Associated Baptist Press
March 3, 2009 · (09-30)
David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer
In this issue
Christians, other torture opponents call for comission to investigate (428 words)
Mercer conference calls Christians to 'creation care' (746 words)
Study: Churchgoers like porn, but don't buy it on the Sabbath (589 words)
Correction
Christians, other torture opponents call for commission to investigate
By Robert Marus (428 words)
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- A coalition of religious leaders who oppose the United States' use of torture in the fight against terrorism called March 3 for a "truth commission" to investigate government policy and allegations of inhumane actions against terrorism detainees under the previous administration.
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture released the statement, signed by 23 prominent religious leaders from a wide variety of faith traditions, on the eve of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings scheduled to delve into the subject.
"We call for an impartial, nonpartisan, and independent Commission of Inquiry," the statement said. "Its purpose should be to gather all the facts and make recommendations. It should ascertain the extent to which our interrogation practices have constituted torture and 'cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.' Understanding the causes, nature and scope of U.S.-sponsored torture is essential for preventing it in the future and eliminating it from our system without loopholes. U.S. law will determine the extent of any criminal culpability."
It continued: "As people of faith, we know that brokenness can be healed -- both in individual lives and in the life of the nation. All religions believe that redemption is possible. Learning the truth can set us on a path toward national healing and renewal."
Baptist signers of the statement were Stan Hastey, minister for mission and ecumenism at the Alliance of Baptists; and David Gushee, president of Evangelicals for Human Rights and professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta. Gushee also writes a weekly column for Associated Baptist Press.
The call came a day after Justice Department officials released nine previously classified memoranda, produced by lawyers for President Bush, outlining sweeping presidential powers to circumvent legal constraints established by Congress on interrogation techniques and other aspects of detainee treatment.
Bush's White House claimed the authority described in the memos in response to the post-9/11 terrorism threat. Some torture opponents and civil libertarians have said the powers claimed by the memos went even further than they thought Bush's administration had.
Several similar memos are believed also to exist, but remain classified.
The Judiciary Committee hearings, scheduled to begin March 4, will explore creation of a formal commission to investigate government policy on interrogation techniques under the Bush administration. The panel's chairman, Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, has called for such a body. So has his House counterpart, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.).
While President Obama followed through on a campaign promise to revoke controversial Bush policies on interrogation and treatment of terrorism detainees, the White House has rebuffed calls by many torture opponents to investigate Bush officials.
Robert Marus is managing editor and Washington bureau chief for Associated Baptist Press.
Mercer conference calls Christians to 'creation care'
By Mark Vanderhoek (746 words)
ATLANTA (ABP) -- Faith leaders at a Feb. 27-28 Mercer University conference challenged participants to re-engage themselves, their faiths and their communities to address the moral and ethical implications of climate change.
Titled "Caring for Creation: Ethical Responses to Climate Change," the conference was held on Mercer's Atlanta campus as part of a campus-wide ethics program and was presented in conjunction with Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment.
At the opening session on Feb. 27, Cheryl Bridges Johns of the Church of God Theological Seminary noted that humans are becoming disconnected from their roots in the natural world through urbanization, the increasing reliance on science to explain the world or the increase in technology's role in their daily lives.
Confronting global climate change requires getting through to people who are suffering "enchantment-deficit disorder," she said. Humankind's divorce from nature and from God's creation -- and the wonderment and enchantment from that creation -- is part of the struggle for religious and moral leaders in confronting climate change, Johns said.
"I believe that we can re-enchant the world," she said. "As a person of faith, I believe I can live an enchanted life of faith, a spirited life, where I see, sometimes as the ancient Celts, that the veil between this world and the world that is to come getting very, very thin in certain places. And sometimes I see that in nature and it's a glorious expression of that which is to come.
"So creation care and caring for creation, to me, means that we become enchanted, we become re-enchanted," Johns continued. "We can be great scientists and wonder. We can be astute physicians and wonder. We can be wonderful people, who are teachers and lawyers and pastors, and wonder, can't we?"
The event included more than 200 students, faculty and staff from the Atlanta campus, as well as a contingent from Mercer's main campus in Macon, Ga.
David Gushee, a Christian ethics professor at Mercer and one of the event's organizers, said the conference stemmed, in part, from his work with a group of scientists and evangelical leaders examining whether the two groups could "come to a common mind on issues of climate change." The Mercer event was the first full-scale event on a college campus highlighting those issues as a part of the scientist-evangelical effort, which began in 2006.
On Feb. 28, the conference broke into sessions focusing on ways to address climate change including public health, greening the campus, individual lifestyle changes and public-policy efforts.
In a session on the ethical implications of climate change, Gushee (who also writes a regular column for Associated Baptist Press) said Christians need to focus their energies on creation care because it is part of their overall calling. It goes hand-in-hand with their care of all life, human and animal -- and particularly in light of their role as stewards who were given power over the Earth by God.
"Climate change is an example of a moral issue, where even paying attention to the well-being of humanity requires some address of this problem," he said. "I think we are in a time where we need to re-read sacred Scriptures to see the connections, for example, between human beings and other creatures, to see the web of life that was already set up as revealed in the early chapters of Genesis. We need to reinterpret rule as stewardship and care. We need to see the way in which the Bible teaches us the covenant relationship between God and the other creatures and between us and the other creatures."
Johns also highlighted the stewardship called for by faith and, even with interpretations of the Bible's apocalyptic passages that seem to indicate that global warming may hasten the return of Christ. Christians, she said, should focus on making the world like it will be on the day he does return, rather than on hastening his return through indifference to climate destruction.
"Let us not live with our eschatology out there.... Let us live with the eschatology of the day here, and that's a very different theme, because if we live with that day here, that day will judge this day," Johns said. "That day will judge how I live, so if that day is going to be a day of beauty and creation, it's judging this day in which I live. So eschatology to me doesn't hinder creation care, as much as it facilitates creation care."
Mark Vanderhoek is director of media relations at Mercer University.
Study: Churchgoers like porn, but don't buy it on the Sabbath
By Bob Allen (589 words)
BOSTON (ABP) -- According to a new study, people who live in states with high church-attendance rates buy as much Internet pornography as their more secularized counterparts -- but they are less likely to subscribe to an adult website on Sundays.
Researcher Benjamin Edelman said subscriptions to a top-10 seller of online adult entertainment he studied are not statistically different in pious states from subscription rates elsewhere, but significantly fewer subscriptions in religious states are purchased on the Christian Sabbath.
"This analysis suggests that, on the whole, those who attend religious services shift their consumption of adult entertainment to other days of the week, despite on average consuming the same amount of adult entertainment as others," Edelman, an assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, wrote in the study.
Studies of Americans' beliefs generally reveal some of the highest levels of religiosity in the developed world. For example, 68 percent of Americans say the Bible is the word of God and is to be taken literally. At the same time, social critics have argued the rise of Internet pornography is contributing to a coarsening of American culture.
Edelman, an expert in electronic commerce, set out to learn if consumption patterns of adult entertainment would reveal two separate Americas, or if porn consumption is widespread regardless of factors such as moral conservatism and religious conviction.
Edelman analyzed anonymous credit-card purchases of online porn by ZIP codes and factored in the availability of broadband Internet access in the surveyed areas. Broadband connections allow faster downloading of images and video, and broadband users outnumber narrowband customers on adult sites 18 to 1.
Edelman found Democratic- and Republican-leaning states "remarkably similar" to each other in patterns of consumption of online porn. In fact, he found adult-site subscriptions slightly more prevalent in states that have enacted conservative laws on social issues, such as "defense of marriage" amendments.
He also found online porn more prevalent in states whose residents tended to express more conservative religious views in studies, such as agreeing with the statements, "I never doubt the existence of God" and "AIDS might be God's punishment for immoral sexual behavior."
The biggest per-capita consumer of online porn is Utah, home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That state averaged 5.47 adult-content subscriptions per 1,000 home-broadband users. Widely known for its family-friendly image, the Mormon church received backlash last year for working hard to pass Proposition 8, which eliminated the right of marriage for same-sex couples in California.
Six of the top-10 states for porn-subscription rates are familiar territory for Baptists. Mississippi, the state with the highest concentration of Southern Baptist churches, ranked third with 4.30 subscribing homes per 1,000, between Alaska (5.03) and Hawaii (3.61).
Oklahoma ranked fifth (3.21), followed by Arkansas (3.12) North Dakota (3.05), Louisiana (3.01), Florida (3.01) and West Virginia (2.94).
Montana bought the least on-line porn, 1.92 subscriptions per 1,000 broadband connections. Also ranking near the bottom were Idaho (1.98 per 1,000) and Tennessee (2.13).
The study said Americans spend $2.8 billion a year for online porn. More than a third of Internet users visit at least one adult website a month, and the average user visits adult websites between seven and eight times a month.
Edelman noted the irony in the most conservative religious states also being some of the most porn-hungry.
"Some of the people who are most outraged turn out to be consumers of the very things they claimed to be outraged by," Edelman said in an article in New Scientist magazine.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Correction
In the March 2 ABP story, "Senate scandal divides state
Democrats over race," please replace the third paragraph with the
following:
"White Democrats -- including Burris' Senate colleague Dick Durbin and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn -- want the senator to step down and allow voters to decide his replacement. African-American politicians and clergy leaders claim Burris is being held to a higher standard than the other 99 senators."
The original story erroneously reported that Attorney General Lisa Madigan is among Democrats calling for U.S. Sen. Roland Burris to resign. A Madigan spokesperson said the attorney general issued a legal opinion that a special election could be held to remove Burris from office, but has not called for him to step down.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Prayer Blog - 3/3/2009, #2
Tomorrow, I have a biopsy scheduled with the Knoxville Dermatology Group at 10:15 AM. I have a small bump beneath my skin on my right jaw line and doctors told me to get checked it if it returned. Please keep this appointment in your prayers.
Prayer Blog - 3/3/2009
Through the generosity of CBP, my resume will be sent to Rutledge Baptist Church (located at 211 Church Street in Rutledge, Tennessee). The church has a small congregation of less than forty. The job would pay very little but would include a parsonage with paid utilities. They seem to be open to a bivocational minister and the fact that I would be in school while I worked. Their last pastor recently left to take the same position at Cumberland Baptist Church in Knoxville. Retired Carson-Newman College professor Robert M Shurden is their interim pastor. Due to CBP's endorsement, Dr. Shurden has agreed to submit my resume to the search committee on Sunday. Please keep this church and my potential affiliation with it in your prayers.
Word of the Day - 3/3/2009
Polemic
A polemic is a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc.
At an historic council in Jerusalem, Paul refuted the polemic against the uncircumcised Christian. (Acts 15)
And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. (Acts 15:2, NASB)
Note: This woodcut of the Jerusalem Council was first published in 1702. Its author is unknown.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Associated Baptist Press - 3/2/2009
Associated Baptist Press
March 2, 2009 · (09-29)
David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer
In this issue
Faith-based leaders say budget is major shift in poverty policy (628 words)
Senate scanda divides state Democrats over race (962 words)
Justices decline to upend dedicsion barring N.J. coach from prayers (425 words)
Former Baptist deacon charged with attempted robbery of S.C. bank (485 words)
Faith-based leaders say budget is major shift in poverty policy
By Bob Allen (628 words)
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- President Obama's first proposed budget signals a dramatic shift in prioritizing domestic poverty, centrist and liberal Christian leaders said in a teleconference with reporters March 2.
Nonetheless, some expressed concerns that portions of the proposal did not go far enough in alleviating poverty. And many conservative Christian leaders have echoed the criticisms of other conservatives -- that Obama's proposal is far too large and would create the most massive expansion of government social-service programs since Lyndon Johnson's administration.
Jim Wallis, founder and CEO of Sojourners, termed inequality between the haves and have-nots "a sin of biblical proportions" in the United States.
Wallis said budgets are "moral documents" that reveal the nation's priorities and values. For Christians, he said, there is "a religious obligation" to look out for the poor and vulnerable in society.
"For a long time we've almost thought that we don't need to bring values to bear or virtue to bear on our economic decisions -- the 'invisible hand' of the market would make everything come out all right -- but that hasn't happened," Wallis told reporters. "I would say the invisible hand has let go of the common good."
Wallis said the common good "has not been part of our decision-making for a long time now."
"This budget is a step, I think a dramatic step, to try to restore a sense of the common good," he said.
Wallis and other faith leaders applauded money in the budget for health care, the environment, education and increased foreign aid, but they also voiced concerns about the proposal they plan to address in coming weeks.
Candy Hill, senior vice president of social policy and government affairs for Catholic Charities USA, questioned the president's proposal to cut tax deductions for charitable giving for Americans in the top income brackets. She said most people who make contributions to Catholic Charities don't do so for a tax break, but because they support its mission and care for the poor.
Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, also lamented the budget does not include funds for immigration reform.
"In the Latino community you are going to hear more and more outrage and concern about the fact that no policy change means that we're going to rely on this enforcement-only strategy that divides families through ICE [the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security] raids and creates more havoc of people who are victims of a system that is broken," Castellanos said.
But the leaders on the call said the particulars matter less than the overall budget trend.
"This budget clearly is an attempt to reverse a trend," Wallis said. "For three decades we've had a growing trend of massive inequality in this country. Those who have been promoting that trend have said that policies, regulations and practices which enhance and benefit the wealthiest among us will eventually benefit us all."
"I think that has proven to be false," he said. "The central moral issue in this budget, and in American politics right now, is whether we should begin to reverse the massive trend toward growing inequality after three decades."
Wallis said it is time for the government to stop helping "the undeserving rich."
"We've had this notion of the undeserving poor for a long time," Wallis said. "I'm saying now there has been a class of undeserving rich, who have been helped far more than they should be helped."
Wallis called the proposed budget "a fundamental moral shift."
"We have our concerns," he said, "but I think, fundamentally, the moral issue is whether this trend of inequality can now be halted and reversed, and we can begin to rebalance the budget more in the direction of the common good.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press. Robert Marus, ABP's managing editor and Washington bureau chief, contributed to this story.
Senate scandal divides state Democrats over race
By Bob Allen (962 words)
CHICAGO (ABP) -- Calls for embattled Sen. Roland Burris to resign from the Senate are dividing his fellow Illinois Democrats along racial lines.
Burris, the only black United States senator, is under fire for conflicting statements about his relationship with disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The recently deposed governor appointed Burris to the seat formerly held by President Obama before Blagoevich was removed from office and charged with trying to sell the seat to the highest bidder.
White Democrats -- including Burris' Senate colleague Dick Durbin, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan -- all want the senator to step down and allow voters to decide his replacement. African-American politicians and clergy leaders claim Burris is being held to a higher standard than the other 99 senators.
"There have been senators who have been drunk, drove off a bridge, people died, no outcry for their resignation," U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) told reporters after a March 1 prayer vigil and rally supporting Burris at Chicago's New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church.
Rush, an ordained Baptist minister and former Black Panther, was referring to the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident in which Mary Jo Kopechne drowned after an automobile accident in Massachusetts. The car belonged to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).
Rush, who organized a national coalition in January to ensure that Burris would be allowed to take the oath of office, described previous efforts denying the seat to Burris a "lynching" and compared Democratic Senate leaders tying to block him to Alabama Gov. George Wallace standing in a University of Alabama doorway to block desegregation in 1963.
Durbin said in a radio interview that racial considerations were in play when majority Democrats decided to seat Burris on Jan. 15. Durbin, who is white, said racially charged remarks by Rush "were painful and hurtful" and "became part of this calculation."
Many prominent African-American leaders started out supporting Burris, saying his scandal-free record outweighed political problems of the governor who named him. That support has wavered recently. Burris first told the committee that recommended Blagojevich's impeachment that he had no contact with the governor's aides and promised nothing in return for the appointment. Later he released affidavits admitting he spoke to Blagojevich advisers, including the former governor's brother, and said he tried to raise money for Blagojevich but failed.
Burris met privately Feb. 21 with pastors from Clergy Speaks Interdenominational, an umbrella group that includes hundreds of Chicago's black churches, to shore up support. While some pastors agree privately that Burris should resign, his overall support from black churches in Illinois remains strong.
Prominent clergy leaders including Stephen Thurston, president of the National Convention of America, the nation's largest African-American church group, laid hands on and prayed for Burris in the March 1 service.
"We know Senator Burris and his character and his integrity in the past has been impeccable," said Thurston, senior pastor at the host church. "And we simply believe him, when he says to us -- looking straight in our face -- that he has done nothing inappropriate. He may not have been as clear as he possibly could, and we understand that also. But we also don't believe he's been untruthful."
Burris, a longtime member at St. John Church-Baptist in Chicago, gave brief remarks, outlining accomplishments during his short time in the Senate. They include his co-sponsorship of a resolution recognizing the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol.
"Let me assure that I will continue to serve you with the fullest of my ability," he said. "I will serve you with honesty and integrity. That's all I know and that's what God gave me."
Burris is only the sixth black U.S. senator in history, and the third from Illinois. As calls for his resignation have increased, so have threats from the African-American community that politicians might suffer electoral repercussions unless they leave Burris alone.
African-American Chicago aldermen threatened Feb. 26 to withhold their support from any elected official who continued to call for Burris' resignation.
"The race card has been played here, and in fact you have 40 percent of the people who vote in a Democratic primary can be African-American in the state of Illinois," observed Charles Thomas, political reporter for WLS television ABC-7 during a report Feb. 27. "So all the politicians are on notice now that Roland Burris should be left alone or there could be political consequences."
State Rep. Monique Davis, a Democrat, said no matter what office blacks hold, they often face a double standard.
"We always have to jump through more loops than anyone else," she said in a Chicago Defender article dated Feb. 25. "The U.S. Senate, for whatever reason, wanted him to get Secretary of State Jesse White's signature on paperwork before they would seat him, but six states do not even have a Secretary of State and those senators were seated without a signature."
A number of newspaper editorials have called on Burris to resign. In an unscientific online poll by the Chicago Tribune, 94 percent of respondents said he should step down.
Burris, 71, has steadfastly refused to resign. Recently a campaign website for Burris went online with a form for online contributions.
The first African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois, Burris served as Illinois comptroller and attorney general before losing in four statewide primaries, most recently for governor against Blagojevich.
"I've dedicated my life to public service, and you all have caused me to have the opportunity to serve," Burris said at a previous rally at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church in January. "And I had the opportunity when the Lord put his hands on the governor and said, 'This is the person that has to go to Washington.' And that appointment is legal. That is all there is."
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Justices decline to upend decision barring N.J. coach from prayers
By Robert Marus (425 words)
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- A New Jersey high-school coach will not be able to participate in his football team's prayers after the Supreme Court's March 2 refusal to review a lower court's decision.
Opponents of government-sanctioned school prayers praised the justices' refusal to hear an appeal of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling in Borden v. East Brunswick Township School District (No. 08-482).
"A coach's job is to teach kids how to play a sport, not promote religion," said the Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in a press release. "This case is a firm reminder that parents, not school personnel, are the rightful decision-makers when it comes to children's religious upbringing."
Lynn's organization argued the case in the lower court on the school district's behalf.
The case began in 2005, when Marcus Borden, the coach, challenged a policy the school district enacted preventing him from participating in team prayers.
While Borden had a long history of leading the prayers or organizing them, officials in the increasingly diverse suburban district began receiving complaints from students and parents about the Christian nature of the prayers.
Borden said the policy -- which prevents him from any kind of participation in the prayers, including bowing his head silently while students lead the team -- violated his rights to free speech, due process and academic freedom.
Federal courts have interpreted the First Amendment to prevent public-school officials from leading or encouraging prayers with students. But they have also handed down decisions allowing prayers that are truly student-organized and student-led.
While a federal district court initially agreed with Borden, last year the 3rd Circuit overturned that decision. A three-judge panel, ruling unanimously, said the history behind Borden's participation in the prayers made it clear that continuing any kind of association between the coach and the prayers would risk violating the First Amendment's ban on government support for religion.
"Without Borden's twenty-three years of organizing, participating in, and leading prayer with his team, this conclusion would not be so clear as it presently is," that decision, written by Judge Michael Fisher, said. "We agree with Borden that bowing one's head and taking a knee can be signs of respect. Thus, if a football coach, who had never engaged in prayer with his team, were to bow his head and take a knee while his team engaged in a moment of reflection or prayer, we would likely reach a different conclusion because the same history and context of endorsing religion would not be present."
Robert Marus is managing editor and Washington bureau chief for Associated Baptist Press
Former Baptist deacon charged with attempted robbery of S.C. bank
By Bob Allen (485 words)
TAYLORS, S.C. (ABP) -- An active member and former deacon at one of South Carolina's most historic Baptist churches faces charges of kidnapping and attempted robbery of a bank Feb. 26.
Bruce Lee Windsor, 43, was held on bond totaling $1.5 million on state charges of bank robbery, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent offense. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison for both the robbery and kidnapping charges and an additional five years on the weapons charge. He also could face federal charges.
Police say Windsor entered Greenville (S.C.) First Bank armed with a handgun, pointed it at employees and forced them into an office. There he handed them a note demanding money. He allegedly held two female employees at gunpoint for more than an hour before releasing them and surrendering to SWAT team members who met him at gunpoint inside the bank and ordered him to lie on the ground.
At his arraignment Feb. 27, Windsor's attorney reportedly said his client "has really been a model citizen, up until yesterday."
A woman identified in court only as Windsor's sister fought through sobs and tears to defend Windsor.
"He's a deacon of the church," she said. "He adores his kids."
"The only thing I can think is he must have just snapped under pressure," the woman said. "He is a person who doesn't even say cuss words."
Windsor works in mortgage real estate and owns a company called Lease to Home in nearby Greer, S.C. He reportedly told police in a statement that he was having financial problems and has an account at Greenville First Bank.
Ralph Carter, pastor of Brushy Creek Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., said Windsor had been an active member of the congregation for at least a decade and had visited shut-ins on behalf of the church while serving as a deacon.
Carter reportedly told the judge Windsor's alleged behavior was "completely out of character." After the hearing he told the Greenville News that Windsor is "one of the best fathers I know anywhere."
The bank's chief executive, Art Seaver, told television station WYFF News 4 that he and a crowd of bank employees -- hunkered down on the second floor of the bank while the two hostages were being held downstairs -- could do nothing but pray.
Founded in 1794, Brushy Creek Baptist Church is called the "mother church" of Greenville-area Baptists. Though not the oldest church on record, Brushy Creek sponsored and supported many of the churches now comprising membership of Greenville Baptist Association. It is also the only Baptist church in the Greenville area to be known by the same name for more than 200 years.
The church is affiliated with both the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. It was host church to the state convention's annual pastors' conference in 2006.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
March 2, 2009 · (09-29)
David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer
In this issue
Faith-based leaders say budget is major shift in poverty policy (628 words)
Senate scanda divides state Democrats over race (962 words)
Justices decline to upend dedicsion barring N.J. coach from prayers (425 words)
Former Baptist deacon charged with attempted robbery of S.C. bank (485 words)
Faith-based leaders say budget is major shift in poverty policy
By Bob Allen (628 words)
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- President Obama's first proposed budget signals a dramatic shift in prioritizing domestic poverty, centrist and liberal Christian leaders said in a teleconference with reporters March 2.
Nonetheless, some expressed concerns that portions of the proposal did not go far enough in alleviating poverty. And many conservative Christian leaders have echoed the criticisms of other conservatives -- that Obama's proposal is far too large and would create the most massive expansion of government social-service programs since Lyndon Johnson's administration.
Jim Wallis, founder and CEO of Sojourners, termed inequality between the haves and have-nots "a sin of biblical proportions" in the United States.
Wallis said budgets are "moral documents" that reveal the nation's priorities and values. For Christians, he said, there is "a religious obligation" to look out for the poor and vulnerable in society.
"For a long time we've almost thought that we don't need to bring values to bear or virtue to bear on our economic decisions -- the 'invisible hand' of the market would make everything come out all right -- but that hasn't happened," Wallis told reporters. "I would say the invisible hand has let go of the common good."
Wallis said the common good "has not been part of our decision-making for a long time now."
"This budget is a step, I think a dramatic step, to try to restore a sense of the common good," he said.
Wallis and other faith leaders applauded money in the budget for health care, the environment, education and increased foreign aid, but they also voiced concerns about the proposal they plan to address in coming weeks.
Candy Hill, senior vice president of social policy and government affairs for Catholic Charities USA, questioned the president's proposal to cut tax deductions for charitable giving for Americans in the top income brackets. She said most people who make contributions to Catholic Charities don't do so for a tax break, but because they support its mission and care for the poor.
Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, also lamented the budget does not include funds for immigration reform.
"In the Latino community you are going to hear more and more outrage and concern about the fact that no policy change means that we're going to rely on this enforcement-only strategy that divides families through ICE [the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security] raids and creates more havoc of people who are victims of a system that is broken," Castellanos said.
But the leaders on the call said the particulars matter less than the overall budget trend.
"This budget clearly is an attempt to reverse a trend," Wallis said. "For three decades we've had a growing trend of massive inequality in this country. Those who have been promoting that trend have said that policies, regulations and practices which enhance and benefit the wealthiest among us will eventually benefit us all."
"I think that has proven to be false," he said. "The central moral issue in this budget, and in American politics right now, is whether we should begin to reverse the massive trend toward growing inequality after three decades."
Wallis said it is time for the government to stop helping "the undeserving rich."
"We've had this notion of the undeserving poor for a long time," Wallis said. "I'm saying now there has been a class of undeserving rich, who have been helped far more than they should be helped."
Wallis called the proposed budget "a fundamental moral shift."
"We have our concerns," he said, "but I think, fundamentally, the moral issue is whether this trend of inequality can now be halted and reversed, and we can begin to rebalance the budget more in the direction of the common good.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press. Robert Marus, ABP's managing editor and Washington bureau chief, contributed to this story.
Senate scandal divides state Democrats over race
By Bob Allen (962 words)
CHICAGO (ABP) -- Calls for embattled Sen. Roland Burris to resign from the Senate are dividing his fellow Illinois Democrats along racial lines.
Burris, the only black United States senator, is under fire for conflicting statements about his relationship with disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The recently deposed governor appointed Burris to the seat formerly held by President Obama before Blagoevich was removed from office and charged with trying to sell the seat to the highest bidder.
White Democrats -- including Burris' Senate colleague Dick Durbin, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan -- all want the senator to step down and allow voters to decide his replacement. African-American politicians and clergy leaders claim Burris is being held to a higher standard than the other 99 senators.
"There have been senators who have been drunk, drove off a bridge, people died, no outcry for their resignation," U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) told reporters after a March 1 prayer vigil and rally supporting Burris at Chicago's New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church.
Rush, an ordained Baptist minister and former Black Panther, was referring to the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident in which Mary Jo Kopechne drowned after an automobile accident in Massachusetts. The car belonged to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).
Rush, who organized a national coalition in January to ensure that Burris would be allowed to take the oath of office, described previous efforts denying the seat to Burris a "lynching" and compared Democratic Senate leaders tying to block him to Alabama Gov. George Wallace standing in a University of Alabama doorway to block desegregation in 1963.
Durbin said in a radio interview that racial considerations were in play when majority Democrats decided to seat Burris on Jan. 15. Durbin, who is white, said racially charged remarks by Rush "were painful and hurtful" and "became part of this calculation."
Many prominent African-American leaders started out supporting Burris, saying his scandal-free record outweighed political problems of the governor who named him. That support has wavered recently. Burris first told the committee that recommended Blagojevich's impeachment that he had no contact with the governor's aides and promised nothing in return for the appointment. Later he released affidavits admitting he spoke to Blagojevich advisers, including the former governor's brother, and said he tried to raise money for Blagojevich but failed.
Burris met privately Feb. 21 with pastors from Clergy Speaks Interdenominational, an umbrella group that includes hundreds of Chicago's black churches, to shore up support. While some pastors agree privately that Burris should resign, his overall support from black churches in Illinois remains strong.
Prominent clergy leaders including Stephen Thurston, president of the National Convention of America, the nation's largest African-American church group, laid hands on and prayed for Burris in the March 1 service.
"We know Senator Burris and his character and his integrity in the past has been impeccable," said Thurston, senior pastor at the host church. "And we simply believe him, when he says to us -- looking straight in our face -- that he has done nothing inappropriate. He may not have been as clear as he possibly could, and we understand that also. But we also don't believe he's been untruthful."
Burris, a longtime member at St. John Church-Baptist in Chicago, gave brief remarks, outlining accomplishments during his short time in the Senate. They include his co-sponsorship of a resolution recognizing the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol.
"Let me assure that I will continue to serve you with the fullest of my ability," he said. "I will serve you with honesty and integrity. That's all I know and that's what God gave me."
Burris is only the sixth black U.S. senator in history, and the third from Illinois. As calls for his resignation have increased, so have threats from the African-American community that politicians might suffer electoral repercussions unless they leave Burris alone.
African-American Chicago aldermen threatened Feb. 26 to withhold their support from any elected official who continued to call for Burris' resignation.
"The race card has been played here, and in fact you have 40 percent of the people who vote in a Democratic primary can be African-American in the state of Illinois," observed Charles Thomas, political reporter for WLS television ABC-7 during a report Feb. 27. "So all the politicians are on notice now that Roland Burris should be left alone or there could be political consequences."
State Rep. Monique Davis, a Democrat, said no matter what office blacks hold, they often face a double standard.
"We always have to jump through more loops than anyone else," she said in a Chicago Defender article dated Feb. 25. "The U.S. Senate, for whatever reason, wanted him to get Secretary of State Jesse White's signature on paperwork before they would seat him, but six states do not even have a Secretary of State and those senators were seated without a signature."
A number of newspaper editorials have called on Burris to resign. In an unscientific online poll by the Chicago Tribune, 94 percent of respondents said he should step down.
Burris, 71, has steadfastly refused to resign. Recently a campaign website for Burris went online with a form for online contributions.
The first African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois, Burris served as Illinois comptroller and attorney general before losing in four statewide primaries, most recently for governor against Blagojevich.
"I've dedicated my life to public service, and you all have caused me to have the opportunity to serve," Burris said at a previous rally at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church in January. "And I had the opportunity when the Lord put his hands on the governor and said, 'This is the person that has to go to Washington.' And that appointment is legal. That is all there is."
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Justices decline to upend decision barring N.J. coach from prayers
By Robert Marus (425 words)
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- A New Jersey high-school coach will not be able to participate in his football team's prayers after the Supreme Court's March 2 refusal to review a lower court's decision.
Opponents of government-sanctioned school prayers praised the justices' refusal to hear an appeal of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling in Borden v. East Brunswick Township School District (No. 08-482).
"A coach's job is to teach kids how to play a sport, not promote religion," said the Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in a press release. "This case is a firm reminder that parents, not school personnel, are the rightful decision-makers when it comes to children's religious upbringing."
Lynn's organization argued the case in the lower court on the school district's behalf.
The case began in 2005, when Marcus Borden, the coach, challenged a policy the school district enacted preventing him from participating in team prayers.
While Borden had a long history of leading the prayers or organizing them, officials in the increasingly diverse suburban district began receiving complaints from students and parents about the Christian nature of the prayers.
Borden said the policy -- which prevents him from any kind of participation in the prayers, including bowing his head silently while students lead the team -- violated his rights to free speech, due process and academic freedom.
Federal courts have interpreted the First Amendment to prevent public-school officials from leading or encouraging prayers with students. But they have also handed down decisions allowing prayers that are truly student-organized and student-led.
While a federal district court initially agreed with Borden, last year the 3rd Circuit overturned that decision. A three-judge panel, ruling unanimously, said the history behind Borden's participation in the prayers made it clear that continuing any kind of association between the coach and the prayers would risk violating the First Amendment's ban on government support for religion.
"Without Borden's twenty-three years of organizing, participating in, and leading prayer with his team, this conclusion would not be so clear as it presently is," that decision, written by Judge Michael Fisher, said. "We agree with Borden that bowing one's head and taking a knee can be signs of respect. Thus, if a football coach, who had never engaged in prayer with his team, were to bow his head and take a knee while his team engaged in a moment of reflection or prayer, we would likely reach a different conclusion because the same history and context of endorsing religion would not be present."
Robert Marus is managing editor and Washington bureau chief for Associated Baptist Press
Former Baptist deacon charged with attempted robbery of S.C. bank
By Bob Allen (485 words)
TAYLORS, S.C. (ABP) -- An active member and former deacon at one of South Carolina's most historic Baptist churches faces charges of kidnapping and attempted robbery of a bank Feb. 26.
Bruce Lee Windsor, 43, was held on bond totaling $1.5 million on state charges of bank robbery, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent offense. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison for both the robbery and kidnapping charges and an additional five years on the weapons charge. He also could face federal charges.
Police say Windsor entered Greenville (S.C.) First Bank armed with a handgun, pointed it at employees and forced them into an office. There he handed them a note demanding money. He allegedly held two female employees at gunpoint for more than an hour before releasing them and surrendering to SWAT team members who met him at gunpoint inside the bank and ordered him to lie on the ground.
At his arraignment Feb. 27, Windsor's attorney reportedly said his client "has really been a model citizen, up until yesterday."
A woman identified in court only as Windsor's sister fought through sobs and tears to defend Windsor.
"He's a deacon of the church," she said. "He adores his kids."
"The only thing I can think is he must have just snapped under pressure," the woman said. "He is a person who doesn't even say cuss words."
Windsor works in mortgage real estate and owns a company called Lease to Home in nearby Greer, S.C. He reportedly told police in a statement that he was having financial problems and has an account at Greenville First Bank.
Ralph Carter, pastor of Brushy Creek Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., said Windsor had been an active member of the congregation for at least a decade and had visited shut-ins on behalf of the church while serving as a deacon.
Carter reportedly told the judge Windsor's alleged behavior was "completely out of character." After the hearing he told the Greenville News that Windsor is "one of the best fathers I know anywhere."
The bank's chief executive, Art Seaver, told television station WYFF News 4 that he and a crowd of bank employees -- hunkered down on the second floor of the bank while the two hostages were being held downstairs -- could do nothing but pray.
Founded in 1794, Brushy Creek Baptist Church is called the "mother church" of Greenville-area Baptists. Though not the oldest church on record, Brushy Creek sponsored and supported many of the churches now comprising membership of Greenville Baptist Association. It is also the only Baptist church in the Greenville area to be known by the same name for more than 200 years.
The church is affiliated with both the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. It was host church to the state convention's annual pastors' conference in 2006.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Prayer Blog - 3/2/2009, #3
Tonight, I agreed in principle to a very limited role with the Central Baptist Church of Bearden. Details of this arrangement will appear in Wednesday's edition of "In Eckleburg's Eyes". At present, I am uncertain if this is a blessing or a curse. Pray that I have chosen wisely. Also continue to pray for my employment. This matter is far from resolved.
Prayer Blog - 3/2/2009, #2
Prayer Blog - 3/2/2009
JTH has been diagnosed with both a sinus infection and a bronchial infection. How bad does he feel? He actually went to see a doctor! Please pray for a speedy recovery.
Word of the Day - 3/2/2009
Aspersion
An aspersion is a damaging or derogatory remark or criticism; slander.
Paul told the Corinthians that when he faced aspersion, his response was to conciliate.
when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. (I Corinthians 4:13, NASB)
What is your response to aspersion?
In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/2/2009, Part 3
News & Notes from Sunday, March 1st, 2009, Part 2
-I spent Sunday night with KLTW, KJW, and RAW. I met them at the massive Super Kroger in Farragut. This worked out well because we also got visit with JDM. For the first time, I noticed that the grocery store has a roundabout in its parking lot. I realize this worked well at a nearby intersection but is it really necessary in a parking lot?
-Note: I experimented with a new photographing method with KJW. I learned that if you command her, “Freeze, Bobo” that she pauses momentarily. One has to snap the photo at the moment “Bobo” is said because she moves rather quickly. Like a puma. (As you can see, I had mixed results.)
-KLTW and RAW usually shop for groceries at the more convenient Food City but changed up their routine. I think they were in the mood for some free samples. They were good too. I also learned a valuable lesson. Whole olives have pits. I love olives but had never eaten one whole before. My teeth appear to have suffered no ill effects.
-The store sells some very upscale items. They had a cheese called Romao (from Spain) that they were selling for $66! Who would buy that?
-RAW was very proud that KJW could identify Kevin Garnett as “K.G.” when she saw him on a Wheaties box. It is always good to get your parenting validated. (Note: We struggled to contain KJW in the cart throughout our stay at Kroger.)
-We left and decided to get something to eat. They had a coupon for Pizza Hut but when we called, they had no pizzas left that were not of the thin crust variety. How does that happen? Our next idea was the nearby Poyama Japanese Grill, but it was closed. Finally, we settled on Hibachi Factory.
-We returned to the Walker residence and watched Sweet Home Alabama on DVD at KLTW’s suggestion. She was in the mood for a chick flick. Believe it or not we all like the film, even RAW. KJW did very well in allowing us to watch it. She did make one mess, spilling a cup while reaching for her favorite snack, M&M’s. She brought her mother to the spill and confessed, “It was me.” As if it could have been anyone else...
-It was a good night.
-I spent Sunday night with KLTW, KJW, and RAW. I met them at the massive Super Kroger in Farragut. This worked out well because we also got visit with JDM. For the first time, I noticed that the grocery store has a roundabout in its parking lot. I realize this worked well at a nearby intersection but is it really necessary in a parking lot?
-Note: I experimented with a new photographing method with KJW. I learned that if you command her, “Freeze, Bobo” that she pauses momentarily. One has to snap the photo at the moment “Bobo” is said because she moves rather quickly. Like a puma. (As you can see, I had mixed results.)-KLTW and RAW usually shop for groceries at the more convenient Food City but changed up their routine. I think they were in the mood for some free samples. They were good too. I also learned a valuable lesson. Whole olives have pits. I love olives but had never eaten one whole before. My teeth appear to have suffered no ill effects.
-The store sells some very upscale items. They had a cheese called Romao (from Spain) that they were selling for $66! Who would buy that?
-RAW was very proud that KJW could identify Kevin Garnett as “K.G.” when she saw him on a Wheaties box. It is always good to get your parenting validated. (Note: We struggled to contain KJW in the cart throughout our stay at Kroger.)-We left and decided to get something to eat. They had a coupon for Pizza Hut but when we called, they had no pizzas left that were not of the thin crust variety. How does that happen? Our next idea was the nearby Poyama Japanese Grill, but it was closed. Finally, we settled on Hibachi Factory.
-We returned to the Walker residence and watched Sweet Home Alabama on DVD at KLTW’s suggestion. She was in the mood for a chick flick. Believe it or not we all like the film, even RAW. KJW did very well in allowing us to watch it. She did make one mess, spilling a cup while reaching for her favorite snack, M&M’s. She brought her mother to the spill and confessed, “It was me.” As if it could have been anyone else...-It was a good night.
In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/2/2009, Part 2
News & Notes from Sunday, March 1st, 2009, Part 1
-On Sunday morning, I taught an adult Sunday school class at the Central Baptist Church of Bearden. I substituted for Brad Hood (BMH), a local chaplain who was out of town. I had the pleasure of teaching my doctor, JLP, whom I love dearly. It was strange, however. The common myth is that the speaker is supposed to think about her audience naked. In this case, I found it amusing that part of my audience had seen me naked.
-I had a great time at the church. Despite only visiting one hallway, I got to see so many old friends. I also learned big news. JGR is pregnant for the third time! My reliable source was DCR. I responded by praising JGR’s great fecundity. The Word of the Day is working!
-I was relatively pleased with my performance in the class. I was asked to incorporate the Lectionary so I used Mark 1:9-11 (the baptism of Jesus) to prepare the class for Lent. Thanks to all who prayed for my teaching. The response to me was fairly typical of late. I suspect that part of the class did not like me but the ones who did like me, really liked me.
-The other great part of the lesson was that I did not miss the Soul Purpose class at Fellowship Evangelical Free Church that I have enjoyed so much the last few weeks. The church was having a singles' conference so the class was preempted.
-While at the church, I learned that the church is accepting letters for ADF as he prepares for retirement. If he has impacted you, write him a letter.
-On Sunday at 2 PM, I watched the Tennessee basketball team play at Florida. The Vols always seem to save their best games for Florida. Despite entering the game as the worst three-point shooting team in the conference, the Vols hit ten-three-pointers en route to a 79-75 win. It was the fifth straight time the Vols have beaten the Gators.
-Despite the Vols inconsistency this season, they are tied atop the SEC East standings with a real chance at winning the regular season championship.
-I must also applaud the play of Florida’s 5'8" freshman Erving Walker. When the teams first met on January 31st, I heavily criticized him. On this day, he was great. He scored sixteen points while keeping his team in the game.
-Also over Saturday-Sunday, I watched part of First Daughter on television. It is strikingly similar to Chasing Liberty. Both are 2004 films which feature the daughter of the president escaping the White House and falling in love only to learn that their lover is a secret service agent. Why do I know this?
-On Sunday morning, I taught an adult Sunday school class at the Central Baptist Church of Bearden. I substituted for Brad Hood (BMH), a local chaplain who was out of town. I had the pleasure of teaching my doctor, JLP, whom I love dearly. It was strange, however. The common myth is that the speaker is supposed to think about her audience naked. In this case, I found it amusing that part of my audience had seen me naked.-I had a great time at the church. Despite only visiting one hallway, I got to see so many old friends. I also learned big news. JGR is pregnant for the third time! My reliable source was DCR. I responded by praising JGR’s great fecundity. The Word of the Day is working!
-I was relatively pleased with my performance in the class. I was asked to incorporate the Lectionary so I used Mark 1:9-11 (the baptism of Jesus) to prepare the class for Lent. Thanks to all who prayed for my teaching. The response to me was fairly typical of late. I suspect that part of the class did not like me but the ones who did like me, really liked me.
-The other great part of the lesson was that I did not miss the Soul Purpose class at Fellowship Evangelical Free Church that I have enjoyed so much the last few weeks. The church was having a singles' conference so the class was preempted.-While at the church, I learned that the church is accepting letters for ADF as he prepares for retirement. If he has impacted you, write him a letter.
-On Sunday at 2 PM, I watched the Tennessee basketball team play at Florida. The Vols always seem to save their best games for Florida. Despite entering the game as the worst three-point shooting team in the conference, the Vols hit ten-three-pointers en route to a 79-75 win. It was the fifth straight time the Vols have beaten the Gators.-Despite the Vols inconsistency this season, they are tied atop the SEC East standings with a real chance at winning the regular season championship.
-I must also applaud the play of Florida’s 5'8" freshman Erving Walker. When the teams first met on January 31st, I heavily criticized him. On this day, he was great. He scored sixteen points while keeping his team in the game.
-Also over Saturday-Sunday, I watched part of First Daughter on television. It is strikingly similar to Chasing Liberty. Both are 2004 films which feature the daughter of the president escaping the White House and falling in love only to learn that their lover is a secret service agent. Why do I know this?
In Eckleburg's Eyes - 3/2/2009, Part 1
News & Notes from Friday-Saturday, February 27th-28th, 2009
-I spent the better part of Friday setting up a Facebook account. Yes, it took me that much time. As many of my friends have teased on the site, yes, I finally caved in. You can access my page here.
-On Saturday afternoon, JTH and I ate at the Texas Roadhouse where we inadvertently instigated a brawl amongst the kitchen staff. Believe it or not, I am not exaggerating.
-On our way out of the restaurant we waved to our friend GAB, who works in the kitchen. JTH playfully pushed a tray towards him, which GAB jokingly threw over his head. Unfortunately the tray hit a co-worker who proceeded to hit GAB in the back of the head with the tray. Hard. Very hard. GAB responded by shoulder blocking him into the oven! (Thankfully, It was closed.) It was one of those playful, maybe not so playful, moments that can only occur where testosterone is involved. I would love to tell you how it turned out, but JTH and I fled as the two were rolling on the floor.
-JTH and I parted with plans to meet later. In the meantime, I headed to Bearden High School to watch the Bearden Bulldogs play in the opening round of the Region 1-AAA basketball tournament. As a West High alum, it pains me to admit that Bearden may have the best high school team I have ever seen and that I actually enjoy watching them play. I am not the only one. I got to talk to ESG and RWW from church who were also there to support the local team.
-Bearden played the Powell High School Panthers. Bearden uncharacteristically started four sophomores. I was pleased as I had two of them in daycare at the church, (Ron)rico White and Will(iam) Winton. I am old.
-It did not matter who Bearden started. They rotated five players at a time most of the game and they would have won regardless of who played. It is not that Powell is that bad. After all, they qualified for regionals. They even shot the ball fairly well, hitting a lot of deep three-point baskets as they could not penetrate Bearden’s defense. Bearden is just that good. Even starting the sophomores, the score at the end of the first quarter was 25-5.
-For some unknown reason, I sat amongst the Powell fans. This proved amusing. The man behind me repeatedly implored Powell players to “make it rain on ’em”. He has clearly not seen Along Came Polly or he would realize how ridiculous he sounded. Well, probably not. Just before the end of the first quarter he mumbled, “This is gonna get ugly”. I did not have the heart to tell him that it was already ugly.
-Bearden is not only really athletic, but also fields the best coached team I have ever seen. Their synchronisation is truly impressive, especially when they incorporate a zone defense. I have seen them play twice this year and a slaughter rule was invoked both times. In an attempt at not prolonging the opponent's agony, the clock is not stopped in the fourth quarter. I never even knew high school basketball had a slaughter rule before I saw this team.
-Bearden, leading 75-40 entering the final period, also attempted to show mercy by playing its third string in the fourth quarter. Their third team was well matched with Powell’s first team. My coach at West, CDL, was right. Bearden’s second team could have won the district. The Bulldogs won the game, 86-49.
-On Saturday night, JTH and ALK came over to watch a movie. Being some of the most indecisive people alive (not the most, that guy shops at MoFoS), we decided to let IMDb make the decision as to which movie to watch. At my suggestion, we used 10 Things I Hate About You as a base movie and then had IMDb suggest recommendations. From the choices offered, ALK chose She’s The Man. Both movies are Shakespearean adaptations with She’s The Man being based on Twelfth Night.
-Note: You own too many DVDs when you can use this method of selecting a movie with the assumption being that you already own any film the computer suggests.
-I had seen the movie before but my friends had not. We all enjoyed it despite the fact that ALK struggled to stay awake. She has given up caffeine for Lent and its absence was quite evident. I can definitely attest to the fact that has not cheated on her vow.
-Finally, Friday was JS’s birthday. Happy birthday, Joycee!
-I spent the better part of Friday setting up a Facebook account. Yes, it took me that much time. As many of my friends have teased on the site, yes, I finally caved in. You can access my page here.
-On Saturday afternoon, JTH and I ate at the Texas Roadhouse where we inadvertently instigated a brawl amongst the kitchen staff. Believe it or not, I am not exaggerating.-On our way out of the restaurant we waved to our friend GAB, who works in the kitchen. JTH playfully pushed a tray towards him, which GAB jokingly threw over his head. Unfortunately the tray hit a co-worker who proceeded to hit GAB in the back of the head with the tray. Hard. Very hard. GAB responded by shoulder blocking him into the oven! (Thankfully, It was closed.) It was one of those playful, maybe not so playful, moments that can only occur where testosterone is involved. I would love to tell you how it turned out, but JTH and I fled as the two were rolling on the floor.
-JTH and I parted with plans to meet later. In the meantime, I headed to Bearden High School to watch the Bearden Bulldogs play in the opening round of the Region 1-AAA basketball tournament. As a West High alum, it pains me to admit that Bearden may have the best high school team I have ever seen and that I actually enjoy watching them play. I am not the only one. I got to talk to ESG and RWW from church who were also there to support the local team.-Bearden played the Powell High School Panthers. Bearden uncharacteristically started four sophomores. I was pleased as I had two of them in daycare at the church, (Ron)rico White and Will(iam) Winton. I am old.
-It did not matter who Bearden started. They rotated five players at a time most of the game and they would have won regardless of who played. It is not that Powell is that bad. After all, they qualified for regionals. They even shot the ball fairly well, hitting a lot of deep three-point baskets as they could not penetrate Bearden’s defense. Bearden is just that good. Even starting the sophomores, the score at the end of the first quarter was 25-5.
-For some unknown reason, I sat amongst the Powell fans. This proved amusing. The man behind me repeatedly implored Powell players to “make it rain on ’em”. He has clearly not seen Along Came Polly or he would realize how ridiculous he sounded. Well, probably not. Just before the end of the first quarter he mumbled, “This is gonna get ugly”. I did not have the heart to tell him that it was already ugly.-Bearden is not only really athletic, but also fields the best coached team I have ever seen. Their synchronisation is truly impressive, especially when they incorporate a zone defense. I have seen them play twice this year and a slaughter rule was invoked both times. In an attempt at not prolonging the opponent's agony, the clock is not stopped in the fourth quarter. I never even knew high school basketball had a slaughter rule before I saw this team.
-Bearden, leading 75-40 entering the final period, also attempted to show mercy by playing its third string in the fourth quarter. Their third team was well matched with Powell’s first team. My coach at West, CDL, was right. Bearden’s second team could have won the district. The Bulldogs won the game, 86-49.
-On Saturday night, JTH and ALK came over to watch a movie. Being some of the most indecisive people alive (not the most, that guy shops at MoFoS), we decided to let IMDb make the decision as to which movie to watch. At my suggestion, we used 10 Things I Hate About You as a base movie and then had IMDb suggest recommendations. From the choices offered, ALK chose She’s The Man. Both movies are Shakespearean adaptations with She’s The Man being based on Twelfth Night.-Note: You own too many DVDs when you can use this method of selecting a movie with the assumption being that you already own any film the computer suggests.
-I had seen the movie before but my friends had not. We all enjoyed it despite the fact that ALK struggled to stay awake. She has given up caffeine for Lent and its absence was quite evident. I can definitely attest to the fact that has not cheated on her vow.
-Finally, Friday was JS’s birthday. Happy birthday, Joycee!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Prayer Blog - 3/1/2009, #4
Tomorrow night, my new and improved church league basketball team takes the court for the first time at 8:30 PM. Pray for all involved in the league and feel free to join us.
Prayer Blog - 3/1/2009, #3
A man in the Sunday School class I taught this morning asked for prayer regarding an incident the previous day at Markman's Diamonds and Fine Jewelry. Two people were shot by a security guard and his wife is the lead investigator in the case. JTH and I actually drove by the scene shortly after the incident and wondered what had happened. Please keep all involved in your prayers.
Here is an article on the incident as it appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel:
KPD to meet with DA over weekend shooting outside jewelry store
News Sentinel staff
Dan Hall /Associate Editor Daily News Express
Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk said this morning the meeting with the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office will take place “late this afternoon or early evening.”
He said investigators will be conducting additional interviews before the meeting.
No other details about the shooting will be released until after the meeting with prosecutors takes place, DeBusk said.
The name of the security guard for Markman’s Diamonds & Fine Jewelry is not being released.
The victims, Kevin Bowman, 22, and Elizabeth Day, 18, were arguing when the shooting took place, according to witnesses.
They were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for surgery. Bowman was listed in critical condition Saturday night, and Day in stable condition.
Their conditions are not being released today.
The shooting happened at about 2:45 p.m. outside the store at 6932 Kingston Pike, Knox County E-911 records show. The guard, who works for Vinson Guard Service, was on duty at the store, police said. He wasn’t hurt.
The trouble apparently started about 15 minutes earlier when the couple got into an argument, DeBusk said. The argument turned into a struggle in the Markman’s parking lot, and the security guard somehow got involved, police said.
Someone had called E-911 to report the argument, but the shooting happened while officers were on their way, DeBusk said.
Jimmy Proffitt, who works at Custom Radio down the street, said he watched the couple walk past from a nearby McDonald’s, arguing all the way.
“They were yelling loud enough that I could hear them,” he said. “I couldn’t hear what they said. I was kind of concerned for her.”
Proffitt said the couple got as far as their car in the Markman’s lot.
“I was kind of looking through the trees (at the lot’s edge), so I couldn’t see everything,” he said. “I heard a commotion. The guy was at the driver’s side door. I could see the guard backing up. The only one I saw with a gun was the guard. He had his pistol in his hand with the gun pointed straight up. It wasn’t like he was preparing to shoot anybody.
“As he backed up, the guy moved toward the guard, and I heard the first shot. A few seconds later, I heard another shot. The next thing I saw, he was on the ground. The guard kept backing up, and the girl moved toward him. That’s when I heard the third shot.”
Arrison Kirby heard the gunfire from one of the businesses nearby.
“At first it sounded like a picture just falling off the wall,” he said. “Then a guy from the store next door came in and said to call the police, that someone had been shot.”
The woman apparently made it inside Markman’s, where a worker called E-911.
“I could see what was happening, but I couldn’t believe it,” Proffitt said. “She was kneeling down and went in the door.”
Kirby said he looked outside in time to see the man taken away in an ambulance.
“When I got out here, I saw a guy lying face-down in a puddle of blood,” he said. “I first thought he was dead, then he started twitching. He kept trying to get up, but he couldn’t.”
DeBusk said police didn’t know yet how many shots the guard fired or how he got involved in the fight. He said police didn’t know for sure whether the man and woman were married, why they went to the store or the extent of their injuries.
Vinson and Markman’s management wouldn’t talk about the shooting or anything related to it.
More details as they develop online and in Tuesday’s News Sentinel.
Staff writer Matt Lakin contributed to this story.
Prayer Blog - 3/1/2009, #2
CBM has requested prayer for her daughter, JMM, who recently learned that she will need a new job in May. Originally, the time between jobs was going to be shorter but she recently received an extension. Please keep Jenny's employment in your prayers.
Prayer Blog - 3/1/2009
Today at church, I learned that MBR and JGR are expecting their third child. Congratulations! It seems MBR wants a large family and he has demonstrated time and time and time again that he definitely has the ability to produce one. (That was a compliment.) Keep JGR’s pregnancy and the child in your prayers.
Site News - 3/1/2009
On Friday night (February 27th), I finally joined Facebook. Yes, I caved in. If you have children, feel free to use me as a cautionary tale regarding peer pressure. I am listed as “Chandler Vinson” and you can check out my page or add me at http://www.facebook.com/people/Chandler-Vinson/1431460148.
Several people have commented that my Profile Picture has me looking too stern. Agree?
Bible Trivia - 3/1/2009
Question: What was the name of the Roman leader who destroyed the temple of Jerusalem?
Answer: Titus.
Comments: In the year 70 CE, the future emperor Titus (39-81 CE, not to be confused with the Biblical character) led the Roman army in a siege of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by Jewish defenders since 66 CE. In the onslaught, the city and its famed temple were destroyed. Though no account of this event is told in Scripture, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem temple shortly before his death in what is known as the Olivet Discourse. (Matthew 24, Mark 13)
And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down." (Mark 13:2, NASB)
Note: This is an ancient bust of the Emperor Titus .
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Prayer Blog - 2/28/2009
Tomorrow I will be teaching Chaplain Brad Hood (BMH)’s Sunday School class at the Central Baptist Church of Bearden. The class meets in Room 218 during the second session and follows the lectionary. I will be teaching on Mark 1:9-11. Please keep this lesson in your prayers.
Bible Trivia - 2/28/2009
Question: In what town did Cain live, east of Eden?
Answer: Nod. (Genesis 4:16)
Comments: After killing his brother Abel, Cain is exiled to the land of Nod, east of Eden. "Nod" (נוד) is the Hebrew root of the verb "to wander" (לנדוד) and is indicative of Cain's nomadic lifestyle.
Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (Genesis 4:16, NASB)
It was from this location that East of Eden gets its name. See the April 8th, 2008 "Bible Trivia" post for details.
Note: This oil on canvas of Cain was painted by Lovis Corinth (1858-1925).
Friday, February 27, 2009
Associated Baptist Press - 2/27/2009
Associated Baptist Press
February 27, 2009 · (09-28)
David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer
In this issue
Court says Montana election law wrongly applied to church (360 words)
Opinion: Jesus' vacation and the Canaanite woman (1,103 words)
Opinion: On interpreting the Bible (725 words)
Music review: Grace inside a sound -- U2, 'No Line on the Horizon' (900 words)
Court says Montana election law wrongly applied to church
By Bob Allen (360 words)
SAN FRANCISCO (ABP) -- A federal appeals court ruled Feb. 25 that Montana officials violated the free-speech rights of a Southern Baptist church when they required the congregation to register as a political action committee for supporting a 2004 ballot initiative against gay marriage.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not address the constitutionality of a Montana law that labels as "incidental political committees" groups not specifically organized to influence elections but that make a contribution or expenditure on behalf of a candidate or issue. The law also requires reporting and financial disclosures from such organizations.
A three-judge panel did say, however, that Montana's commissioner of political practices erred in applying the law to Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in East Helena with about 200 members.
Judges said the church's actions -- sponsoring a video against gay marriage and encouraging members and guests to sign petitions supporting defining marriage in exculsively heterosexual terms in the Montana Constitution -- were so minimal they were unworthy of the state's attention.
The Alliance Defense Fund, which assisted in the church's defense, called the ruling a major victory that could embolden other churches to take a stand on ballot initiatives in the future.
"Churches shouldn't be penalized for expressing their beliefs," said Dale Schowengerdt, legal counsel for the ADF, a conservative Christian legal group formed in 1994 to counter the American Civil Liberties Union. "They should never be forced to forfeit their free-speech rights just because the government decides to enact unconstitutional laws requiring them to remain silent on social issues."
Montana Solicitor Anthony Johnstone, however, who argued before the appeals court that the church was subject to the disclosure law, said he doubted the ruling would have any broad implications.
Social conservatives often criticize the 9th Circuit, which recently said the federal government could not deprive same-sex couples of benefits offered to married couples, as being hostile toward religion.
The three judges, who unanimously ruled in favor of the church, were Circuit Judges Harry Pregerson and William Canby Jr., who were appointed to the bench by President Carter, and Senior Circuit Judge John Noonan, a Reagan appointee.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Opinion: Jesus' vacation and the Canaanite woman
By Jim Somerville (1,103 words)
(Editor's Note: A column that Associated Baptist Press published Feb. 23, written by Miguel De La Torre and offering a novel take on one of the New Testament's most difficult passages, set off a lively discussion about biblical interpretation in the column's comments thread as well as across the Baptist blogosphere. We decided to take the opportunity to ask a seminary dean and a local-church pastor to provide their takes on how to interpret difficult passages of Scripture faithfully.)
(ABP) -- In the verses that precede Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus goes about his ministry of teaching and healing tirelessly, although he is mobbed by crowds. Then, the Gospel accounts of the story say, he "went away."
So, while neither Matthew nor Mark say that Jesus was on vacation, they do say that he went away to the Mediterranean coast, that he entered a house, and that he didn't want anyone to know that he was there. Sounds like a vacation to me. I can imagine a nice pastel-colored beach cottage somewhere on the shores of the Mediterranean, with Jesus sitting on the front porch, gazing out over those deep blue waters, savoring those delicious breezes.
You wouldn't hold such a thing against him, would you? Everybody needs a break from time to time. But suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of this woman coming up the front steps in her flip-flops, calling for his help.
"Have mercy on me, Lord! I know you're on vacation. But my daughter is possessed by a demon. I need your help." And if Jesus had a widow's mite for every time he had heard that request, he would have been a rich man. He had been surrounded by crowds of people, remember? They had been pressing in against him, begging to touch the fringe of his cloak. He hadn't even been able to eat.
And now, when he has finally gotten a few minutes' peace, here comes this Canaanite woman. She's from another country. She has a different religion. It would be like a Muslim woman coming to me on vacation, asking for help. I might not say it, but I would wonder: "Isn't there a mosque you could go to? An imam you could ask? Why are you coming to me?"
And so Jesus tells her, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." In other words, "I can't help you. I'm up here in Gentile territory. I am way out of my jurisdiction."
But this woman comes and kneels before him, bowing her head to the ground and begging, "Lord, help me." It is the request Jesus has never been able to refuse, but this time he says, "It isn't fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." It is another way -- but not a more polite way -- of saying, "Go away, woman, you're bothering me."
And yet she won't go away. Jesus is not just her best hope; he is her only hope. She looks up into his face, her eyes searching for some flicker of empathy.
"Yes, Lord," she says, "yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." It's a good answer. It is such a good answer that Jesus looks into those pleading eyes and feels his resolve crumbling. He can't help himself. Above the weariness of his human nature and the strength of his divine nature, it is his nature to feel with those who are hurting and want to do something about it.
And so he says to her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." Even as he did it he must have known what it would mean. Soon the news would spread, and before long everyone in town would be coming up those front steps, begging for mercy. His vacation would be over. But he did it anyway.
There is a word for what preachers do when they try to explain why bad things happen to good people. It's called theodicy, and it comes from two Greek words that mean, essentially, "to justify God." Theodicy is how we try to get God off the hook, how we try to convince people that even though terrible things happen, God is still loving and still powerful.
Today I've been doing something that might be called Christodicy -- I've been trying to get Jesus off the hook. I've been trying to convince you that even though he first ignores this woman, and then tells her it's not his problem, and then calls her a Canaanite dog, he is still loving and compassionate. "He was just worn out," I've been saying. "He needed a break."
Surely you can sympathize. We have all said or done things we have regretted, and often we have said them or done them when we were tired, when we just weren't ourselves. That's the excuse I've been trying to make for Jesus today: he was tired; he wasn't himself.
And that's true, isn't it? Follow Jesus through the Gospels and you will see that it is his way, usually, to reach down into the depths of human misery to lift people up. The force that he used was humanizing rather than dehumanizing. And that's what makes this story so difficult. In it we see Jesus ignoring this woman, dismissing her, and finally insulting her. It isn't like him at all.
And maybe that's what we are supposed to learn from this story -- that ignoring, dismissing, or insulting a fellow human being is not Christlike behavior. When we see it in him it shocks us; we scramble to explain.
But what about when he sees it in us? Is he shocked by our behavior, or is it just what he has come to expect?
And that's something I learned from that Canaanite woman. No matter how much Jesus ignored her, dismissed her, insulted her, she never stopped believing that her daughter was worth something -- and, eventually, she convinced him that she was worth something too. Instead of seeing her as a Canaanite dog, he came to see her as a woman of great faith.
It may be only a coincidence, but at the end of this Gospel Jesus doesn't tell his followers to go and make disciples among the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He tells them to go and make disciples of every nation, including that nation where the Canaanite woman lived.
Is it possible that she persuaded him? That, while he was on vacation, Jesus learned that the love of God was big enough not only for the house of Israel, but for the whole human race? Is it possible he learned that among the people of the world there is no one we can ignore, dismiss, or insult, but that all people everywhere -- people of every class and race and culture -- are the children of God?
It sounds possible to me. It sounds like the truth. In fact, it sounds like the gospel truth.
-James Green Somerville is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va. This column is adapted from a sermon he delivered there Aug. 17, 2008. Transcripts, audio and video files of this sermon are available on the church's website.
Opinion: On interpreting the Bible
By Alan Culpepper (725 words)
(Editor's Note: A column that Associated Baptist Press published Feb. 23, written by Miguel De La Torre and offering a novel take on one of the New Testament's most difficult passages, set off a lively discussion about biblical interpretation in the column's comments thread as well as across the Baptist blogosphere. We decided to take the opportunity to ask a seminary dean and a local-church pastor to provide their takes on how to interpret difficult passages of Scripture faithfully.)
(ABP) -- The story is told that when William Tyndale was a young man, a priest told him that it was better that the Bible was in Latin (a language only a few Englishmen could read) and that the church told people what to believe, so false teachings could be contained.
Tyndale responded, "If God spare my life, I will cause that the boy that driveth the plow shall know more Scripture than thou dost."
A revolution in human history started with that declaration. Tyndale translated the New Testament into English. His translation richly influenced the King James Version and later English translations, and English-speaking people have been able to read and interpret the Bible for themselves ever since.
But if we are not going to depend on a church official to tell us what the Bible means (remember the Baptist principles of freedom of conscience or "soul competence" and the priesthood of the believer!), then we face the task of interpreting the Bible for ourselves -- a challenge so daunting that we all need to approach it with a great deal of humility and seek all the help and guidance we can find.
Here are just a few suggestions about how to enrich your Bible study and how to work through the interpretation of difficult passages, hard texts and divisive issues:
1. Consult several translations. The King James is beautiful and irreplaceable, but it is Elizabethan English, and we have much more accurate Greek and Hebrew texts today. Read a translation like the New American Standard Bible that offers a word-for-word translation, a middle-of-the-road translation (in terms of whether the translators approached their task with an attempt to balance between literality and readability), like the New International Version, Revised Standard Version, or New Revised Standard Version, and a translation that translates meaning rather than words, like the Contemporary English Version or the New English Bible. By reading several translations you will get a clearer idea of the possible range of meanings.
2. Use a good study Bible, like the HarperCollins Study Bible or the New Oxford Annotated Bible. The notes at the bottom of the page are brief but valuable comments on the text. Learn to use the marginal or cross references to lead you to related passages.
3. Buy a good one-volume commentary on the Bible so that you will always have it handy. The Mercer Commentary on the Bible and the HarperCollins Bible Commentary will serve you well. When you need to go further, consult a good multi-volume commentary, like the New Interpreter's Bible, the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary, or any number of other fine commentaries. They will help you understand the issues, the history of interpretation, and the arguments for various interpretations.
4. Take a broad view. Look at the context of the passage. What is the historical setting, and what are the major themes of the book in which it appears?
5. Consult other passages in the Bible that speak on the same subject. The Bible often speaks differently to different settings, so we have to be very careful about taking any one passage to the exclusion of others on controversial social or ethical issues. Instead of planting our flag on just one verse, we need to consider everything the Bible says on a particular topic.
6. If the Bible says different things in different places, look for an ethical or theological progression. Ask yourself which verses reflect the grace and love of Jesus, or Jesus' uncompromising call to discipleship, most clearly? How does Jesus offer a context for understanding the Old Testament, and how did the early church interpret Jesus and his teachings? Where is the Bible crossing longstanding boundaries, and where is it simply echoing the culture of its day?
7. Seek the guidance of a pastor, teacher, or friend. None of us has all truth, and none of us is right all the time. Keep an open mind on subjects where the Scriptures are not clear, and above all pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
One of the most rewarding aspects of studying the Bible is that every time we work through a book or passage carefully, we gain insights we had never seen before. Thank God, even the "boy that driveth the plow" may hear a word the rest of us have missed.
- R. Alan Culpepper is dean of Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology.
Music review: Grace inside a sound -- U2, 'No Line on the Horizon'
By Steven R. Harmon (900 words)
(ABP) -- "This is the most thoroughly Christian thing they've done yet."
That was my initial reaction to the last two U2 albums in 2000 and 2004. In retrospect, that was just as true of the triad of albums U2 released in the 1990s, but I admit that wasn't what I thought on first listen to them. Their nuanced irony required a few more listens and a good bit of rewarding theological reflection to get there.
Once again, my early impression of No Line on the Horizon, to be released March 3 in the United States, has been, "This is the most thoroughly Christian thing they've done yet."
No Line on the Horizon is the 12th studio album by the Irish rock band U2. (Interscope Records)
Like the last two albums, No Line is much more overt in its Christian rendering of the world, what with lyrics like "Justified until we die/You and I will magnify/Oh, the Magnificent" from the album's second track. (So Bono is a fifth-point Calvinist. Who knew?) Yet what qualifies this album as thoroughly Christian is not so much its pervasive biblical/theological images as its overarching eschatological vision.
For those uninitiated in my profession's art of unclear communication, "eschatology" is the technical term for the division of theology that deals with "last things," from the Greek eschatos, "last," and logos, "ordered thought" about something. But eschatology isn't only about what happens at the end.
Baptist theologian James Wm. McClendon Jr. helpfully defined eschatology much more broadly: it's "about what lasts; it is also about what comes last, and about the history that leads from the one to the other.."
In other words, eschatology has to do with God's goals for all creation, from creation to consummation and everything in between, as well as our participation in what God is doing to realize these goals in a world in which they are manifestly not yet realized.
U2's music has long occupied the tension between the present experience of what lasts -- "all that you can't leave behind" -- and the present absence of its full realization -- "I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
The basic message of No Line is that earth is not yet heaven, and therefore the album summons us to "Get On Your Boots" and work toward the day when things will fully be on earth as they are in heaven -- when heaven and earth will be indistinguishable, and there will at last be no line on the horizon.
Moving in that direction requires the triumph "of vision over visibility" ("Moment of Surrender"), an echo of an earlier formulation of the same insight: that the things that last and that come at the last constitute "a place that has to be believed to be seen" ("Walk On" from 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind). It also requires an inner transformation wrought by a receptive hearing of the voice of God ("Unknown Caller") and a faithful reception of the love of God which requires that one both "stand up" for it and "sit down" to receive it ("Stand Up Comedy").
The central eschatological metaphor of No Line is the sound of the divine song, heard only by those who have the ears to hear it, yet unconsciously sought by everyone, for all people were created to hear and sing this song. Seven of the album's 11 songs invoke that metaphor in one way or another. Key expressions of it are the lines "Let me in the sound...meet me in the sound" from "Get On Your Boots," reprised at the beginning of "FEZ -- Being Born," and the concluding declaration of "Breathe," "I've found grace inside a sound."
Within this framework, No Line also calls our attention to the discordant dimensions of our world. For me the album's highlight is "White As Snow," set as the dying thoughts of a soldier fatally wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan to a melody loosely inspired by the medieval plainsong tune for the thoroughly eschatological hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." The song's musical and narrative zenith, accompanied by crescendoing French horns, is the soldier's remembrance of his baptism, having received the forgiveness of "the lamb as white as snow." But he also remembers his post-baptismal life with regret, for neither his heart nor the hearts of others who have brought him, and the world, to this point have been "as white as snow."
The album's final song "Cedars of Lebanon," cast as the world-weary random musings of a foreign correspondent, closes with a question addressed to God -- "Where are you in the cedars of Lebanon?" -- and a warning: "Choose your enemies carefully 'cause they will define you/Make them interesting 'cause in some ways they will mind you." We're still asking the question voiced earlier in the album: "Where might we find the lamb as white as snow?"
The theologian in me can't resist pointing out that Karl Barth, who incidentally shared a May 10 birthday with Bono, likely would have resonated with this couplet from "Stand Up Comedy" in light of his aversion to rational apologetics: "But while I'm getting over certainty/Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady." And the laughing theologian probably would have chuckled in agreement with the assertion of "Get On Your Boots" that "laughter is eternity if joy is real."
Did I forget to mention that the sound U2 is now hearing and inviting others to hear sounds really, really good?
Steven R. Harmon is associate professor of divinity at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala.
February 27, 2009 · (09-28)
David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer
In this issue
Court says Montana election law wrongly applied to church (360 words)
Opinion: Jesus' vacation and the Canaanite woman (1,103 words)
Opinion: On interpreting the Bible (725 words)
Music review: Grace inside a sound -- U2, 'No Line on the Horizon' (900 words)
Court says Montana election law wrongly applied to church
By Bob Allen (360 words)
SAN FRANCISCO (ABP) -- A federal appeals court ruled Feb. 25 that Montana officials violated the free-speech rights of a Southern Baptist church when they required the congregation to register as a political action committee for supporting a 2004 ballot initiative against gay marriage.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not address the constitutionality of a Montana law that labels as "incidental political committees" groups not specifically organized to influence elections but that make a contribution or expenditure on behalf of a candidate or issue. The law also requires reporting and financial disclosures from such organizations.
A three-judge panel did say, however, that Montana's commissioner of political practices erred in applying the law to Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in East Helena with about 200 members.
Judges said the church's actions -- sponsoring a video against gay marriage and encouraging members and guests to sign petitions supporting defining marriage in exculsively heterosexual terms in the Montana Constitution -- were so minimal they were unworthy of the state's attention.
The Alliance Defense Fund, which assisted in the church's defense, called the ruling a major victory that could embolden other churches to take a stand on ballot initiatives in the future.
"Churches shouldn't be penalized for expressing their beliefs," said Dale Schowengerdt, legal counsel for the ADF, a conservative Christian legal group formed in 1994 to counter the American Civil Liberties Union. "They should never be forced to forfeit their free-speech rights just because the government decides to enact unconstitutional laws requiring them to remain silent on social issues."
Montana Solicitor Anthony Johnstone, however, who argued before the appeals court that the church was subject to the disclosure law, said he doubted the ruling would have any broad implications.
Social conservatives often criticize the 9th Circuit, which recently said the federal government could not deprive same-sex couples of benefits offered to married couples, as being hostile toward religion.
The three judges, who unanimously ruled in favor of the church, were Circuit Judges Harry Pregerson and William Canby Jr., who were appointed to the bench by President Carter, and Senior Circuit Judge John Noonan, a Reagan appointee.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Opinion: Jesus' vacation and the Canaanite woman
By Jim Somerville (1,103 words)
(Editor's Note: A column that Associated Baptist Press published Feb. 23, written by Miguel De La Torre and offering a novel take on one of the New Testament's most difficult passages, set off a lively discussion about biblical interpretation in the column's comments thread as well as across the Baptist blogosphere. We decided to take the opportunity to ask a seminary dean and a local-church pastor to provide their takes on how to interpret difficult passages of Scripture faithfully.)
(ABP) -- In the verses that precede Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus goes about his ministry of teaching and healing tirelessly, although he is mobbed by crowds. Then, the Gospel accounts of the story say, he "went away."
So, while neither Matthew nor Mark say that Jesus was on vacation, they do say that he went away to the Mediterranean coast, that he entered a house, and that he didn't want anyone to know that he was there. Sounds like a vacation to me. I can imagine a nice pastel-colored beach cottage somewhere on the shores of the Mediterranean, with Jesus sitting on the front porch, gazing out over those deep blue waters, savoring those delicious breezes.
You wouldn't hold such a thing against him, would you? Everybody needs a break from time to time. But suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of this woman coming up the front steps in her flip-flops, calling for his help.
"Have mercy on me, Lord! I know you're on vacation. But my daughter is possessed by a demon. I need your help." And if Jesus had a widow's mite for every time he had heard that request, he would have been a rich man. He had been surrounded by crowds of people, remember? They had been pressing in against him, begging to touch the fringe of his cloak. He hadn't even been able to eat.
And now, when he has finally gotten a few minutes' peace, here comes this Canaanite woman. She's from another country. She has a different religion. It would be like a Muslim woman coming to me on vacation, asking for help. I might not say it, but I would wonder: "Isn't there a mosque you could go to? An imam you could ask? Why are you coming to me?"
And so Jesus tells her, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." In other words, "I can't help you. I'm up here in Gentile territory. I am way out of my jurisdiction."
But this woman comes and kneels before him, bowing her head to the ground and begging, "Lord, help me." It is the request Jesus has never been able to refuse, but this time he says, "It isn't fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." It is another way -- but not a more polite way -- of saying, "Go away, woman, you're bothering me."
And yet she won't go away. Jesus is not just her best hope; he is her only hope. She looks up into his face, her eyes searching for some flicker of empathy.
"Yes, Lord," she says, "yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." It's a good answer. It is such a good answer that Jesus looks into those pleading eyes and feels his resolve crumbling. He can't help himself. Above the weariness of his human nature and the strength of his divine nature, it is his nature to feel with those who are hurting and want to do something about it.
And so he says to her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." Even as he did it he must have known what it would mean. Soon the news would spread, and before long everyone in town would be coming up those front steps, begging for mercy. His vacation would be over. But he did it anyway.
There is a word for what preachers do when they try to explain why bad things happen to good people. It's called theodicy, and it comes from two Greek words that mean, essentially, "to justify God." Theodicy is how we try to get God off the hook, how we try to convince people that even though terrible things happen, God is still loving and still powerful.
Today I've been doing something that might be called Christodicy -- I've been trying to get Jesus off the hook. I've been trying to convince you that even though he first ignores this woman, and then tells her it's not his problem, and then calls her a Canaanite dog, he is still loving and compassionate. "He was just worn out," I've been saying. "He needed a break."
Surely you can sympathize. We have all said or done things we have regretted, and often we have said them or done them when we were tired, when we just weren't ourselves. That's the excuse I've been trying to make for Jesus today: he was tired; he wasn't himself.
And that's true, isn't it? Follow Jesus through the Gospels and you will see that it is his way, usually, to reach down into the depths of human misery to lift people up. The force that he used was humanizing rather than dehumanizing. And that's what makes this story so difficult. In it we see Jesus ignoring this woman, dismissing her, and finally insulting her. It isn't like him at all.
And maybe that's what we are supposed to learn from this story -- that ignoring, dismissing, or insulting a fellow human being is not Christlike behavior. When we see it in him it shocks us; we scramble to explain.
But what about when he sees it in us? Is he shocked by our behavior, or is it just what he has come to expect?
And that's something I learned from that Canaanite woman. No matter how much Jesus ignored her, dismissed her, insulted her, she never stopped believing that her daughter was worth something -- and, eventually, she convinced him that she was worth something too. Instead of seeing her as a Canaanite dog, he came to see her as a woman of great faith.
It may be only a coincidence, but at the end of this Gospel Jesus doesn't tell his followers to go and make disciples among the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He tells them to go and make disciples of every nation, including that nation where the Canaanite woman lived.
Is it possible that she persuaded him? That, while he was on vacation, Jesus learned that the love of God was big enough not only for the house of Israel, but for the whole human race? Is it possible he learned that among the people of the world there is no one we can ignore, dismiss, or insult, but that all people everywhere -- people of every class and race and culture -- are the children of God?
It sounds possible to me. It sounds like the truth. In fact, it sounds like the gospel truth.
-James Green Somerville is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va. This column is adapted from a sermon he delivered there Aug. 17, 2008. Transcripts, audio and video files of this sermon are available on the church's website.
Opinion: On interpreting the Bible
By Alan Culpepper (725 words)
(Editor's Note: A column that Associated Baptist Press published Feb. 23, written by Miguel De La Torre and offering a novel take on one of the New Testament's most difficult passages, set off a lively discussion about biblical interpretation in the column's comments thread as well as across the Baptist blogosphere. We decided to take the opportunity to ask a seminary dean and a local-church pastor to provide their takes on how to interpret difficult passages of Scripture faithfully.)
(ABP) -- The story is told that when William Tyndale was a young man, a priest told him that it was better that the Bible was in Latin (a language only a few Englishmen could read) and that the church told people what to believe, so false teachings could be contained.
Tyndale responded, "If God spare my life, I will cause that the boy that driveth the plow shall know more Scripture than thou dost."
A revolution in human history started with that declaration. Tyndale translated the New Testament into English. His translation richly influenced the King James Version and later English translations, and English-speaking people have been able to read and interpret the Bible for themselves ever since.
But if we are not going to depend on a church official to tell us what the Bible means (remember the Baptist principles of freedom of conscience or "soul competence" and the priesthood of the believer!), then we face the task of interpreting the Bible for ourselves -- a challenge so daunting that we all need to approach it with a great deal of humility and seek all the help and guidance we can find.
Here are just a few suggestions about how to enrich your Bible study and how to work through the interpretation of difficult passages, hard texts and divisive issues:
1. Consult several translations. The King James is beautiful and irreplaceable, but it is Elizabethan English, and we have much more accurate Greek and Hebrew texts today. Read a translation like the New American Standard Bible that offers a word-for-word translation, a middle-of-the-road translation (in terms of whether the translators approached their task with an attempt to balance between literality and readability), like the New International Version, Revised Standard Version, or New Revised Standard Version, and a translation that translates meaning rather than words, like the Contemporary English Version or the New English Bible. By reading several translations you will get a clearer idea of the possible range of meanings.
2. Use a good study Bible, like the HarperCollins Study Bible or the New Oxford Annotated Bible. The notes at the bottom of the page are brief but valuable comments on the text. Learn to use the marginal or cross references to lead you to related passages.
3. Buy a good one-volume commentary on the Bible so that you will always have it handy. The Mercer Commentary on the Bible and the HarperCollins Bible Commentary will serve you well. When you need to go further, consult a good multi-volume commentary, like the New Interpreter's Bible, the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary, or any number of other fine commentaries. They will help you understand the issues, the history of interpretation, and the arguments for various interpretations.
4. Take a broad view. Look at the context of the passage. What is the historical setting, and what are the major themes of the book in which it appears?
5. Consult other passages in the Bible that speak on the same subject. The Bible often speaks differently to different settings, so we have to be very careful about taking any one passage to the exclusion of others on controversial social or ethical issues. Instead of planting our flag on just one verse, we need to consider everything the Bible says on a particular topic.
6. If the Bible says different things in different places, look for an ethical or theological progression. Ask yourself which verses reflect the grace and love of Jesus, or Jesus' uncompromising call to discipleship, most clearly? How does Jesus offer a context for understanding the Old Testament, and how did the early church interpret Jesus and his teachings? Where is the Bible crossing longstanding boundaries, and where is it simply echoing the culture of its day?
7. Seek the guidance of a pastor, teacher, or friend. None of us has all truth, and none of us is right all the time. Keep an open mind on subjects where the Scriptures are not clear, and above all pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
One of the most rewarding aspects of studying the Bible is that every time we work through a book or passage carefully, we gain insights we had never seen before. Thank God, even the "boy that driveth the plow" may hear a word the rest of us have missed.
- R. Alan Culpepper is dean of Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology.
Music review: Grace inside a sound -- U2, 'No Line on the Horizon'
By Steven R. Harmon (900 words)
(ABP) -- "This is the most thoroughly Christian thing they've done yet."
That was my initial reaction to the last two U2 albums in 2000 and 2004. In retrospect, that was just as true of the triad of albums U2 released in the 1990s, but I admit that wasn't what I thought on first listen to them. Their nuanced irony required a few more listens and a good bit of rewarding theological reflection to get there.
Once again, my early impression of No Line on the Horizon, to be released March 3 in the United States, has been, "This is the most thoroughly Christian thing they've done yet."
No Line on the Horizon is the 12th studio album by the Irish rock band U2. (Interscope Records)
Like the last two albums, No Line is much more overt in its Christian rendering of the world, what with lyrics like "Justified until we die/You and I will magnify/Oh, the Magnificent" from the album's second track. (So Bono is a fifth-point Calvinist. Who knew?) Yet what qualifies this album as thoroughly Christian is not so much its pervasive biblical/theological images as its overarching eschatological vision.
For those uninitiated in my profession's art of unclear communication, "eschatology" is the technical term for the division of theology that deals with "last things," from the Greek eschatos, "last," and logos, "ordered thought" about something. But eschatology isn't only about what happens at the end.
Baptist theologian James Wm. McClendon Jr. helpfully defined eschatology much more broadly: it's "about what lasts; it is also about what comes last, and about the history that leads from the one to the other.."
In other words, eschatology has to do with God's goals for all creation, from creation to consummation and everything in between, as well as our participation in what God is doing to realize these goals in a world in which they are manifestly not yet realized.
U2's music has long occupied the tension between the present experience of what lasts -- "all that you can't leave behind" -- and the present absence of its full realization -- "I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
The basic message of No Line is that earth is not yet heaven, and therefore the album summons us to "Get On Your Boots" and work toward the day when things will fully be on earth as they are in heaven -- when heaven and earth will be indistinguishable, and there will at last be no line on the horizon.
Moving in that direction requires the triumph "of vision over visibility" ("Moment of Surrender"), an echo of an earlier formulation of the same insight: that the things that last and that come at the last constitute "a place that has to be believed to be seen" ("Walk On" from 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind). It also requires an inner transformation wrought by a receptive hearing of the voice of God ("Unknown Caller") and a faithful reception of the love of God which requires that one both "stand up" for it and "sit down" to receive it ("Stand Up Comedy").
The central eschatological metaphor of No Line is the sound of the divine song, heard only by those who have the ears to hear it, yet unconsciously sought by everyone, for all people were created to hear and sing this song. Seven of the album's 11 songs invoke that metaphor in one way or another. Key expressions of it are the lines "Let me in the sound...meet me in the sound" from "Get On Your Boots," reprised at the beginning of "FEZ -- Being Born," and the concluding declaration of "Breathe," "I've found grace inside a sound."
Within this framework, No Line also calls our attention to the discordant dimensions of our world. For me the album's highlight is "White As Snow," set as the dying thoughts of a soldier fatally wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan to a melody loosely inspired by the medieval plainsong tune for the thoroughly eschatological hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." The song's musical and narrative zenith, accompanied by crescendoing French horns, is the soldier's remembrance of his baptism, having received the forgiveness of "the lamb as white as snow." But he also remembers his post-baptismal life with regret, for neither his heart nor the hearts of others who have brought him, and the world, to this point have been "as white as snow."
The album's final song "Cedars of Lebanon," cast as the world-weary random musings of a foreign correspondent, closes with a question addressed to God -- "Where are you in the cedars of Lebanon?" -- and a warning: "Choose your enemies carefully 'cause they will define you/Make them interesting 'cause in some ways they will mind you." We're still asking the question voiced earlier in the album: "Where might we find the lamb as white as snow?"
The theologian in me can't resist pointing out that Karl Barth, who incidentally shared a May 10 birthday with Bono, likely would have resonated with this couplet from "Stand Up Comedy" in light of his aversion to rational apologetics: "But while I'm getting over certainty/Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady." And the laughing theologian probably would have chuckled in agreement with the assertion of "Get On Your Boots" that "laughter is eternity if joy is real."
Did I forget to mention that the sound U2 is now hearing and inviting others to hear sounds really, really good?
Steven R. Harmon is associate professor of divinity at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala.
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