Mary Harris Jones (a.k.a. “Mother Jones”)

After reading Mother Jones magazine for the first time, I became interest in its namesake and did a little research. I learned that “Mother Jones” (the woman) had a fascinating perspective, which in many ways is actually quite apropos to the focus of this blog.

Mary Harris Jones lived a long life from 1837 until 1930.

Mary Harris was originally from Cork County, Ireland. Her family were Catholics. They were tenant farmers in Ireland. She immigrated to North America with her family as a teenager.

Miss Harris received a Catholic education in Toronto, Canada. She later worked as a teacher in a convent. Eventually, she moved south to the United States and married George E. Jones of Memphis, Tennessee. He was active in an iron molders’ union.
Early in her adult life, Mrs. Jones tragically lost her husband and all her children in a yellow fever outbreak. She had had four children. They were all under the age of five when they died. What an unimaginable loss for someone to bear.

However, Mrs. Jones apparently did not wallow in her grief. Instead, she turned her sorrow into productive outlets by pouring her considerable energies into labor organizing. “Mother Jones,” as she became known, was active in helping to form unions and was affiliated with the Socialist Party of America. She is particularly remembered for her leadership in fighting against the exploitation of child labor.

Mother Jones was apparently an effective labor leader in part because she was such a gifted orator. She was famous for using humor and spirited rhetoric to inspire audiences. Some of her more famous quotes include:

“I'm not a humanitarian, I'm a hell-raiser.”

“If they want to hang me, let them. And on the scaffold I will shout ‘Freedom for the working class!’”

“Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.”

“Some day the workers will take possession of your city hall, and when we do, no child will be sacrificed on the altar of profit!”

“Injustice boils in men's hearts as does steel in its cauldron, ready to pour forth, white hot, in the fullness of time”

“Often while sewing for the lords and barons who lived in magnificent houses on the Lake Shore Drive, I would look out of the plate glass windows and see the poor, shivering wretches, jobless and hungry, walking alongside the frozen lake front. The contrast of their condition with that of the tropical comfort of the people for whom I sewed was painful to me.”

Interesting quotes.

Mother Jones is remembered as a passionate fighter for workers’ rights. Many modern people think of her as a godless communist. However, in reality, she had pretty traditional beliefs. Indeed, in many respects one might say she was a “conservative.” For example, Mother Jones was outspoken against female suffrage. She was famous for having said:

“working men deserved a wage that would allow women to stay home to care for their kids.”

I also read that Mother Jones blamed neglectful mothering as the root cause of juvenile delinquency.

As I understand her biography, if she was a radical leftist, it was simply due to class-based, economic concerns. She was not consistently left-wing on all issues. Other famous Mother Jones quotes include:

“I have never had a vote, and I have raised hell all over this country. You don't need a vote to raise hell! You need convictions and a voice!”

“I preferred sewing to bossing little children.”

“That is, the wife must care for what the husband cares for if he is to remain resolute.”

In light of all this, Mary Harris Jones seems like a rather curious inspiration for the modern magazine bearing her nickname.

Deuteronomy 8:17

If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!"—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.

Evolution, Creationism, Intelligent Design...and Jesus

I was thinking more about the whole issue of Evolution and Christianity. Some people clearly think they are in conflict. There is the whole silly bumper sticker feud between the Christian fishes and the Darwin fishes that grow legs and eat the Christian fishes. And there are obviously much more protracted, serious feuds on school boards and elsewhere.

I don’t see Christianity and the Theory of Evolution as being in conflict, but I certainly respect Christ-followers who do. As I’ve mentioned previously, I love and admire many people who embrace such beliefs. However, there are also plenty of Christ-followers I know who are firm believers in the Theory of Evolution. But there are plenty more I know who have never indicated to me where they come down on this issue—if they have given it any thought at all.

I have never once heard even the most devoted Creationist or the most ardent supporter of Intelligent Design say that rejecting the Theory of Evolution is a key tenet of Christian faith. Further, I have never heard anyone say Jesus came to Earth to show up know-it-all scientists. Frankly, I believe he came here for much more important reasons. And in the whole debate on this topic, I get concerned that that key fact gets overlooked.

Jesus came here to show us tangibly that he loves us and to teach us about our Father so that we could be reconciled to him. To me, that is what the essence of the Gospel (i.e., the “good news”) is all about. I was in the car thinking about all this. (Yes, I do some of my most important pondering in the car; it is one of the few times a busy mom and professor has a few moments to herself.) It occurred to me what an incredible red herring the whole Evolution debate is. The debate often distracts Christ-followers from truly following our Savior. It seems like there are so many more fruitful things we could be doing with our time. After all, for the short time we’re on this Earth, we’re supposed to be Christ’s feet and hands to bring his love to a world of hurting people. We’re not supposed to waste our time bickering amongst ourselves over things that are relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

If my jargon were more like that of my Evangelical brothers and sisters, I would not use the term “red herring.” If I were to use a more Evangelical way of speaking to express my belief, I would say the Enemy is trying to deceive, distract and divide the Body of Christ via the whole debate on Darwin. (Parenthetically, I tend to be hesitant to use such Evangelical word choice in part because I know secular people are turned off by it; such wording sounds paranoid and nutty to many non-believers, who then are often disinclined to listen to the substance of the speaker’s words.)

As I was driving (and pondering deep thoughts), I was also listening to a Christian music radio station. It occurred to me that the lyrics of our most popular Christian songs often express the most basic, most important aspects of our beliefs. That is probably why Christ followers can generally go to pretty much any Christian church, and participate in the “praise and worship” portion of the service without being offended or annoyed by the lyrics of the songs. The sermons can cause disagreement and controversy because that is where faith communities get into some of the specifics of their precise beliefs and interpretations of Scripture. Unfortunately, there is plenty of disagreement in the Body of Christ with respect to some of those details. But I have never heard of the lyrics of a mainline Christian song dividing Christ followers. Significantly, I’ve also never heard a Christian song about rejecting Darwinism. Maybe such a song exists, but it has not caught on because that is not a core part of who we are as Christ followers.

Maybe it is a stretch. Maybe I’m just looking for any lame excuse to share some good music. Regardless, I’d like to share a few songs that I think epitomize beliefs that are most important to Christians. The songs are available at the links below. I apologize that some of the videos have a high cheese factor. If the visuals are distracting, ignore them and just listen to the music. The lyrics are quite beautiful and convey some of the key truths cherished by Christ followers. Enjoy.

…And even if you are a serious person who doesn’t go in for frivolities like music, I encourage you to give these songs a listen. Music is very powerful. It speaks to us in ways that nothing else can. I remember after the horrific tragedy of 9/11, Oprah’s first show was simply a compilation of Gospel music performances. She chose to feature such music because it spoke to her and helped her heal after that tragedy; she thought it would minister to others as well. I myself am essentially tone deaf, sing off-key, and honestly have to concentrate pretty hard just to clap to the right beat in songs. Though I have no discernible musical talent of my own, I enjoy Christian music tremendously and it is a meaningful part of my worship experience at church, at home or even in my little car.

Amy Grant’s “El Shaddai”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy5XA4SwuPg

Dolly Parton’s “He’s Alive”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbRPWUHM80M

Nicole C. Mullen’s “My Redeemer Lives”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpCaNBhK4S0&feature=list_related&a=GxdCwVVULXdSBepXQqvNzibxgJ4EGES6&list=ML&playnext=1

Barlow Girl’s Never Alone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8QubLxJI54

Chris Tomlin’s “How Great Is Our God”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OsyiGgSlqY&feature=related

Mary Mary’s “Shackles”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRayKxgePQI

“It’s All About You”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QqBJu55oXM&feature=related

“Here I Am To Worship”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klxcJaOooPI

“I Could Sing of Your Love Forever”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ppaRmdtCU

“Free to Worship”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL6IDmGQhcI&feature=related

“Oh, Happy Day”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdv6U6QBnHg&feature=related

Genesis 1:1-3 (English Standard Version)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Matthew 4:16 (New Living Translation)

“The people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.”

Matthew 5:16 (Wycliffe New Testament)

So shine your light before men, that they see your good works, and glorify your Father that is in heavens.

The “Christian Heroes: Then & Now” Collection

For decades, many have criticized the teaching of history in schools as being selective in emphasizing certain events and individuals, but overlooking many other important contributions to our society. When I was a grade school student, our study of history was typically limited to wars and presidents. I’ve mentioned before in this blog that when I took an African American history course to satisfy my undergraduate American history requirement, the knowledge I gained in that course was transformational. It opened my eyes in ways they had never been opened before. I learned so much about my own country’s history, to which I had never been exposed previously. I had a similar experience several years ago when I began to study Asian American history on my own. Again, as an adult, I was learning about fascinating parts of my own country’s history for the very first time. Such knowledge gave me a richer understanding of our country’s past, as well as its current debates and challenges.

Perhaps similar to the concerns of African Americans, Asian Americans, and many other groups in our society, some Christians feel that the secular teaching of history in the public schools has overlooked the important, positive contributions of their forbearers. The concern is often expressed that in an attempt to take a neutral stance towards religion, the schools gloss over the fact that religious faith was core to certain very positive aspects of history. Frequently cited are abolitionist efforts to eradicate slavery (e.g., William Wilberforce, Lyman Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe and William Lloyd Garrison) and women’s efforts to gain suffrage rights (e.g., Antoinette Brown, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton).

I can appreciate these concerns. In my public school education, it seemed like the positive aspects of Christian history were ignored or downplayed. My biggest recollections of Christianity popping up in the curriculum were the following: the colonizing Spaniards who seemed to have little actual regard for the indigenous people of the Americas but wanted to convert them (at least nominally) to Christianity, the (overly) pious Puritans leaving Europe for religious freedom, the tragic hysteria of the Salem witch trials, the excesses of the Catholic Church that led Martin Luther to break from Rome, and then those crazy temperance movement ladies with the hatchets.

In my secular education of history, I do also remember some passing mentions of Christian abolitionists, but even they were not portrayed in the best light as I recall. I don't remember any exploration of the impact of their religion on their views on slavery; their religion was downplayed. Per the history books, they also seemed like dishonest zealots. I remember an emphasis that Uncle Tom's Cabin was written as a piece of abolitionist propaganda by someone who had never even been below the Mason-Dixon line.

As a result of all this, my general impression from my secular education of history (of course filtered through my own teenage atheism) was that Christianity did not really add much to our country’s history, its existence was merely a parenthetical fact. I also came away with the impression that throughout history the Christians were pretty wacko folks. They often did insensitive, misguided, and even violent things in the name of their religion.

It seems my experience was not completely atypical. As a result, Christian publishers have begun to publish books in recent years to enlighten people about the positive contributions of Christians. They are sold at Christian book stores, homeschooling conventions and various internet websites. Because this is a part of contemporary Christian culture that is unknown to many, I thought it would be helpful to flag its existence.

In that vein, I recently became aware of the “Christian Heroes: Then and Now” series, which is published by a company called YWAM. Following up on the prior blog, because of our family’s interests in medical missions and different cultures, I recently bought several children’s books about Western missionaries. My kids and I are currently reading a biography about David Livingstone, which is pretty engaging. My older daughter loves science and African cultures, so she is particularly enjoying this book. I also bought my kids a biography of Corrie ten Boom, a really fascinating Dutch woman whom I mentioned in a recent post.

When I was browsing the “Christian Heroes: Then and Now” collection, I have to say I was a little taken aback. There was a similar series in a separate stack nearby called “Heroes of History.” The series had biographies on George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, and Clara Barton. However, they also had biographies of several of our founding fathers, whom scholars insist had deist beliefs and/or attended church services for social--not spiritual--reasons. I also was absolutely horrified to see a biography of Ronald Reagan in this collection--Ronald Reagan: Destiny at his Side. I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area at the tail end of the Cold War during a period when the rate of homelessness increased dramatically. My memories of Ronald Reagan’s presidency are much less favorable than the book seems to portray.

As I was browsing these books, I was primarily drawn to the “Christian Heroes: Then and Now” collection, and did not buy any of the “Heroes of History” series. It is not entirely clear to me from the book titles and the individuals chosen for inclusion in the series whether “Heroes of History” is attempting to portray individuals like Benjamin Franklin and Ronald Reagan as Christian historical figures. (In that throughout his adult life Ronald Reagan consistently chose to not attend church on a regular basis, and his beloved second wife was passionate about astrology, our fortieth president would not have made my short list of notable Christians.)

Because the biographies of such individuals are not included in the “Christian Heroes: Then and Now” collection, my hope is that the publishers weren’t trying to re-write history through an inaccurate Christian lens. However, I’m unsure because the publisher, YWAM, describes itself as a “resource for high-quality Christian books” that tries to “encourage Christians to make a difference in a needy world.”

The first link below provides some information about the YWAM publishing company. The second link provides information about the “Christian Heroes: Then and Now” collection.

http://www.ywampublishing.com/default.aspx

http://www.ywampublishing.com/c-70-christian-heroes-then-now.aspx

Matthew 10:1

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

1 Timothy 1:12

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service.

The Footprints of God—Paul: Contending for the Faith (2004)

I think the Apostle Paul is fascinating, so I recently rented this documentary about his life. It is part of a multi-volume series, “The Footprints of God,” but this is the only one I have ever watched. It was produced by a Catholic film company.

To be quite honest, my husband couldn’t get beyond the cheesy film techniques. The narrator was an American who dressed a bit like the Crocodile Hunter. His analogies and theatrics were at times a little over the top. My husband kept laughing and shaking his head.

I agreed the documentary’s style had a high cheese factor, but I was able to overlook these cinematic foibles. I thought the film did a great job of telling St. Paul’s story in greater detail than a lay person can glean from just reading the Bible. The documentary wove together coherently many different parts of the New Testament, as well as the research insights of historians, anthropologists and archeologists.

I would characterize the film as being like an episode of Rick Steves’ show if he became a televangelist with a Catholic bent. The narrator told the story of St. Paul’s life while traveling to the various places the apostle lived. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to visit the places where the people described in the Bible lived, so it was fascinating to at least see what those varied places look like via film.

There were several aspects of the film’s telling of Paul’s life that struck me in particular. I have always been amazed at the conversion story of Paul. A devout, zealous Jew goes from persecuting Christians to becoming the most celebrated Christian evangelist and missionary of all time. What a dramatic 180! The film talks about Paul’s prior confidence in the righteousness of his own observance of the Mosaic laws and persecution of the Christians. Then he has a miraculous encounter with the post-Easter Jesus, who asks “Why are you persecuting me?” The narrator emphasizes that Jesus did not ask why Paul was persecuting the church or his people, but “me.” The film talks about how that encounter laid the foundation for much of Paul’s later theology.

Subsequent to the encounter, Paul is humbled; he is physically blinded and led to Damascus like a child. The Bible tells us that the miraculous encounter on the road to Damascus convinced Paul that some of his most strongly held beliefs had been incorrect. What tremendous humility Paul must have had to accept that. It is probably human nature to be very confident in our own beliefs and think others are wrong. I’m not sure all of us would have had Paul’s humility to admit he had not been as correct as he thought. What a great example for the rest of us.

The film also describes Paul’s later presentation to the leadership of the early Christians, and how he spent a number of days alone with Peter, who gave him instruction in the faith. How remarkable that Peter, who had much to fear and mistrust from Paul, was able to see that God was going to use Paul to spread his message of unconditional love. And it was striking that Paul, the learned scholar, would humble himself to take instruction from Peter, an uneducated fisherman. How amazing that God can use each of us, regardless of our backgrounds, to do great things. I admire Peter’s courage. And again, I admire Paul’s humility.

It was also amazing to me that Paul was almost constantly in trouble with the authorities. He was often jailed, or he was fleeing those who wanted to arrest him. I guess I had not previously thought of St. Paul as an outlaw. But indeed that is exactly the point that the film made. The film demonstrates quite dramatically the daring escapes Paul made to avoid capture by the authorities, and it describes how he was often fleeing just one step ahead of the law. It is interesting to me that Paul did not just turn himself in to authorities when they were looking for him. On at least one occasion, God did perform a miracle to get him out of jail. And Paul trusted God fully, constantly putting himself in harm’s way to do what he understood to be God’s will. Paul survived all kinds of things that ought to have ended his life, e.g., shipwrecks, a snake bite, a stoning. As a result, Paul did not have reason to fear the authorities. But perhaps Paul did not equate compliance with misguided human laws or fallible human authorities with compliance with God’s will.

Acts 16:25-26 (King James)

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

The last post spotlighted an essay written by Donald Miller. However, some readers of this blog may have no clue as to who Donald Miller is. I myself had never heard of him until I went to a Women of Faith conference several years ago, and heard him speak. He and Max Lucado were the only male speakers. Miller was probably the youngest person who spoke to the conference. He spoke on the history of the church; he described how the church has often reflected the mainstream secular culture through the centuries. Most of the other speakers spoke about very personal struggles in their lives and/or shared humorous anecdotes, so Miller didn’t fit the mold at the conference. Although I may have been in the minority in that auditorium, I found him very engaging and soon after the conference sought out his books.

Miller has written several books, but his break-through was his second book, Blue Like Jazz. It was published in 2003. It is an autobiographical collection of rambling essays about Miller’s life and his personal struggles to live out his Christian faith. Blue Like Jazz is the only of Miller’s books that I’ve gotten around to reading, but I enjoyed it very much.

Miller was raised in Houston, Texas by his mother in a single-parent home. When he was in his early 20s, he left Texas and traveled to Portland, Oregon where he now lives. Blue Like Jazz describes Miller’s experiences in Portland while he audited courses at Reed College (a notoriously liberal Liberal Arts school) and as he grew in his faith community at an atypical church called Imago-Dei.

Although Miller is very close to my age, his writing is similar in style to that of Relevant. In other words, it is down-to-earth, cool and edgy. The following passage is illustrative of his style:

The goofy thing about Christian faith is that you believe it and don’t believe
it at the same time. It isn’t unlike having an imaginary friend. I
believe in Jesus; I believe He is the Son of God, but every time I sit down to
explain this to somebody I feel like a palm reader, like somebody who works at a
circus or a kid who is always making things up or somebody at a Star Trek
convention who hasn’t figured out the show isn’t
real.

Until.

When one of my friends becomes a
Christian, which happens about every ten years because I am such a sheep about
sharing my faith, the experience is euphoric. I see in their eyes the
trueness of the story.

Blue Like Jazz describes several of Miller’s closest friends, many of whom are Christians who defy traditional stereotypes. They are hip, worldly, non-conforming counter-culturists with an appreciation of intellectual and artistic pursuits. The cast of characters includes Andrew the Protestor, Tony the Beat Poet, and Reed students Penny and Laura. His friend, Curt Heidschmidt, cusses frequently and hates going to church, but tithes faithfully.

In Blue Like Jazz, Miller comes across as a man who wants to explore the world and stay true to his faith. He seems to delight in getting to know people of very different backgrounds and to find commonality even though they don’t always share his religious convictions. He reminds me of a Christian Jack Kerouac.

Miller’s politics are left of center. He sometimes displays bitterness towards the conservatism and the Republican Party, which were important parts of his up-bringing. But in Blue Like Jazz, he doesn’t seem to be particularly active in a different political party or movement. Instead, he seems to be more concerned with issues that are important due to his faith. At one point in the book, Miller describes attending a protest rally with his friend Andrew the Protester when President Bush came to town:

Andrew’s sign said ‘Stop America’s Terroism’—he spelled terrorism wrong. I felt
empowered in the sea of people, most of whom were also carrying signs and
chanting against corporations who were making slaves of Third World labor; and
the Republican Party, who gives those corporations so much power and freedom. I
felt so far from my upbringing, from my narrow former self, the me who was
taught the Republicans give a crap about the cause of Christ. I felt a long way
from the pre-me, the pawn-Christian who was a Republican because my family was
Republican, not because I had prayed and asked God to enlighten me about issues
concerning the entire world rather than just America.

Subsequent to writing Blue Like Jazz, Miller delivered the first night's closing prayer at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and has served on President Barack Obama's Task Force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families.

Mark 13:10-15

Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you use nothing but stories when you speak to the people?"
Jesus answered:
I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose even what little they have. I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand. So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
"These people will listen
and listen,
but never understand.
They will look and look,
but never see.
All of them have
stubborn minds!
Their ears are stopped up,
and their eyes are covered.
They cannot see or hear
or understand.
If they could,
they would turn to me,
and I would heal them."

Don Miller’s Response to Pat Robertson

In my last post, I spotlighted Relevant magazine. As a follow-up, I wanted to flag an article I found on the magazine’s website:

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/current-events/op-ed-blog/19845-don-miller-responds-to-pat-robertson

Author Donald Miller wrote an essay a few months ago for Relevant to respond to Pat Robertson’s harsh words following the devastating January earthquake in Haiti. I thought the article was well-written, and I don’t really have anything else to add. I just encourage others to read it. Further, I think the reader comments at the bottom of the page are at least as interesting as Mr. Miller's essay.

Luke 1:78 (Contemporary English Version)

God's love and kindness
will shine upon us
like the sun that rises
in the sky.

Relevant magazine

A while back, I wrote a series of posts associated with the “Culture War.” One post on March 27th of this year spotlighted a Christian resource to cope with that conflict. “Plugged In” is a very modern approach to contemporary problems facing Christians. I like to flag such things because I recognize that non-religious people read this blog. It is important to dispel mainstream stereotypes that Christians are old-fashioned, out of touch with the 21st century, and isolationist. Even the most culturally conservative Christians are often savvy about technology. Many are well-traveled and multicultural. In that vein, I want to blog about Relevant magazine.

I came across Relevant magazine by accident several years ago when I was looking for a magazine to help me pass time as I worked out at the YMCA during my lunch hour. Relevant was in a stack of magazines on a table near the women’s locker room, and it looked a little more interesting than Ladies Home Journal. It turned out to be a serendipitous find, which I’ve shared with several friends.

The magazine was founded in 2003, and is available on-online at: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/. Its tag line is: “God. Life. Progressive Culture.” The articles cover a lot of ground. They appeal to modern Christians who are in-touch with and living in the mainstream culture, but are passionate about making their faith a core part of their lives that is integrated with other facets of their existence. In the past few months, articles have focused on pragmatic issues in helping the people of Haiti after the January earthquake, a nuanced analysis of the proper role of anger in the life of a Christ-follower, and a Christian perspective on avoiding workaholism to take back one’s life from “The Man.”

Relevant is so in touch with mainstream culture that not all of the articles have overtly religious themes. A recent interview with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton focused on their new film, Alice, and didn’t explore spiritual themes. An article on Martin Scorsese seemed to stretch a bit by tracing the filmmaker’s devout Catholic youth and the “divine” themes in his films. The articles in Relevant are written in a hip style and often have a sense of humor. It is not uncommon to see self-deprecating references to mainstream stereotypes of Christians (e.g., as “homeschooled goody-goodies”).

Frankly, I feel a little old when I read Relevant. The target audience seems to be Gen Y, and I’m a Gen X-er. The photographs are of hip-looking young adults with grunge-type style. Alas! I don’t have any tattoos or exotic piercings. The articles and advertisers often focus on finding one’s place in the world, which is typically a preoccupation of folks newer to adulthood than I. Indeed I don’t anticipate pursuing another degree any time soon. And at the present, I’m frankly more focused on my job, husband and kids than dropping everything to go save the world. Maybe when my kids graduate from college and I retire I can take that on. In the meantime, I like to live vicariously through the articles in Relevant. Besides, not all the articles have a clear generational bent. Indeed, the March/April 2010 issue had an interview with Denzel Washington--who is even older than me!

I’ve tried to gauge the political pulse of Relevant’s editors and its readers, but that is tough. Despite the term “progressive” in their tagline, many of the articles reflect a pretty traditional Protestant theological perspective. But there is a much greater emphasis on social justice than is seen in some other (non-Catholic) Christian media. And the articles exhibit a real openness to the world. There is a consistent focus on the plight of human beings in this country and around the world who live very different lives from Relevant’s core demographic. The articles also often feature non-Christians doing socially relevant work of interest to justice-minded Christ followers. Relevant’s articles often reflect frustration and even disgust at comments by people like Glenn Beck and Pat Robertson. But that does not mean the magazine necessarily tilts left or tends to support the Democrats. Relevant seems to strive to be somewhat apolitical in that sense though it often discusses very political topics. That approach has great appeal to me. Jesus did not try to affect his Kingdom through earthly power and human government. It makes me uncomfortable when some Christians try to align the church with a particular political party. That distorts the meaning of our faith.

John 17:14–15 (NIV)

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Romans 12:1–2 (NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

"Point of View" Radio Program with Jackie Gingrich Cushman

Most evenings as I drive home from work, I listen to NPR’s “All Things Considered” to catch up with current events. But during the semester, several evenings each week I teach late and come home after the news programs are over. Those evenings I typically listen to one of several Christian radio stations, and at that hour they have switched over from music to paid programming by various ministries. I enjoy listening to the sermons given by these ministries. They tend to be more conservative theologically than I am, but I always get something out of the preaching. Sometimes the message will be an encouragement in dealing with life’s difficulties. Other times they will teach on a passage of the Bible, and they might share insights that I hadn’t heard previously. It is always interesting.

A few months ago, I was driving home late and found something new on one of the Christian stations I have pre-programmed on my car radio. Instead of a preacher giving a sermon, there was a new program called “Point of View.” As I listened initially, it seemed to have nothing to do with God, church or Jesus. I was confused for a while. I wasn’t sure if my husband had programmed another station over the old one. Alternately, I thought maybe the Christian station had been sold and converted to a political talk radio format. Turns out I was still listening to one of the local Christian stations that night. A link to the “Point of View” program’s website is below. The tag line on the website is “Defending Faith, Family & Freedom.” However, I did not hear anything about “Faith” when I listened that first night.

http://www.pointofview.net/site/PageServer

When I tuned in to the program that first time, the host (a woman who never identified herself) was welcoming a guest—Jackie Gingrich Cushman, the daughter of the former Speaker of the House. Initially, Ms. Cushman was plugging her book: Five Principles for a Successful Life: From Our Family to Yours by Newt Gingrich and Jackie Gingrich Cushman. I had frankly never heard of Ms. Cushman before hearing her interview on this program. But I was struck by the audacity of Mr. Gingrich co-writing a book on family. After all, he is the thrice married, twice divorced man, who committed adultery during both his first and second marriages, and famously asked his first wife for a divorce while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery. It is clear that we all fall short of the glory of God, and we are all very imperfect beings. As a sinner myself, I don’t judge Mr. Gingrich for his short-comings. I’ve got enough of my own to keep me plenty busy. But I’m stunned at the gall and hypocrisy of writing a book being marketed on some fictionalized notion that his family life is something to be emulated. What is next—a book from Bill Bennett lecturing us on faithful stewardship of one’s financial gifts or a book from Ted Haggard about integrity?

After Ms. Cushman briefly plugged the book on the “Point of View” program that evening, the discussion quickly shifted into a tirade against “Obamacare.” Ms. Cushman spoke about the American guarantee of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and argued the “government take-over” of health care infringed on our liberty. This statement stunned me. I don't understand the characterization of a "take-over" since Congress did not pass a bill with a single payer option. I suppose that a government mandate to carry health insurance coverage could be viewed as a limitation on one’s liberty. But I think it pales in comparison to the significant infringements on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that have been suffered for years by the millions our fellow Americans who have not been able to obtain medical insurance and to receive appropriate medical treatment when they have the misfortune to become seriously ill.

For the life of me, I don’t understand the resistance of any Christians to health care reform. It is a huge source of frustration and disgust to my friends and family who fall into the “progressive Christian” demographic. Christ taught us to care for the sick, and for centuries Christians were often the folks who established hospitals in their communities. I don’t understand how a “Christian” political movement in the modern era has now morphed into a force to fight against structural reforms to ensure more people have access to medical care. What the heck happened?

In listening to the many tirades against “Obamacare” in the last year, my understanding is that many conservative Christians who oppose health care reform are particularly concerned about an expansion of government power. In the abstract, I can appreciate such a concern about government power. But with respect to health care reform, it has not just been a theoretical issue about the proper size and scope of government. The decades long delay in enacting health care reform has had real life, catastrophic repercussions for so many of our fellow citizens. Tragically, people have lost their lives. Families have lost loved ones due to an inability to get proper medical treatment. To me, ideological rigidity has no place in this context because people’s lives hang in the balance. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have health insurance and/or have not had to endure serious illnesses in our own families are not in a position to make life or death judgments impacting those who are not as fortunate.

When I was listening to “Point of View” that evening, in the context of their “Obamacare” grievances, Ms. Cushman and the program’s host kept referencing “the government” and “they” in ominous terms: they want to impose big government on us, and they want to require us to have health insurance that we don’t want to have. Ms. Cushman and the host spoke as if we lived in some sort of totalitarian state, glossing over the fact that President Obama was elected in a landslide on a platform that included a promise to effect (finally!) health care reform. It is not as if the Democrats seized power in a coup d’état; they were elected by a majority of our citizenry. The health care reform was not enacted at gun-point; this is what “we the People” voted for.

At one point in the program, the host took calls from listeners. The first was a frankly nutty woman who was allowed to ramble for a long time. She shared her theory that the government wanted to control health care to effect policies to reduce human overpopulation. She cited as proof some meeting Bill Gates called of famous rich folks including Warren Buffet and Oprah. Apparently, the consensus at this meeting was there was a need to reduce the number of people on this planet. The caller indicated that this led to the government wanting to control our health care to get rid of babies and old people. I actually was trying to follow the logic of the caller’s passionate concerns, but couldn’t ever figure out the supposed connection between the apparent Bill Gates meeting and the government “take-over” of health care. To me, it seemed more likely that if the government wanted to reduce overpopulation via health care policy, they would continue the status quo since people are already dying needlessly for lack of access to medical care. I was infuriated listening to the caller’s slander, but because of the lunacy of the assertions, I just assumed that the host would provide a reality check once the caller finally stopped speaking. Wrong! The host indicated she agreed with the caller’s views. Indeed, she added that because of the health care reform legislation that had just been enacted, the government would be pushing abortions and rationing end-of-life care to seniors in order to kill off folks at both ends of the age spectrum. Ms. Cushman eventually chimed in that she thought the caller made excellent points. I was incredulous.

The next caller mentioned that according to recent polls, the health care reform legislation was now more popular since it has been signed into law. The caller indicated that Democrats were actually picking up popularity points and the Republicans were now lagging in polls. That caller was abruptly cut off by the host, who suddenly lost her previous enthusiasm. Ms. Cushman dismissed the referenced polls as indicating only that the public was tired and just relieved to have the political fight over.

The other guests that evening didn’t really seem to have anything to do with faith issues, but at a programming break the announcer indicated that the “Point of View” program is a listener supported ministry. “Point of View” seems to be in the same general programming genre as Janet Parshall’s show. But in the few times I’ve listened to Ms. Parshall’s program, she does involve references to faith. Janet Parshall’s programming does focus a lot on political current events, but she hosts a more clearly Christian show. Indeed, I have heard some programs where Ms. Parshall focused exclusively on faith issues and did not raise political ones at all. By contrast, while I was listening to “Point of View” that first evening, I don’t believe I heard even one reference to Christianity or religious faith in the discussion with Ms. Cushman. Indeed, I couldn’t distinguish the program that night from a secular talk radio format. As a result, I was confused as to why it is a “listener supported ministry.” What’s next? Is Rush going to form his own “ministry” so that his show can gain tax-exempt status?

The link below summarizes the program the night I tuned in. I’ve listened to “Point of View” several times since that first evening. To be fair, there have subsequently been references to faith issues. One program was devoted entirely to plugging a software product that enables users to do in-depth Bible studies. However, most evenings I’ve listened to the program, the discussions tend to be focused on political current events. When I’ve listened, there have been some references to faith, but they seem to be only parenthetical and not a primary focus of the show.

http://www.pointofview.net/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=13384

Matthew 23:23-24 (King James Version)

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth is an actress and singer from Oklahoma. She is known for her beautiful blonde hair, distinctive speaking voice, and beautiful singing voice. She is a famous Broadway star, but has also appeared in films.

Chenoweth was raised a Southern Baptist. As an adult, she remains a committed Christ follower, but is not committed to one denomination. When in California, she apparently attends a non-denominational church. In New York, she has indicated she attends a Methodist church. She has described herself as a “non-judgmental, liberal Christian.”

In 2005, Chenoweth released an album of Christian music. In support of the album, she appeared on The 700 Club. She later expressed regret for appearing on the program. She indicated that the "Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells of the world are scary."

Later that same year, Chenoweth was dropped from a scheduled appearance at a Women of Faith conference because she had expressed support for gay rights.

More recently, Chenoweth has made news by condemning an article in Newsweek that suggested gay actors could not effectively portray straight characters.

http://tv.yahoo.com/glee/show/44113/news/tv.accesshollywood.com/tv.accesshollywood.com-kristin-chenoweth-slams-newsweek-over-homophobic-article-stars-twitter-praise-actress-stance

Luke 6:37

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Plugged In

The last few blog posts have involved “Culture War” themes, and the concerns of children being exposed to inappropriate media content. I wanted to blog on a resource related to these concerns. It is a resource, of which many non-religious folks are likely unaware. It is the “Plugged In” Reviews, a ministry of Focus on the Family.

I first became aware of the ministry several years ago. In Houston, the Christian radio station I used to listen to often had Plugged In movie reviews right before the weekend. The point of the reviews was to give parents a quick sense of whether or not new films might be appropriate for various kids in their family. The reviews were not prudish or closed-minded. They were not written by someone like Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady” character. Instead, the reviews consistently looked to find both positive and negative aspects of every film. I was often surprised at the positive traits the reviews flagged with respect to films with very worldly themes. And the reviews were pretty detailed and reflective. They explained the precise concerns that reviewers had with various films, and gave specific age recommendations to help parents determine which children might be appropriate to take. Indeed, I was often surprised at the level of tolerance the reviews exhibited. They often gave (cautious) recommendations despite describing some objectionable content. When I first began to hear the movie reviews, I did not have kids, but I remember thinking how helpful the reviews must be to those who did.

I no longer live in Houston, and the radio stations I listen to now don’t seem to carry the Plugged In movie reviews. But in the age of the internet, it is still easy for anyone to get access to them. The Plugged In site below contains movie reviews—as well as reviews for television, music, games and other media.

http://www.pluggedin.com/

The on-line versions of the movie reviews are much longer and more detailed than I remember the radio versions were. The link below contains a review of the Princess and the Frog, the latest Disney Princess film. I read it after I took my daughter to see it, but the review contains opinions and attitudes very similar to mine after we saw the film. The review is typical of the Plugged In format. It describes both positive and negative elements in the film. It also details for parents sexual, violent, and spiritual content in the film, and it summarizes any profanity and substance use. The review then provides an overall conclusion about the film’s merits. This format is very helpful to parents, and I’ve consulted the reviews in the past when trying to gauge the appropriateness of various movies for our kids.

http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/princessandthefrog.aspx


Again, I find the movie reviews to be very thoughtful and open-minded. The link below contains a review of the film Precious. Because of the graphic nature of the film, I thought there might be a reflexive panning of the film. But the review is much more nuanced and shows a great deal of sensitivity towards the subject matter.

http://www.pluggedin.com/videos/2010/q1/precious.aspx

I really have to commend Focus on the Family for their Plugged In reviews. They are filling a niche that is important to many families from a variety of backgrounds. In doing so, undoubtedly they are attracting folks who eventually come to support their ministry in other contexts.

Matthew 7:11 (New American Standard Bible)

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Veggie Tales

The prior post made several references to Veggie Tales. For the uninitiated, some explanation might be helpful.

Veggie Tales is a series of animated Christian-themed cartoons where all the main characters are vegetables. Veggie Tales is one of the series created by Big Idea, a company whose mission is to “enhance the spiritual and moral fabric of society through creative media.” The Veggie Tales series began in the 1990s with videos sold primarily in Christian book stores. As they took off in popularity, they became available in larger chains like Wal-Mart and Target. The Veggie Tales shows are now shown on the Qubo channel, and NBC includes them in their Saturday morning cartoon line-up.

The main characters include Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, Archibald Asparagus and Junior Asparagus. (Madame Blueberry is also a reoccurring character, but no one seems to mind that she—and Bob—are technically fruits, not vegetables.) The plots of each of the shows involve a moral issue. Biblical characters and bible verses are incorporated in fun ways. For example, the Old Testament story of Joseph was updated into a Western called The Ballad of Little Joe. The title character ends up slinging sarsaparilla for a saloon owner after his jealous brothers throw him off their ranch and sell him into slavery. In Josh and the Big Wall, the story of Joshua and the fall of Jericho is retold with snooty French peas who throw grape slushees at the Israelites from their perch on top of the walls of the town.

The stories incorporate catchy songs with modern touches. One of our family’s favorites is “Belly Button” by the Boyz in the Sink—who seem to have a striking resemblance to N’Sync. The song melodramatically conveys a squash’s wrenching admission to his girlfriend that he doesn’t have a belly button.

The characters in Veggie Tales are loveable but imperfect. Archibald is elitist, Bob is often impatient, and Larry is frankly a bit dim. But they are each trying their best to do right and often try to improve their behavior when shown the error of their ways.

Our kids have seen most of the videos, and adore them. Several years ago, I took our older child to a live Veggie Tales concert/show when the tour came to our town. The concert was held in a local mega-church, and the concert began with a prayer by the host congregation’s children’s minister. It was impressive to sneak a peek to see every little head bowed with eyes closed in prayerful concentration. Then the show opened with a few of the main characters coming on stage to sing a familiar song from the videos. The first character on stage was Bob the Tomato. Hundreds if not thousands of little voices shrieked “Bob!!!!” in a manner that was reminiscent of the Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan.

I’ve mentioned in previous blogs our family’s general dislike of television. It is a disdain that many Christian families share. I think that is the primary reason for the phenomenal success of the Veggie Tales. In a video format, parents don’t have to worry about interruptions by inappropriate commercials. And the shows themselves are fun and have positive themes. The motto of Big Idea is “Sunday morning values with Saturday morning fun.” That is a winning combo for many families.

In relatively conservative circles, a lot of folks talk about the “Culture Wars,” but my sense is that many on the left don’t understand or appreciate what that phrase means or how it resonates with so many. Indeed, I have to admit that before I became a parent, I had a vague sense that those who spoke of “Culture Wars” were paranoid nuts. Until I became responsible for sheltering little ones from inappropriate content, I never had a sense there was really a problem with mainstream entertainment. But thinking about popular culture through the eyes of children opened my mind to the potential impact of such influences on little ones who don’t have the type of filters that older folks do. Based on my present appreciation of the problem, I think that the Veggie Tales phenomenon is emblematic of the Culture Wars, but is beneath the radar of many on the secular left.

www.veggietales.com

Matthew 19:13-15 (Contemporary English Version)

Some people brought their children to Jesus, so that he could place his hands on them and pray for them. His disciples told the people to stop bothering him. But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and don't try to stop them! People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom." After Jesus had placed his hands on the children, he left.

Focus on the Family’s Welcome Center

During our recent road trip, we passed through Colorado Springs and saw a sign for the Focus on the Family Welcome Center. Frankly, we had never heard of it, and decided to be spontaneous. We exited the highway and followed the signs. As we got out of the car and walked in, my husband half-jokingly asked me if we were going to get arrested for protesting. I rolled my eyes in mock annoyance. Focus on the Family is an organization that has caused me great consternation over the years. But I always try to have an open mind, and try to find common ground with people and organizations, with which I don’t typically agree. Moreover, I had just been very encouraged to read about the success of Focus on the Family’s “Wait No More” program.

When we went inside the Welcome Center, a cheerful young woman greeted us and asked us to sign the visitors’ registration book. As we complied, she gave us a quick summary of what the Welcome Center had to offer—a number of exhibits on Focus on the Family ministries, free coffee in a cafe, an art gallery and a book store. Then looking at our young children, she added that we would definitely want to go downstairs to the kids’ area.

Before we went downstairs, my husband found a small kids’ theater upstairs showing Veggie Tales movies. He sat down with our kids in the theater while I tried to look at the exhibits briefly. Frankly, our little ones were antsy and I didn’t get to explore for long. The exhibits I saw described efforts to encourage Christians to impact their communities for Christ. There was nothing overtly political about the exhibits I saw. There were exhibits on helping the poor, finding homes for foster children, and ministering to expectant mothers to encourage them to not have an abortion. I’m down with all those things.

Then we went downstairs and were blown away by the kids’ area. Among other things, there was an old-fashioned plane where kids could play, an indoor playground, a puppet theater, a stage with kid-sized costumes, a collection of books with a comfy place to read them, more Veggie Tales screenings (including one in a mock Grand Canyon), as well as a huge indoor, winding slide that towered several stories high. Our kids had a blast! It was like a small children’s museum. Our kids didn’t want to leave. I was very impressed with Focus on the Family’s ministry to children in their Welcome Center. It was an amazing facility, and it was generous of them to open it to the public. No one asked for a statement of faith or any money.

Before we left, our family spent a little time in the bookstore, and my husband and I got a free cup of coffee at the cafe. The folks who worked at the Welcome Center were all so cheerful. They seemed genuinely glad we had stopped by, and were pleased to answer questions or just point us to the restrooms. When we initially exited the highway, we had thought we would just pop in briefly to the Welcome Center and stretch our legs. We ended up staying several hours! Particularly for those with children, I highly recommend stopping by the Welcome Center if you are in Colorado Springs. It was a lovely, serendipitous stop on our voyage. We were very appreciative of their hospitality.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/about_us/welcome-center.aspx

3 John 1:5-8 (The Message)

Model the Good

Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They've made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It's good work you're doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth.

Jane Fonda

Following up the prior post about Reds and the inclination of many on the left to be receptive to the Gospel message, I wanted to blog on the topic of Jane Fonda’s conversion to Christianity. This conversion may be a surprise to many because it did not get a lot of attention in the mainstream media as far as I am aware. It was something I first heard about on Christian radio many years ago, but it is certainly not something many of us—secular or religious—were anticipating. After all, Ms. Fonda is the woman who epitomized for many years the image of a secular, far left Hollywood elite. She is famous (or infamous) for her embrace of the Vietcong, feminism and spandex leotards. She was married for many years to Tom Hayden (a member of the “Chicago Seven”) and bankrolled his political career with the success of her exercise empire.

But apparently early in the twenty-first century, Ms. Fonda embraced Jesus Christ as Lord. Despite many efforts, I have had great difficulty finding much information about the circumstances of her conversion, but have heard on Christian radio that she apparently was greatly influenced by her chauffeur in Atlanta (during her marriage to Ted Turner). I understand he was an older African American man, for whom Ms. Fonda had already had a great deal of respect. Apparently at one point in their relationship he shared his testimony with her and asked why she had not accepted Christ. As I understand, this led to some soul-searching and her eventual embrace of Christianity. Ms. Fonda has indicated that her conversion had a role in the break-up of her marriage to Ted Turner, but not much else has been reported on the subject.

Ms. Fonda’s conversion did not prompt an embrace of right wing politics. She is still politically active, and her sympathies extend to an array of feminist and anti-war issues.

Luke 9:49-50

John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us."
But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you."

Brit Hume’s Comments on the Tiger Woods Scandal on Fox News (double standards and perceptions of persecution)

I personally don’t quite understand the concern about a “journalist” expressing religious beliefs while in his or her role as a journalist. Traditionally, our ideal in the United States has been that the media would objectively report the facts and not express personal opinions. However, in my lifetime, I’m a little hard pressed to come up with real life examples of that ideal. In fact, in recent years, there seems to be an acceleration in the divergence from that ideal. There also has been a concurrent trend to blur the lines between news reporting and entertainment. I rarely watch television news any more, but I turned it on the other morning to see what was going on in the world. The news anchors were interviewing a correspondent for a gossip show who was telling viewers that Heidi Montag had recently had breast augmentation surgery and had appeared in public with a very revealing blouse. I have to admit that I’m not entirely sure who Ms. Montag is, but that did not strike me as a particularly newsworthy story. I immediately went back to NPR.

Indeed, within these trends away from the ideal of objective journalism and towards the melding of news and entertainment, Fox News is often held up as one of the worst offenders. They are considered by many to be at the forefront of these unfortunate trends. Watching Fox News, it is not uncommon for the “journalists” (or perhaps “news personalities” or “media pundits” are more accurate labels?) to explicitly express their own views on the news stories of the day. Indeed, much of the round-the-clock programming on Fox News (and other news channels) involves various individuals sitting around a television studio discussing their own opinions with respect to current events. As a result, I don’t really see how anyone should be so shocked by Mr. Hume’s advice for Mr. Woods. The only difference is that typically the views expressed by the “journalists” are based on their political beliefs, not their religious convictions. In my opinion, the outrage over Mr. Hume seems to have been triggered by his choice to go against an unspoken rule that religious views should never be expressed publicly. I don’t quite understand why it is ok for people on the news channels to give commentary on current events if they are based on political beliefs, but it is prohibited to mention one’s faith. Frankly, I don’t think either should be expressed in news programs. But if one is acceptable, why not the other?

Indeed, this apparent double standard simply plays into the existing defensiveness of culturally conservative Christians—perhaps like the DJ I heard talk about the reaction to Mr. Hume’s comments and many of the listeners of that Christian radio station. Within culturally conservative American Christian circles, I have repeatedly observed a deep-seated belief of a cultural war against religion and those individuals who espouse a religious faith (especially those who are Christians). Most non-Christians seem to be unaware of such beliefs or are disinterested in them. Because of the strength of such beliefs and the growing number of people who share them, I think it is important to be cognizant of this trend.

I have heard countless people with such beliefs express very deeply held, sincere fears that those in power in government and in the news/entertainment media are hostile to religion, and aim to eliminate its practice and expression. Such individuals are concerned that as Christians they are targets for persecution and their beliefs are under attack.

To some extent, I can understand this sort of siege mentality. In mainstream pop culture, Christians are often held up to ridicule and scorn. Christians are often held out as the antagonists or comic relief in movies, television and other media. Often this is subtle, but it is clear (and offensive) to many Christians nonetheless. Think of the rigid preacher who hates dancing in Footloose, goofy Ned Flanders and cynical Reverend Lovejoy in The Simpsons, the corrupt warden in Shawshank Redemption, and Robert DeNiro’s crazed Bible-quoting killer in Cape Fear. In the Jim Crow era, I’m sure African Americans did not exactly feel affirmed by the hate-filled ridicules of minstrel shows. Similarly and more recently, the GLBT community has expressed their sharp disapproval when the few GLBT characters in movies were portrayed as dangerous sociopaths (e.g., Basic Instinct, Silence of the Lambs, JFK). The link below expresses an interesting analysis of the negative portrayals of Christians and Christianity in the mainline media.

http://books.google.com/books?id=yq-gY3Cj1ZkC&pg=PA131&lpg=PA131&dq=negative+Hollywood+images+of+Christians&source=bl&ots=SsY80lCDSz&sig=ky3bP4kn_Yzy-aChZljEdZRtz5w&hl=en&ei=QaVQS6j5OITGsQOv0Kz-Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CBsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=negative%20Hollywood%20images%20of%20Christians&f=false

I must confess I don’t always understand the feelings of persecution by many culturally conservative Christians. Sure there is a bias by large segments of the entertainment media and probably the news media (to the extent it is separate). But the siege mentality I’ve observed also seems to be grounded in enforcement of First Amendment principles. For example, these fears of religious persecution (or annihilation) seem to arise from enforcement of the Supreme Court’s determination that institutionalized prayer is constitutionally impermissible in the public schools, from efforts to teach Darwinism in public schools, and from removal of religious (particularly Christian or biblical) references in public places by the government (e.g., the White House creche, postings of the Ten Commandments in court houses). I personally feel rather disaffirmed by Hollywood caricatures of Christians, but I suppose I’ll live. However, I don’t feel at all threatened by the government’s attempts to try to appear neutral and not overtly favor one religion over another. That is the disconnect for me. I have struggled but failed thus far to understand it.

Deuteronomy 28:37 (New Century Version)

You will become a hated thing to the nations where the Lord sends you; they will laugh at you and make fun of you.

Janet Parshall’s America

Our family does not watch a lot of television, but our radios are turned on frequently. We tend to stick to the left side of the dial, alternating between NPR and Christian radio stations. Last month, I attended a CLE on the other side of town, and listened to a local Christian radio station during the long drive home. The CLE had ended at mid-day, and on weekdays that tends to be a busy time for me. Generally I’m not in the car then and don’t have time for the radio. As a result, I happened upon a program called “Janet Parshall’s America” for the very first time. I almost could not believe what I was hearing. When I tuned in, Ms. Parshall was extremely angry and was venting about President Obama’s anti-Christian bias. In that our president is a professed Christian who was baptized several decades ago, I found this frustration perplexing to say the least.

While I was in the car and listening to the program, Ms. Parshall talked about a luncheon of past White House social secretaries before Obama took office. They were meeting with Desiree Rogers (the in-coming social secretary) to welcome her and support her in her new role. According to Ms. Parshall, Ms. Rogers had shocked the group by indicating at the luncheon that the Obamas were considering not displaying a creche that had been displayed in a public room of the White House (not in the private family quarters) by many past presidents. Apparently, the Obamas had concerns about offending people of other faiths. Ms. Parshall indicated that the creche was eventually displayed in the Obama White House, but seemed to dismiss it as simply bowing to public pressure (by indignant Christians?).

Ms. Parshall also talked with great anger about the president’s preferences for Muslims, who were given priority in getting H1N1 vaccinations before leaving for the Hajj. She also mentioned President Obama had issued proclamations to Muslims during some religious holiday. Ms. Parshall equated these preferences and the hesitancy over the creche as evidence of anti-Christian hostility.

Frankly, I was not aware of the White House creche. I do not follow White House decorations and celebrations. I missed that Oprah special. It does not really matter to me one way or the other, but certainly I would appreciate concerns about offending non-Christian Americans with a creche in a public room of a building that is owned by our country’s taxpayers. If the United States one day has a Buddhist or Muslim majority, I don’t think I’d be thrilled by prominent displays of those religions in public buildings.

Moreover, it seems like a basic public health policy to give Americans traveling on the Hajj priority for a vaccine against a highly transmittable virus that they could bring back to our country. It also seems like very basic political common sense to issue proclamations to any sizeable demographic on days of importance to those groups. I’d be surprised if President George W. Bush and his predecessors did not issue similar celebratory proclamations to Muslims as well.

As a more general matter, I just don’t understand the apparently continuing furor against President Obama and the suspicion of his faith by some conservative Christians. Mr. Obama was baptized as a Christian in 1988, well before he entered politics. He was an active member of Trinity United Church of Christ for about twenty years. If that was all a facade to woo Christian voters, it was quite an elaborate hoax and it apparently did not work too well. Why would anyone would fail to accept someone’s profession of faith at their word? I have always accepted President Bush’s assertion that he is a Christian. Why wouldn’t others accept President Obama’s? I don’t understand what is going on.

I also don’t understand how the White House creche “issue” can be cited as evidence of hostility to Christianity and not just sensitivity to non-Christians in a pluralistic democracy. The American people elected Barack Obama to be our president, not our head pastor. He was elected to govern all of us, not just the Christians.

To me, the most concerning aspect of Ms. Parshall’s program that day last month was that it seemed to be a desperate, even silly attempt to come up with some reason to dislike and oppose President Obama. I’ve perused Ms. Parshall’s website, a link to which is provided below.

http://www.jpamerica.com/

The website is quite interesting. Ms. Parshall’s radio program is labeled a “ministry” but conservative politics are pervasive. In listening, her radio program was very reminiscent of Rush Limbaugh. She certainly had the angry tone down pat. Beyond gender, the main difference between Mr. Limbaugh and Ms. Parshall was Ms. Parshall’s quoting of Scripture and references to prayer. I have actually listened to Mr. Limbaugh on numerous occasions and don’t recall him ever quoting Scripture or talking about prayer. Maybe I just missed those broadcasts.

From her website, I take it that Ms. Parshall’s show is not always as political as it was the day I happened upon it. Looking at her past program topics, some do not appear to be political at all. Indeed, I caught a little of her program earlier this month, and she seemed much less angry as she spoke with former Redskins coach, Jim Gibbs.

It is interesting because when I was looking at Ms. Parshall’s website, the summary of the show on December 11, 2009 (the day I first caught her radio program) mentions nothing of President Obama’s anti-Christian hostility, the White House creche or the president’s Muslim bias. The show is apparently a three hour program, and I listened to about half an hour of it, all of which focused on such concerns. I’m not sure why the program summary does not mention that part of the program.

http://www.jpamerica.com/showsummary.aspx?show=12/11/2009

Ephesians 4:31 (New American Standard Bible)

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.



1Peter 2:13-15

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.