Bill's 'Faith Matters' Weblog

May 15, 2008

LIBERATING MUSLIM WOMEN

Female Muslim scholars are arguing that patriarchal interpretations of the Qur'an wrongly mute the egalitarian message that the Prophet Muhammad offered, this report says. Indeed, in many instances the cultures in which Islam grew over time simply overwhelmed the liberating message of the religion about women. If you're interested in this subject, you might want to check out a book by Asma Barlas called "Believing Women" in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur'an.

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SOME FAITH-BASED JOKES FOR A BREAK

Here we are halfway through May and we haven't yet taken time here to laugh a little.

Well, let's get that serious task out of the way today with a little religious humor. Again let me remind you that these aren't orginal with me. Some come from Beliefnet.com, some from you, some from hither and yon (yon is more faithful than hither, by the way).

1. A minister was walking down the street when he came upon agroup of about a dozen boys, all between 10 and 12 years old. They had surrounded a dog. Concerned lest the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and ask what they were doing.

One of the boys replied, "Oh, this is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tll the biggest lie will get to keep the dog."

The pastor was taken aback: "You boys shouldn't be telling lies," he said. "Don't you know it's a sin to lie? Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie."

There was dead silence for a minute. Just as the minister was starting to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog."

2. A funeral service was being held in a church for a woman.

At the end of the service the pall-bearers were carrying the casket out when they accidentally bumped into a wall, at which point they heard a faint moan.

They opened the casket and found the woman still alive. She lived for 10 more years and then died.

A funeral was held again at the same church. At the end, as the pall-bearers were carrying her out, the husband cried out, "AND WATCH OUT FOR THAT WALL!!"

3. Adam and Eve had the perfect marriage. He didn't have to hear about all the men she could have married and she didn't have to hear about how well his mother cooked.

4. A four-year-old was at the pediatrician for a checkup. As the doctor looked in her ears, he asked, "Do you think I'll find Big Bird in here?" The girl was silent.

Next, he took a tongue depressor and looked down her throat. He asked, "Do you think I'll find Cookie Monster down there?" Again, the kid was quiet.

Then he put a stethoscope up to her chest. As he listened to her heart beat, he asked, "Do you think I'll hear Barney in there?"

"Oh, no," the girl replied. "Jesus is in my heart. Barney is on my underpants."

5. The pastor asked if anyone would like to express praise for answered prayer. A woman stood up and came to the lectern.

"I have a praise," she said. "Two months ago my husband Jim had a terrible bicycle wreck and his scrotum was crushed. The pain was excruciating and doctors didn't know if they could help him."

You could hear a gasp from the men in the congregation. She continued: "Jim was unable to hold me or the children, and every move caused him terrible pain. We prayed as the doctors performed a delicate operation. They were able to piece together the crushed remnant of Jim's scrotum and wrap wire around it to hold it in place.

Again, the men squirmed uncomfortably, imagining the injury and surgery.

"Now," she continued, "Jim is out of the hospital and doctors say with time his scrotum should recover completely." The men sighed with relief. The pastor rose tentatively and asked if anyone else had anything to say.

A man rose and walked to the lectern.

"I'm Jim," he said, "and I want to tell my wife that the word is sternum."

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

My 14, 2008

ALBERT EINSTEIN, 'THEOLOGIAN'

In a 1954 letter now up for auction, Albert Einstein wrote that religion was a "product of human weakness." This is mildly interesting for what it says about Einstein, but I frankly wonder why we pay so much attention to people who are experts in one area when they offer opinions about something else. It seems to me like listening to a great baseball player recommend one kind of financial investment over another. In addition, Einstein seems to make the same mistake about the "chosen" nature of the Jewish people that lots of non-Jews make, which is that somehow this makes them God's privileged pets. No, being chosen by God was not a privilege so much as it was a burden and responsibility to live the way God wanted them to live and, thus, be a light to the nations. Does E=MC(squared) really stand for Einstein = Mistaken Conclusions (squared)?

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WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF ALTRUISM?

One of the old, old questions about morality is whether we can be good without God. In other words, can people act in moral, altruistic ways even when not motivated by a deity who calls people to act in that way?

Related to this is the more secular question of how the idea of altruism can and does spread among people for whom theology is not a factor.

Some evolutionary theorists at Binghamton University are proposing that altruism may win out thanks to selfishness. Their idea is that selfish individuals are motivated to get rid of other selfish individuals, with the result tht altruistic individuals are able to survive and even thrive.

Well, I'm not quite sure what to make of this Darwinian approach to understanding altruism, but it strikes me as odd.

Frankly, a more interesting, to me, study of altruism in a specific circumstance can be found in a book by Samuel and Pearl Oliner, The Altruistic Personality: Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe.

I would add, however, that the research I've done with a local rabbi for the book we're writing on that subject (see "Holocaust book project" on the right side of this page) tells us that people who helped to save Jews from the Holocaust did it for many reasons, though often simply because they knew the Jews in question personally. Some so-called "rescuers" were even antisemtic, but saved Jews anyway.

So when one of you figures out definitively why people act altruistically, let the rest of us know.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

May 13, 2008

DO THOSE DOUR BRITS NEED GOD?

A group of British lawmakers says residents of the United Kingdom are unhappy mostly because they've abandoned God and religion. Does faith inevitably lead to happier lives? What do you think?

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SAVING SACRED STRUCTURES

I have an affinity for sacred spaces -- churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, chapels.

Which is why I occasionally take people from my church on tours of sacred structures around Kansas City. It helps them see how others use their sacred space and gives them a better sense of the richness of the institutions that help to make up our social fabric.

(The photo here of Christ Temple Church at 34th and the Paseo, formerly the Beth Shalom synagogue, is one of the places we've toured.)

But what happens when those structures wear out, need help, get abandoned or otherwise run into trouble? That's where Friends of Sacred Structures steps in. This is a really wonderful organization that does a great deal without many resources.

In its 15-plus years of existence, It has helped to secure the future for at least 100 sacred structures, starting with the salvation of White Oak Chapel, which was built by descendants of slaves in 1912 in Kansas City's Northland. (Another of the structures it has helped to preserve is Christ Temple, pictured here.)

FOSS is redefining its mission a little these days because it has recognized that some of what it has been doing falls under the "community development" description. When, for instance, it helps a church to rehabilitate a building that is used for various neighborhood programs, from recreation to day care, it is having an effect that goes beyond simply preserving worship space or making new uses for such space.

So FOSS is gearing up to speak to people and foundations around town, hoping to raise about $1 million over the next few years that will be used as matching funds to help congregations maintain and restore their sacred space, some of which is used for largely secular purposes. Toward that end, FOSS has created an "Ambassadors Program" that will help volunteers raise awareness in the community and seek funding.

If FOSS succeeds over the long term, it will mean stronger neighborhoods for Kansas City and a richer collection of sacred spaces. The FOSS Web site will tell you how you can help.

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P.S.: There's a new free Web research tool that might be helpful for Bible study groups and others. It's called ChunkIt, and you can see a demonstration of it by clicking here or you can download it by clicking here.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

May 12, 2008

THIS JUST IN: IRENA SENDLER DEAD AT 98

The Polish woman who helped to save some 2,500 Jewish children in the Holocaust -- and who was a Nobel Peace Prize nominee last year -- died this morning in Warsaw. The rabbi I'm working with on a Holocaust-related book (see "Holocaust book project" under "Check this out" on the right side of this page) met her a few years ago and was profoundly moved -- so much so that he came back to Kansas City and talked me into working on a book about other Polish non-Jews who saved Jews in the Holocaust. For more on this remarkable woman, click here. This link will give you information about the play, "Life in a Jar," that students in Kansas wrote about her. No doubt some of the Jews in Israel about to celebrate the country's 60th anniversary (see below) were saved by Sendler.

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A VOICE FOR THE FLDS

A member of that polygamist group in Texas sent a letter to President Bush at his Crawford ranch, where he was this weekend for his daughter Jenna's wedding, saying it was a terrorist act for authorities to raid the the FLDS complex. (FLDS stands for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a group that broke away from traditional Mormonism.) Well, clearly authorities must take special care when dealing with people of out-of-the-ordinary religious faith so as not to violate their freedoms. But are authorities supposed to stand idly by if there are legitimate allegations of child abuse? No. And evidence is beginning to pile up that could show that young woman in the complex were taken advantage of sexually in illegal ways.

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ISRAEL AT 60

In just two days, Israel will celebrate its 60th birthday. (One of the odd things that means is that I'm three years older than Israel. Yikes.) Well, Israel's anniversary will be Wednesday according to the Gregorian calendar that most of the world uses, but the country celebrated the anniversary last week according to the Jewish calendar.

It's hard to imagine a country that was born in more turmoil, has been the occasion for so much joy, so much angst, so much rejoicing, so much derision, so much love, so much hate.

I've always been a supporter of Israel, though that does not mean I have agreed with all of its policies. My hope is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can end with a resolution that is just and lasting and that gives all people in the Middle East a cause to work together in harmony instead of working against each other's interests.

I've long been an admirer of President Harry S. Truman, and I continue to believe that his decision to recognize Israel within minutes of an announcement of its creation was the right one. For a fascinating piece about that history by Richard Holbrooke, co-author of a memoir by Truman aide Clark Clifford, click here. Holbrooke makes a persuasive case that Truman's decision -- taken against the advice of foreign policy advisors Truman admired a great deal -- was correct, even if the intervening 60 years have been full of turmoil.

One reason I hope there can be a just, two-state solution is to give Arab citizens of Israel a reason to look on their lives with pleasure and not with the anguish of feeling like second-class citizens. For an intriguing piece about that, click here.

To mark the anniversary of Israel's founding, I don't want to rehearse all the pro-Israel arguments about how just and right it is that Jews have their own nation, about how Israel is almost the only true friend of America in the Middle East, about how Israel's neighbors have made it feel beleaguered, hated and threatened, about the fools such as the president of Iran who still want it wiped off the face of the earth. Nor do I want to go through all the counter arguments about the poor treatment of the Palestinians by Israel and others, about the needlessly provocative Israeli-built settlements on the West Bank, about Israel losing its moral authority by its "occupation" of Palestinian territory and on and on.

I understand that many people try to make persuasive cases for each of these many arguments. (And to read an interesting letter from dozens of religious leaders about all of this, click here and read the first entry.)

But I also understand that the modern state of Israel has now survived for six decades and that it's not going anywhere. So it's way past time for the world's best minds to find a way toward peace in the Middle East, a peace that respects the legitimate hopes and dreams of all people of goodwill. Anything less continues to be a sad stain on human history.

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P.S.: I mentioned here the other day various ways in which people of faith were responding to the devastation of the cyclone that hit Burma, or Myanmar. For another example, click here. It's the Islamic Society of North America's effort to help.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

May 10-11, 2008, weekend

ARE EVANGELICALS IN TROUBLE?

Are evangelical Christians in America dwindling? That's the argument made in a new book by a religion journalist. The problem with such an argument is that labels such as evangelical, conservative or liberal, as I've said before, hide much more than the reveal. So it depends on who is doing the defining. But the article to which I've linked you discusses some of that in an interview with the book's author.

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WHAT THE POPE DIDN'T SAY

Do words matter? If I didn't think so I wouldn't be a writer. So it mattered that Pope Benedict XVI declined to use the word "genocide" when talking about the history of the Armenians on Friday. He used some other good words, but I'm not sure why he didn't call what happened early in the 20th century what even Pope John Paul II called it -- genocide.

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MOVING TOWARD GOD FROM 'OOPS' TO 'YEAH'

Do you think theologically?

That is, when you run into conflict or joy, when you take out the trash, when you play with children or grandchildren, when you drive (or take the bus or walk) to work, do you try to place all of that in the context of your religious faith, whatever that might be? That's really the task of both clergy and lay people, says Ronald J. Allen, professor of preaching and New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis.

I heard him speak a few days ago I went to St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City to attend a celebration of the work of the Rev. Eugene L. Lowry, about whom I wrote in my column last Saturday. Lowry was presented with a book in his honor, What's the Shape of Narrative Preaching?, which includes a piece by Allen.

Allen outlined Lowry's notion of the "homiletical plot," (also the name of a book by Lowry) by which he means the steps that a good sermon should take listeners through -- from "oops" to "yeah," in Lowry's memorable way of putting it. But these steps, he said, are essentially the same ones that what's called "practical theology" would have us take as we try to ponder the events in our lives theologically.

The steps, in brief, oversimplified form, are these:

* Name the issue. Describe, that is, what you are facing, good or bad.

* Analyze the dynamics so you know what's happening not just on the surface but also underneath. Engage, in other words, in critical thinking. Ask why, and don't be content with your answers.

* Interpret what's going on theologically. What does your faith tell you about the situation? Draw on your religious tradition to help you see clearly here. Ask whether somehow sin and/or grace or both are involved.

* For Christians, consider what the gospel says is the way forward from here. The gospel by nature is redemptive, so Christians at this juncture are to give a prognosis of the issue and a prescription for it informed by the gospel.

* Live out the prescription for a time to see how it's working. Make adjustments as new information and insights become available.

A simple example: If you're taking out the trash and realize your family is throwing away huge amounts of stuff, name that problem. But is overconsumption the only issue here? Or is over-packaging by manufacturers (and other causes) also at play? What does your faith tell you about being a good steward of the earth, which the Bible says is the Lord's? Is there an answer that goes beyond just you as an individual but a more systemic answer as well? Can you find a way to have your whole community act in a community way to deal with this problem? Test out your ways of cutting down on waste and involving others in the task and see if it works or might work better some other way. And in all things show gratitude.

That's thinking theologically. And it's well worth the effort, no matter what your faith is.

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P.S.: If you're a KC Royals fan, you may be interested in this Baptist Press story about the faith of the manager, Trey Hillman. Do you think God cares if the Royals win? Me, either. Now, my Cubs, well, that's a different deal.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

Today's religious holiday: Pentecost (Christianity; 11th)

May 9, 2008

MORE ON THE 'EMERGING CHURCH'

The other day here on the blog I wrote about Brian McLaren, a leader of the "emerging curch" movement, after hearing him speak in Kansas City. Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press has done this interesting interview with him that I think will be a good follow-up to what I wrote. I'm not sure just where this movement is going, but I think it's good for Christianity to have upstart groups within it to continue challenging people to think through how to live out their faith now.

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STRUGGLING WITH SEXUALITY ISSUES

The issue of how religious communities treat matters of human sexuality never seems to go away, and probably never will.

But I sometimes think that all the energy that goes into this complicated matter could be better spent meeting the needs of people who are in various kinds of trouble. That is not to deny the importance of these sexuality questions. Rather, it's to express my frustration that we seem unable to settle things enough to move on.

A new example of the energy being put into this is an effort called "Clergy Call 2009" being launched by the Human Rights Campaign. The idea is to train clergy to be leaders in the struggle for equality in faith communities for gays and lesbians as well as people who are bisexual or transgender.

I certainly support that idea because, as my regular readers know, I believe, from a Christian perspective, that people of all sexual orientations should be welcome into the church and, when otherwise qualified, be eligible to be ordained to ministry. Yes, yes, I know that many people disagree with me, including, officially, my own denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA). But I am persuaded, after considerable exegetical work, that the Bible should not be used as a weapon in this debate because it essentially has nothing to say about what, today, we are coming to understand as sexual orientation.

Still, as I say, I wish we could get past this and focus on ministry.

Just to see a larger picture, let me also say that a great deal of energy has been expended in trying to get gays and lesbians to change their sexual orientation and be straight. The idea is that homosexuality is a syndrome, a choice, a sin, a disorder that can be healed or changed through "reparative therapy," as it's sometimes known. This book deals with it, as does this one. And there are ministries aimed at making people ex-gays. The American Psychological Associaton more than 10 years ago adopted a resolution affirming that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and expressing ethical concerns about such therapy.

My instinct and call is to stand with people experiencing discrimination and religious oppression, and I try to do that. I just wish all of this weren't such an issue.

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P.S.: Sen. Barack Obama's church, Trinity UCC in Chicago, has started a blog to give the world a view of the congregation from the inside. Click here to read it. And tell us what you think.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here. (My column tomorrow will be about interfaith heroes.)

May 8, 2008

AN EVANGELICAL CALL FOR CLARITY

A group of evangelical Christians yesterday issued a "manifesto" that suggested many followers of their branch of the faith have gotten too involved in partisan politics. To read it, click here. This, by the way, is one more indication of how diverse evangelicals are in the U.S. For the Baptist Press version of the story about the manifesto, click here. It's interesting to note that among the non-signers was anyone officially representing the Southern Baptist Convention. And for thoughts on the manifesto from Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics, click here.

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BROC -- BIG RELIGION ON CAMPUS?

Speaking of evangelicalism, is it rebounding on college campuses? A piece in the Chroncle of Higher Education, cited on this Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog, suggests that it is. What's your experience of faith on campuses these days? I don't spend enough time there to know first hand.

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SEEING OURSELVES THROUGH OTHERS' EYES

A faith community's home often tells people a lot about the congregation -- even in ways that members of that congregation haven't thought about a lot.

Last weekend, for instance, when author and scholar Diana Butler Bass spoke in the sanctuary of my church, she looked out toward the fabulous stained-glass window (pictured here) that depicts the parable of the Good Samaritan.

She first said that it's too bad that only the preacher gets to look at the lovely window during a worship service because it's on the back wall of the sanctuary. So she jokingly suggested we might want to turn the pews around so all of us could look at it each Sunday morning.

But, she said, the window almost certainly tells a lot about who we are as a congregation -- one devoted to looking after the needy. And that's true in many ways. But probably not many of us have thought about the window being a sign pointing to the nature of our congregation.

Later Diana noted the stained-glass window in the back of our transept, off to one side of the sanctuary, and said that it, too, talks about who we are because it depicts a woman named Dorcas, or Tabitha, "who," Acts 9:36 says, "was always doing good and helping the poor."

No doubt all of us in my congregation should pay better attention to all of our gorgeous stained glass and the stories they tell because partly they tell about us.

What is there in your church, synagogue, mosque or temple that speaks a word about the nature of your congregation? And does it accurately reflect who you are now?

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P.S.: Yes, the world's focus this week has been on Burma, or Myanmar, because of the devastating storm and the way the foolish government there has stalled relief efforts. But let's also not forget the needs in Darfur. You have an opportunity in Kansas City on June 12 to hear John Prendergast, author of Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond. He'll be at Unity Temple that evening. The link I've given you will give you what you need to know to go.

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ANOTHER P.S.: For Mother's Day this year, the Memory-of.com site is offering to donate a dollar to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure group that works against beast cancer for each new visitor who comes to this site. Seems like a charitable gesture.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

Today's religious holiday: Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Judaism)

May 7, 2008

GETTING AID TO BURMA

The natural disaster (compounded by government failure) in Burma (or Myanmar) raises the question of what outsiders can do, if anything, to help citizens of this politically isolated country. The White House announced a $3 million grant to help, but said the military government there is resisting access to a disaster assessment team from the United States. President Bush is pushing Burma's leaders to allow more U.S. aid. An advocacy group, the U.S. Campaign for Burma, which is working to end the military dictatorship in Burma, is collecting disaster relief donations at this site. Another relief donation site operated by GlobalGiving can be found here. Many faith communities are responding in various ways. Three examples: The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has sent an initial $5,000 in aid and is sending a worker from nearby Thailand to assess things. To contribute to CBF's effort, click here. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is collecting donations for Burma here. And Islamic Relief is gathering donations at this site. More ways to donate are listed at this CNN site. In my experience, when such incredible natural disasters strike, people of faith as well as people with no religious commitments at all are moved to help, even if for different motivations.

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ARE ALL RELIGIONS EQUAL?

This coming Sunday will be celebrated in some Christian churches as "Pluralism Sunday."

The people behind this annual event say, "We don't claim that our religion is superior to all others." And in a "Welcome Statement," found on the Web site to which I've linked you, they say this of people who follow other religions: ". . .their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us."

As regular readers of this blog know, I certainly am a proponent of interfaith dialogue and understanding. I think it's crucial that we understand one another better so as to avoid ignorance, fear and even violence.

But I also insist that interfaith dialogue must be based on a firm commitment to a faith (or, perhaps, to athetism). One simply cannot give away the core of one's faith for the sake of harmony. Such harmony will be false and short-lived.

So today I invite you to think about how far one can go in being open to dialogue with people of other faiths without moving to a sort of meaningless relativism. Are all religions, in fact, of equal worth? Clearly not all ideas are of equal worth. Some ideas are hideously wrong.

And if all religions are equally valid, why pick one over another?

How is it possible to be both deeply committed to a religious tradition and yet open to other traditions? If you've managed that, tell us how.

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P.S.: I was one of the preliminary judges this year for the White Rose essay contest sponsored by the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. It's for junior high and high school students, who are asked to write about some specific topic related to the Holocaust. This year it was life in the ghettos. For a list of the winners and to read the top essays, click here. I thought the first place winner in the 8th and 9th grade division, which I helped judge, was especially good. AND: For information about the Holocaust book I've been working on with a local rabbi, click on the "Holocaust book project" headline on the right side of this page under "Check this out."

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ANOTHER P.S.: Two women who say they have been ordained as Catholic priests will be guests on the "Up to Date" radio show at 11 a.m. tomorrow on KCUR-FM, 89.3, in Kansas City, hosted by my Star colleague Steve Kraske. Click here for more information about how to ask questions of them.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

May 6, 2008

WHEN SHOULD GOVERNMENT INTERVENE?

It will not surprise you to learn that government authorities (and others) have been arguing about how aggressive to be in dealing with such religious sects as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the group that Texas authorities raided some weeks ago after reports of sexual abuse of young girls. This report describes some of those divisions. For more links to related aspects of this story, see the 10:47 a.m. comment left here yesterday by reader Patricia, who provided a couple of other links.

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GOD HAS A TV NETWORK

Every time I turn around, it seems, some other religious group has established some new avenue of communications to spread the word about whatever it believes.

I'm a little late in learning about this one, but maybe you, too, are ignorant of God TV, which started in the United Kingdom in 1995 and now is broadcasting in the United States.

For God TV's version of its history, click here. This is pretty clearly what most people might call an evangelical or theologically conservative effort aimed at preaching the gospel to viewers around the world.

Christians, of course, have been given the mandate to go into all the world and make disciples of Christ, and from the beginning that task has taken on various forms, from in-person missionary visits to printed material to mass (lower-case "m") worship services and now to radio, TV and the Internet.

God TV obviously combines the latter two.

I wonder who pays attention to such ministries? Do you watch or listen to these kinds of outreaches? Does an avenue like God TV replace involvement in a local congregation? And, if so, when someone really needs pastoral care, how does one get it?

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P.S: Yesterday the Web site of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom wasn't working. Today I can get to it directly but, oddly enough, not through links on my blog. So, in another window, go to www.uscirf.gov and click on the link to the 2008 annual report, about which I wrote yesterday. If you just click on the URL in the previous sentence you probably won't get there.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

May 5, 2008

WHAT'S THE HURRY?

Pope Benedict XVI plans to meet today with the archbishop of Canterbury. Why? The Catholic-Anglican split isn't even 500 years old yet. Seems sort of early, given the speed at which things happen in the church (or, to be more clear, in churches), for talks to move toward reconciliation.

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KEEPING TRACK OF RELIGIOUS OPPRESSION

Americans cherish -- or should, anyway -- religious liberty. Our nation is rooted in the struggle for freedom of worship, and it's a foundational human right that should be protected by all nations.

But it's no surprise, given the many other failures to protect human rights, to find religious liberty being squelched in many places.

So thank goodness the U.S. has a quasi-government agency designed to keep track of religious liberty around the world -- the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. This commission issued its 2008 annual report Friday, and in it named a handful of countries that do really badly in this area. (Although I have these links properly inserted here, the USCIRF Web site was down early this morning. I've spoken with USCIRF staff and the agency hopes to have this fixed soon. But as of early evening it still wasn't fixed. I'll try to alert you later this week when it's up and running.)

The USCIRF calls them CPCs, or "Countries of Particular Concern." This year's list: Burma, North Korea (what a shock), Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China (another major surprise, eh?), Sudan and Uzbekistan. Seven other countries are on the commission's so-called "Watch List."

These annual reports offer excellent detail about what is happening in many countries and make suggestions as to what policies our own government should adopt so that the United States can help puh for religious liberty around the world.

So pick out the countries that most interest you and see what the USCIRF has to say about them. And then try to imagine what you and I can do to help people whose religious freedoms are being denied.

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P.S.: If meditation, yoga and similar spiritual practices interest you, you may be interested to know of a May 23 lecture at Unity Village called "Did Jesus Teach Yoga Meditation?" It's sponsored by the Kansas City Meditation Group of Self-Realization Fellowship.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.