Saturday, March 28, 2009
hell
Bishop Carlton Pearson a 'heretic" after my own heart. Go to the link check out some of the interviews. Could it be that the concept of hell was designed in part to keep people in bondage to a religious system? Would it be different today if people followed Christ out of love rather than out of fear? Again IDK, but something to think about
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
atonement rant revisited
Two years ago I was asked to be the crucifier on Good Friday at an Episcopal Church, thinking that I would be carrying the cross that leads the procession I agreed. What a shock when I found out I would be carrying a wooden cross during one of the readings. I was a little upset and told the priest that I wasn't going to carry her "f@#*ing cross" I realized that the idea of substitutionary atonement had become repugnant to me, and couldn't possibly be true. Something that had been drummed into me my entire life and I had accepted without question made no sense at all. So I wrote "My Rant on the Atonement".
my rant on the atonement
I've been struggling with the holy week scriptures and liturgies for the past several years. Up until 3 years ago everything I had been taught about Christ's death was vicarious atonement. God made rules (laws) that are impossible to keep. We have broken laws that are impossible to keep and we know we broke them cuz no one could keep them. Because we can't keep them then we shall be put to death because "the penalty for sin is death" God has to have a blood sacrifice because the law says so. Some one has to pay but it has to be someone who was perfect...so god thinks "hmmm.. maybe I'll kill my son to satisfy my legal need for blood." Now that Jesus is dead, God isn't mad at us for not doing what we can't do. So as long as we are grateful to god for his mercy we can live with him forever....if we say the right prayer or are baptized with the right words.
Divine child abuse.....
Some say that it is silly to refer to substitutional atonement as child abuse, I disagree. When my now almost 16 year old daughter was young, there was a "Christian" program for raising children which was very popular in evangelical circles. It taught that the parents must be in charge from the beginning. Parents were told to feed their children only on a schedule, when the child cried and it wasn't time to feed the parent wasn't supposed to pick the child up or feed it. The premise was that because God turned his back on Jesus when he cried out on the cross we should turn away from our children when they cried. As the child began to eat table food they were hit if they played with the food and had their faces flicked if they didn't look strait ahead.
Is that the nature of our all-loving God? The father/mother who we love because she/he first loved us? The God that loves us and calls us children? Jesus said (my paraphrase) "would a father give his child a stone instead of bread?' Would a parent turn their back on on a child's suffering?
Many of the children whose parents subscribed to the Growing Kids God's way program developed failure to thrive. They didn't get enough to eat as infants, the parents didn't know how to respond to their child's cues. Babies with failure to thrive (ftt) don't gain the weight they should they are unable to consume enough calories. A baby's brain grows as much in the first year as it will grow the rest of the child's life, often there are long term developmental problems. How many christians do we know who have growth failure? How many could never connect with God? How many young adults walk away because of divine child abuse?
Is there an alternative? Can we conceive of a non violent transforming model of the atonement? Was Jesus death on the cross the ultimate act of non violent resistance? Walter Wink says that when Jesus said to turn the other cheek he was saying that he refused to be humiliated. In that culture one could only hit someone lower than ones self with the back of the hand to turn the cheek would mean the person would either have to break some of the ritual purity rules and hit him with the back of the left hand or hit him with his palm or fist something that would never be done to someone not their equal. There are many more examples from Wink and others but to many for this short email
Christ came to show us how to live how to break the cycle of violence. We are taught that Christ reveals God to us. Jesus taught us non violent resistance, Jesus came to set the captives free....So it doesn't work for me God would use the violence that Jesus taught against to bring us redemption.
Jesus was faithful even to death on the cross, a death perpetrated by humans (for you trekkies I guess God had a prime directive of non interference with lower life forms) Through his life and death we have a pattern for our lives, through his resurrection we have hope We know that shit happens but God is able to turn it around.
So back to failure to thrive or growth failure. I wonder how many people who have been in church exhibit the signs of growth failure.
Lack of interest in surroundings
irritability
inability to walk in the knowledge of God's love
I wonder if it would be different if we got rid of the language we use, language we may not even believe but use because we always have. I wonder what would happen if we responded to the cues people give us rather than a formula given by the church. I wonder if we got rid of divine child abuse, would people be able to receive the nurture that they need to grow.
I'm rambling I need to come to terms with the fact that I taught substitutional atonement for years when I was an associate pastor in the charismatic church and when I taught in the evangelical church. I need to forgive myself
Maybe now is the time to repent to turn around to change the way we think. Maybe it is time to show radical love and non violence. Maybe it is time to move from the 12th century to the 21st.
With all of that said here are some books I have read recently
The Last Week by Borg and Crossan
Steve Chalke's book "The Lost message of Jesus
Who really killed jesus by John Dominic Crossan
would appreciate any comments
my rant on the atonement
I've been struggling with the holy week scriptures and liturgies for the past several years. Up until 3 years ago everything I had been taught about Christ's death was vicarious atonement. God made rules (laws) that are impossible to keep. We have broken laws that are impossible to keep and we know we broke them cuz no one could keep them. Because we can't keep them then we shall be put to death because "the penalty for sin is death" God has to have a blood sacrifice because the law says so. Some one has to pay but it has to be someone who was perfect...so god thinks "hmmm.. maybe I'll kill my son to satisfy my legal need for blood." Now that Jesus is dead, God isn't mad at us for not doing what we can't do. So as long as we are grateful to god for his mercy we can live with him forever....if we say the right prayer or are baptized with the right words.
Divine child abuse.....
Some say that it is silly to refer to substitutional atonement as child abuse, I disagree. When my now almost 16 year old daughter was young, there was a "Christian" program for raising children which was very popular in evangelical circles. It taught that the parents must be in charge from the beginning. Parents were told to feed their children only on a schedule, when the child cried and it wasn't time to feed the parent wasn't supposed to pick the child up or feed it. The premise was that because God turned his back on Jesus when he cried out on the cross we should turn away from our children when they cried. As the child began to eat table food they were hit if they played with the food and had their faces flicked if they didn't look strait ahead.
Is that the nature of our all-loving God? The father/mother who we love because she/he first loved us? The God that loves us and calls us children? Jesus said (my paraphrase) "would a father give his child a stone instead of bread?' Would a parent turn their back on on a child's suffering?
Many of the children whose parents subscribed to the Growing Kids God's way program developed failure to thrive. They didn't get enough to eat as infants, the parents didn't know how to respond to their child's cues. Babies with failure to thrive (ftt) don't gain the weight they should they are unable to consume enough calories. A baby's brain grows as much in the first year as it will grow the rest of the child's life, often there are long term developmental problems. How many christians do we know who have growth failure? How many could never connect with God? How many young adults walk away because of divine child abuse?
Is there an alternative? Can we conceive of a non violent transforming model of the atonement? Was Jesus death on the cross the ultimate act of non violent resistance? Walter Wink says that when Jesus said to turn the other cheek he was saying that he refused to be humiliated. In that culture one could only hit someone lower than ones self with the back of the hand to turn the cheek would mean the person would either have to break some of the ritual purity rules and hit him with the back of the left hand or hit him with his palm or fist something that would never be done to someone not their equal. There are many more examples from Wink and others but to many for this short email
Christ came to show us how to live how to break the cycle of violence. We are taught that Christ reveals God to us. Jesus taught us non violent resistance, Jesus came to set the captives free....So it doesn't work for me God would use the violence that Jesus taught against to bring us redemption.
Jesus was faithful even to death on the cross, a death perpetrated by humans (for you trekkies I guess God had a prime directive of non interference with lower life forms) Through his life and death we have a pattern for our lives, through his resurrection we have hope We know that shit happens but God is able to turn it around.
So back to failure to thrive or growth failure. I wonder how many people who have been in church exhibit the signs of growth failure.
Lack of interest in surroundings
irritability
inability to walk in the knowledge of God's love
I wonder if it would be different if we got rid of the language we use, language we may not even believe but use because we always have. I wonder what would happen if we responded to the cues people give us rather than a formula given by the church. I wonder if we got rid of divine child abuse, would people be able to receive the nurture that they need to grow.
I'm rambling I need to come to terms with the fact that I taught substitutional atonement for years when I was an associate pastor in the charismatic church and when I taught in the evangelical church. I need to forgive myself
Maybe now is the time to repent to turn around to change the way we think. Maybe it is time to show radical love and non violence. Maybe it is time to move from the 12th century to the 21st.
With all of that said here are some books I have read recently
The Last Week by Borg and Crossan
Steve Chalke's book "The Lost message of Jesus
Who really killed jesus by John Dominic Crossan
Sunday, January 18, 2009
hope
Hope is in the air, it is palpable. If such a thing is possible. How does one touch hope... feel hope? What does hope look like?
In 1968 I was 14 and I watched in horror as Bobby Kennedy our hope for the future of the country was murdered after the California primary. Four years later I was 18 and going door to door for Senator McGovern, I knew he was going to win the election, my mother said that he wouldn't win but we should campaign anyway...but I knew he would win...the alternative was unthinkable...another four years of Nixon, surely the American public could see that he was a crook, surely they were at least as smart as me who had just a few months earlier graduated from Cottage Grove High School. Couldn't the people see what he was doing to this country? Couldn't they see every night on the evening news the body count from the 'conflict' in VietNam? Even as the poles on the east coast closed I clung to the hope that the American people would have as much sense as this 18 year old.
Every year I held out hope that the right person would win and every year I was disapointed. Jimmy Carter, whom I now respect won, but he was a Christian, one of those people who at that time I thought were lacking common sense. In 92 Clinton won and I was happy I have pictures of my then 1year old daughter in front of the TV with Bill Clinton's baby pictures on the screen. But hope? Maybe a little.
Even in 2000 and 2004 I held out hope that Bush would not win. He didn't really but no one seemed to care no one was willing to fight for what was right and for the rights of the American people. I wept as I watched my country and my religion hi-jacked.
Some call me cynical. I knew Bush knew about 9/11 before it happened, my family and friends thought I was nuts.
Yet this year as the election drew near I had hope. Hope for a future for this country. Hope that all the evil done in our name and in the name of my god would be made right. I have to admit that my first choice was Kucinich, but when Obama was the candidate I got behind him. I spoke with people who were so afraid that someone else would win, and I asked how is it possible that someone else could win surely the American people could see? The cynic bringing hope to the more positive people....
The day after the election I went shopping and there were more people in the stores than I had seen for a while. In Costo I ran across a hispanic family 2 teens a preteen and 2 parents. I understood very little of what they were talking about...but I saw the smiles and I heard the name Obama!
Am I looking to a person to fix the world? No, I am looking for a people who have hope, who can see that business as usual doesn't work. People who put their trust in their God and walk in the way of peace and justice. Who put their faith into action to quote Bono Get up off their knees. As a Christian I follow the way of Christ. I believe in the sermon on the mount.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the realm of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
So what does hope look like? Today it looks like the tears running down the faces of the people who sang One Love, American Pie, In the name of Love and America the Beautiful at the Lincoln Memorial. It looks like the people who have held out hope for so many years that our country would be returned to us. It looks like the face of the child who is not a white protestant male and realizes that they too can become president. Yes WE Can!!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Sky Nelson
This was filmed locally by a young musician/activist. I thought he did a great job so wanted to pass it on.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Following God
I've been thinking about the people I knew during my time as an associate pastor in a charismatic church.
People who were friends.
People I laughed with... cried with... worshiped with.
People who believe what they are told to believe, unable or unwilling to question authority. People who live in fear, even though they say "anything that is not of faith is sin".
Is fear faith?
Is worry faith?
Is looking to the government rather than God, faith?
I am angry with them....I don't understand them...I wonder what the F@^* is wrong with them...
And I remember..I laughed with them...cried with them.... worshiped with them.
What is it that made us go in seemingly opposite directions?
All of us following God....
Fr. Geoffrey Farrow
I had posted something else on this but I came across Fr Geoff's Blog and thought I should just post the link to his blog rather than news interviews and comments from other folks blogs.
Please check this out he is an amazing man
Just click on the title to open the blog. I'm still getting used to adding links.
Monday, September 29, 2008
charismatic episcopalians
So, one of the church growth methods taught was "Signs and Wonders" AKA the Christian Psychic Network. The experience was about as unpleasant as my life in the charismatic movement. And to make things worse the guy was about 10 years behind what is happening in those churches today.
The 'priest' spent a lot of time talking about kids being transformed by the Holy Spirit. I raised my kid in that crap until she was 12...She is 17. She doesn't want any part of it, neither do her friends who were raised in it. They are looking for contemplative worship and actually doing things for people without shoving the '4 spiritual laws' down their throats. Being Christ to those they meet and finding Christ in everyone.....What a concept.
next post...Sara Palin...the sweetheart of the religious right.
The 'priest' spent a lot of time talking about kids being transformed by the Holy Spirit. I raised my kid in that crap until she was 12...She is 17. She doesn't want any part of it, neither do her friends who were raised in it. They are looking for contemplative worship and actually doing things for people without shoving the '4 spiritual laws' down their throats. Being Christ to those they meet and finding Christ in everyone.....What a concept.
next post...Sara Palin...the sweetheart of the religious right.
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