Thursday, July 31, 2014

Reader Question- What about Evangelism?

I was wondering what your view on evangelism is, espcially re:your latest on Christianity and universalism.

Regards,
Sarah

This one gets a little interesting, so here we go.

Evangelism is a VERY touchy subject in Christian circles. To some, it is something we HAVE to do, indeed, possibly our main purpose on this planet. There's a whole world of heathens out there and if we don't get the word to 'em, and fast, then they're doomed to hell and it will be ALL OUR FAULT! Get out there! Knock on doors, circulate the tracts, spread the Word, GO! GO! GO!

At which point, some of the rest of us start looking embarrassed and hide behind our menus so the waiter might think we just happened to be sitting at the same table but aren't really WITH them.

In some ways, I like the basic sentiment behind that kind of Evangelism. After all, if you honestly believed that someone would go to Hell if you didn't at least try to teach them about Christ, well then, NOT doing so really would be pretty despicable. Like watching someone drown and just shrugging it off. The problem is that in order to get there you would need to make some pretty big assumptions, the biggest of which being that  The Almighty Creator of the Universe is willing to allow the status of the soul of a creature made in God's own image to depend whether or not you personally are willing to get out of bed on any given day.

When I (briefly) moved in a circle like this, we looked on non-believers very similarly to how one might look on Poke'mon, like they were how we kept score as to just how well we were doing in the Kingdom. There was actually a "Christian" knock off of Magic the Gathering made where you kept score by how many lost souls you had saved. It was fun all the way up until the point that I realized that there is a section of Christianity that actually views the world this way, and a big part of the push that made me get serious about the Reformed aspect of my faith.

So I'm against that kind of Evangelism, because it is EXCEEDINGLY egotistical and self-centered, which are pretty good hints that it's not what God wants for us. That said, am I completely against Evangelism? Honestly? No. By some understandings of the word, that's what I'm doing here.

To clarify, I promised early on that I wasn't going to try to convert anyone, or guilt people into any action. I believe I have kept that promise. But let's say, hypothetically, that after reading something I wrote, one of you Nerdfighters contacted me and asked about getting connected with a church, based on what I had said. Not only would I do so in a hot minute, but I'd be happy about it all day.

You are precisely the sort of people I WANT in the church. Caring, intelligent people who are willing to get their hands dirty to fight Worldsuck? With a church made up of Nerdfighters, we could change the world. I'd love to be the pastor preaching to a group like that. So if you were to ask me if I was completely disinterested in whether or not you joined, I'd either have to answer no or lie.

But I don't think your eternal soul depends on it, or me.  And you're already fighting worldsuck. So why make a nuisance of myself and alienate people? Instead, I'll answer questions here, answer summons to various threads on ANF when people want some kind of advice or counseling, and in general try to forget to be awesome as little as possible. If that fits your definition of Evangelism, then I guess I'm all for it. 

I'd love to have you in my church, no question about it. But if all we can be is fellow Nerdfighters, that's not bad at all. 


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Reader Question- How do I show that I'm not with the Crazies!?

I, as an atheist, share a problem with those of the religious community who are not frothing fanatics. My question, therefore, is this. How do you best get others to understand that fanatics are (generally) the outliers of any community while moderators are what most people are? This, of course, once just saying the words and explaining bell curves fails.    -Billy

Thanks for writing, Billy.

For starters, I always feel that this is an unfair place for any North American Atheist to sit. North American Frothers tend to be religious. That said, there is always a fear of the other, and in North America that is where atheists sit... the place of the other.

So I wouldn't put any North American Atheist that I have heard of in the "frother" designation,  there are some that I would put in the "jerk" designation, people who have apparently responded to the bullishness they found in Christianity by responding in kind, being aggressive about their atheism and ranging from dismissive to outright contemptuous of people of faith. While they certainly have the right to speak their minds and vent their anger, they do occasionally make it hard for other atheists when Christians start thinking that all atheists are like them, because in general, they are the only ones who are talking.

I totally get wanting to differentiate from that. But the answer takes a bit of vulnerability. For instance, you have to be "out."

There was a strong desire when I joined the Nerdfighter community to keep my head down about my faith, because there were a lot of people who were jumping all over believers. I understand that, I really do. North American Atheists are used to being the minority, and so being in a community where they were evenly represented, or perhaps even a majority? Finally, a place where other non-believers have your back. GO! Even better, because the believers were also Nerdfighters, we recognized that in many ways, our faith (if not necessarily we ourselves) had it coming. Some of us fought back (because, you know, it's the internet) but most of us just kept our heads down.

(Please note I am not trying to say this is like the persecution Atheists can face on a day to day basis. I was never in danger of physical harm or losing my job. But I was made to feel like an outcast in a group of people I wanted as friends.)

That was when I decided to go the other way, to be completely out as a believer, to invite people to ask questions about that faith and to do my best to answer. My early AMA's had only one rule... ask out of curiosity, not out of contempt.

Slowly, as people came to recognize me on the board not only as a Nerdfighter but as a Christian, I noticed some of the knee-jerk Christian bashing subside a bit. Not because Christianity in the world had gotten better (We still have a LONG way to go) but I think, because I had become an actual face, a human being who wore what had been a hated label.

For a whole lot of North American Christians, Atheists are essentially boogey-men, shadowy figures they have been warned about, those dangerous godless liberals who want to take away our religious freedoms! It doesn't matter that such a distinction is clearly ludicrous, because the Atheists, to them, aren't really real people, just ideas, ghosts.

By being "Out," you can put a face on Atheism. Not being a child-eating rage monster, you can't but look good in comparison to the boogey-man, and so the next time that person considers Atheists, they might think to themselves, "Well, but Billy's a good person... and an Atheist!" It probably won't be conscious like that, but over time, it can happen.

That said, an Atheist in North America takes risks by being openly atheist that a Pastor in a Nerdfighter Internet group doesn't even approach. It may not be a risk you feel like taking, and that is completely your choice. But if you don't want the internet jerks or, far worse, the fictional boogey-men, to be the only report that Christians get on your average atheist, I'm not sure of a better way to get there, than to be proudly out about your atheism. And then, once out, to not forget to be awesome.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Reader Question: Has Moral progress made the Bible Obsolete?

Do morals and good behaviour in modern days make the Bible obsolete, since we already are respecting each other, living (rather) peaceful lives and have enough time for spiritual/philosophical growth. Wouldn't God be happy with that, even if we don't pray to him or sacrifice a goat in his name?
-Andi

Interesting question, Andi.

There are a lot of reasons why one might look at the Bible and decide that it is obsolete. It's age, for one, with even the newest parts going on two thousand years old. It's cosmology, for another. As I discussed in an earlier vlog, the universe painted by the Bible looks nothing like the Universe that science has shown us. Now that cosmology was more concerned with smacking down the Egyptian Pantheon than serving as an Astrophysics lesson, but that it was meant to be an effective metaphor shows just how old the message is.

Discussions of Slavery that took the institution for granted. Marriage codes that were revolutionary for their time but now are fairly backwards. The complete omission of lesbianism. (Seriously, anyone who gives a lesbian couple grief on a Biblical basis should have it pointed out for them that literally every passage that could be construed to condemn gay relationships is speaking EXPLICITLY about guy on guy. The lesson here: God loves lesbians.) The list goes on, full of reasons why someone could reasonably ask why they should hold that book as authoritative.

Your reason, however, is definitely NOT on that list.

Look at the world around us. How much more moral are we, really? Sure, we have finally admitted that sexism and racism are bad, but they are very certainly not gone. Seems like every time you turn around there is another shooting, another hate crime, another politician earning the praise of the rich off the backs of the poor.

Besides, it's not like the Bible set a morality bar as a goal and, once that goal was achieved, was like "ok, good enough for me!" Say what you will about the Biblical authors, they had a pretty decent grasp on human nature. They recognized that humans were always going to have problems, were always going to trip up, be greedy, be angry. The goal has never been for humanity to reach some arbitrarily defined good, but rather to help humanity get better. And I think there will always be room for improvement.

How effective it is to that task is another item on the list of reasons why the Bible could be said to be obsolete. I would argue that the believers who get spotlighted in those conversations aren't following the scriptures at all, but they CLAIM to be, and so the legitimate argument CAN be made.

But if your question is whether or not humanity has surpassed the morality that the Bible says that God wants of them, then my answer to you is no, no we have not. Speaking morally and ethically, we as a race have a long way to go, yet. I personally think the Bible can help us get there.

But, hey, Pastor here. So I MAY be a bit biased. :)


Monday, July 28, 2014

Reader Question- Dealing with the Judgers

 I'm Wiccan,  really an Omnist Wiccan. Seeing as I grew up Catholic and don't see Christianity's belief as false or any of the religions I studied after I left the church. My question, What is the best way to deal with "Bible Thumpers" that are overly judgmental and are completely disrespectful of my faith and beliefs.
-Niki

First off, sorry to hear about you having to deal with people like this at all. I always kind of want to walk up to Christians like that and give them a good smack upside the head. Of course, that wouldn't be particularly Christian of ME, either, but still.

In general terms, my best piece of advice for dealing with such people is a simple: "don't," in the same way I would tell people not to get involved in a comments thread on the ESPN boards. You just can't talk to some people, and engaging them is unlikely to do you any good, so who needs the heartache, right?

This is, of course, an oversimplification, because often it isn't that simple. Some of these "Bible Thumpers" you simply can't get away from, for whatever reasons. Maybe they're family, or some other part of your social circle that you can't just get rid of.

Even then, I tend to advise dodging the issue. I don't talk politics with a lot of my family because I really do love them as people, and I don't like who they and I become when we talk about that stuff. But if you have to talk to them, and you have to talk about your beliefs...

For starters, DFTBA. Just because other people are being cruel or harsh doesn't mean that you have to be, and at the end of the day if you can tell yourself that you maintained your sense of self and ethics in the conversation, when they were violating theirs, then that at least should be a silver lining in a storm cloud of world suck.

Second, if they start getting nasty, ask them how that nastiness has anything to do with the Bible they claim to follow. Ask for specific examples. They have been commanded to love their neighbor, that includes you, and if all they can do is be angry and mean to you, then maybe they need to check out the log in their eye before pointing at the splinter in yours. (This is all Biblical language.)

If they are angry, ask them WHY they are so angry. Isn't your faith between you and God? Are you supposed to judge Christianity based on their behavior? And if so, is THIS the behavior they want you to use as a reference point?

In the end, the "Bible Thumpers" you are talking about are not following the commands of their own faith. Instead, they are subscribing to the "fanboy" school of religion where you hate anyone who believes differently than you. You can't force them to stop, but you can point out the inconsistencies between the way they claim to believe and the ways in which they actually behave.

This won't work for a lot of people. Fanboys will be fanboys, and it might just make them mad, hence my "don't waste your time" advice. But if you care enough about them to want to address it, or are otherwise FORCED to address it, then simply point out that maybe one of the reasons you don't follow their belief system is the fact that they don't seem to follow it, either.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

About Weekends-

So it's about 7:50 local time and the church has had me running around like a crazy person all day. I was about to grab a question and just go for it when it occurred to me that 1) I am exhausted and 2) I just told you all how important it is to take a break.

Preacher, sermonize yourself, or something.

I'm not going to say that I will NEVER post on Weekends, but it will be far less predictable. Back answering questions tomorrow, I promise.

DFTBA!

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Saturday Ramble- The Importance of Rest

I've been sort of impressed at how many questions I've been getting. Seems like you all do care what I think about things, as much as that somehow blows my mind. Today, however, I am using the previous idea of the Saturday Ramble to take a day from questions and talk about rest, play, recreation, and how important they all are.

One time, early in my education to be a pastor, I was in a class with an older gentlemen who was also pursuing a career in the ministry. We were discussing the importance of vacation time. As a Preacher's kid, I remembered how hard it was for Dad to really stay away from work unless we literally left the state, and so I was pushing hard, advocating for fairly regimented vacation time.

Then this elder gentleman, who had been pretty quiet, snapped at me: "This is the problem with the church nowadays, you young people are so obsessed with your vacations and your time off. You know the Devil never takes a day off!" And with that, he sat back, crossed his arms, and smiled, sure he had us all pinned to the wall.

The teacher simply nodded at him. "That's very true. But why, precisely, would we want to use him as an example?"

Bam.

Often forgotten among the really great ideas that come from the Bible is the idea of a mandated day of rest. Of course, it has been abused, like so many things, but what an incredible idea it was to say that a day of the week could not be demanded by employers, but had to be between the people and their creator.

Religious traditions that believe that fun must be evil have placed strict controls on this day, missing what the Bible insisted was the point... it was to be a day of rest and relaxation, not a day of sitting as still as possible in order to avoid sinning.

So take a day, every now and again. The Bible commands it. And, to my Atheists who don't care what the Bible says but for whatever reason listen to me, Pastor Dan recommends it.

Take a day every now and again, and enjoy it. Relax in it. It is a gift.

Enjoy the gift!

Friday, July 25, 2014

Reader Question: Palestine/Israeli Conflict

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. - Jason

Hoo boy. I should probably open by acknowledging my own limitations here: I'm a pastor, not a sociologist, not a political scientist, nor a general or a soldier. I've been asked for my opinion and so I'll give it, but I will happily acknowledge that there are better people to interpret this one than me. This is one guys take based on limited information and experience.

Is that a big enough caveat? Here's hoping. Ok, here we go.

A while back during a Question Tuesday, when asked what it would it would take in order to bring true and lasting peace to Israel and Palestine, John Green answered that each would need to learn to respect the validity of the other's narrative. That is, to understand that while their perception of events has merits, so do the people on the other side of the wall. I think that was a good way to understand it.

For both groups of people, those who are actually on one side or another of the conflict, the lines seem so clearly drawn that us Americans questioning it probably seems absurd. We certainly see plenty of graphics on the interwebs that make the case in a clear, concise way, so that, when seen in that light, the perspective of the other side seems absurd.

The problem is, both sides have graphics like that. Because both narratives have validity. We like our morality to be black and white, and so people tend to pick a side to demonize. I think that may be why people who even begin to criticize Israel are accused of antisemitism,  or those who criticize Hamas are considered to be anti-islamic; there are plenty of people willing to do just that, after all.

The narrative of Israel is one of a modern nation that has been embattled for the entirety of its existence, an existence that began shortly after, and mostly because, of the near-annihilation of its people. Theirs is a story of a people on the brink who have fought tooth and nail simply for the right to exist. Their success in that endeavor is commendable and has strongly shaped their national identity. Take the effect of the September 11th attacks on the psyche of the American people and turn it up to something completely other, and you'll have a decent representation of the mentality that I would imagine is involved.

The problem, of course, is that mindset is, these days, somewhat outdated. It has been awhile since Israel was legitimately threatened, militarily, by its neighbors. But mindsets like that die hard. American readers whose grandparents lived through the Depression will have some idea of what I am talking about... a sense of scarcity that lived with those people LONG after the Depression ended, even into periods of prosperity, a fear that one day it would happen again, became the predominant mindset of an entire generation of Americans.

I do not know for certain, but I imagine something similar exists in the mindset of the older Israelis. When your neighbors have already made an all-out attempt to kill you, I would imagine that it would become difficult to worry too much about whether or not the police were being overly harsh in keeping the peace from then on. But until Israel learns to care about that, I don't see true peace occurring, because I think the move to peace, at this point, will have to be an Israeli one. They are the ones with the real power.

Hamas does not have, has never had, the power to match its rhetoric. It is not a true military threat to Israel. It is capable of killing and wounding, yes, but the power it has is comparable to, say, a decent sized gang in Chicago. They can be loud, they hurt and even kill civilians, but in a straight fight against military forces, they'd go down, and hard, pretty darned quickly.

Israel often makes demands of Hamas leadership to control its people if they want peace... but I am far from certain that kind of control is really possible on this kind of scale, and that is not at all meant as an indictment of the Palestinian people. Remember the Will Smith movie Independence Day? When the Aliens first arrive, there is a newscast that goes out begging citizens to not shoot their guns at the large Spaceships, lest they inadvertently start an interstellar war.

I remember watching that and thinking; "Wow, if that is true, then war is on." Because you can't control everybody. Some yahoo out of his mind on PBR will go out with his friends with his favorite pistol and take a few shots while waving the American Flag, right? Here's hoping the Aliens can recognize that for the criminal act it is, rather than an act of war.

The narrative of the Palestinians is one of a people who have been hounded and herded since Israel was placed, a direct result of the Western idea that people who didn't have formalized Nation States could just be placed under any old rule and probably be better off for it. They fought for their homes and lost. And ever since, every now and again, a new group will come around and make promises of retaking their homes from the increasingly hated Israelis... and then they get stomped down again.

The thing about being stomped down is, it really doesn't improve a persons attitude. Combined with the rhetoric from the Hamas leadership, of COURSE every now and again someone takes a potshot at Israel. You can warn them not to all you want, eventually people reach a snapping point.Understand that I am not condoning, or even excusing, those actions. But they are crimes, murders, as opposed to military attacks. We don't respond to every act of gangland violence by shelling Chicago.

I really, really wish the Palestinians had not elected Hamas leadership over the PLO. But all that said, I feel the onus for a true move towards peace has to come from Israel.  I don't know what exactly that would look like, or how it would be received by anyone involved. But eventually someone will have to take a hit from the other side without retaliation if peace is ever to happen.

And yeah, it would be nice if the side that did that was the one with all the military grade weapons.

There we go. My best, an completely inexpert, opinion. I am really, really glad that I am NOT in charge of brokering a peace. I feel I would be completely inadequate to the task.



Thursday, July 24, 2014

Reader Question- Dating Outside Your Creed

 What is your opinion on Christians dating people of different religion (or no religion)?  -SF

It's been somewhat surprising to me how often this one has come up. I occasionally get approached through PM by various Nerdfighters with problems of a more personal nature than what they want to share through open discussion or the blog, and while those questions have covered an astonishing number of topics, this is probably the most repeated question.

I get it. We're Nerdfighters, and there is no telling who you might fall into Nerdfighter like with. You might never have considered dating someone of a faith different than your own until you met this nerdfighter who kept not forgetting to be awesome and made you feel happy and tingly and important and now (I assume, because you asked the question) you really want to date them, whatever that will look like.

But, problem. They believe differently than you. Maybe you, a non-believer, never thought you'd be able to tolerate ANYONE who did something as ridiculous as believe in an invisible space being into child slaughter. Maybe you, a believer, never thought you'd want anything to do with someone who unable to fathom the God you know and love. But it happened. And now you're uncertain.

Because while you really, really like this person, your personal beliefs are a huge part of who you are, and you've had voices in the Nerdfighter community tell you, every day, that your beliefs are important, and you should feel able to stand by them. But that Nerdfighter still is there, being awesome. You think they're great, and they seem to feel the same way about you. So... should you date them?

Because I am a Pastor, my answer is: that depends.

A lot of Christians have been warned off of the practice of what is known in some Christian circles as Missionary dating... the idea of dating a non-Christian with intent to convert them. This message seemed most often aimed at young women, for some reason, though it was generally considered a bad idea for a guy as well. (Oddly enough, missionary dating in LGBTQ couples never came up. Huh.) The reason for this is that the heathen you dated was as likely to pull you off the OneTruePath(TM) as you were to put them on it, so why not just find yourself a nice Christian Boy(Trademark Pending)?

I actually want to echo some of that sentiment... if your plan is to date the nerdfighter today, convert them to your way of thinking tomorrow, then my advice is to NOT date that nerdfighter.  Not out of worry of your own immortal soul (or, if you are an atheist, out of worry for your invitation to Richard Dawkins next meet 'n greet) but because there is something profoundly disrespectful in dating someone for who you hope they'll become, rather than who they are.

Look, we're ALL works in progress, here. But evolution, be it of a species, of a social order, or of a person, is a complicated process. It's hard enough to get a clear picture of who a person really is, present tense. Mucking about it the future isn't going to make things easier. (Don't believe me? Just watch Doctor Who.)

For my Christians who are asking for a Pastor's word before they are theologically comfortable with dating someone else, no, I do not believe we are forbidden to date outside of the faith. That said, to you and to everyone else, including my atheists...

The real answer to the question lies within you and that Nerdfighter you're in Nerdfighter-like with. (Because, hey, consent is ALWAYS important.) Do you like each other for who you are, or who you want them to be? Can you co-exist with them despite certain differences of ideology, or will every moment be an argument? Can you support your partner in their faith decisions as they may need from time to time, or will you just be waiting for a moment of weakness in which to strike?

If you chose the first answers, then I think you'll be fine. Be safe, have fun, make good decisions. If you chose the latter, then I think that maybe you should find someone closer to you, ideologically. I know that being alone can be a drag, but why let a relationship with an awesome person be the thing to make you less awesome?

As for dating non-Nerdfighters, I don't think we allow that. I'll ask John and Hank and get back to you.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Reader Questions- Why?

Why did you choose Christianity over the world's 5 kajillion other religions? Do you think Christianity is more legitimate than said other religions?  How do you believe God views those who are good people but believe differently? - Lex

Why put so much faith in the Bible, when it could have easily been corrupted during all this time and forged by humans? Wouldn't any other book with deep meanings and morals do the same trick?  - Andi

Why universalism? - Joseph

I'm going a bit out of order on the queue, here, because these three questions, two answered through the contact form and one over the phone, all resounded together for me yesterday, and I've been trying to sort out my thoughts on these for awhile. They're kind of a big deal, after all, and probably more important to how people see me on here than anything I put on the Questions That I Suspect Might be Frequently Asked section.

For the first two, it may be impossible for me to separate nature from nurture completely. I was born in a society that favors Christianity over other forms of faith to a father who was a pastor in a Christian denomination and a mother whose father did the same. I've lived around the Bible my whole life, grew up seeing it as a favorite toy or puzzle, going through it and trying to separate meaning out of it while trying to keep up with my Parents when they would talk about it at the dinner table. You know the way some kids these days are brought up with Harry Potter as nearly an everyday part of their lives? For me, that book was the Bible. It was interesting, it was challenging, it was fun, and it was ALWAYS there.

So I cannot, with any sort of integrity, pretend that wasn't a part of my upbringing, nor give any assurances that if I had grown up the son of a Rabbi or an Imam, I wouldn't be Jewish or Islamic, respectively. In fact, one of the reasons it took so long for me to finally confront the call I felt to ministry was that it would look like I was just going into the family business, rather than doing it from any place of personal conviction.

All that said, there was a time when I chose Christianity, following a period of personal atheism. I have honestly no idea how to explain it to you. Some would call it an epiphany, others would call it a God Moment, Richard Dawkins would probably call it a mental breakdown. But God spoke to me, invited me back.

I never really questioned if it was Christianity I was being called back to. I can't claim to have done my research at the time. I have done research on many other faiths since, but always from the perspective of a Christian. The Church is where I felt at home, where I was able to see how even the voices in the Bible that seemed to speak for injustice or immorality were a part of an overall vector that pointed to love, respect, and justice. It's a feeling I couldn't reconcile with other holy books, but as I said, I'm not sure I ever really tried.

This will probably make some people crazy. If I didn't do my research, how do I know? But if you've been watching this space, you know that I don't know. That it isn't about knowing. Because it's about faith, not knowledge, and unless I have faith in Islam, all the Qu'ran reading in the world will not resound for me in the same way a simple evening prayer would for a true believer.

Why Christianity over other religions? Because I believed in Christianity, and not the others. I have prayed with them, worked with them, debated with them, marched with them, and while I do respect them, I didn't... umm... let's say resonate with them as I do with my particular brand of Christianity. It's not a matter of legitimacy... if it were, we wouldn't be doing faith.

Why the Bible, even in the face of all it's imperfections and everything that seems off about it sometimes, or all the perfectly human perversions that could have occurred? Because I believe that if an almighty Creator is capable of pulling the universe into existence from nothing, and cares enough to give us a roadmap for how this life is gonna work, then it's really not that big a stretch to say that God would find ways to safeguard that roadmap. Besides, the Bible is only one half of the Word of God equation.

In my Seven Days vlog I talked about how everyone who studies the Bible also interprets it. I believe that God works in that interpretation, so that even if the text was skewed over time, God can use the document as a whole to still point us in the direction we are supposed to be going in.

So that is why I am Christian, and why I read the Bible over other holy texts. But that does mean that I am not a Muslim, or a Jew, or a Wiccan, or UU, or a Pastafarian. Which is where the final question becomes important.

Why am I universalist?

In Christian terms, a Universalist is someone who believes that, in the end, all people of all races and creeds will be gathered back to God. In overly simplistic terms, it means I think everyone goes to Heaven. This isn't just a random thought, or a theological exercise, but a deeply held, and vital, belief. And here is why.

When I was working as a Hospice Chaplain, I sat beside many bedsides. My message, over and over again, was to tell people that God loved them, cared for them, and would keep them safe. This message went to people of many faiths, creeds, races, and ideologies. Likewise, in my time of interacting with Nerdfighters, I have told many of you the same thing. I believe it to be true. And not like how I believe there are probably sentient extraterrestrials out there. I believe with strong feeling and conviction.

In my tradition, the Western Reformed, we have this thing called Predestination, the idea that whether or not someone goes to heaven lies with God, not them. It's the theological basis of my universalism, the idea that God chooses everyone. Now, Reformed Christians are told over and over again to act as if everyone they interact with is chosen. It's sometimes called Functional Universalism. And the idea horrifies me.

Some of you have come to me with your difficulties at some of the most vulnerable times I can imagine. What if I told you that you were loved, cared for, protected, and safe... only for you to find out that, through processes you couldn't control... you weren't? That would be horrible. For you most of all, but for me...

Assuming that I was chosen, I cannot fathom what that eternity would be like, knowing that people I had sat with, prayed with, and comforted would be in torment like that. It would torment me. Heaven would become a punishment. And I would look at the God that put me in that position and there, in Heaven, in the midst of the greatest possible evidence of Christianity... I would walk away from the faith.

That is why I am Universalist. If I wasn't, I couldn't do what I do, couldn't be who I am. And that's why I don't worry about questions like legitimacy of religions. I'm not in this to save your souls. I'm in this to serve the Lord to the best of my ability, and that means, among other things,  being loving and respectful to you, whoever you are, whatever you believe. That is what my faith is about, what my faith means.

So, THAT'S why.


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Reader Questions: Homework time!

I was raised Catholic but have always identified more as just Christian. I grew up being taught about God and the Bible, but realized that I was just learning someone else's interpretation. I want to start learning more for myself about my religion. Where does one begin? I feel like one does not start at page 1 of the bible...
I am very much a self identified nerd so research and reading and the such do not scare me!
Thanks and best wishes,
Paige


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I get the basics of how and why the protestant religions broke off from the Catholic Church with the whole Martin Luther/95 Theses, John Calvin, etc all aided by the arrival of the printing press. However, from there my history knowledge gets immensely dimmer. Why then the further fracturing of so very many protestant denominations? Was it a lack of centralized organization? A mistrust of same? Doctrinal differences? And what are the major differences between the bigger sects? For instance what makes a presbyterian different from a methodist, etc? If you're not interested in writing on the topic yourself, but could point to some source material that a reasonably intelligent person who has not done a stint at seminary could digest, I'd be interested in some homework.

Thanks!
Regards,
Allie



So let me get this straight. You folks are starting to ask me for HOMEWORK now? Man, you all really do put the nerd in nerdfighter, don't you? Well, I live to please... (cracks knuckles)

Ok, Paige first. You're never going to entirely get away from other people's perspectives. Even within the Bible, you are going to find the differing perspectives of the Biblical Authors, and sometimes outright debates. For example, while he went about the (important) task of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls to protect the returned Jews from outsiders, the prophet-priest Nehemiah also ordered his people to get rid of their foreign wives, saying that they would corrupt the people and make them not-jewish. And yet, written within twenty years of Nehemiah (and likely contemporary to his rule) is the book of a Ruth, the story of a gentile woman (and not just any Gentile, but a woman of Moab, Judah's enemy!) who followed God's commands and ultimately became the Great-Grandmother of King David! This isn't a coincidence, but a religious debate, with the clerical power of the time making his case through his autobiography, while the ones in favor of keeping families together (who ultimately won the debate) arguing through the moral of their story.

And both are Biblical.

Plenty of people have claimed to have found the unassailable truth behind it all, but they are lying to you and (hopefully) themselves. There is no removing humanity from the process. Even if God was to come down and place a beautiful truth straight in your head, Paige (could happen) in expressing it to us, we would get some of that truth, and a LOT of Paige.

So what you do is start digging in, and remember two very important things in any sort of religious study.

1) Human Beings always get in the way.
2) God knew that about us, which may, in fact, make it the point.

So dive in. Start with the Bible. I'll probably do a video later as a guide, but just remember that the Bible isn't really a book, per se, or even a series of Books, but rather an Anthology, a collection of oral tradition passed down, then written down, and finally collected. Look for the biases of those who tell the stories or the law, and recognize your own, and always remember that the Bible often teaches through moral narrative... the way things are done by the people in the Bible is more often a horrible warning than an example.

There ain't no one more qualified to show your own reading of the Bible than you. 

Next up, Allie!

One of the things that is so often forgotten about Catholicism (either pre-Reformation or Modern day) is that just because there is one guy in a funny hat who ostensibly runs the show doesn't mean that they are, were, or have ever been monolithic. There have always been contrasting views within the church, with various religious orders (very different theologically from each other, yet still existing under the Catholic Umbrella) existing for about as long as the ol' church in Rome has. And yet all the while, these people, very different, bickering constantly, managed to keep the whole "one church" idea going. 

But then the Reformation happened, and it broke the surface tension. The early Reformers really did try to reestablish a new "one church" (Their intent had never been to leave in the first place) but theological differences that had always been there continued to exist, and now seemed bigger. After all, if you are going to risk your neck to speak out against Rome, you might as well make sure you get the message right, you know?

So they continued to divide and sub-divide. Anti-Catholic sentiment fueled this as well, and as Rome was slowly painted as "Babylon" any concept of a centralized church slowly became known as an evil. To this day, organizations like the National Council of Churches or the World Council of Churches constantly come up against opposition that claims that such ecumenical organizations are a return to the "whore of Babylon."


Some of that has simmered out, of course, but to this day you will get churches that claim to be "non-denominational." Wishing no ill on those congregations, this has ALWAYS irritated me, as a denomination is simply a gathering of churches who believe similar things. By that definition, there is no such thing as a non-denom... they are simply denominations of one. Ironic, for churches that claim to BE non-denom because of how denominations divide the church!

For a real good breakdown of Christian History in this period, I always recommend Justo Gonzalez' seminal work, The Story of Christianity. Great Book and does its best to give a well rounded, though still Christian, view of how things came to be. This particular volume goes from the Reformation to modern day (Well, Modern day as of about twenty years ago.)

There are quite a few references that compare the various denominations to one another, such as the one that can be found here, but always take these with a grain of salt. The better way to learn about who they are is to ask their people. If you want some REAL homework, visit the church of a denomination you are interested in on a weekday, and ask if you can speak to a pastor. If they have time, they'll probably be delighted to tell you. If someone walked into my office and asked a history question, I'd be thrilled.

Kinda like I was with yours.

DFTBA!


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Reader Question- Science vs. Religion

I still have a hard time aligning my belief in God and my belief in science. How do you manage this? What are your thoughts on our origin? What do you tell to Christians who take the 7 day creation literally?          -Shannon

GREAT question, Shannon. Or, er, series of questions. (Cracks knuckles.) Here we go.

I actually see Religion vs Science as a false dichotomy, created by adherents of one or the other who have no interest in their opposite number. In reality, the two have little to do with each other. For starters, you don't believe in Science. That is precisely the opposite of what science is for. If you take "science" on faith (as more than a few people I have met do, mind) then you're not really doing science. Science is all about tested, controlled observation. Sure, you might choose to respect greater minds than your own in issues that quickly go over your head, but in general the entire idea is to be able to look at published findings and replicate them.

Basically, if you are "believing" in Science, then you're doing it wrong. You KNOW science. You codify it. You present it. And you tweak it as you add observations.

Then we have faith, which deals in the UNobserved. I often refer to it as a sixth sense, not in the "I see dead people" vein but a form of inherently unquantifiable awareness. And that's about as far as you can go in describing it, because it resists definition. It's not only a matter of religion, either. Concepts of morality and justice have no place in hard, observable fact. Scientific history tells us that men have more power than women, for instance. The idea that such a state of affairs is somehow wrong exists entirely outside of the scientific realm. Science isn't interested in how things should be, it's got its hands full dealing with how things Are.

And yet, people do faith wrong all the time, too. People get so obsessed with their understanding of the way the world should work that it leaves the realm of belief and becomes knowledge. A person who, for example, KNOWS that homosexuality is a sin and should be blotted out, the person who KNOWS that the world will end on such and such date, the person who KNOWS that they are God's Chosen and so their war is just...

That's not belief. That's knowledge. 

Interestingly enough, in order to do either right, you need to deal with doubt. Proper Science requires a certain cynicism, an unwillingness to accept a set of precepts just on their own merits and rather insist on doing the work to establish them. Likewise, Proper Faith demands a certain level of humility, the constant awareness that you, in your faith, may be wrong.

Both also require a certain level of openness and innocence.  The true Scientist is eager to be surprised, to find the results they never saw coming, the data that leads them far afield. Likewise, a true believer embraces with a wonder a world far beyond what they could ever comprehend, and holds a willingness to experience the world beyond quantifying it.

As to my thoughts on our origin,I'll be the first to point how how limited by scientific training is, but given the data I've had available to me, Evolution makes the most sense. I also believe, from my faith and religion, that the world was created by God. Despite what so many people will tell you, these are not mutually exclusive options. I suppose this technically makes me an "Intelligent Design" person, though you won't see me trying to get ID into schools. I'm not going to be asking politicians do design and approve any sort of religious education anytime soon.

Your last question, concerning 7 Day Creation, has given me an idea for a video that I may try to get recorded this week, so I'll sit on that for now, except to say that, as always, people who claim to take the Bible Literally actually don't. No one does. Everyone interprets. More on that later, I promise.

DFTBA!

Apparently necessary addendum: I didn't mean to imply that scientists are constantly reinventing the wheel re: already established knowledge, OR that those who don't are in some way applying faith rather than knowledge in the system I discussed above. Obviously, if Scientists had to do that, nothing new would ever get done. 

Part of the scientific process involves accepting the (properly) reported observations of peers, so that one person doesn't have to recreate the entire whole of scientific knowledge in order to get to the point where they can finally do a new thing. This still isn't belief... if they needed to, if something seemed, off, they could track the whole thing back through various published results and put them to the test. The results are there... even if each individual doesn't personally vet all of them. 


 


Saturday, July 19, 2014

Reader Question- Off Weekend Religion

I preface this with I feel like a ton of people have moderate to severe chronic illnesses now. There are a ton of things to ask surrounding that, but for today- How can one be spiritual/connect with their religion when the weekends are spent on recouping spoons from the work week?

Regards,
Chronically Awesome

Hey there, Chronic. Thanks for writing in!

Very interesting question. I'm going to go on a limb and assume that you have fallen victim to one of the weirdest auto-corrects I have ever seen, because if you truly are forced to spend your weekend recouping spoons, then that is one mother of a chronic condition.

Note: I have since been informed of what was meant by spoons with this fantastic link: http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/
Check it out to see what Chronically Awesome meant by "recouping spoons". 

The easy answer to your question is that while Sunday is classically the day on which services go down, there are plenty of churches that offer weekday or even weeknight options, and those would be worth checking out. But that brings up another problem... are you going to be any more energized after a workday?

Worship falls on weekends for a reason... and that reason is Sabbath. Taking time off is SO important according to the scriptures that it is followed up with massive commands and punishments. The implied lesson is clear... put the fear of God into the masters (the ones who paid others to work) so that they would give their people a day to rest, recuperate, and have a relationship with their God. At the time, it was pretty groundbreaking stuff.

Still is, in many ways.

Worship (however that looks) is supposed to be a time of recuperation, of spiritual recharging. Sadly, it has often been transformed into a sort of religious catch-all: a time when the church squeezes every drop it can out, because we pastors know we're sure not gonna see you for the rest of the week.

This is a violation of the very spirit of the Sabbath.

So some day, when you feel like you're up to it, I'd recommend Sabbath shopping- finding a temple or congregation that meets in a time and place that isn't arduous for you to manage or that can accommodate your special needs (some worshiping bodies are better at this than others) and see if worship does that. If so, it can become a powerful tool for recharging your batteries, no matter when during the week it happens.

In the meantime, when you are at home at not really able to face the outside world, there are plenty of practices offered by a wide variety of religious traditions. One of the most universal is the Mandala. Find a Mandala book (they run about 5-10 bucks at a Half Price Books Store) and some crayons, and fill it out. You'd be amazed how spiritually centering it can be, and how you can allow your mind to focus.

And to my Atheists, don't forget the importance of Sabbath, either. Take some time, at least one day a week, to separate yourself from the day to day grind. And don't just make it a day of doing nothing. Find a worship equivalent... say, volunteering at a Soup Kitchen, or a place where you can sit back and enjoy poetry or music. LOTS of those out there, as well.

Maybe you don't hear God telling you to rest from time to time. That's fine. Now you've heard me say it! 

Addendum: Post-Reading the Spoons article, I have a much clearer idea of what you are talking about and dealing with. I would most definitely recommend mandalas and other at home spiritual options, such as prayer books, as well music.

DFTBA, and thanks! I learned something! 

Vlog- No Net


Friday, July 18, 2014

Reader Question- Premarital Sex

What are your views on pre-marital sex? Do you have an opinion at all?          -Amy Pond

Oh, boy. This could be interesting. Well, come along, Pond.

Pre-marital sex is a very complicated subject for someone who holds the Bible in a place of authority, because marriage as we understand it now simply did not exist in Biblical times. In many ways, in days of yore, sex was a marriage act as much as anything else. To some perspectives, particularly in the Old Testament view, Pre-marital sex wasn't even really possible.

This is not to say that people were less promiscuous, just that, in that definition of marriage, you had a LOT more adultery than we tend to, now.

So while others will disagree with me on this, (and will have valid reasons, because that is how Biblical Interpretation works) the first part of my answer is that the Bible really doesn't say much on the subject. However, taking the Biblical commands on sex and translating them into the modern day WILL give strong recommendations (some might even say commandments) when it comes to choosing your sexual partners, regardless of where you are in relation to a ceremony when the phrase "I do" comes up more often than in usual day to day life. These are as follows.

1) Ideally, you should limit yourself to one partner. (More only complicates things and causes problems.)
2) You should treat that partner with love, honor, and respect. (This is regardless of your gender or theirs.)
3) Rule #2 includes consent. Some of the most terrible of the Old Testament punishments were for rape.

So, having told you what I think the Bible says, now it is time to answer your question and say what I think. And before I do, I am taking marriage out of the equation, because it has become a government thing that is still denied some people. God doesn't give two shakes what the current majority of your state government thinks about your love for someone else. This is, as far as I am concerned, between you, your prospective partner, and God*.

I believe that sex is a beautiful thing, a true gift, an amazing way for two people to share with each other both physically and emotionally. I hate how culture has demonized it, acting as if sexual sin is, in some way, worse than other sin, because it involves certain bits. From slut-shaming to homophobia that attitude has harmed so many that part of me wants to just give it up, you know? But here is the problem... in some ways, sexual sins ARE worse. Not because they involve naughty bits or because they feel good, but because when you sin through sex, you can really, really harm someone.

Rape is an obvious example, here, but only the extreme case. In sex we become vulnerable to each other in an incredible way. When that is honored, it can be beautiful. When that is abused, it becomes horrible. I know there are people who say this is not a problem for them, that its just a physical act that feels good. I see that kind of jadedness and I get sad... because I think that is sex already ruined.

If someone was going to walk into my office and confessed having sex in a way that seemed to violate the Biblical recommendations, I would do my best to assure them that God still loves them. In the end, nothing can take the love of God from you... not even sex. Everyone makes mistakes. Sure, you may not have used this gift in the way it was intended, but the grace of God covers that.

If you were to walk into my office, tell me you were planning on having  sex and asked for my advice, however, I would advise you thusly:

If you love this person, and want to be with them forever... if you feel that the sex would be an expression of that love, not a payment or an investment in the future, if you are ready for this person to be a part of your life, for better or for worse, forever... then go for it and enjoy one of God's greatest gifts.

If not, I would strongly recommend waiting.

* To my Atheists, you obviously won't care about the God part of the above equation. That's fine. If you still value my advice in this, then I would strongly advise you to make your sexual decisions based on love and respect for your partner. I do still feel this involves doing your best to be monogamous, because what I have seen of Poly relationships still introduces a hierarchy that I do not believe is respectful of all partners.

Then again, Christian Pastor here, so my experience is limited. Still, my blog, my advice, take it or leave it. Maybe we'll talk more about Poly later. There is certainly more info in the Bible for that than for Pre-Marital sex.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Someday my Prince will come.

I am all the anger right now.

A couple of days ago, on Facebook, I was contacted by someone claiming to be a pastor in Nigeria. He was looking to buy Bibles for his congregation and was wondering if my church could help. I told him I would certainly be interested in helping, and so asked for some information on where to send the Bibles.

He explained that mail was problematic those days and just money would be fine.

I explained that if mail was problematic that cash wasn't going to do much better than Bibles, and so asked again. He reluctantly gave some more information.

I was starting to feel a bit suspicious, and so started doing some research. Before I could get anything conclusive, his Facebook account was blocked as a source of spam and abuse. I had been really suspicious... his page, which was relatively new, was full of people with titles like "Evangelist" and "Bishop" all wishing good luck in ministry to their new friend.

Seems the guy had a con going.

I know this happens periodically but I have to admit I'm a bit miffed about being contacted by the con for pastors. Couldn't it have been a beautiful Nigerian princess? Or even a prince? Hit me up saying you want to love me and make me rich, APPEAL TO MY EGO, DARN IT!

Sigh.

Someday my Nigerian Prince will come.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Vlog- Tv and Polo


Reader Question: Sunday School Burnout and Guilt Complex

Hi, Pastor Dan!
 

I'm exhausted physically, mentally, and spiritually, to the point where I've made myself sick. How do I broach the topic of "I really feel like I need to stop teaching Sunday school and change churches before I burn out, because it's detrimental to me and therefore the kids" in a way that doesn't offend my kids' leader and my pastor's wife?                      -Kya

Ugh.

Sorry, Kya, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at this strange guilt system that seems built into most churches, whereby parishioners feel compelled to continue in programs that aren't feeding them until they either just have to leave, or completely fall apart and take the program with them. It's ridiculously prevalent, and makes me crazy.

The answer is short, and sweet. Use your words. But probably not all at once.

My recommendation is to get an appointment with your pastor or both and tell them that you are going to have to stop. No excuses, no placating, you are exhausted to the point of illness and need to quit.Once that has been said, ask if you can talk about your spiritual exhaustion. And pay very close attention to his answers. If his focus becomes getting you back to Sunday School teaching form, rather than getting you back to health, trust your instincts, give him your best, and walk out and find yourself a new place to worship, a place that sees the need to feed you rather than just use you.

If he does focus on caring for your spiritual need, take some time to see if your tank starts refilling. If so, a few weeks down the road reevaluate if you really want to leave. If not, great, if so, it's time to go church shopping.

People may be offended by that. But that is their problem, not yours. Don't worry about what they think, instead, worry about how you act. If you believe that you have acted in the best faith towards them and the children you are teaching, you don't owe anything beyond that.

DFTBA


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Reader Question- Sympathy for the Devil

What's your view on the Devil? Do you think that he is real and that he rambles through the world looking for victims? And what about the story in which he was the most beautiful of angels until he rebelled, I have never found it in the Bible! When did the whole thing started? All in all, what's your view on the concept of "Evil"?

-Pippen


Fool of a Took! (Sorry, Pippen. Had to be done. You can't say otherwise.)

The Serpent. The Devil. Satan. Lucifer. Easily one (or more) of the most fascinating characters in the Bible, not least because there is so very little actually written about him (them?) in it. 

A lot of people, influenced by culture, have come to see the Christian Worldview as one where the forces of Good (God, angels, and the good gentile boys and girls) are locked in an age-old war with the forces of Evil, (Satan, the demons, and those kids who grew up playing D+D.) The Devil himself is often portrayed as some sort of puppetmaster, seizing control of people and forcing them to do horrible things, or else making deals for their souls that never turn out quite as they expected. Think either the Exorcist or Faust.

And then think again.

I once heard someone say that the original fans of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories were the originators of fan fiction. Laughable. People have been writing Bible related fan fiction for centuries, (Some, like Paradise Lost, are now considered  and no character gets a more intensive treatment than Satan.There really isn't all that much there. Even the name Lucifer (Daystar) is used in Isaiah but is much more likely to be a metaphor to represent the downfall of a human king than an actual angel of light turned Evil One.

For a representation of an "Evil One" that is actually clearly characterized, we need to turn to Genesis and to Job. The serpent from the Garden of Eden is often conflated with Satan, and yet if you only had the Eden story to go by, you would have no reason to believe the snake was anything other than a talking snake. The all knowing narrator never gives us any hints like "The snake, who was actually the spirit of a fallen angel who hated humanity for being replaced them," to make us think anything other than the story that is told... wherein a talking snake with legs convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God.

Even saying convinced is a bit of a reach... the snake asks questions, and named possibilities. And humanity acted. Which leads me to the Satan found in the book of Job.

In Job, Satan arrives in God's court. Asked where he has been, Satan reports that he had been wandering the world, watching. His name actually means prosecutor, here, and so we are given a view that is very different from the Classical Satan... rather than an enemy, Satan is portrayed as a member of God's court, a member with a very important function: to look at the world, and show where it has gone wrong.

When God boasts to Satan about about how great Job is, Satan merely responds that it is easy to be a god-fearing man when life is served to you on a silver platter. Later, Satan mentions that wealth is fleeting, but so long as Job has his health, it is still easy to serve God stalwartly. Everything that happens to Job is done with God's full knowledge, indeed, with God's permission. 

Very different from what we see in Paradise Lost, eh? Or nearly any pop culture representation of Satan or demons. (Now I should probably brace for a rush of Supernatural fans. No spoilers, I haven't seen it.)

I think my thoughts on Satan (and evil) can be best conveyed through the words of master theologian Mick Jagger:

"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name,
But what's troubling you is the nature of my game.
I watched in glee while your Kings and Queens
Fought for ten decades for the Gods they'd made.
I shouted out who killed the Kennedys,
'Cause now after all... it was YOU and me."

and then later...

"Just as every cop is a criminal,
And all the sinners, saints.
As heads is tails just call me Lucifer
Like I'm in need of some restraint."

Taken from the song Sympathy for the Devil (which happens to be my Karaoke go to) "Lucifer" points out that countless atrocities that are laid at his feet were actually perpetuated by Humanity, that every great act of "evil" ever perpetuated by the Devil was done with Human assistance.

I think this fits perfectly with both the Genesis and Job portrayals of the Devil, a tempter, a prosecutor, someone who whispers in our ears the realities of the world and then steps back to see what we do.

I do believe in Evil, and I understand the desire to personify that evil in some kind of sinister outside force. But that just isn't backed up by scripture. Most of the actual evil you see in the scriptures is performed by human beings. The great mentions of the fall of "Lucifer" that occur in the books of Ezekiel and Isaiah actually talk about the fall of great kings, rulers of great promise who succumb to the temptation to misuse the power their rule has granted them. 

The temptation is very, very great to blame someone else, to claim that the "Devil made us do it." But the Devil doesn't make anyone do anything. Suppose that the classics got it partly right and the Devil's goal is to lure people to Hellfire. If the devil "made" you do it, then what have you done? That's not guilt, at best its entrapment.

We humans have enough potential for evil (or whatever you want to call Worldsuck) within ourselves, that any outside forces that do exist are a far off second place. That is the Biblical lesson of evil.  

Monday, July 14, 2014

Video Question: Aliens and AI


Reader Questions- Awkward Times with Mom

Pastor Dan,  My mature mother (she despises the word old) has decided that since her lawn mower, we'll call him Mike, made himself at home in her house on weekends, this is perfectly acceptable. He never asked her.  He just hitched a ride with her to my town and he bunked at my apartment until I told her they had to go home he was making my roommate uncomfortable.  Frankly, he creeps me out.  He acts overly friendly with my mom, he tried to order me about and tries to get my attention, and overall it's a very uncomfortable situation.  Anyway, her minister has suggested she help him find a job. So on weekends Mike lives with Mom.  I have to move to her house for a couple weeks (between apartments doom) and I feel really uncomfortable with the entire situation.  My question is any suggestions on how to make this less awkward?  My mom won't discuss the matter if I say anything that isn't happy about the situation. Pax and DFTBA,            -Alicia 

Wow. That's quite the situation you have there.

On the one hand, your Mom is what we in the ministry like to refer to as a "grown-ass woman" and so obviously entitled to make her own decisions on who she invites into her home. So far as that goes, there isn't a whole lot you can do after expressing your concern with the situation, which it seems that you have.

That said, him making YOU feel uncomfortable isn't okay, either, and if you are going to be staying with her for awhile, I don't think it's unreasonable for you to express your concern there in your own way. Hopefully, simply expressing that he makes you feel unsafe will be enough... a lot of Moms put up with a lot until they go Mama Bear on someone.

If she won't, though, you might need to come up with another housing solution. Be honest and straightforward with your Mom while you do so, telling her what you're doing and why. It's great that she's trying to help Mike get a job, but I'm willing to bet your Pastor didn't have her opening her home up to bed and breakfast services on the weekend in mind, either. (We pastors can be rather protective of our "mature" members.) If she takes her pastor's word seriously, you may want to call the church and explain the situation. You may find you have an ally there.

Either way, be respectful to her and you should be fine. And, obviously, if Mike gets out of line, get authorities involved immediately. Sometimes even "mature" people can get in over their heads.

Peace,
Dan




 


Saturday, July 12, 2014

Saturday Morning Ramble- Wonder Woman

So it's Saturday morning, and I'm up to write a blog post because I am going to try to stay consistent on this one, only no immediately pending questions, because this blog hasn't existed a week yet. It happens. Let's call this a Saturday Morning Ramble... whatever I want to write about.  Maybe it'll become a thing.

And I think I want it to be about Wonder Woman.

Over the past decade or so I have been completely fascinated by the process of taking comic book characters and delivering them on the big screen. Before then, of course, I still enjoyed the movies made by DC and Marvel, they caught my imagination. I even enjoyed outings that history tells me I should have disliked. I liked Batman and Robin, and for awhile there would have consistently told you that my favorite Comic Book movie was Batman Forever. Because it was FUN, darn it, and that was what I was in it for.

For this past decade, though, I have been paying closer attention, still enjoying the movies but starting to wonder more about what they mean. I love the big deal that Captain America: The First Avenger, made about Steve Rogers being just another guy. I was haunted and thrilled by Heath Ledger's Joker.

I think that is why I was so disappointed in Green Lantern and Superman. As a kid, I might have LOVED them... but those characters are supposed to mean something. Ryan Reynolds was a horrible decision for Hal Jordan (a truly disappointing choice, really, given Nathan Fillion was a layup just waiting to happen and would have worked physically as well) and the dark broody route did not fit Superman. We needed the Big Blue Boy Scout. We didn't get him. So what we got was a guy with powers and issues. Still made for some interesting plot, but the movie will be forgotten just like Superman Returns was, and like the original Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, will never be.

I always knew that Diana (Wonder Woman, for those not on a first name basis with her) would get a movie eventually. She's a part of the DC Trinity, and even has some pop culture cred from her 70's TV show. Someone was always going to make the attempt... even if it would be (discouragingly) as a cameo in someone else's movie.

But after Dawn of Justice, someone will have to give her her own vehicle and franchise. I hope to God they get it right, and not just because of the fanboy in me that thinks that she could be brilliant and the movie would be great.

Because if they get it right, if they show us a movie about what Diana means, it would be a message Hollywood needs a lot more of right now. A Wonder Woman movie that got it right would show us a flawed woman, scarcely matured past being a girl, seeing a male dominated world for the first time. Her outsiders perspective would be like Captain America's in Winter Soldier, capable of honest critique, seeing the things everyone else just accepts and wondering why.

And then she could DO something about it. Forces would try to stop her and then get crushed, because she's effing Wonder Woman, who has gone toe to toe with Superman and stood her own. She would do it with strength, brilliance, and also that inherent goodness that she shares with Superman and Captain America. 

Of course, that would require her to ACTUALLY be a superpowered Amazon from a Paradise Island named Themyscira ruled by women for millennia. I'm not sure we can trust Warner Bros. to deliver that, these days. They need to believe her, like they didn't in Green Lantern or Superman. Warner (I feel it is unfair to blame DC too much for their movies, as Warner has made clear in interview after interview that they view DC as a property, rather than a valuable arm or asset) doesn't really believe in anything outside of box office numbers and focus tested, corporate driven money makers.

But if they believed, they could recapture the magic that allowed them to get out of Harry Potter's way and make something great. I honestly believe that. I hope it happens. I hope they learn that the reason Disney is making huge money on the Avengers isn't a creative formula, but rather a simple premise: believe that the characters you have created are interesting enough to stand on their own.

Diana is a character I want to see done well, and a character that young girls DESERVE to see done well. They deserve a hero who allows them to be the hero, a WOMAN that stands proud among, and against, the other. So far, they have Black Widow. Not bad, really, but Diana would be better.

Unless the make her a superpowered damsel in distress. In which case I might start burning things.