Unfundamentalist

Above All, Love

Guest Author

Caught on the Wrong Side of History

by Ami Vielehr in Poetry

June 1, 1865
September 2, 1945
November 30, 1955
What is this common infamy?
All are on the wrong side of history.
The day before monumental events
Shaped and formed
our culture,
our moral compass
our very humanity.

And one day–in the not too distant future–
I hope–
Oh God I hope and pray
that this season of  atrocities too will take its place
at history’s gate
closed out from what is decent and moral and just

The tearing of child from a travel weary breast
The haunting sobs “Papa, Papa”
The dusty and dirty and disoriented, alone
in the heat of a desert, with not a thing to call their own
Even language escapes them.

Running with desperation from future of despair
Toward arms which promise
To welcome
the tired,
the poor,
the huddled masses,
yearning to breathe free
And yet with malicious and selfish intent
Arms do not liberate,
but separate and incarcerate
All as political plea

A scourge on the very fabric
Our collective moral fiber
We are marked again
on the wrong side of History
in a mutiny of everything that defines us as human;

All who have ears to hear let them listen…
History will judge us
as standing on her wrong side–
One day,
when the stories are told
and the generations look back
they will ask of us…
How could that happen?
Why did people let that happen?
And humility will wave her long finger in the faces of those who dug in their heels and say
“Shame …… [Read more…] about Caught on the Wrong Side of History

Summer Solstice Epiphany

by Jill Crainshaw in Christian Spirituality

[Ed. note: this post was written on the occasion of the summer solstice: June 21, 2018, but applies equally well to all the long-light days of summer.]

I do not understand why some of our nation’s leaders are doing what they are doing.

Because I do not understand their actions, I have gained even greater clarity about why I do what I do as a theological educator at Wake forest University School of Divinity.

Let me explain.

Today is the summer solstice in the U.S., a day when the sun shines longer than on any other day of the year. Hostile and violent forces are at work in our world today to keep hurting people from knowing the hope and warmth of life’s light. We need these extra hours of sunlight to seek how to live God’s Gospel truth in our times. We need a summer solstice Epiphany.

What is a summer solstice Epiphany? The ancient sages in Matthew 2, commonly known as the wise people in the Christian Christmas story, followed a God-flung orb of light to Jesus’ birthing place. Many Christian traditions have located the story of the sages’ journey on day of the liturgical year in January known as Epiphany.

The word “epiphany” means “manifestation” or “a striking appearance.” We cannot wait for another January to look for God’s light to reveal a way for the human community to journey toward justice and renewed hope. We need to ask now what the manifestation of God in Jesus means in a world where so many fear for their lives, where too many innocents are… [Read more…] about Summer Solstice Epiphany

When God Plays Favorites

by Alex Camire in Christian Issues

Let’s just admit it – we all have our favorites. It isn’t that difficult, then, to believe that God has favorites too. Consider that one of the main narratives of the Bible, as a whole, is preoccupied with the notion that the Israelites are God’s chosen people, God’s “favorites,” so to speak. Favoritism is sort of a harmless construct, but it can affect a lot, particularly when the stakes are high.

Over the last year or so, I’ve tried to limit my direct criticisms of the president and his administration. I have, generally, erred on the side of limiting my sound that would contribute to the raging noise on the subject that has seemingly overtaken all news media in the most exhausting way. But, for the moment, I must be vocal.

Over the course of the current presidency, and the election cycle that lead up to it, there have been a number of Christian leaders who have insisted directly, or passively implied, that Donald Trump was chosen by God to lead our nation. Even one of the pastors at my own church (the church I left a week after the election) went so far as to post to Facebook that Trump’s win “was a total miracle of the Lord,” implying that God’s “favor” was upon him. These beliefs, while benign in and of themselves, can lead to malignant consequences – issues we are seeing played out currently. 

This favoritism is not new, but has been a hallmark of the religious right since its inception in the 1970s. In 1973, two landmark decisions occurred that would shape the… [Read more…] about When God Plays Favorites

Closets, Then and Now, Open and Closed

by Marguerite Sheehan in Christian Issues

I grew up in a large Victorian house in a small city in Western Massachusetts. I had, and thankfully still have, seven siblings. We span fourteen years, so it was not long that we all lived together in that house. During my growing up years, the house was filled to the brim with children, my parents, sometimes my grandmother, an aunt or two, and a cat that we called Mother.

I have lots of memories of that house and that city. And now, lo! I live in a Victorian-era parsonage. It seems like old times when our grandkids sleep over and when the house is filled with visitors. But I do wonder, where are my siblings?

The part of the “growing up house” that is on my mind today is the many closets. Some Victorian houses are short on closets, but ours was rich. They were not “walk in” but some of them were “sit in.” In the back of the closets were bureaus and it was possible for a small to middle size child to push aside the coats or dresses and climb up on the bureau top and finally find a place to be alone. Quiet. If there was a light in the closet or if you had a flashlight you could read, and for a short while no one knew where you were. I loved being closeted in those days. Every kid needs a tiny space of their own.

Even I, who is sometimes short on getting irony, know that the closet of my youth is strangely similar and very different from the closet of the rest of my life. For a long time now I have not wanted to be “in the closet” and have pushed my way out of many.… [Read more…] about Closets, Then and Now, Open and Closed

The Earth Is the Holy Land

by Darrell Lackey in Christian Issues

Last month, the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. What are we to make of this move? While members of the Trump administration, in their nice clothes and bright smiles, stood with Israeli officials, just across the way over fifty Palestinians, including children, were killed.

But what are their lives worth, when “biblical prophecy” is being fulfilled? Yes, you read correctly. I know, crazy, but this is where we are as a nation. This is what happens when fundamentalism with its dispensationalism helps elect this type of president and then has his ear.

Remember, Vice President Pence is a dispensationalist along with a majority of rank-and-file fundamentalists/evangelicals. Of course, Trump could care less and has no idea what these people are even talking about. He’s just shoring up their support — doing something they wanted.

Where this links to current events is the dispensational view of Israel and physical geography, the land. Kim Riddlebarger in his book about amillennialism writes:
“We have seen how dispensationalists are committed to a literal interpretation of Bible prophecy. They insist that Old Testament prophesies regarding national Israel will be fulfilled by the modern state of Israel…”
And he quotes Hal Lindsey:
“I believe God’s purpose for Israel and His purpose for the church are so distinct and mutually exclusive that they cannot be on the earth at the same time during the seven-year tribulation.”
These notions of… [Read more…] about The Earth Is the Holy Land

A Kind of “Love” I Can Live With

by Stephen Schmidt in Christian Issues

I so wanted to rip their heads off. To yell at them, to show them how stupid they were being.

There are all these little private chat groups on Facebook, and if you’ve got any media-chatty or politically active friends, you’ve probably been sucked into some of them. This one was an alumni group from the Christian university I attended. And the discussion was — surprise, surprise — about the president and his recent policies.

I wanted to yell at them and tell them Jesus opposed everything they stood for. All their nationalistic pride, their anti-immigrant hostility, their anti-equality, anti-LGBTQ rights positions. Their dismantling of social safety nets for our seniors and the poor, for children. Their lifting safeguards that prevent poisoning our water and destroying our planet. Couldn’t they see how unholy they were being?

If I could, I’d probably strip their voting rights away. I’d silence their ugly voices. I’d make it so they couldn’t do harm to people, to the planet, to our country.

Yeah. Until I thought about it for two more seconds. I can’t drag Jesus into my arguments — even when I feel it is so clearly justified — because they can too. We each read and hear what we want to see and hear. The Bible, the Gospels, Jesus, only speak to us where we are, what we’re willing or able to accept right now. When people try to quote Jesus at me to prove me wrong, I almost always think they’re misunderstanding him. And, of course, that’s what they think when I do it to… [Read more…] about A Kind of “Love” I Can Live With

How I Found Compassion After Being Shamed for My Untraditional Christian Beliefs

by M Lorrie Miller in Christian Spirituality

A few years ago, I was shamed for my untraditional Christian beliefs by two traditional Christian friends. This shaming was profoundly disorienting initially, but later it became a major catalyst for my spiritual growth.

One of the things I was shamed for was my more expansive understanding of what it means to be a Christian, including seeing the Bible as a guide that evolves with us, rather than as a literal translation. I also shared my belief that God loves all His children, not just Christians, and that there is more than one way to the mountaintop.

When I shared my untraditional beliefs, I was preached at and Bible verses were quoted to denounce my point of view. I felt angry at my friends for triggering shame in me, and angry at myself for reacting and not being able to respond in a meaningful way. I felt disempowered and disconnected from my own source of truth.

I realized afterwards that the emotions being triggered were connected to the indoctrinated beliefs that I internalized as a child before I had the ability to reason. My upbringing included 12 years of Catholic education. Even though we were taught that we were created in God’s image and likeness with a soul and the Holy Spirit to guide us, these were mostly words we recited in religion class. The real message we received was that we were unworthy and separate from God. Failure to adhere to what we were taught was presented as a threat to our souls, which would cause God to separate even further from… [Read more…] about How I Found Compassion After Being Shamed for My Untraditional Christian Beliefs

Shadrach, Mechach, Abednego, and the NFL

by Alex Camire in Current Events

We will soon be entering our third NFL season where the attention, for many, will not be solely on the game, but also on the conversation about racial inequality and police brutality against persons of color.

This conversation (started by Colin Kaepernick in August 2016) is still ongoing, but has taken an unfortunate turn. For this upcoming season, the NFL owners have chosen to create an internal policy requiring players to stand for the National Anthem when on the field, with the intent to prevent protests and suppress the voices of those who were calling attention to the issues caused by systemic racism.

Today, as I write, it is with the specific frustration that the acknowledgement of my white, male, Christian privilege is not shared by many of my fellow white, male, Christians. Truth be told, I wish I didn’t have to speak or write about this topic, as it generally leads to a discussion and debate among them that I am already tired of.

And yet, I must be vigilant in reminding myself of the privilege I possess. Opting to turn a blind eye or ignore a problem simply because it is exhausting is a luxury that isn’t afforded to everyone. These conversations matter as they affect the very lives of people of color; and they don’t have the benefit of looking away when they get tired.

What’s become the most frustrating thing about this topic is the way that it is regularly framed: as a protest against our actual anthem and flag, and, by extension, the government,… [Read more…] about Shadrach, Mechach, Abednego, and the NFL

Practicing Love Is Far More Important Than Believing Doctrine

by Chuck Queen in Christian Issues

Dr. Albert Schweitzer was an amazing man. He was a renowned theological scholar, a concert pianist, and a medical doctor. The second half of his career was devoted to serving a medical mission in Lambarene, Africa. He could not get missionary support because his theology was suspect, so he performed concerts in order to raise money to support his work.

In the first half of his career as a theological scholar he wrote several books, one of which launched a major theological movement that has now went through several phases. The title of the book describes the movement, The Quest for the Historical Jesus.

The late Fred Craddock, who taught at Candler School of Theology for a number of years, tells about the time he first read the book. He was in his early twenties, just getting started in his theological career. He thought Schweitzer’s Christology was woefully lacking.

Fred was in Knoxville and read in the news that Schweitzer was going to be in Cleveland, Ohio to give a concert at a church dedicating a new organ. The article reported that there would be refreshments afterward and that Schweitzer would be around for conversation. Fred was so passionate about his views of Jesus that he bought a Greyhound bus ticket to Cleveland, hoping to have an opportunity to drill Schweitzer with questions on his doctrine of Christ. He reminds me of myself in my twenties.

After the concert, Fred was one of the first persons to get a seat in the Fellowship Hall. He plopped… [Read more…] about Practicing Love Is Far More Important Than Believing Doctrine

If God Wants to Save Us, Why Isn’t Salvation Simple?

by Randal Rauser in Christian Issues

I know what you’re thinking: salvation is simple! After all, just look at John 3:16: God loved the world so much he sent his Son so that whoever believes in him will be saved. Surely that is simple, right?

It might seem so, but the closer you look, the more that initial veneer of simplicity dissolves into an unsettling complexity.
What do you need to believe to be saved?
Let’s start with this question: what does it mean to believe in Jesus?

At first blush, Paul appears to provide a simple answer to that question in Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (NIV) So believe Jesus is Lord and God raised him back to life: that’s what you need to believe to be saved.

Simple? Actually, no, it isn’t.

Here’s the problem: there are many groups outside of historic, orthodox Christianity that affirm those two claims. Mormons, for example, profess to believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead. Does that mean that Mormons are saved?

Many Christians believe the answer is no: Mormons aren’t saved. The reason is that while they may accept the claims of Romans 10:9, they also accept many other claims that are incompatible with orthodox Christianity. For example, Mormon theology asserts that God was once a human being who evolved to become God and that human beings can themselves become gods.… [Read more…] about If God Wants to Save Us, Why Isn’t Salvation Simple?