tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-175401482024-03-07T16:43:11.604-07:00ParadoxySometimes the journey takes you places you never dreamed existed.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.comBlogger484125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-71371278671112961572014-05-13T17:00:00.000-06:002014-05-13T17:00:00.359-06:00Setting PrioritiesBecause it's only been shared on about a million other blogs already, here it is one more time:<br />
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<b>How to Talk to Your Kids About Michael Sam</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/q_MLi2wAfdM" width="560"></iframe>Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-48024524874957126932014-04-23T18:00:00.000-06:002014-04-23T18:00:00.979-06:00Happy AprilI may not feel like doing much writing at the moment, but I can at least point whoever's still reading toward some of the interesting things I've come across recently. In this installment:<br />
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1. Justin Lee <a href="http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/83553224973/homosexuality-its-not-what-you-think" target="_blank">explains what homosexuality is</a> (graciously, as always) for those who still think of it as nothing more than a sex act.<br />
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2. Switchfoot's lead singer <a href="http://faithlikes.com/2014/04/05/this-is-why-switchfoot-wont-sing-christian-songs-anymore/" target="_blank">explains</a> why they don't consider their music "Christian." As someone who grew up listening to Christian music (and continued the habit into my 30s), I'm happy to see the separatism of evangelical culture slowly fading away.<br />
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3. A group of gay bloggers, thinkers and activists have signed a <a href="http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2014/04/22/64132" target="_blank">statement</a> emphasizing the importance of supporting our opponents' right to publicly disagree with us. It's often a fine line to walk when dealing with those who would deny us our rights, but we must be careful that we don't become that which we once deplored.<br />
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4. Which is not to say that we should let what our opponents say go unchallenged. And as Rachel Held Evans <a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2014/04/tweet-of-day-rachel-held-evans.html" target="_blank">noticed</a>, the things they're saying keep getting more hyperbolic.<br />
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5. On a lighter note, as a fan of the magicians who appear on America's Got Talent, I would be remiss in not sharing this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO_KyTtJg10" target="_blank">amazing act</a> that appeared recently on Britain's Got Talent.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-30909843325681407452014-03-25T17:30:00.000-06:002014-03-25T17:30:00.535-06:00Earworm<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gz2GVlQkn4Q" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Kongos, <i>Come With Me Now</i><br />
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Not entirely sure if the video is supposed to have any deeper meaning, but the song is more than worth the price of admission.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-57794166903444039302014-03-14T17:00:00.000-06:002014-03-20T10:56:15.903-06:00Links<div>
In this month's edition (and I do seem to only be posting monthly so far this year), the theme is balance.</div>
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Maintaining balance and speaking in nuanced terms is a difficult thing to do in the highly polarized atmosphere that we currently find ourselves in. Even at our best it can be challenging to avoid unconsciously slipping into a more adversarial tone. At least, I've found that to be the case for myself, and I've seen it happen to others as well.<br />
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Link 1: Justin Lee is an individual who has a good track record of disagreeing graciously and maintaining a balanced perspective. As such, it gives his words more weight when he writes an <a href="http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/79064007802/you-love-gay-people-thats-great-prove-it" target="_blank">exhortation</a> to conservative Christians like this one. Only God knows how many will actually listen, but given Justin's reputation as a bridge builder he's in a better position than most to get through to those who genuinely do care.<br />
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Link 2: I also appreciate Rob Tisinai, who very ably tears apart anti-gay myths while still maintaining a nuanced perspective, as well as a <a href="http://wakingupnow.com/blog/too-much-safety-is-a-dangerous-thing" target="_blank">strong respect</a> for free speech and engaging with opposing viewpoints.<br />
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Link 3: Brian McLaren is another gracious voice who often takes a lot of heat for swimming against the tide of evangelical opinion. In <a href="http://brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/q-r-you-rob-bell-don-miller-and.html" target="_blank">this piece</a> he answers one of his critics.<br />
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Link 4: Being a fan of astronomy and science in general, I watched the premiere of the new Cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson last weekend. The first episode was a bit basic, but the show has potential as a teaching tool for young learners and for anyone else seeking to broaden their understanding of the universe we live in.<br />
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That said, the first episode also provided an example of how to fail at maintaining balance. As Tobias Haller <a href="http://jintoku.blogspot.com/2014/03/chaotic-cosmos.html" target="_blank">points out</a>, Tyson's use of Giordano Bruno as an example of the dangers of placing dogma ahead of evidence was a bit misguided. Bruno, as Tyson acknowledges, was not a scientist, and his belief that the Earth wasn't the center of the universe (while ultimately proven correct) was neither the product of scientific reasoning nor the primary reason he was executed for heresy. And while the show half-heartedly acknowledged those facts, its emphasis on Bruno's martyrdom was nonetheless misleading.</div>
Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-37091921376508108662014-02-24T12:30:00.000-07:002014-02-24T12:30:01.046-07:00A Call For HelpAs anyone who follows world news is undoubtedly aware, violence against LGBT people has been increasing in numerous countries across Africa, and several countries have made their already draconian anti-gay laws even harsher (most notably Nigeria and now Uganda). Unfortunately, political action has proven to be counterproductive in some cases; pressure applied by Western governments and activists has only caused the countries in question to dig their heels in and push back even harder. So while silence is never an option, clearly new approaches are called for.<br />
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Activist Melanie Nathan (a native of South Africa) is trying something different: she has set up a <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rescue-fund-to-help-lgbt-people-escape-africa" target="_blank">Rescue Fund to Help LGBT People Escape Africa</a>. Click on the link for more details and/or to contribute.<br />
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Hopefully it will someday be possible to begin a sober and peaceful dialogue on human rights issues in these countries (and the many other parts of the world that are still hostile territory for sexual minorities), but right now it looks like that day is too far off to help the many people whose lives are currently in danger.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-54749694857149933322014-01-31T16:30:00.000-07:002014-01-31T16:30:01.371-07:00LinksYes, it's been a while. Here are a few items of interest that have come through my news reader in recent weeks...<br />
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-Rachel Held Evans puts the phrase "<a href="http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/bible-clear" target="_blank">The Bible clearly teaches</a>" into some much-needed perspective.<br />
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-David Brin offers a <a href="http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2014/01/turn-your-heads.html" target="_blank">perspective </a>on our current political situation that I find compelling. Granted, everyone thinks their political viewpoint is the best one, but he makes some good points.<br />
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-John Shore <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/2014/01/if-you-take-paul-literally-on-homosexuality-take-jesus-literally-on-money/" target="_blank">points out</a> the hypocrisy that biblical literalists commonly display when they voice their condemnations of homosexuality.<br />
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-And in this pair of posts, we see how evangelism conducted by those (<a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2014/01/30/inhospitality-play-acting-evangelism-to-reinforce-the-tribe/" target="_blank">theists</a> and <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnshore/2014/01/way-to-fight-fire-with-fire-american-atheists/" target="_blank">non-theists</a> alike) with a tribalistic 'us vs. them' mentality fails to be persuasive or winsome.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-61747961571064882712014-01-03T17:15:00.000-07:002014-01-03T17:15:00.374-07:00Happy 2014And in the spirit of things, here's a <a href="http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-message-for-new-year.html" target="_blank">New Year's message</a> from author David Brin, who articulates some things that have been rattling around in my head for a while. Among them, this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Indeed, the lesson must be that a benign Creator -- if one exists -- clearly <i>chose ambiguity</i> and distance for some reason. <i>Not </i>as a cruel and infantile “test of faith,” but as a very clear sermon that we are supposed to stand up and look around, and <i>figure things out for ourselves</i>.</blockquote>
Anathema to those who demand nothing less than absolute certainty, perhaps - but something that the rest of us can embrace, and strive to live up to.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-28606580077034014022013-12-24T22:26:00.000-07:002013-12-24T22:26:19.599-07:00Merry Christmas<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8bB7obyuuY8" width="560"></iframe><br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-78242855552655469972013-12-12T19:00:00.000-07:002013-12-12T19:00:00.766-07:00More LinksSome more interesting stuff for your week...<br />
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1. This <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/editorials/ci_24687970/no-right-refuse-gay-couples-wedding-cake" target="_blank">Denver Post editorial</a> clarifies why private businesses can't be allowed the right to turn away customers solely on the basis of personal prejudice. It also points out the distinction between that and freedom of speech exceptions, which answers my own concerns about cases like this.<br />
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2. Although I was never homeschooled myself, I knew a fair amount about the homeschool movement back in the 90s when evangelical groups were pushing hard for it. Thus, it's very interesting to get <a href="http://prospect.org/article/homeschool-apostates" target="_blank">this update</a> on the results of that grand experiment. Granted, there are many homeschooled children whose experiences are far more positive than these, and there are cases in which home schooling genuinely is the best option for a kid, but we now have a generation of young adults that can attest that separatism and indoctrination are never good reasons...<br />
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3. ThinkProgress points out <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/12/11/3036671/2013-certainly-year-human-history/" target="_blank">five ways</a> in which the world is becoming a better place. In the midst of all the reasons we have to worry for the future (destruction of the environment, terrorism, the decline of the American middle class, etc.), it's helpful to be reminded that all is not bleak.<br />
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4. From the "this is cool" department, a <a href="http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/maps-that-will-help-you-make-sense-of-the-world/" target="_blank">collection of maps</a> that will help to clarify the way you see the world.<br />
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5. Finally, a plug for an upcoming project that I'm personally excited about: a live-action version of the long-running comic <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/d20e/kodt-live-action-series" target="_blank">Knights of the Dinner Table</a>...<br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-54527343107298428472013-12-06T17:00:00.000-07:002013-12-06T17:00:00.886-07:00LinksA few interesting articles to round out your week with:<br />
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1. First, <a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/01/the-c-s-lewis-you-never-knew/" target="_blank">this article</a> on a side of C.S. Lewis that most people have never been aware of. Some people want to keep their spiritual heroes on pedestals; personally, I like him more now that I know a little more about his human side.<br />
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2. Rob Bell on <a href="http://robbellcom.tumblr.com/post/68808206816/what-is-the-bible-part-16-awkward" target="_blank">how to read the Bible</a>. It comes to life in a myriad of ways as soon as we stop trying to read it like an instruction manual.<br />
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3. Building on this piece from John Shore, perhaps the billboard Times Square really needs this Christmas is one that says <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnshore/2013/12/who-needs-fundamentalism-during-christmas-nobody/" target="_blank">Don't Feed the Fundies</a> (of any stripe).Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-70096290737430365242013-11-26T21:56:00.002-07:002013-11-26T21:58:31.758-07:00IntroversionI've blogged before on the challenges of being an introvert, which even today often comes with a stigma (good luck with job interviews when you're hopelessly terrible at making good first impressions). I was inspired to bring up the topic again by Glennon from Momastery's <a href="http://momastery.com/blog/2013/11/26/somebody-help-figure-good-friend-others/" target="_blank">recent post</a> on the subject. I can relate to a lot of what she says (I'm not a big fan of telephone calls either).<br />
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Fortunately people (at least in the Western world) are generally more accepting these days of introverts (and geeks, and gay folk, and people of mixed race, to name the other major ways in which I fail to conform to the majority). At my current age I can embrace being different, but it wasn't until I hit my 30s that I really began to feel comfortable in my own skin. And even now sometimes it can be a struggle.<br />
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So, for those extroverts who have never quite known what to make of me (and other introverts), here's a helpful primer that's been making its way around the internet. (It should be possible to enlarge the picture to readable size in your browser.)<br />
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<img height="640" src="http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2013/318/8/6/how_to_live_with_introverts_guide_printable_by_romanjones-d5b09fj.jpg" width="436" /><br />
(Source: <a href="http://romanjones.deviantart.com/art/How-to-Live-with-Introverts-Guide-Printable-320818879">http://romanjones.deviantart.com/art/How-to-Live-with-Introverts-Guide-Printable-320818879</a>)Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-36503203712830072852013-11-19T18:00:00.000-07:002013-11-19T18:00:00.434-07:00Quote of the Week<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"I'm still struggling to break free of the notion that faith is an argument to be won. Lord have mercy."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">-Rachel Held Evans</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">God knows it's a tough habit to break...</span></span>Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-27099607331336570472013-11-12T05:30:00.000-07:002013-11-12T11:07:31.071-07:00Inerrantists vs. InerrantistsBoy, get a little busy and suddenly that post I've left sitting unfinished is several weeks old. Anyway, I thought this essay was worth pointing out:<br />
<a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2013/10/22/strange-fire-fight-exposes-charade-of-biblical-inerrancy/">http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2013/10/22/strange-fire-fight-exposes-charade-of-biblical-inerrancy/</a><br />
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It highlights a very problematic point for biblical inerrantists: if the Bible is indeed free of error and intended by God to be usable as a clearly stated instruction manual for all people in all places and times, why is there such vast and irreconcilable disagreement between different groups of believers who consider themselves inerrantists?<br />
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The short answer, of course, is "Satan," by which the speaker always means that everyone but the speaker's group has been led astray by the enemy. Being an inerrantist also means never admitting to the possibility that one's own interpretation of the Bible might be in error (at least not in any significant way), since ultimately there is no clear dividing line between biblical inerrancy and personal inerrancy.<br />
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Note that this applies primarily to fundamentalists like McArthur and not to all inerrantists equally, since more moderate evangelicals have a far more nuanced take on biblical inerrancy, but the problem never completely goes away. At least, not until we stop treating the Bible like a divinely perfect rulebook and allow it to speak to us on its own terms.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-65846800188723234782013-10-29T22:01:00.000-06:002013-10-29T22:01:00.923-06:00Life Soundtrack 36<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TmxCZoYAPqc" width="560"></iframe><br />
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4:12, by Switchfoot<br />
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One of my favorite Switchfoot songs, and an oft-needed wake-up call for all those times I get caught up in the busyness of life.<br />
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Also, for the record, the original track runs exactly four minutes and twelve seconds.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-43238179174180574852013-10-17T19:00:00.000-06:002013-10-17T19:00:00.728-06:00A Few Good LinksA few recent items from my reading (and viewing) list that were worth sharing:<br />
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-Justin Snow's <a href="http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=8650&pagenumber=all" target="_blank">Decline and Fall of the Ex-Gay Movement</a> provides an accurate and fairly comprehensive history of the movement. While it still feels premature to announce its fall, I certainly pray that its decline is terminal as people continue to wake up to the fact that gay people are no more broken and no less valuable than everyone else.<br />
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-Nakedpastor's <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nakedpastor/2013/10/theologians-and-the-god-guessers/" target="_blank">version</a> of the blind men and the elephant nicely sums up how foolish we make ourselves look when we claim to have God all figured out.<br />
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-Momastery's Glennon <a href="http://momastery.com/blog/2013/10/17/ive-got-spirit/" target="_blank">responds</a> to her critics, some of whom sound a lot like those blind men arguing over the nature of their elephant.<br />
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-Finally, on a lighter note, here at last is a <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/hell-no-a-horror-movie-starring-characters-that-make-good-decisions/" target="_blank">horror movie</a> that doesn't insult my intelligence.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-89800217248544922182013-10-01T20:55:00.002-06:002013-10-01T20:55:42.513-06:00Random LinksWell, not so much random as diverse. Just a few interesting things I've come across recently.<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/09/30/potential_government_shutdown_how_would_the_u_s_media_report_on_it_if_it.html" target="_blank">If it happened there</a> - how the media might report the US government shutdown if it were happening in another country. We Americans could only benefit from occasionally engaging in the academic exercise of judging ourselves by the same standards that we judge other countries.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/katieheaney/19-everyday-situations-that-are-impossibly-difficult-for-the?bffb" target="_blank">19 everyday situations</a> that are impossibly difficult for the socially awkward. I can identify with almost all of these, and think Chandler Bing's quote at the end sums it up perfectly.<br />
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3. Every LGBT person could use a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/28/straight-men-defriended-gay-brother-wedding_n_4003126.html" target="_blank">brother like this</a>.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/2013/10/romans-126-27-a-clobber-passage-that-should-lose-its-wallop/" target="_blank">Another case</a> to be made that Romans 1:26-27 works best as a clobber passage when its context is ignored.<br />
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5. Finally, a bit of geekery: <a href="http://dirkloechel.deviantart.com/art/Size-Comparison-Science-Fiction-spaceships-398790051" target="_blank">size comparisons</a> for a whole slew of ships from various science fiction properties. Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-38245641324072277612013-09-24T21:25:00.001-06:002013-09-24T21:25:59.782-06:00Myths of the Not As Good KindTwelve Myths Too Many Christians Believe, nicely deconstructed here:<br />
<a href="http://plithwo.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/a-provocation-twelve-myths-too-many-christians-believe-pt-1/" target="_blank">Part 1</a><br />
<span id="goog_600765493"></span><span id="goog_600765494"></span><a href="http://plithwo.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/a-provocation-twelve-myths-too-many-christians-believe-pt-2/" target="_blank">Part 2</a><br />
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It wasn't that long ago that I believed all of them...Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-32862879043765020942013-09-16T18:30:00.000-06:002013-09-16T18:30:00.482-06:00A Great Debate<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dJXtCUBwBCI" width="420"></iframe><br />
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At last, a conversation between a Christian and an atheist that makes me smile rather than cringe. It's not our differences in belief that we need to fear, but how we treat those we disagree with...Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-7300377764769316632013-09-10T18:10:00.002-06:002013-09-10T18:10:58.475-06:00Hell Within Heaven<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This makes what Jesus does in his story about [the prodigal son] particularly compelling. Jesus puts the older brother right there at the party, but refusing to trust the father's version of his story. Refusing to join in the celebration.<br />
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Hell is being at the party. That's what makes it so hellish. It's not an image of separation, but one of integration.<br />
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In this story, heaven and hell are within each other, intertwined, interwoven, bumping up against each other.<br />
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If the older brother were off, alone in a distant field, sulking and whining about how he's been a slave all these years and never even had a goat to party with his friends with, he would be alone in his hell. But in the story Jesus tells, he's at the party, with the music in the background and the celebration going on right there in front of him.</blockquote>
-Rob Bell, <i>Love Wins</i><br />
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I've wondered more than once what it would be like for an individual like James Dobson to reach Heaven, only to discover himself surrounded by the people he had spent a lifetime denouncing and condemning to hell. Would he learn to accept that God's love is more radical than he believed, and eventually reconcile with those he wanted to spend eternity apart from? Or would heaven be an eternal hell for him?<br />
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I suppose it's not really fair of me to single out Dobson; history is rife with individuals (pious and otherwise) whose hatreds run even deeper. And even the best of us have our own sets of prejudices and grudges that we must either battle or feed on a daily basis.<br />
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If reconciliation is indeed our future, as Bell proposes, what kind of eternity are we preparing for ourselves?Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-56435092326343455882013-09-04T18:00:00.000-06:002013-09-04T18:00:03.090-06:00LinksAnd now for another installment of people saying things I wish I'd said...<br />
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-Donald Miller would <a href="http://storylineblog.com/2013/09/02/id-rather-be-hated-than-loved-with-conditions-2013/" target="_blank">rather be hated than loved with conditions</a>. I'm inclined to agree.<br />
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-Fred Clark points out how conservative Christians make the <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2013/09/03/the-power-of-gay-is-more-than-more-than-conquerors/" target="_blank">power of Gay</a> more powerful than anything else in Creation.<br />
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-Australia's Prime Minister makes a <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/a-pastor-asks-a-politician-why-he-supports-gay-marriage-it-seems-he-wasnt-prepared-for-his-reply?c=ufb1" target="_blank">principled case</a> for supporting marriage equality.<br />
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<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-77224790147431492762013-08-23T17:00:00.000-06:002013-08-23T17:00:00.075-06:00Double-Edged"My freedom ends where yours begins." While my politics aren't quite as libertarian as they once were (the Tea Party drove the final nail in my idealism's coffin), I still regard that principle as a good starting point for evaluating public policy. In an ideal society I should be as free as possible to conduct my life as I see fit, but that cannot include the freedom to impinge on your freedom. Viewed another way, it's a corollary to the Golden Rule.<br />
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It's never quite that simple in real life, of course; the boundary between my freedom and yours is a hazy line at best. But simply stated principles can still act as beacons to help us navigate through that haze. Applying this principle we can, for example, quickly see through the flimsy claims of discrimination that religious right groups have begun hurling around in the wake of victories for LGBT rights. Allegedly, by treating LGBT individuals as equals, society is infringing on the right of conservative Christians to treat them as inferiors. It's a shallow claim that fools nobody, in part because we instinctively understand that principle.<br />
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But freedom does extend in both directions, which is why I get uncomfortable when I hear about cases like that of the <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/08/22/2513821/new-mexico-supreme-court-photographer/" target="_blank">New Mexico photographer</a> who was sued for refusing to photograph a gay couple's commitment ceremony. I say that not because I personally approve of the photographer's inhospitality, but because it raises issues surrounding freedom of association.<br />
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I do recognize the need for non-discrimination laws; the government (and its employees) must, in the name of justice, treat all citizens equally and apply the law without bias against disfavored groups. Likewise, in matters of employment, housing and health care (and other essentials), denial of service on the basis of personal prejudice can cause undue hardship.<br />
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And I can see where, in some cases, a gay customer in a socially conservative region might find him- or herself unable to find any photographer (or baker, or electrician, or pet-sitter, etc.) who wouldn't discriminate. For that reason I lean toward agreeing with the opinions of those courts that have ruled against the photographer and similar defendants, even though I'm not entirely comfortable doing so.<br />
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But it does still beg the question: are we willing to accept this interpretation of the law when the shoe is on the other foot? Should a gay-supportive photographer be forced to accept the business of a fundamentalist pastor known for his fiery anti-gay sermons? Should a bakery that celebrates diversity be legally obligated to bake a cake for a church that believes in white supremacy?<br />
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These questions are hypothetical, but I pose them as a reminder that anti-discrimination laws cut in all directions, and that each of us may one day find ourselves in the position of having to provide our services to someone that we find morally objectionable. For the most part that's simply the price of living in a free society - but it behooves us to be certain now that we're setting that price at an amount that we ourselves are willing to pay.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-28210207221859822682013-08-12T21:22:00.001-06:002013-10-22T13:33:28.026-06:00UnfundamentalismLately I've been coming across a lot of good reading material at <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/" target="_blank">Unfundamentalist Christians</a> (which I keep up with through their <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. Here are a few of those items of interest:<br />
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1. A post with a few thoughts on the doctrine of <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2013/08/inerrancy-vs-contradictions.html" target="_blank">"Biblical" Inerrancy</a>. A watershed moment in my own journey was coming to the realization that this doctrine was neither biblical nor helpful.<br />
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2. This is the second time I've come across the blog Sacred Tension. <a href="http://sacredtension.com/2013/08/05/the-cost-of-mandatory-gay-celibacy/" target="_blank">This post</a> on the tragically high cost of forcing celibacy on gay people nails the problem on the head, through individual stories that deserve to be given a fair hearing by those who make that demand. One of these days I hope to get around to writing about the compartmentalization I did in (and prior to) my ex-gay days and the ways that continues to impact my own life.<br />
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3. Finally, a quote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">For
having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by
better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on
important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be
otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to
doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of
others. Most men indeed as well as most sects in Religion, think
themselves in possession of all truth, and that wherever others differ
from them it is so far error…</span><br /><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"></span></blockquote>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"> - Benjamin Franklin, Speech before the Constitutional Convention, Sept. 17, 1787, recorded by James Madison</span><br />
<br />Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-30197110606814729842013-08-03T10:29:00.000-06:002013-08-03T10:29:53.722-06:00Misdirected<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were something weak and helpless. These people walk by a widow deformed by leprosy begging for a few paise, walk by children dressed in rags living in the street, and they think, "Business as usual." But if they perceive a slight against God, it is a different story. Their faces go red, their chests heave mightily, they sputter angry words. The degree of their indignation is astonishing. Their resolve is frightening.<br />
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These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside, They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart. Meanwhile, the lot of widows and homeless children is very hard, and it is to their defence, not God's, that the self-righteous should rush.</blockquote>
-Yann Martel, <i>Life of Pi</i>Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-56563934260356412912013-07-30T09:36:00.001-06:002013-07-30T09:36:52.677-06:00Scandal<blockquote>
It is really shocking how little Jesus is shocked by human failure and sin. In fact, it never appears that he is upset at sinners at all. He is only and consistently upset at people who do not think they are sinners. This momentous insight puts him centuries ahead of modern psychology and right at the center of rare but authentic religion. So much so, that most Christianity itself never notices or addresses this pattern. It is an “inconvenient truth.”</blockquote>
-Richard Rohr<br />
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What we get out of the Bible seems to say far more about us than it does about the Bible itself - the legalists find rules and punishment, the skeptics find inconsistency, the revolutionaries hear a call to arms, the compassionate see grace and mercy. But that is, perhaps, a separate topic - one that could no doubt fill volumes...Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-49243118421519405692013-07-14T21:54:00.004-06:002013-07-14T21:57:50.095-06:00Life Soundtrack 35<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rWZr2F0qohA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<i>Safe and Sound</i>, Capital Cities<br />
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I love the use of juxtaposition in this video. Whether or not the artists intended a political statement (I'm not familiar enough with them to say), it works well as a commentary on American foreign policy. But either way, I like both the song and the video.Eugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.com0