Interesting thoughts

Read a great column today that brought up some interesting (and oft discussed and ignored) points about Evangelical Christians in the US.

Now, please, get past the intentionally provocative title to read the content of the article. Also, yes, all Evangelicals (a highly diverse group) are lumped together here, but that is because he is discussing trends reflected from research on the subject.

The jist of what he is claiming is true. At least to my eyes.

Jesus the Savior is easy. Jesus the man is difficult. So they tend to ignore him.

Federal Dollars for Religious Social Services

I'm reading a fascinating and disturbing book entitled "Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism" by Michelle Goldberg. As a secular Jew, she doesn't quite "get" all aspects of evangelicalism, but overall the book is excellent if scary.

I'm currently on the chapter discussing Bush's "faith-based initiatives." These innocuous sounding plans allow religious organizations to get public funds to do good work.

The issue is this. Certain well established religious organizations such as Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services set up secular branches to work with the government. Both the Catholic and Lutheran churches have plenty of religious social work they do as well under different umbrellas, but those agencies are the ones that recieve the bulk of government funds.

Many other groups do not make this distinction. They offer social services and prosyletization all at once. That's fine, except when you are taking government money. Then you get into issues with the separation of church and state.

Don't get me wrong. We are guaranteed freedom OF religion, not FROM religion. But, when the government starts giving certain groups money, groups who aren't soley interested in social good, but conversion as well, you're getting into dangerous territory. If Christians can do it, so can Muslims, Buddhists, Scientologists, etc. Unless you believe that America was founded as a Christian nation then, well, I'm sorry, the facts just don't support that.

Now, I'm saying no government money for these programs. Does that mean I think these programs should go away? Of course not! These are the places Christian charity should be going. To help people and their souls. But, its also helping people no matter what!

Are there radical secularists in this country that make life hell for any group wanting to do good in Christ's name? Yes. Are there fundamentalist groups that give the secularists good grounds for their concerns? Sadly yes.

Christ didn't work through the government. He didn't speak much about it at all really. I find the idea of so many Christians loathing the government, but wanting to twist it and use it when it benefits them disturbing. Its a very, well, un-Christlike thing to do. There was no duplicity in Christ. At least not in His aims or means.

True to a Point

Here's a link to a great column about the Hutatree Militia.

She raises many good and valid points. One issue she skirts is the major difference between Christianity and Islam.

Christianity's central figure, Christ, never focused on political power or violence. He healed the ear of one of the people coming to arrest him after Peter cut it off.

Islam's prophet/founder on the other hand used mercenaries to take over a city and violently set up a political theocracy. This was from the start of the faith.

Now, am I going to say that Christ's adherents have followed his ways or teachings very well with how they relate to temporal power? No. We've done a terrible job. Its merely that there is nothing in the teaching of Christ or the New Testament to support many of the horrible things done in his name.

Islam, conversely, has more to answer for because of how it began. Does it mean every Muslim is a potential terrorist or believe in the more violent interpretation of the Quran? Of course not, and its unfortunate that most countries that are run according to interpretations of Islamic law are run by fundamentalists who take the most conservative and harsh stands.

Should every Muslim have to apologize for the misguided and those perverted by evil? No. Does Islam need to do much soul searching about how it interacts with the modern world? Yes.

Just as Christians need to as well.

Fighting fire with....

So, Liberty University, founded by the late Jerry Falwell and run by his son, just cancelled their Democratic Party club. Here is a nice little story on it.

That's fine. They are a private institution and can do what they wish. However, if this is the route Christian schools are going to head, then please, don't complain when Christian programs get cut at other universities.

Do I think its wrong that univerisities frequently discriminate against Christians? Yes! Is the answer discriminating against a group at their school? No.

I really find disturbing that the reasons cited are because the group's parent Party stands against the school's "moral principles."

This bothers me because they still have a Republican Party Club. Now, I'm sure they mean the moral principles of abortion is wrong and gay marriage is wrong and that's fine.

However, the Republican leadership in this country lead us into 2 wars that have killed probably over 200,000 people combined (a conservative estimate if you ask me). Helped to foster immense amounts of greed which helped lead the current economic crisis.

Oh, and constantly ignored or put off the poor and down-trodden in favor the the wealthy and privileged.

I don't really see how those are sound moral principles either.

Its Liberty's choice, I merely think it is a pretty darn poor one.