Religion

Response to the earthquake ranges from a wave of compassion to Pat Robertson's theological argument that a comparison of the fortunes of the Domincan Republic and Haiti can be explained by a voudou ceremony 200 years ago. Pat has made similar arguments before and it is all too easy to dismiss his rants. In fact, Pat is emblematic of the Prosperity Gospel heard every Sunday in thousands of Christian churches. Can both be right?

The tao te ching has a lot to do with human nature i highly suggest everyone reads it cause it is so cool.

"Fear and Trembling" is a meditation on Genesis 22 - the Binding of Issac. "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." An old man hears God telling him he wants him to sacrifice his only son simply because God wants it. I found the story creepy then and no less creepy today. But today I understand how profoundly this story plays out today.

Isaac was not Abraham's only son. Abraham had sex with his wife Sarah's mistress Hagar and she gave birth to Ishmael (Genesis 16). Sarah tolerated the relationship until she gave birth to Isaac at which point "all Hell broke loose" and Abraham decided to get rid of his problem (on the advice of God) and took Hagar and Ishmael into the Arabian desert with a few days food, built a small shack and left them to fend for themselves. Legend has it that Hagar ran back and forth in despair. Ishmael stomped his foot upon the ground and water gushed forth. That spring was to be named the Zamzam well. The site of Issac's aborted sacrifice is the Temple Mount. The site of Hagar's exile became Mecca. The Shack became the Kaaba - the site of the Hajj.

16 years ago this day by the Islamic calendar, I was in Dhaka. I was trying to persist in spite of a nasty intestinal infection. My colleague and I gathered a small fund to help the staff at our guest house return home for the celebration. Tens of thousands of live animals had been driven into the city. My closest Bangladeshi friend had just returned from the Hajj and looked at me with a glare that shouted "Infidel!" At the appointed time, every one of the animals was slaughtered. Time to go home.

Religion is at its worst when it divides us. I say to my Muslim friends - Eid Mubarak - عيد مبارك‎

Some local churches acting as water carriers for the Family Foundation, handed out carefully constructed political propaganda this Sunday claiming to be the "2009 Official Virginia Voter Guide".

The Family Foundation is chaired by Ken Newsome, president of AMF Bakery Systems of Richmond Virginia. Ken donated $2300 to Jim Gilmore's Senatorial race last year and $2200 to the American Baker Political Action Committee headed by Steva Avera of Flowers Food of Thomasville, Georgia which contributed most of the money it raised to Republican congressional candidates.

The President of the Family Foundation, Victoria Cobb is an ally of James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Her husband worked for Bob McDonnell until Bob resigned to run as the Republican candidate for governor. She gave Bob McDonnell the "Legislator of the Year" award on behalf of the Family Foundation.

So we know who they are and what they want. What we don't know is why churches distribute their propaganda. It is hard to keep up with Jesus carrying water for politicians.

A Rabbi, an Imam and a Priest Walk into a Bank

They hand the banker their respective religious traditions' positions on usury. The banker's "friends"  in the managing council of the rabbi's synagogue rake him over the coals and the rabbi resigns.

The rabbi is Natan (Nathan if you must) Asmoucha, his colleagues are unidentified. They are all participants in London Citizens, an umbrella group for trade unionists, voluntary organisations and religious groups.

The issue is usury. "10% is enough!" "Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee."

The lot of a prophet - speaking truth to power - is never easy.  "And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house."

We can't have preachers bringing "Good News to the Poor" or we face the prospect of Amos. "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."

Can we?

A key tenet of the civil rights movement is that workers should be judged solely on their merits. No one should be kept from supporting their families and contributing to the economic life of our nation based on characteristics that have no bearing on the ability to do a job. 

Yet today it remains legal in 29 states to fire or refuse to hire someone simply because of his or her sexual orientation; in 38 states it is legal to do so based solely on an individual’s gender identity. 

Support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Congress now has a chance to pass meaningful civil rights legislation that would end this injustice. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (HR 3017/S 1584) would extend fair employment practices under federal law to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.  ENDA would not create any “special rights” but would simply offer Americans basic protections from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

We are called to stand for fairness.  Urge your members of Congress to cosponsor and support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (HR 3017/ S 1584).  Congress must pass this critical anti-discrimination legislation.

When I was introduced to directed graphs by "dot" in the package GraphViz, I knew I had touched something transcendant. When I delved into FreeMind, I found something transformative.

A new MindMap starts with a root node. From there you "insert" a child, after which you can "enter" a sibling or "insert" a child. The rest is commentary.

I am exploring Firewall Builder with FreeMind. Firewalls are a heady topic and conceptual clarity is a must. I'm making headway in a space I have resisted for years.

Several examples around but the Human Mind Map scratches neurons idle for some time. Some of it is a bit much for a skeptic like me but the memes in context are welcome. While working on a "white paper" on Christian Economics, I spent three days getting from the "beginning" to "property" and stalled completely on "money". We take most things for granted with hugh gaps in the map. While filling things in, we realize the fragility of common assumptions.

There is an export function to HTML. When I get a little further along, I'll post some here. If you get started on FreeMind, I'll share the source with you.

Jarrod leaves the field of Religion scattered with the corpses of sacred cows but welcomes everyone (and I mean everyone) into the field of Faith. To get there all you have to do give up your personal salvation and engage the cosmos with all you've got. Not for the faint of heart, this book is for those who look for meaning in this life.

Download the book from http://www.kingdomnow.org/dxp/outside/ or buy a copy for two bucks from Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Jesus-Outside-Box-ebook/dp/B002L16L6I/ref=.... Better to read the download version now and buy a few copies of the paperback when it comes out for your friends and family.

Mankind has spent incalculable time in the defense of God who permits (with varying degrees of specificity) the existence of evil. Paul Young tackles the issue in a very successful book "The Shack".

He does so in the context of the serial murder of innocent young girls. (What is the most wretched and vile crime you can think of?) He could have done so in a larger context - hunger, thirst, homelessness, sickness, slavery, abuse - but he confines the story to the evil man does. Man is more ingenious than the mosquito and thus more capable of dramatic malevolence. When is the last time a book about mosquitoes made the New York Times best seller list? Mosquitos kill a hundred times more people than AIDS.

The mechanism is a real tragedy about "Mack", the murder of Mack's daughter while on a camping trip, an invitation from God in Mack's mailbox, and 48 hours with the Trinity - a female African American "Papa", a male Jewish "Jesus", and a female Asian "Spirit".

The method is awareness of one's self and forgiveness (especially of God but even of the killer who eventually meets Justice) in a fairly orthodox framework. What is not there is the institutional Church and the wrath of a vengeful God. This is all about a personal relationship with God - the ground of all being (Panentheism).

My own view is that a world in which we are possible is also a world that harbors mosquitoes. If it were "perfect" there would be no room for us. I'll take a bite out of the Apple of Life.

People usually either love or hate this book. Strangely, I am in the middle. I believe we evolve spiritually at the expense of dogma and doctrine and progress with the practice of love, kindness, patience (Good grief - I sound like another Paul).

The title is taken from WEB: Matthew 25:35, "for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in." A self-styled "Conservative Christian", Cheryl tackles the evolution of conditional love. I used to know what a Conservative Christian was. Cheryl made me forget. It is amazing what you can learn when you realize you don't know something.

The context is AIDS, homosexuality, family, church and community. The goal is reconciliation. The method is the education of the Heart. Love is more than a feeling or an expression to Cheryl. It is something you DO! I could go on, but Cheryl does it so well.

http://www.cherylmosstyler.com/Home.php
http://andyouinvitedmein.wordpress.com/
http://www.amazon.com/You-Invited-Me-Novel/dp/1582701660

One must have patience with the characters, some lead, others are dragged, still others persist in the darkness. One senses a lingering hope that the institutional church and its doctrines can evolve too.

Tarvid ranks it ***** among the remaindered books of 2008. (Think of a star as a kiss.)

PS. If you still cling to the notion of Bible in-errancy, try WEB Matthew 25:30 Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 5: 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
  45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

You see, praying for divine intervention in Iran is a lot like praying for rain. When God doesn't intervene (and clearly He does not intervene in the starvation of children, the homelessness of people in our neighborhoods and a host of other "evils") we have a problem.

There are tactical reasons for prayer. One is to find an understanding of how things are here and now. We may get help from others, but more often than not the answer comes from within.  

Strategically, the reason for prayer is change within ourselves. Lord knows we are not a "perfect" lot but we are what we've got. If we look hard enough, we will find the sunshine and rain and with a little luck smell the flowers.

The State in Iran is like Babylon, Rome and even Washington. Like States everywhere, power rules in favor of the few and against the interests of many. The only "weapon" we have is strengthening ourselves and empowering others.

Peace be upon you.

Jim

Note: the quotation within are linked to the program Sword.