stereotypes?
Are prejudices offensive to people because they're oversimplifications and generalizations of who and what people actually are?
Why do we do it? Settle for the fraud... or the fake?
Laziness?
Convenience?
Are we safer that way??? Our meticulously crafted world?
What about Idolatry?? Worshipping the false God?? The convenient God of our own choosing? (Fred Phelps)... The God of our own creation?
As the world considers "Holy Week"... I wonder... do we kill the God of reality?... crucify Him because we just can't take the possibility that we might all be wrong after all?
Or is it something worse than that?
I've been reading a book by Vladimir Nabokov called "Lolita". High school friends will remember the reference by Sting... in that 80's song... "Don't stand so close to me".
-It's no use... he sees her... he starts to shake and cough...
just like the... old man in.... that book by Nabakov".
Traditionally its a very controversial book.... considered at times in history to be pornography... (primarily I think because of the tendency for moralist masses to knee jerk... and miss the point).
It was banned in England for a time because of it's subject matter.... the story of a French Literary Scholar (Humbert, Humbert) who only finds very young women... girls... attractive.. (in Humberts case.... Lolita... 12.)...
* Before judging Humbert too strongly as a random historical freak... BTW... please see the history of European monarchs... and the tradition to pledge marriage of daughters as young as 4 and 5... (actually not wedding... until around age 12 to 13)... Near eastern cultures as well.. It's believed that perhaps Mary... the mother of Jesus could have been as young as 12 or 13 when she was betrothed to Joseph.
The Nabakov book is controversial because it's a look into the polluted mind of a pervert.... a willful pedophile.. He... (Humbert.. the character.... not Nabakov... the writer)... is a dangerous ass for sure.
He's dangerous because he roams free. He has the ability to do what he wants... when he wants... Manipulate... etc. But most dangerous when he's thinking.
He is dangerous primarily because he has the freedom to think what he wants... about a thing... or a person... with no concern for rightness... accuracy... truthfulness... or reality.
He's not concerned about knowing a thing as it is... for what it is... rather he's content to settle in on his own preconceived notions about it.
What I had madly possessed was not she.... but my own creation... another.... fanciful Lolita- perhaps.... More real than Lolita... Overlapping... Encasing her.... Floating between me and her... and having no will.... no consciousness.... indeed no life of her own.
-Humbert.
This is the pornography. The idolatry. The "unholiness of it".
It's the pornographic mind of the character... (not the book) because Humbert is content to settle on conveniences in his own mind about the girl... He settles on the things he wants to believe about her.... Not the things about her that are actually true.
Let me ask....
Is this the reason that... say.. things like lawn jockeys are offensive to black people?
Stereotypes?
Are prejudices offensive to people because they're oversimplifications and generalizations of who and what people actually are?
Why do we do it? Settle for the fraud... or the fake?
Laziness?
Convenience?
Are we safer that way??? Our meticulously crafted world?
What about Idolatry?? Worshipping the false God?? The convenient God of our own choosing? (Fred Phelps)... The God of our own creation?
As the world considers "Holy Week"... I wonder... do we kill the God of reality?... crucify Him because we just can't take the possibility that we might all be wrong after all?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Can I Get An Encore
How do you do it?
How do people come together and stay.... without forcing the other to swallow it down?
Gettin it from all corners today... listening to some Jayz, and reading a facebook response from a good friend.
Accountability time again... Learning the hard lessons.. Being reminded of how life is a ball-busting experience. Sometimes you gotta "eat the shit sandwhich". Thats what he said. And I hated hearing it. So instead, Im sittin on the bench... Scottie Pippen... again. Thinkin about Frank and do'in it my way....
And in between Fuck You's.... Im listenin to Jay.
WHO YOU KNOW FRESHER THAN HOVE.... RIDDLE ME THAT.
THE REST A YALL KNOW WHERE IM LYRICALLY AT.
Its a tough view from the bench.
Nothin but fumes. So much... it'll distort how you see the game played. (Without you).
The truth is.... people are fickle. Disloyal. Which ain't that big a deal unless it's your best friend.... or wife... or boss... or coach.... (Scout leader?)....
GRAND OPENIN.... GRAND CLOSEIN
GOD DAMN YOUR MAN HOV' CRACKED THE CAN OPEN AGAIN
WHO YOU GONNA FIND DOPER THAN HIM WITH NO PEN
I committed to give it up a long time ago. And by it.... I mean ME.
JUST DRAW OFF INSPIRATION
SOON YOU GONNA SEE YOU CAN'T REPLACE HIM
WITH CHEAP IMITATIONS FOR DESE GENERATIONS
I killed myself..... Hung myself... for "the way"... on some tree..... Cause there ain't no I in TEAM.
(YEAH..... But there ain't no WE either).
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO
LOOK WHAT I MADE FOR YOU
KNEW IF I PAID MY DUES,
HOW WILL THEY PAY YOU
WHEN YOU FIRST COME IN THE GAME
THEY TRY TO PLAY YOU
THEN YOU DROP A COUPLE OF HITS,
LOOK HOW THEY WAVE TO YOU.
They all like it when you're good. But There's always that next in line. The man with the answer. The bigger fish. The Grass thats Greener.
What the Hell do you want me to do with that? And when are you coming back to make good?
WHEN I COME BACK LIKE JORDAN, WEARIN THE 4-5
IT AIN'T TO PLAY GAMES WITCHU
IT'S TO AIM AT YOU
PROBABLY MAIM YOU
IF I OWE YOU IM BLOWIN YOU TO SMITHEREENS
COCKSUCKER TAKE ONE FOR YOUR TEAM
AND I NEED YOU TO REMEMBER ONE THING
I CAME I SAW I CONQUERED.
FROM RECORD SALES TO SOLD OUT CONCERTS
MO FUCKER IF YOU WANT THIS ENCORE
I NEED YOU TO SCREAM TILL YOUR LUNGS GET SORE
Im ready J. to swallow it down.. And move on to your next big thing... Bring on your Encore. cause all
this... ain't all that.
How do people come together and stay.... without forcing the other to swallow it down?
Gettin it from all corners today... listening to some Jayz, and reading a facebook response from a good friend.
Accountability time again... Learning the hard lessons.. Being reminded of how life is a ball-busting experience. Sometimes you gotta "eat the shit sandwhich". Thats what he said. And I hated hearing it. So instead, Im sittin on the bench... Scottie Pippen... again. Thinkin about Frank and do'in it my way....
And in between Fuck You's.... Im listenin to Jay.
WHO YOU KNOW FRESHER THAN HOVE.... RIDDLE ME THAT.
THE REST A YALL KNOW WHERE IM LYRICALLY AT.
Its a tough view from the bench.
Nothin but fumes. So much... it'll distort how you see the game played. (Without you).
The truth is.... people are fickle. Disloyal. Which ain't that big a deal unless it's your best friend.... or wife... or boss... or coach.... (Scout leader?)....
GRAND OPENIN.... GRAND CLOSEIN
GOD DAMN YOUR MAN HOV' CRACKED THE CAN OPEN AGAIN
WHO YOU GONNA FIND DOPER THAN HIM WITH NO PEN
I committed to give it up a long time ago. And by it.... I mean ME.
JUST DRAW OFF INSPIRATION
SOON YOU GONNA SEE YOU CAN'T REPLACE HIM
WITH CHEAP IMITATIONS FOR DESE GENERATIONS
I killed myself..... Hung myself... for "the way"... on some tree..... Cause there ain't no I in TEAM.
(YEAH..... But there ain't no WE either).
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO
LOOK WHAT I MADE FOR YOU
KNEW IF I PAID MY DUES,
HOW WILL THEY PAY YOU
WHEN YOU FIRST COME IN THE GAME
THEY TRY TO PLAY YOU
THEN YOU DROP A COUPLE OF HITS,
LOOK HOW THEY WAVE TO YOU.
They all like it when you're good. But There's always that next in line. The man with the answer. The bigger fish. The Grass thats Greener.
What the Hell do you want me to do with that? And when are you coming back to make good?
WHEN I COME BACK LIKE JORDAN, WEARIN THE 4-5
IT AIN'T TO PLAY GAMES WITCHU
IT'S TO AIM AT YOU
PROBABLY MAIM YOU
IF I OWE YOU IM BLOWIN YOU TO SMITHEREENS
COCKSUCKER TAKE ONE FOR YOUR TEAM
AND I NEED YOU TO REMEMBER ONE THING
I CAME I SAW I CONQUERED.
FROM RECORD SALES TO SOLD OUT CONCERTS
MO FUCKER IF YOU WANT THIS ENCORE
I NEED YOU TO SCREAM TILL YOUR LUNGS GET SORE
Im ready J. to swallow it down.. And move on to your next big thing... Bring on your Encore. cause all
this... ain't all that.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
3 ways we let our religion make us stupid
1). I'm going to split loyalty between religion and politics.
You cannot serve two Gods.
Many religious people have become obsessed with "taking America back for God..." never considering that God has never asked them to take America back (by government... or force)...
I have many religious friends who have committed their lives to the conservative cause posting every conservative post that they find... or anything that might set them off.... Often doing it indiscriminately without concern for validity... or truthfulness... or even if it reflects anything of the teachings of Jesus...
example.... recent (false) report that President Obama was opposed to the national day of prayer..... spread like wild fire over Facebook and the Internet.
Integrity matters... and "Taking America Back for God".... (especially by any means necessary) is not the same as living the Jesus life.... according to the Sermon on the Mount..
2). God wants me to control people in His name.
Just had a friend who after finding out that her 3 year old niece was going to die soon from brain cancer.... yelled out... to her friends on Facebook in pain. In her post... among many other heart wrenching words..... said some frustrated angry "curse words"..... At which point a very religious observer commented on her status....
Breezing past any possible "heart break"... that the observer assured us... "God would heal in time"... the observer then got on to the real business of asking my friend to "watch her language" because there were "little eyes" that were watching on Facebook.
There may be fewer curse words on Facebook now.... (I doubt that as well)... But there was a moment that a broken hearted person saw Jesus as a very distant.... religious... un relatable.. Judge.
Is your Jesus nothing more than the Facebook Police?
3). Generally continue to prop up the myth that going to Church is the answer to life and all of it's problems.
The formal meeting of believers is not why Jesus came to earth.
Since Ive been out here.... I've had multiple church friends very concerned because they haven't seen me "in church". A Few of them have discussed meaningful things... But many would just feel better if they saw my face I think.... (and I'm presuming that is wether I'm actually doing "ok" or not).
However since I've been out here I've found there's A LOT of people (and I mean A LOT) that for whatever reason don't "go to church"... (organized meeting) but still have a faith... and Live it out in their informal ways... share life with each other... support each other.... love.... pray.... encourage.... teach.... learn... grow.... change... etc...
I have a "believing" work friend who spent her entire day off yesterday in a patients room telling a dying mentally challenged young man (has incurable cancer)... about what its gonna be like when he gets to heaven.
She doesn't go to church except for the occasional drop in. She does ridiculous things in the name of Love. Yet many would be concerned for her soul.
Life is informal and it happens outside of "church".
Church has it's place.... (when it's not fake and fraudulent)... But I often hear of the virtues of "going to church". I would for once like to hear an admission that "church is not the point".
Jesus didn't come with a final goal of establishing a church.... He came with the goal of establishing a Kingdom of Love.... where the church would play it's part.
You cannot serve two Gods.
Many religious people have become obsessed with "taking America back for God..." never considering that God has never asked them to take America back (by government... or force)...
I have many religious friends who have committed their lives to the conservative cause posting every conservative post that they find... or anything that might set them off.... Often doing it indiscriminately without concern for validity... or truthfulness... or even if it reflects anything of the teachings of Jesus...
example.... recent (false) report that President Obama was opposed to the national day of prayer..... spread like wild fire over Facebook and the Internet.
Integrity matters... and "Taking America Back for God".... (especially by any means necessary) is not the same as living the Jesus life.... according to the Sermon on the Mount..
2). God wants me to control people in His name.
Just had a friend who after finding out that her 3 year old niece was going to die soon from brain cancer.... yelled out... to her friends on Facebook in pain. In her post... among many other heart wrenching words..... said some frustrated angry "curse words"..... At which point a very religious observer commented on her status....
Breezing past any possible "heart break"... that the observer assured us... "God would heal in time"... the observer then got on to the real business of asking my friend to "watch her language" because there were "little eyes" that were watching on Facebook.
There may be fewer curse words on Facebook now.... (I doubt that as well)... But there was a moment that a broken hearted person saw Jesus as a very distant.... religious... un relatable.. Judge.
Is your Jesus nothing more than the Facebook Police?
3). Generally continue to prop up the myth that going to Church is the answer to life and all of it's problems.
The formal meeting of believers is not why Jesus came to earth.
Since Ive been out here.... I've had multiple church friends very concerned because they haven't seen me "in church". A Few of them have discussed meaningful things... But many would just feel better if they saw my face I think.... (and I'm presuming that is wether I'm actually doing "ok" or not).
However since I've been out here I've found there's A LOT of people (and I mean A LOT) that for whatever reason don't "go to church"... (organized meeting) but still have a faith... and Live it out in their informal ways... share life with each other... support each other.... love.... pray.... encourage.... teach.... learn... grow.... change... etc...
I have a "believing" work friend who spent her entire day off yesterday in a patients room telling a dying mentally challenged young man (has incurable cancer)... about what its gonna be like when he gets to heaven.
She doesn't go to church except for the occasional drop in. She does ridiculous things in the name of Love. Yet many would be concerned for her soul.
Life is informal and it happens outside of "church".
Church has it's place.... (when it's not fake and fraudulent)... But I often hear of the virtues of "going to church". I would for once like to hear an admission that "church is not the point".
Jesus didn't come with a final goal of establishing a church.... He came with the goal of establishing a Kingdom of Love.... where the church would play it's part.
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