Winter Weather Frenzy

Snow hit North Georgia on Thursday. This storm was much like the one last year, which was a short-lived phenomenon. It snowed through the night. There was around 2 inches on the ground by morning. Schools in the area were closed or delayed. By Friday, there were only isolated patches of snow left.

On Friday, though, the news stations were filled with reports of the massive storm to come; round 2. Moisture was streaming in from the Gulf of Mexico. A huge mass of cold air was lumbering in from the north. They were supposed to meet in Atlanta, and the storm was to rumble north into the Carolinas.

I am generally pretty skeptical about advance weather reports. In my experience, they are wrong more often than right. But, lo and behold, the snow started about 11 a.m. - big, wet flakes obscuring visibility. The flakes were visible proof that the predictions may be right this time.

Of course, we had errands to do - a Wal-Mart trip, go to the Post Office, and then grocery shopping. Life in a small rural county is just hectic. By the time we got to Ingles, the grocery store, winter storm panic was raging among the citizens of Habersham County. The last time I encountered such storm frenzy was in Mobile with a hurricane bearing down.

We had to park in the lower south 40 of the parking lot - out where the bad employees of the month have to park. Inside the store, all of the grocery carts were gone. A crowd was waiting for the employees bringing in the wet and cold carts from the lot. Navigating the aisles was worse than driving on the freeways in LA. It was made worse by the fact that it seemed entire families and all of their relatives came together - Mom and her kids, cousin Sally and her kids, Dad and Grandpa all together. It was bad enough trying to negotiate a passage through the mob, but they would not stay in a compact group. They stretched side by side across the aisle, and, at least, 15 feet from front to back. Waiting for them to clear the aisle was like waiting for the 4th of July parade to go by.

Now, of course, at 3:30 p.m., the snow has stopped. The weather predictions have been revised. Calm has been restored.

The Corner of Church and State

This is something of a milestone for me, albeit a little one. This is my 20th posting. I realize this is an inconsequential number compared to folks who have been at this for a year or two or more, but I am pleased at reaching 20.

As I have looked back at my postings, I realize that I seem to feature religious themes. I had hoped that I would have more variety, but I am not surprised at my focus. After all, I have been engaged in theological training or professional church ministry for 30 years now. And, that does not count the years when I was an avid volunteer. The other thing that seems to be driving my choice of material is the political process, which is just dripping with religious themes and quotes.

I want to share three things that have to do with church-state issues. I am an ardent believer in the separation of church and state. Part of this is because of my study and part because of my religious background. Growing up as a Baptist, I was raised to cherish this principle. I know that many Baptists seem to be drifting away from it, but, even though I am no longer a Baptist, I hold the principle dear.

If you have any interest in reading about such issues, let me recommend three websites to you: 1) the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (http://www.bjcpa.org/); 2) the Inter-Faith Alliance site (http://www.interfaithalliance.org/); and 3) The Americans United site ( http://www.au.org/). Now, on to the fun.

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In December 2007, House Resolution 847 was introduced, moved through committee, and was adopted by the House on a vote of 372-9. The title of Resolution is "Recognizing the Importance of Christmas and the Christian Faith." Let me encourage you to "google" hres 847 to see the full text of it. It is much too long to include here. Essentially, the resolution says that Christianity is an important religion, that there are a lot of Christians in the US, that Christmas is important to Christians, that Christians were important to the US and western civilizations; and that there is a lot of respect for American Christians and Christians world-wide.

Now, resolutions have no legal force, are not signed by the President, and are not sent to the other chamber for a vote. This resolution, in final form, is much better than its original incarnation. The authors had originally included an evangelistic message that was stricken from the final version. Once it got to the floor, I can understand why the House voted for it. A "No" vote would make great campaign ammunition. I can hear the ads now, "My worthy opponent voted against a resolution honoring Christmas and Christians. Vote for me." Nonetheless, I wonder why the House felt compelled to let this one through the process.

I know that there are more people in this country who say they are Christian than any other religious tradition. Yet, I have always thought our government was supposed to look out for the minority as well as the majority. Even though there may not be as many, there are Buddhists, Muslim, Jews, and Hindus in America, as well as people with no faith at all.

What does it say to them for this Congress to be on record respecting American Christians and Christians world-wide? Is the United States Congress going to pass resolutions respecting all other folks as well? Couldn't they have passed a resolution extolling the virtues of love and mercy that are prevalent during the Christmas season rather than singling out one religious tradition?
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One other resolution, this one is House Resolution 888. It was introduced in December, but has not come up for a vote yet. This resolution affirms "the rich spirtual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support to designate the first week in May as 'American Religious History Week." If I counted correctly, there are 74 'whereas' statements, so, again, please use a search engine to find the text.

In addition to presenting many inaccurate or misleading statements in its 'whereas' section, I have a problem with the over-riding slant of the resolution. It purports to call attention to America's religious history, yet the examples given are all Christian oriented. Again, I know that many Christians, of one type or another and whether they would meet current defintions of being a Christian or not, have been influential in the development of our nation. Yet, if we are to honor the Religious History of America, should we not be honoring all of the richly woven tapestry of religions that have helped shape this country?
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I know that the media has been all over the latest gaffe from Mike Huckabee. Just in case, you have not read the statements, let me share the pertinent info.

On the campaign trail in Michigan, Huckabee said, in part, "What we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than trying to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family." On FOXNEWS, he clarified what he meant by saying that an amendment banning abortion and another banning same-sex marriage "are the two areas I'm talking about. I'm not suggesting that we rewrite the Constitution to reflect tithing or Sunday school attendance."

OK, granted that he does not believe the Constitution should be rewritten to mandate tithing or Sunday School attendance, I am still not very comforted by his clarification. I know that many Christians in this country firmly and fervently believe that there ought to be Constitutional amendments banning abortion and same-sex marriage. I also know that there are many Christians who believe there ought to be Constitutional amendments banning or allowing many other things.

One group, with ties to Huckabee, is Christian Reconstructionism. R. J. Rushdoony and Gary North are leaders in this movement. Among other things, Reconstructionists believe that America ought to be a theocracy and wants to institute the Old Testament law in all its ferocity of punishment. So, should the Constitution be changed to reflect these views?

The other thing I wonder about is why Huckabee believes that abortion and same-sex marriage are the only things that defines God's standards? Isn't there a lot about such things as peace and economic justice and care for the weak and powerless in the Bible? Why can't we do something definitive about these issues?

Much Ado About Scientology

As a new, and very unauthorized, biography about Tom Cruise is published and a 2004 video in which he extols the virtues of Scientology has been leaked, it seems that the various news outlets, ranging from the 'tabloid-esque' celebrity news programs to the staid BBC finds it - the book, the video, the celebrity, or the religion - impossible to ignore.

It probably would be important for me to make a full disclosure at this point. I feel I know more about Scientology than the average 'person-on-the-street.' I included it in a class on American Religions I taught at Plymouth Congregational Church in Wichita Kansas a few years ago. My sources included literature published by the Scientologists and material written by critics of the church, including former members. I remain a skeptic of their claims. I am also not a big fan of Tom Cruise, as an actor, and I despair over the 'cult of personality' that seems to thrive in America. I also have not seen the entire video myself, though I have seen bits of it on TV and read selected transcripts of the actor's remarks, nor have I read the biography.

According to the BBC report, Mr. Cruise is evidently one who takes his religious commitment very seriously and who truly believes all that his church teaches. He certainly should have, and does have, the right to his views.

I would make these observations:
- His comments seem to be taken almost verbatim from the official church line. From the book, What Is Scientology: Based on the Works of L. Ron Hubbard, published by Bridge Publications (an official publishing concern of the church) and copyrighted in 1998, "Scientology offers man his greatest hope for a new world, free of the misery, pain and conflict that has plagued us for so long."
- In the BBC article, Cruise is quoted as saying, "We are the authorities on getting people off drugs, we are the authorities on the mind, we are the authorities on improving conditions... we can rehabilitate criminals... we can bring peace and unite communities." Yet, I have seen no objective, third-party, scientifically reviewed and verified studies substantiating any of these claims. Again, referencing the book, the claims are made that Scientologists have fewer accidents, are healthier, make better grades, read more books, and drink less than average. If this is true, and it is attributable to Scientology, why not verify?
- The quote that really got to me, though, was this one. "Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident it's not like anyone else. As you drive past, you know you have to do something about it because you know you're the only one that can really help." What did he mean by that? Do Scientologists believe they can undo the physical trauma suffered by accident victims? Are they the only ones who can offer any emotional support and comfort?

Part of the genius of the American experience is the diversity of religious expression that is allowed. The fact that there is no state supported religion and that the state is not to encourage one religion over another gives each person the freedom to worship as she wants.

I just wish 'the perfect storm' of the news frenzy would subside.

Bits from the world of Religion

Dateline TEXAS -- I must have missed this in Bible class.

According to a CNN.com report this morning, several people in a small rural area of Texas near Stephenville were unsettled because they reportedly saw an alien 'flying saucer.' One of the witnesses of this 'out-of-this-world' craft is a freight company owner and pilot. This man is quoted as saying, "People wonder what in the world it is because this is the Bible Belt, and everyone is afraid it's the end of times."

So, an UFO sighting leads people to speculate that the 'end of the world as we know it,' hereafter EOTWAWKI, is at hand. Now, I have actually read the Bible, even those apocalyptic passages that many interpret as relating to EOTWAWKI. Those passages mention a lot of things - wars, famine, disease, earthquakes and signs relating to the sun, moon, and stars - but no where are alien spacecraft mentioned.

I have even read the books of those folks who have TV shows and make a lot of money, as they tweak their prophetic interpretations to catch up with curent geo-political realities. They talk about economic issues and apostasy and the nation of Israel and Gog and Magog, but no where do they add flying saucers.

It seems that people in Stephenville Texas may consider themselves to be part of the Bible Belt, but I would have hoped they would actually know a bit more of the text than it seems they do.

Dateline KABUL - This is in a country that the US considers 'one of the good guys.'

A Reuters report from Saturday, January 5 (sorry it has taken me a while to include this), as carried in the Washington Post, indicates that the Afghanistan Islamic Council, made up of leading Muslim clerics from across the country, told President Karzai to stop foreign aid groups from converting people to Christianity and to reinstate public executions.

"The council is concerned about the activities of some ... missionary and atheistic organs and considers such acts against Islamic sharia (law), the constitution, and political stability," said a copy of the statement obtained by Reuters. "If not prevented, God forbid, catastrophe will emerge, which will not only destabilize the country, but the region and the world."

This is taking place as the world remembers the 23 South Korean Christian missionaries (see Top Ten Religious News Stories for 2007 below) who were kidnapped by the Taliban last year. Two of the Koreans were executed, and the rest were released only after prolonged and secretive negotiations.

The Afghani Islamic Council has no real role in governance. Many of the ulema (clerics) have, however, been implicated in revolts against past governments. Karzai referred the demands to various governmental departments for study, but he did not advocate any change. A member of the Council, who is also a member of Parliament, cautioned that, if Karzai does not listen to the Council, the people will further distance themselves from the government, leading to more unrest and instability.

And, remember, this is from 'one of the good countries' in the region.

Top 10 for 2007

TIME Magazine has compiled a series of Top Ten lists highlighting the top items in various categories from the top sports stories to the top editorial cartoons. One of the lists shows the top ten stories from the world of religion. According to the editors at TIME, here are the top ten noteworthy items for 2007 with a connection to the world of religion, with my explanatory comments for some of the items.

#1. The Mother Teresa Revelations (in which personal writings show that Mother Teresa had moments of doubt)
#2. Democrats Embrace Religion and Mitt Romney Channels JFK (the political overtones of the 2008 Presidential election with more Democratic candidates employing religious language and being open about their religious involvement; Romney's speech was to address issues and questions relating to his faith)
#3. The Reverend Jerry Falwell Dies
#4. The Pope's Moto Proprio (the Pope has allowed individual parishes to use the Latin Mass)
#5. The Episcopal Church At Odds Over Gays
#6. The Greening of Evangelicalism (there are a number of issues, including environmental responsibility, that are championed by the evangelical Christians)
#7. The Roar of Atheist Books
#8. The Trials of New Life Church (including the shooting at the Colorado church and the allegations concerning and resignation of the Reverend Ted Haggard)
#9. The Creation Museum Opens (the opening and popularity of the museum in Prestonburg KY that defends a more literal reading of the creation accounts in Genesis)
#10. South Korean Christian Missionaries Kidnapped in Afghanistan

Obviously, some of these were stories that garnered much news coverage; several were most tragic. Some of them also had - or are having - significant impact on religious institutions. Yet, I find that none of them really affected how I live my life or how I worship. I do not want this to be about me, but I would have thought that at least one of the top ten religion news stories in 2007 would have made some difference in my life. After all, I am a relatively informed religious person.

So, I wonder, if you were to personalize a list of the 10 things with some religious overtones in 2007 that affected you, what would they be?