Reaching Across

If I had a hammer.

Blowin in the Wind.

Where have all the flowers gone.

Sitting in my local coffee house this morning. 

The music playing overhead was right out of 1967:  Joan Baez.  Peter, Paul, and Mary.  Kingston Trio.  Jim Croce.  Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

I had to stop and reflect on human arrogance.  We always seem to think that we are so much more civilized than previous generations, that we have it all figured out.  No matter what side of the political coin we are on, we are absolutely positive that we are right.  We are quick to judge the motives and ideologies of others, and assume that they are wrong, evil, or malicious.

It seems every generation, political ideology, and movement believes, 

“It’s us against them.”

“We have truth on our side.”

“We have the right reasons.”

“We have facts on our side.”

“We have pure motives.”

 “We mean well.”

“Therefore, anything we do, is acceptable.”

It seems to me, that any large movement in this line of thinking becomes a steamroller that ends up squashing people who don’t agree with them, smearing those who dissent, attacking those who dare to believe differently:

From the 60s protests to the War on Terrorism.  

From the black berets of the Black Panthers to the white sheets of the KKK.

From shameful signs of Westboro Baptist to the shaming smears of GLAAD.

From the Moral Majority to the affirmative action for minorities.

From the Border Guard to the Derechos Humanos Coalition

When groups become so assured of their righteousness on a single issue, they begin to see all others as their enemy, and that isn’t healthy for any of us.

Our culture claims to value diversity.  It champions tolerance and equality.  But the truth remains that diversity rarely includes opposition.  Tolerance doesn’t tolerate dissension, and everyone is equal unless they are on the other side.

Will history judge us for the choices we made today?  Is there a way to bridge beliefs, to cross boundaries, to befriend those who are radically different from us?

I believe there is, but it doesn’t come from a big movement.

It comes from the individual actions of people who care enough to sit down with those who are against us, to have real conversations, meals together, and intentional outreaches.  It comes from those who are willing to say that I sorely disagree with you on this one issue, but we can come together in a dozen other places.  It comes from those who are willing to be humble and value others above themselves.

One on one, we can build relationships that can stand through anything.

That’s the theory.  Now, comes the time to put it into practice.  Can you swallow your pride and reach out to that family member who is in that other political party?  Can you invite that guy from the office out to lunch who always talks about that one issue?  Can you be the humble one and reach out to the friend on Facebook who has strong opinions? 

Thanksgiving is coming.  What better time to sit down and make peace?

Someone has to make the first step.

Will you?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4

His Name Was Al - The Full Story

The flame that I lit
in Al's memory.

This past Sunday, our church held an All Saints Celebration to remember those friends and family that we knew who walked on our life Journey with us and have passed on.  I shared in my sermon about Pastor Al who shared Christ with me. 

Click Here to Visit the MVCC Monday Morning Bible Blog Where You Can Here the Sermon and the Whole Service for All Saint's Celebration.

Here is the full story:

I did not grow up with religion.  My parents had briefly gone to the Jehovah’s Witnesses around the time I was seven or eight years old, but that stopped quickly and I never really went to church after that.  I grew up with a bent towards debate and argument.  This was not the gentle sort of argument but an arrogant and self-assured idea that I was right about everything, and you’d better agree or I would pound you into submission with all the arguments I could muster.

This only got worse as I got out of High School and went into college for the first time.  I thoroughly enjoyed tweaking religious people's noses in arguments.  I pretty much always believed in a Creator, but never knew who he/she/it/they could be.  I did a lot of research, reading the major religious 'bibles' and reading about religions, but never believed any of them - generally because of major inconsistencies in their belief systems and the way I saw the believers act.

During college, I worked part time at a bank and ultimately ended up staying there as a department manager.  One of my employees was a Christian named Judy and was the wife of a pastor.  Judy good-naturedly began talking to me about Christ.  Though I usually got into knock-down/drag-out arguments with people who tried to evangelize me, I liked Judy and so I discussed it with her on several occasions.  Though I am sure that my outlook on religion was frustrating for her, she was honest and open about mistakes of the Church and that impressed me.  During one of our many conversations, I was frustrating Judy again and she suddenly stopped and said, "One day, God is gonna get you and when He does, He is going to use you for some great work.  He might even make you a pastor."  I laughed.  But I never forgot her saying that.

When my fiancé and I were looking to get married, Judy’s husband Al was the only pastor that I knew, so we asked him to perform the ceremony.  At the same time, we began visiting a local church to find out about renting the facility. 

Pastor Al said he would agree to perform the ceremony, only after we had pre-marital counseling.  We agreed to meet with him.  I had my doubts because I figured that he would use this opportunity to ‘cram religion down my throat’ (what a silly concept,  but that’s what I thought).  I was ready for him, I had all my arguments marshaled and was ready to fight.

On the first night of pre-marriage counselling, Pastor Al didn’t talk a lot about religion, but asked us many questions about ourselves and our relationship.  He ended the evening by telling us that he would not perform the ceremony because Becky and I had such disparate belief systems that would eventually tear us apart.  I left angry and my wife-to-be left in tears.  At her urging, called him back the next day to talk about it.  I asked if we could meet again and said I was willing to listen.  He agreed and we all went out to a restaurant for dinner and discussion.  My wife Becky and his wife Judy sat there all night saying almost nothing as Al and I talked it out.

I lead the conversation off by telling him that I didn’t want his religion because the Bible was full of errors and Christians were a bunch of hypocrites.  He smiled and picked up a Bible that he had on the seat and slid it across the table to me.  “Errors, huh?, show me one,” he said, looking right through me with a stern but amused stare.  I knew several off the top of my head, but didn’t know where to find them.  I never needed to in the past; all the other Christians I’d met crumbled when I started listing them. 

We closed down that restaurant that night.  We talked until they made us leave.  He answered every question I had, dealt with every argument logically, and challenged my thinking.  He admitted when he didn’t have all the answers and he too talked about the mistakes that the church has made in the past.  When we left that night, he agreed to meet again and reconsider the wedding.

Al ultimately did perform the ceremony for us, though I wasn’t a Christian.  It was several more years of study and questioning before I became a Christian.  Judy was right, though, once God got a hold on my, He hasn’t let go.  He has used me for many things, some great and some small, and I believe that He has more in store.   Judy was right about one other thing… I am a pastor now. 

Thank you Al and Judy. 

Postscript:  Pastor Al passed away in 2006 and I never got to tell him, “Thank You” in person.  Though it saddens me and fills me with regret, I live with the promise that one day I will see him again and be able to tell him then.

Rodger

Translations

It’s not polite to talk about religion or politics.  You might offend someone.

Poppycock!

I don’t believe you can actually understand someone unless you discuss ideas and beliefs. 

I love discussion.  I enjoy bandying about ideas and considering the merits of various systems of thought.  Philosophy is fun.  Theology is entertaining.  Politics are engaging.   We don’t have to be rude; discussion can be gracious while still challenging.

OK.  I’ve probably already lost you.   “What a weirdo,” you are thinking. 

You just might be right.

Because I grew up without religion, I was an agnostic through high school and college.  I have a lot of respect for someone who admits they don’t know, and even more for the person who doesn’t give up at that point, but keeps on searching.  I have significantly less respect for someone who holds a belief system that they’ve never put any real thought into and won’t even discuss.  This goes for Christians too.  I have met many who grew up with Christianity but have never considered it deeply and have never put any thought into their own beliefs.   I truly believe that an unexamined life is not worth living and an untested faith is probably a weak one.  Truth can stand up to questions and it is OK to admit you don’t have all the answers.

Over the years, speaking with people about religion, I’ve noticed that there are some Conversation-Killers that people use when they don’t want to talk about the subject or, as is often the case, they want to talk about their ideas but don’t want any conflicting ideas.  These Conversation-Killers are short statements that are flippantly tossed out by the person in hopes that they’ll sound deep and intellectual without actually having to engage in any real dialogue.  Conversation-Killer statements sound like one thing, but they actually mean something else. 

I have taken the time to provide translate some of the most common that I have run into and, in some cases, actually said myself in the past (sigh).  Please know that some of this is tongue-in-cheek, but there are also deeper truths behind each of them.  My intention is not to be deliberately mocking if you say these things, but to challenge you to real thought and deeper discussion. 

TRANSLATIONS – When someone says the following statement, here is what they are really saying:

“I’m not religious, but I’m a spiritual person.”   Translation:  I want to feel like I am religious without ever actually sacrificing or committing to anything specific.

“I don’t believe in organized religion.”   Translation: I don’t want to wake up early on Sunday or actually have to connect with other people who might have questions that I can’t answer or might challenge me to growth.

“I believe all religions lead to heaven.”   Translation:  I don’t really know anything about the various religions, I’m just trying not to offend anyone.

“I don’t believe in two thousand year old superstitions.”   Translation: I believe in my own set of modern superstitions.

“I’m too rational for religion.”   Translation:  I’m so caught up in my own superior beliefs and personal egotism that I can’t conceive of anything I haven’t personally experienced.

“You can’t prove God scientifically.”   Translation: I don’t really understand how the scientific process works and so mistakenly believe that most things in the world are scientifically verifiable.

“There is no evidence that Jesus ever existed.”   Translation: I’ve never looked at the evidence, and I don’t understand how the evidentiary process works or how we know about historical figures.  Therefore, I can just choose who I choose to believe existed and who didn’t based on my comfort level.

“Religion is something that weak people need to get through life, but not me.”  Translation: I have my own unprovable rationalizations for things I can’t explain and that gets me through my weak times and don’t want to think too hard about it. 

“Religion is the cause of everything that is wrong in the world.” 
Translation:  Hey, I can explain away the shortcomings of mankind by blaming everything on human belief systems.  Wait a minute…That’s a belief system too.  Oh crap.

“I’m an atheist.”  Translation:  A religious person or people (probably Christian) hurt me, so I choose to accuse others of having unprovable belief systems while I stand firm on my own unprovable, belief system*.  I probably still live my life with mostly Judeo-Christian values, but don’t believe in God (except for that niggling feeling in the back of my brain).   *yes Atheism is a belief system.

“I just think love is the answer.”  Translation: I like touchy –feely emotional explanations that sound cool but require nothing from me personally.

“All religions say the same things.  It’s all about the Golden Rule.”  Translation:  I have never really read anything from the various religions and don’t know what the word ‘contradiction’ means. 

“Religion is society’s way of controlling people.”  Translation:  I don’t want someone or some book to suggest that I’m not already a perfect person and might need to change or grow.

“I believe that your religion is true for you and mine is true for me.”  Translation:  Contradiction, what’s a contradiction?  If everyone is right, then no one is wrong and nobody has to feel bad.  I just don’t want to consider that I might be wrong and don’t want to hurt you by suggesting that you might be wrong.  Except, I just did suggest that you are wrong.

“Christians are narrow-minded and judgmental.”  Translation: I am narrow-minded and judgmental because I can’t even consider the possibility that someone else might be right.  I also am unable to see the ironic narrow-minded judgment in my own statement.

“I prefer to be open-minded.”   Translation: I prefer to be empty-minded and can’t compare and analyze ideas that might require me to reject something.  If I actually thought about it, I might have to commit to something and that might be difficult.

“Christians are intolerant.”  Translation: I’m intolerant and can’t handle ideas that conflict with mine.

“There are too many religions in the world to know if one is right.”   Translation: Thinking is hard for me and I just don’t want to do it. 

OK, that was probably offensive for some people and I’ll probably get a few nasty messages about what Christians really mean.  The funny thing is, I’ll probably agree to some extent because, as I said earlier, I’ve met lots of people who grew up in church and have never really considered their beliefs on a deeper level.  I don't like bumper-sticker answers from Christians either, such as "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" or "You just have to believe."  These are Conversation-Killers too. 

If someone is offended by an idea that differs from theirs that is politely shared, that is their problem.  No need to be a jerk to them, but let's be honest here: they aren't alone in this world.  This world has a rich tapestry of ideas, good and bad, and you just can't pretend that you live in a bubble where no one else's values, morals, ideas, or beliefs can touch you.  If you offend someone by polite sharing of an idea, that's their problem.  If you offend them by being an overbearing jerk about it, that's your problem.

Really, I just want to encourage you to discuss ideas.  Religion and politics are perfectly acceptable conversation topics, just keep it on a conversational level.  I think that is what scares most people, that the conversation will turn unfriendly.  I’ll be honest, there are some people that I don’t bother discussing these topics with, because they just can’t handle it without getting irrational and angry.  But, if you can handle it, I really want to know your story.  But don’t be surprised if I have questions for you.  I want to understand what you believe and why.  I also want you to understand what I believe and why.  This ultimately brings us closer to understanding each other.  Besides, discussing the weather is dull.

So, go ahead, ask me some questions.  I’ve got a few for you. 

Let’s talk.

P.S. – I’ve never actually used the word ‘Poppycock’ in conversation, but it’s kind of a fun word.   

Words

“Are there any questions,” I asked as we ended the ESL* class that I was co-teaching. “Yes Mr. Rodger,” asked one of the older Kurdish students. I do not understand why you use the same word for a door that you use for a man and woman.” I asked him what word he was talking about and he said “kheiz.” After some discussion, we established that he was speaking about two words: kiss and keys. To him, the words sounded the same and no matter how many times I pronounced them, he and the other Kurds in the classroom heard the words the same.

One of the younger men, who spoke better English than the others, told me that he had encountered the same thing and had even seen it work the other way. He said, Americans cannot hear the difference between the words hassan and hassan**. Now it was my turn to be confused. As he repeated the two words several times, I still could not hear any difference in his pronunciation.

More than a decade later, sitting in a human development class, I learned that this is a real phenomenon that happens with the more complex languages of the world, English, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, and others. There are sounds in the language that cannot be heard by outsiders. When a child is young, their brains build pathways that understand these sound differences. It is almost impossible to build these pathways as an adult and so the non-native speaker may hear two words that sound different to native speakers but sound identical to the learner.

Communication is challenging, even when two people speak the same native language. What often separates us is not just the sounds and words that we use; but the very different cultural values that we hold. In the United States, there are close to 300 million people. Each person has a cultural, religious, and family background that affects their values. These values are generally formed at an early age and affect how we see the world and ultimately how we communicate with others. Therein lies the problem.

The very ideas of what is right and wrong (or if there is even a right/wrong concept) can derail a conversation or a relationship. I encounter this regularly with family, friends, and acquaintances of mine. I believe that there is good and evil in the world. I believe in the ideas of duty, honor, obligation, community, self-sacrifice, altruism, and justice. Yet, in our society, the watchword ideal is selfishness. What’s in it for me? What have you done for me lately? It’s all about me, me, me.

So, just like my Kurdish friend and I had problems hearing differences in language, so I find the same communication issues with people who don’t speak the same values language.

Parenting, marriage, business dealings, patriotism, and hundreds of other topics become a translator’s nightmare. Why shouldn’t we sexualize our children? Why shouldn’t we cheat on our taxes? Why shouldn’t stockholders bankrupt workers and make themselves millionaires while they crash a company? Why shouldn’t we ditch our marriage when things get hard? Why shouldn’t a company bribe inspectors so that they can take shortcuts? Why shouldn’t we stay home from elections and ignore the corruption? Why shouldn’t we let our children make all their own choices with no moral guidance? Why shouldn’t we redefine institutions, ideas, and history to fit our own selfish ends?

There is a polarization of people in this country and it is primarily due to this. We no longer speak the same language of values. If you are a Republican, you cannot find any good in the current president, no matter what good things he does. Democrats are no better; they spent eight years denigrating the last president with no recognition that he actually did good things. Atheist sue right and left to remove any idea of God from this nation’s government, pretending that religion was absent in the founding of this nation. And let’s not forget the Christians who waste time and money suing to get prayer in school (just ours mind you), crosses in courthouses, and nativity scenes on public property as if we can’t have these things on our property.

This polarization of values leaves us unable to communicate with each other. Most people don’t even try to see the other side; they just spout their ideas and scorn everyone else’s.

If we can no longer understand each other, how will we ever be a cohesive community? Why can't we hold different points of view but still have civil discussion? Why can't we disagree over the things we disagree over and still give credit where it is due? We need to talk...

Give me a call if you need a translator for this.

* ESL – English as a Second Language

** I believe the words he used were said/spelled this way, but I don’t speak Arabic or Kurdish.

The Hardest Blog

They say that you should never begin a speech, sermon, lesson, or essay with an apology or explanation. Well, I am going to do that anyway and 'they' can just stuff it.

This is probably the hardest single topic that I have written on yet. I guarantee it will offend many who read it and that saddens me. I do not apologize for the offence because this is a topic that should get out in the open and be discussed. If you read this, I urge you to make a strong effort to really think about what is being said and don’t just jump to conclusions. Also, be aware that I address each side and the issues for both. This is NOT one-sided by any stretch of the imagination. I truly don’t expect much from this. Most people will only read this from their point of view and be angry as soon as I question one of their beliefs. With that said, I have felt a deep need to open this discussion up as it affects my relationships with quite a few people.

I have not written in some time, due to work load at the Church and in my masters program. But, also, I’ve been working on-again-off-again on this blog. I wanted to be sure that I said everything as clearly as possible. I wanted to get it right.

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Who will go to them?

This was the clarion call of Christian missionaries in the 19^th and 20^th century. Whoever the people group, there were willing missionaries, people who went out in God’s love. Now, I won’t romanticize it too much, I know there were bad apples, but the truth is, it didn’t matter how remote the people group was, it didn’t matter how dangerous they were, it didn’t matter what their customs were; Christians went to them to show Christ’s love. They crossed mountains. They went across vast oceans. They went to lepers. They went to tuberculosis communities. They went to cannibals. They went to places where they knew they would never come home from.

While that fervor has diminished some, and taken with it some of the colonial and racial issues that some missionaries took with them; there still are missionaries who go out today. They fill practical human needs like food for the hungry, medical aid, education for women, and fighting modern-day slavery. They bring love. They go to parts of the world where it could mean imprisonment, beatings, and death for the work they do. But still they go.

Everywhere. Except for one place.

To Everyone. Except for one people group. One social group.

These people are treated as unacceptable, untouchable, unsavable.

The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish” No one is excluded, so long as they believe in Him.

Yet we exclude one group.

Jesus says, “Therefore go make disciples of ALL nations…” There is no exception clause in that statement.

Yet we have created an exception to that.

My heart tears over this issue. I am sure God’s does too.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, the people that I am referring is the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered) community.

I have friends and relatives who are part of this group. I say that not to be cliché, “some of my best friends are black people.” No, I say that to be clear about why I struggle with this issue and why my heart is broken over it.

The worst part of this situation is that there are two distinctly polarized sides who have made up their mind and aren’t interested in dialog. On one side, you have people like the Phelps in Kansas who picket funerals with signs like “God Hates Fags.” For the record, I do NOT consider them Christian and they do NOT speak for me. I have written on this before. Click here to read about that.

The other side has its militants too. Those who are in-your-face and angry picketing churches, force people to resign from public office for holding opinions that disagree with them, and other similar behavior.

These two groups of people aren’t interested in truth, reconciliation, or mercy. They won’t change their minds, they don’t want to be distracted by silly things like truth or facts. This article is addressed to everyone else.

The first casualty of any conflict is truth and the first step to reconciliation is honesty.

Both sides are guilty of lies. Both sides are guilty of marketing that twists the facts.

Here are some observations that I believe to be the truth:

1. Jesus loved sinners, no matter what they had done. He hung out with regular people, as well as traitors, liars, prostitutes, and thieves. He was gentle but firm and truthful in love with these people. The ONLY people he got angry with and rebuked were the religious leaders who were hurting others with their pious hypocrisy. I believe that, if Jesus were here in the U.S.A today, we’d be more likely to encounter him on the streets around Berkley than anywhere near most churches. This is not because most churches are bad, but because He was active with the real people in His community when He was here last time.

2. The Bible is quite clear that the act of homosexual sex is considered a sin, something that God did not intend for us to do. I can’t get around that. I have seen lots of attempts at explaining it all away, but let’s just get it out in the open. If you are intellectually honest with your Greek and Hebrew, there is no doubt on this issue.

3. The Bible is also quite clear that gossip, lust, hatred, favoritism, ignoring poverty, injustice, and a number of other issues are also sin. In fact, gossip and money issues are much more than homosexuality. In James, it says that anyone guilty of breaking one of the laws of God is guilty of breaking all of the laws. A sinner is a sinner is a sinner. Jesus came to provide a way back to God for ALL sinners, not just for a few narrow ones.

4. Gay marriage is not an existing right that is being denied, but a new right that has not existed before in this nation or in almost every other. Let’s be honest about that. This is not an issue for the courts, but an issue for the ballot box. The cool thing about living in the U.S. is that we can craft new laws and make society look the way we want it. If that is something you do believe in, lobby for it, write up a proposition, and then go vote. If that is something you don’t believe in, you can vote against it.

5. Homosexuality, as with many other issues of the human condition, cannot be explained by simple sound bites about nature or nurture. Those scientists searching for the ‘Gay Gene’ won’t solve anything if they find it. One side will say, “There, that proves it, it is a disease that can be cured.” The other side will say, “There, that proves it, it is just the natural way that I am, like blue eyes and brown hair, there is nothing to cure.” And the fight will go on.

6. If you expect to be respected, you have to give respect too. I don’t care which side of this issue that you are on, you should have learned this back in kindergarten. You may feel strongly about this issue one way or another, but please understand that there are very real, heartfelt people on both sides of this issue. Any time you reach the point where it is us versus them, the other side becomes less than human and you start down the slippery slope that leads to evils done in the name of your belief system (whether religious or secular, there are plenty of examples of each). Maybe, just maybe, you could actually try to understand the other side. Maybe, just maybe you could actually seek out people on the other side and attempt to get to know them. Maybe, just maybe you could be friendly and respectful even when you don’t agree.

7. God’s concern throughout the Bible is Holiness. Yet, reading Exodus and the Gospels shows that He chose a people that were imperfect, broken, and human. He provided our Holiness in the form of Jesus. His death covers all sins of those who believe in Him, not just the ones you are comfortable with.

As I said, this is near to my heart. Someone very close to me shared her story. She told of going to evangelical churches during the time she was struggling with her sexuality. She told of hearing people make statements that told her God loved everyone but her, because she might be lesbian. She told of feeling alone in the middle of the very people who should have loved her. I interrupted her story at that point to apologize to her and tell her that it is not supposed to be that way.

She says that her wife, who I am only just beginning to get to know, is an atheist who hates God and religion because of past experiences. I don’t know her story and would not presume to judge her. I only hope that I can communicate that God does love her, as do I.

Another person that I care a great deal about is transsexual. I truly and honestly don’t understand the issues she faces, and conversations are certainly a struggle with pronouns, but I care deeply about this person. She told me last time that she probably will never be able to go to church again.

There are others, but the issues are the same. Even if they know Christ, they probably will never feel welcome at many churches; for that, I want to weep.

I also have people on the other side. I have relatives who are victims of the recent ELCA decisions. My brother-in-law lost his church because of it. A friend of mine belongs to a church who may lose their property because of it. They face a form of persecution because they do stand for God’s word when others try to redefine it.

I believe that this issue is the defining issue of the Christian church today, and will be the source of much more struggle. That saddens me.

For me, it comes down to this:

· I believe that it is possible to be gay and Christian. There are people within my congregation that are homosexual as well as ones who have had such experiences. I do not condemn them, their story is their story.

· Based on God’s word, I could not, in good conscience, perform the marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple, but I would attend such a wedding were I invited. I have attended a Muslim wedding and many secular weddings. Their beliefs may differ from mine, but that doesn’t change my love for them or my willingness to be there for them.

· I love God, believe evidentially that His Word is true and that He exists, so I will continue to follow His example and love all humankind gay or straight.

· Whether you agree with me or not, I don’t consider this issue to be a test of fellowship. I hope you won’t either. I care about you whether you are gay or straight, republican or democrat, male or female, tall or short, Lutheran or Jew, atheist or agnostic, vanilla or chocolate, or tastes great or less filling.

Here is my challenge to each of you:

If you are Christian – please don’t base your entire theology on just a few verses (for this or any other issue). Don’t be arrogant, cruel, or unwelcoming. None of that is worthy of our Lord. Examine yourself first, remove the log from your own eye before you point out the speck in your brother’s. Are you really living up to God’s Word yourself? Are you basing your beliefs on your own prejudice? Don’t miss the common theme of the Old Testament and the New Testament of God’s hatred of injustice of His love of the oppressed and the marginalized people. And, please don’t support any group, congregation, or ministry that participates in the marginalization of any group of people. I certainly won't.

If you are GLBT – don’t judge an entire people by the loud words of a few, as I won’t judge your individuals based on the obnoxious actions of the worst of your side. Also, don’t call a person a homophobe just because they do not agree with you. That is unfair and in most cases will be untrue. If your argument is strong enough, then ad hominem attacks are unnecessary. If you preach open-mindedness and tolerance, then that means you have to accept people who believe differently than you do. Don’t miss your own hypocrisy there. And, on the same issue of hypocrisy, don’t pretend that it is only Christians who may have prejudice against you. The truth is, there is stratification, bigotry, and intolerance within the GLBT community, too. There are gays who don’t like lesbians, and neither group accepts transgenders. There are those who want to quietly go about their lives that aren’t accepted by the Outers. Just be aware that humanity is messed up all over the place and not just in one group.

I pray that some healthy dialog comes out of this. I love to discuss issues. Jesus says, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” I would like to be a peacemaker.

This brings me back to the beginning…

Who will go to them?

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This is another issue that I invite you to speak to me in person about. I’d love to sit down over coffee and talk about it. As always, I will buy the coffee (or tea), I invite you to take me up on this.

Note – I welcome comments from readers, especially heartfelt ones. But, I will NOT publish anything that denigrates either side or anything using derogatory terms. I have no time or patience for that level of ignorance.

The Problem With Religion

I would argue that religion is addictive by its very nature, leaving the victim with a closed mind, unable to cope with real life. It demeans and belittles people (of other belief systems) often leading to violence and war

Organized religion has brought nothing but death and destruction to humanity since it's inception. ALL religious writings including the Bible, the Koran and the Torah are nothing more than manifestos of intolerance. I am FAR more worried about devout religious people

RELIGION is the true problem. nothing but flocks of brainwashed minions, controlled by old men through fear. cant people see above this nonsense today? think for yourself, people! stop using what was and IS nothing more than a means to control people as a crutch to judge others. Its sickening

News articles on the internet often give the reader a chance to comment and discuss the issues in the article. It seems that each time that I go out on the internet to read an article with any mention of religion, there are broadbrushed, vitriolic attacks against religion that are posted by other readers. Sometimes they are amusing, sometimes they are annoying, and most of the time they are based in ignorance.

The three comments above are not my beliefs or statements. They are real examples of the type of comment that I have seen. The first one is amusing because the author accuses religious people of having closed minds and religion of demeaning and belittling people of other beliefs. The irony is that he is doing that very thing. His post shows him to be closed minded and he is demeaning and belittling people of other belief systems.

The second comment and third comments are funny for the same reason. Number two mentions intolerance as a characteristic of religious writings, but the author’s writing is a perfect example of his or her intolerance of a belief system that doesn’t fit with theirs. And, the last one talks about ‘thinking for yourself’ and ‘control’ but in its very message is trying to get the reader to think his or her way and to control them away from something that he or she doesn’t believe in.

Have there been wars caused by people proclaiming religious reasons? Of course. But, any serious thinker and historic observer would have to take issue with a statement that says, Organized religion has brought nothing but death and destruction to humanity since it’s inception” sic. The truth is quite the opposite in most cases. I wonder if the author of that comment ever stopped to think about why so many hospitals are called Saint Something or Other, or if they have wondered at why so many social relief agencies have a religious affiliation. There are significantly more charities, social relief agencies, family support groups, medical aid groups, and similar helping organizations that are based in religious (especially Judeo-Christian) systems. According to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey of 2000, religious people of all types were 91% likely to give money to charity or volunteer where secular people were 67% (non-religious conservatives) and 52% (non-religious liberals). The survey results put this in perspective by noting that people who classify themselves as ‘religious’ make up 33% of the population but are responsible for 52% of donations and 45% of volunteering where those that classify themselves as ‘secular’ make up 26% of the population and are only responsible for 13 percent of charitable donations and 17% of volunteerism. Survey Info

Yes, there are frauds, jerks, charlatans, manipulators, abusers, idiots, fools, degenerates, fiends, and criminals in the church. This is true of any group of people. That’s humanity. That does not mean that all people in that group are that way and it doesn't even mean that most of them are. You won’t catch me saying that all atheists are ignorant, arrogant blowhards that are responsible for the evils of Pol Pot, Stalin, and Hitler. There are plenty of atheists that fall into that category, but that doesn’t mean all of them. I would venture to say most of them are people who just want to live their life as well as they can, but there is the temptation to color the entire group based on the actions of a few.

When you scratch the surface of most of the atheists that I have personally encountered and had discussions with, almost always you will find a person who has been hurt by a dysfunctional church or by an abusive religious person. In my experience, there is rarely much deeper thought than that. Their reaction is based in feeling and not rational thought (the very thing they accuse religious people of).

I grew up without religion. I was never atheist as I found them to be the same as the religious people that I met, universally proclaiming a truth that could not be proved. I was always agnostic as that was a logically defensible position (to this day, I have much respect for agnostics who actively question). I ultimately found God through careful logic and thoughtful deliberation and by meeting reasoned, intellectual Christians who challenged me to open my own mind.

This logic and thought are the reasons for which I take offence at the type of blanket statements made by these authors and so many like them. Their intolerant statements are no different than saying that all black people are criminals, all gay men are pedophiles, all corporate CEO’s are greedy, all southerners are hicks, all women are weak, all Jews are stingy, all lesbians are ugly women, or any other similar statement denigrating an entire group of people based on stereotypes.

Instead of across-the-board condemnation of an entire group of people and belief system, why don’t you get to know some of them (and not just the ones that offended or hurt you). I’d love to sit down with you and have a cup of coffee while we discuss ideas, heck, I’ll even buy your cup for you. I’d be honored to go serve lunches to the homeless at St. Vincent de Paul with you. Let’s fundraise together and raise money for Rapha House. Come see real, intellectually sound, faith in action. It’s hard to be hateful and antagonistic towards people that you’ve actually gotten to know and have worked alongside. But, I warn you…it might actually make you think. It might even change your mind.

That is, unless you are an intolerant, brainwashed, close-minded, victim unable to cope with real life who demeans and belittles people for their beliefs.

P.S. – my offer in the second to last paragraph above is very real. If you take issue with my religion then I invite you (heck, I dare you) to sit down with me, to serve others with me, or to attend a church service with me and then have lunch afterwards to discuss it. I’ll buy the coffee or pay for the lunch. I’m open-minded, are you?