Where Wright Goes Wrong

Does Rev. Jeremiah Wright have a split personality? His criticism of our government was perfectly acceptable and within his rights as an American citizen. I didn't even mind the clips played over and over on YouTube because I've read enough to know the true context. His interview with Bill Moyers last week was truly inspirational. However, the words of Rev. Wright the last few days have been puzzling. I was taken back by his comments to the NAACP about how African Americans instinctively interpret music differently and are predisposed to being right-brained (creative) instead of left-brained (logical). That smacked of the same kind of ignorance that exists in the people he criticizes. It does nothing but feed prejudice and discrimination. Maybe he was just out of his element. Maybe he meant to do that. Maybe he was trying to create the kind of uneasy feeling found in the movie "Crash" where racism is thrust out into the open spaces of dialogue for all to see in its ugly details. If he was, then it was at best poor timing and at worst devious.

I've supported Rev. Wright on this site and I still marvel at the few sermons I've listened to, but I'm not about to suggest that I blindly support his latest words. I'm saddened by his those words. Barack Obama is right to distance himself, but he is also right not to disown him as a friend. I have friends who are bigots. I have friends and family who are ignorant and I firmly believe their religious beliefs and political views are harmful, yet they are still my friends and family. I love them. I would not expect Obama to disown Rev. Wright because he said something wrong, and it doesn't then make his previous statements wrong also. Those statements are still valid, but his latest are certainly not.

Emerging Atheism

There has been a surge of books by atheists in the last few years. Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens are the holy trinity of neo-atheists. Fortunately, there are less demeaning voices among the atheist community. In her book "The Age of American Unreason", Susan Jacoby has given us a fresh voice that is less angry and more conversant than her atheist cohorts are.

For Jacoby, the big problem we face is not religion, but instead the problem is anti-rationalism. Fundamentalist strains of religion can certainly become a catalyst for anti-rationalism, but she is clear to state that religion doesn't always have to be that way. The real culprits are poor education, the rise of junk-science, the degradation of our media, and a growing distrust of intellectualism. Jacoby also points out that we have lost our ability to have conversations. We've learned to mimic what our media sources present to us as examples. Unfortunately, that means we spend more time talking past one another rather than listening. The recent political debates are perfect examples.

As Christians, we could learn a great deal from the voices of reason. Many of their criticisms are valid. If we have any hope of emerging from our polarized past, we need to invite this perspective to the table. Rationalism does not exclude faith, but it does force the conversation to a level deeper than flimsy rhetoric and ancient dogma.

Is there a possibility for faith that goes beyond a simple rejection of reason? Is there a case for an emerging post-atheism?

Jeremiah Wright an American Hero

Rev. Jeremiah Wright was interviewed by Bill Moyers last night. You can watch the entire interview online. Over the last few months, my feelings for Rev. Wright have gone from disdain to concern to an awkward appreciation. I appreciated his rhetoric but in the back of my mind I wished he had been more politically correct. I saw him as a person with good motives but poor taste. I was wrong. After this interview, I can only say that I wish he were my own pastor. I'd gladly give my time and effort to the cause of supporting his message. He has more than my respect as a prophetic voice of descent, he has my admiration as a true American hero. I'm saddened by the fact that our society has forced Barack Obama to speak out against this great man. Rev. Wright's comments about America's mistakes were not "over the top". He was not too harsh, misguided, or of poor taste. His comments were right on the mark and he has a life of service to back up this message.

The most powerful tools of imperialism are amnesia and numbness. The citizens of empire forget their historic mistakes and gradually lose their ability to see and feel pain. Our only hope is that some brave prophet may jar our memory and awaken our consciousness.

Sexpelled

Check out this great parody of the new creationism propaganda move "Expelled".

Tagged

I don't usually play these, but here goes...

I was tagged by Bob Cornwall:

• The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.


• Each player answers the questions about himself or herself.


• At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. Ten years ago I was doing . . .

• I was working for a small software company and moonlighting in a Christian rock and roll band (FYI.. I hate Christian rock now!). I had just sold my house, bought a van, and informed my boss that I would be leaving my career behind to “follow God’s calling”. People who know me now are laughing because I retired my guitar, I now run that software company, and I would never use the phrase “God’s calling” for anything.

2. Five Things on Today's To Do List

• Prepare a project proposal for a local non-profit


• Requirements definition meeting w/ customer


• Weekly staff meeting


• Finalize rules for employee “Green Initiative” ($75 subsidy for each employee to buy energy efficient light bulbs)


• Bi-weekly client billing

3. Things I'd do if I were a billionare

• Live somewhere else for a couple of years (maybe san Francisco).


• Buy a beach resort and reserve the whole place for my friends and family year round


• Pay somebody to build me an electric car built.

4. Three Bad Habits

• I don’t clean


• Late night snacking


• I’m too critical

5. Five Places I've lived

• Athens, Ga


• Braselton, GA


• Augusta, GA


• TBA


• TBA

6. Five Jobs I've had in life:

• Farm Hand
• T-shirt Printer


• Yard maintenance


• Computer Programmer


• It manager

7. Tagged Ones

• Daniel


• John


• Chris


• Veronica


• Andrew
  

Foster Parenting

Veronica and I are attending foster parent training at the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). The class is a product of a bureaucracy that wanted 20 hours of training but only had 1 hour of material. Oh well, we have to do it. We are 6 hours into the brain numbing nightmare. I’m taking a book next time.

The silver lining is that it gives us 4 weeks to decide if this is the right thing to do. It isn’t an easy decision. Many people in the class are struggling with the temporary nature of foster parenting. However, the most difficult part for me is imagining the ambiguity of the assignment. I like that the job is temporary and that the goal is to reunite the child with their birth parents, but I'm not wild about the uncertainty of my commitment. I like to know what to expect when I start something. I'm a planner. I won't know if I'm signing up for 10 days, 10 weeks, or 10 years. This will be tough for me.

Rob Bell on Suffering

This clip is from the Seeds of Compassion Interspiritual Day.

Rob can occasionally come across as a bit sappy, but this response is wonderful. One of the things I really liked is how he used the metaphor of resurrection in the midst of a inter-faith dialogue. We often create a false set of choices. We feel like we need to loose our own religious identity in order to dialogue with others. That can leave us empty. He showed us how specific religious symbolism can work in a pluralistic environment. Rob demonstrated how the resurrection of Jesus can be a pluralistic symbol understood by anyone of any faith. You can easily adhere to your own symbols and metaphors while reaching out to others. The key is getting beyond the symbol and using it as a pointer to the deep meanings it is intended to represent. Those meanings are universal even if the individual symbols are not.

Beautiful response Rob!

Finding Darwin's God

Brown University professor Kenneth R. Miller looks for his own answer to the question, what kind of God do you believe in? After some thought, his response is, “Darwin’s God”. Miller does a great job of detailing evolution and the scientific rejection of intelligent design. He also looks for a way to reconcile his own Catholic faith with the science of evolution. Miller is great at explaining science, but he falls short in the area of theology. I do think this book is important and many will find it helpful. He is top notch at debunking intelligent design. However, I’m still not sure about Darwin’s God. I don’t feel Miller made much progress in answering that part of the question. I feel like I would appreciate Darwin’s God if I found it, but this book didn’t exactly paint a clear picture or spark a new creative idea about what it might be. Maybe that is the point. Maybe his goal was to drive home the idea that we can’t narrowly define God or explain God with a scientific experiment. If that is what he means, then I agree.

This book is great if you want a detailed dismantling of creationism or want a more in depth understanding of the shady history of Intelligent Design. If you want to learn 1001 ways to rephrase the statement “Science is not at odds with faith”, then you’ve found the perfect book. Unfortunately, I got it the first time and grew tired of the repetition.

The good news is that Miller is a wonderful speaker. He loves science and that enthusiasm is contagious. My recommendation is to skip the book and listen to this lecture. It is pure gold!

Purple State of Mind

I just got my copy of Purple State of Mind and watched it with my wife tonight. We both enjoyed the film. I highly recommend this movie for small discussion groups. It is bound to start a few deep conversations and stretch your perspective of faith.

Oh No! Not Science

Thanks to The Onion for this photo.

Charter For Compassion

Karen Armstrong gives her TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) wish of a worldwide charter signed by leaders of the world's primary religions. The charter would recognize the common goals of compassion rather the divisive abstract beliefs of all these faith traditions. I've enjoyed several of her books and few people have as much knowledge of world religions as Karen Armstrong.

""Belief, which we make such a fuss about today, is only a very recent religious enthusiasm. The word belief itself originally meant to love, to prize, to hold dear. In the 17th century it narrowed its focus... to include an intellectual ascent to a set of propositions."