Christian Nation or Nation of Christians?

Semantics!

Lately I seem to be all over the map. I have played ball for both teams(liberal & conservative), but lately I seem to be coming full circle to where I started (philosophically speaking...). You see, I was raised in a small town, in a small community church that believed in Christ's message of Grace and Love. My early development was influenced by older siblings who experienced the latter days of the Hippie movement. I also took strongly to the lessons I learned of America and the Constitution/Bill of Rights. Then I went out, so equipt, to find my way.

 I loved debate classes, especially the ability to argue both sides of an arguement. I mean, if someone failed to show up on the day of a scheduled debate, I would step-up and fill-in, even if I had just argued the other side. I also recall really enjoying Formal Logic class. My College days we in pursuit of a Liberal Arts Degree( I 'm sure you can guess my political leanings during this time). It wasn't that I didn't believe in Jesus, just that I felt the world was more diverse than Black and White. My liberal undertaking led me in pursuit of more-and-more excess with less-and-less responsibility. I ended up a meth addict/cook with deep debt and no compass.

Upon running into Jesus again(he was never far away) I asked for(and got)relief from my liberal excesses. I switched teams, grabbed my Bible, and prepared to make war upon "the world". I, once again was in possession of my faculties and Absolute Moral Truth. Nothing like giving a control-freak Absolute Moral Truth. I was like Hitler with the A-Bomb. Oh sure, I can smile and act nice, but inside I know that I'm right and your wrong, and I can wield sarcasm and pity for the lost like a surgeon. You may never even know that I'm looking down upon you from my ivory tower, but I'll keep cutting in little ways until you get the message; "I know God and you don't, na na na na naa na". What a jerk I can be!  

 So, what does all this have to do with my topic?

Well, lately I've found myself playing loose with my allegiances. I mean, I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ who believes fully that He is my Hope, my King, and my Savior. And yet, I am siding with Anne Rice in her indictment of organized religion. I love being in America and I believe in our Christian Heritage. And yet, I am firmly in support of the Mosque in Manhatten on the grounds of Religious Freedom. I seem to be playing both teams. Am I?

I guess I need to explain a bit of the "Why". Around December of 2008 our church did a 4-week segment called "Please Forgive JAMES". it was sort of a mystery, until JAMES was revealed not to be a "Who", but rather a "What". JAMES was an acronym for the perception many people have of Christians. It stands for: Judgemental, Arrogant, Mean-spirited, Egotistical, and Self-righteous. I was outed/busted/exposed. Even in my best Sunday disguise, I knew that these qualities were at the core of my being. I struggled with them, hid them, and bargained with them, but they were there. It was then that Jesus started me on my current journey. I have been mandated to LOVE. I have tossed the law, or rather left it to others who perhaps can do a better job of it than me. God told me to love everybody, RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE. I'm not to judge, not to condemn, not to proclaim my superior relationship to God. I am to LOVE ALL His children.

I'm not great at this, but I'm getting better. I still struggle with "Me" and my desire to be "right". I do bear witness to the wonders of God and my belief in Christ, but now I'm willing to accept that you are"_______"(fill in the blank). It's OK God believes in you, even if you don't(yet?)believe in Him.

OK, So what does any of this have to do with "are we a Christian Nation or a Nation of Christians?"

Well, I feel that to call ourselves a Christian Nation(meaning that the USofA is a Christian Nation) is to say that it is our piece of ground, and at best, we will tolerate you(barely). But a Nation of Christians is a place where anyone, of any faith or creed, can come and be shown love by a people who follow a King that promotes loving one's neighbor, and even his enemies.."They will Know We Are Christians By Our Love"

I mean, Jesus Christ's Kingdom is established in the hearts of those whom he has called, more-so than in the political offices of those who need to run the operations of Government. And certainly those who do follow Jesus should strive to public office, but they should not eliminate others from participating in this great experiment in democracy.
 
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
 
So I ask you: Christian Nation or Nation of Christians(and friends)?
 
Then again, it might just be Semantics

Old Friend, New Friend, Red Friend, Blue Friend

Friends


"Those People"
This phrase echos in my mind and soul. I most often heard it during my misspent youth coming from my mom whenever i got into trouble. It was always, "If you didn't hang around those people you wouldn't get in trouble". I always wanted to explain that it was more often me leading them astry than the other way around. Maybe that's simplistic. They were certainly involved in the same life choices I was, but I always bristled at the notion that it was their fault that I was doing what I chose to do.
I remember how I came to know "those people" in the first place. I was an outsider in school. The Jocks didn't accept me. The Preps didn't accept me. The Popular People said I didn't fit in. I ran to those who accepted anyone, the Stoners. They said they had room for anyone, especially anyone who was an outcast. Funny, but that's what Jesus says too.

The next time I really remember the phrase being implied was as I entered into recovery. It was that I needed to stay away from "those people" if I was to have any chance at changing my patterns and behaviors. I have to say that this remains good advice for those entering recovery. I think that it is neccessary to have a clean slate to work with when you are changing things about yourself in major ways. My major concern comes from the concept that, again it is somehow "those  people" who are to blame. The choices were mine.

Now comes my beef:
Upon entering into these new fellowships I was assured that they would replace "those people" with a "new, improved, better class of people". Five years into my new life, I'm not so sure.
I currently find myself lonely, isolated and, disillusioned. Sure I've had some close interactions. I attended some events, belonged to some study groups, even hosted weekly gatherings in my home, but I have come to find that these interactions have been fleeting. They pass and leave me feeling as if I have not truly developed the kind of relationships that have depth, beyond the time that they occured. And this makes me feel like they are more akin to the interactions I had with "those people"; there for a time, then gone.
I just wish I felt the more warmth from His people. I mean sometime I do, but lately I feel like an outsider again.
 
I have since returned to interacting with some of "those people"(friends from my hometown, friends in Sandpoint, etc), and I have found that, (unlike what I was assured) they remember me, like me, enjoy me, yes, even love me, despite(or because of) my changes and my dedication to Christ. They weren't just my friends because we were mutually messed up. They actually love me for me (just as Christ does). I do wonder often about my "new" friends though. Lately it seems as if those who most loudly professed that they were truly my friends, don't even seem to know me. It's as if they have discovered that because I am willing to look outside the carefully constructed clubhouse and I am no longer worthy. I miss those close times, but my trust in their assurances of "true" friendship is shaken.


At the end of the day, you only deal with the moment right in front of you. You fill it, alone or with friends, being "those people" or "these people". It may not depend so much on how they behave than how "I" behave. Am I being kind, loving, supportive, and genuine. Or am I being self-focused, shallow, and absorbed in what I want. Whether the friendships last beyond today or not seems to be beyond my control.
Jesus is always right here, but he assures me that he was often lonely in the crowd. Still, it's nice to have friends that last beyond the moment. I have some. Hopefully you do too. Maybe I can be one. As they say, "It takes being a friend, to have a friend", no matter which type of "people" you may be considered to be.
 
 
Bright light almost blinding,
Black night still there shining.
I can't stop keep on climbing,
Looking for what I knew.

Had a friend she once told me,
"You got a love, you ain't lonely."
Now she's gone and left me only,
Looking for what I knew.


I'm telling you now,
The greatest thing you ever can do now,
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now,
It's very easy just.


Met a man on the roadside crying,
Without a friend there's no denying.
You're incomplete there'll be no finding,
Looking for what you knew.

So anytime somebody needs you,
Don't let them down although it grieves you,
Someday you'll need someone like they do,
Looking for what you knew.


I'm telling you now,
The greatest thing you ever can do now,
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now,
It's very easy.
It's very easy.
It's very easy.

(Friends-Led Zeppelin)


Peace & Love, 
Jon

The Diary of Anne "Frankly-Speaking" Rice

My association with Anne Rice began innocently enough. I recall seeing "Interview with a Vampire" many years ago. I enjoyed the film, but don't recall being overly influenced by it. I can't say that I read all of her books or was inclined to become Goth. While incarcerated I read several of her novels because they were available. They were a bit dark for me but I remember being impressed with her ability to paint detailed pictures of other time periods. I was more of an observer from a distance. I actually became more interested in her when I had heard of her return to Catholicism. I looked up her website and read with interest her desire to devote her writing skills to fictional accounts of Christ in His early years prior to any recorded history. I still recal how she used Ava Maria as her music on the webpage.
I was greatly impressed with her book "Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt". I recommended it to my mother and several friends. I even sent her an e-mail welcoming her into the fold of Christiandom. To my surprise, she wrote me back. I guess it was then that I came to think of Anne Rice as a friend of mine.
Recently, she denounced her involvement with Christianity, while retaining her belief in Christ.

"I quit being a Christian. I’m out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.”

I left a comment on her page after she made these declarations stating that I loved her for stating what was in my heart. I also have come to feel that the message of "love thy neighbor" was being lost in the mandates to remove myself from humanity and to hold myself somehow better than the rest of my fellow humans, because I knew God and they didn't. I have since followed the multitude of discussions and comments that have arisen out of her declaration. They run the gamut from those who are grateful to hear this message from so prominent a figure, to those who declare that she never has known Christ, and that her salvation was never genuine. In the darker comments I hear the echoes of the very thing she is rallying against.
And yes, she has written me back and thanked me for my comments.
Anne posts criticism and interviews,comments, both good and bad,and a variety of other things including her favorite TV shows and actors, or pieces of music that had struck her fancy that day. In all of these thing, she shows herself to be a thoughtful, warm, and genuine human being, who is seeking to understand her place in this wonderful creation of God's.In all things, she attempts to be frank and honest.
I am honored to call her my friend. I believe Jesus Christ smiles upon her and loves her, as he loves us all. And I thank her for being the lightning rod that has brought the issues that I have struggled with in my heart to the point of public discourse.
Whether you agree with her or disagree with her, it is well worth looking her up on Facebook, and following her journey. I am certain that one day, we will sit down and share a joke and a smile. Even if that day is on the other side of eternity in the presence of our Lord Jesus.

To Mosque or not to Mosque

Into The MosquePit?

Well, here we go with the limited , emotion-based, understanding of the freedoms that this country is founded on. To Mosque or not to Mosque. I understand emotions run high in a country or state that has experienced actual violence from a particular group of people, but to deny all Muslims a place to express their religious freedom in Manhatten because of the act or actions of a select few is the very essence of what our founding fathers attempted to stop with the First Amendment. Surely, it may seem to be in bad taste, but if we begin to make special examples of  groups of people we're excluded from the very basic freedoms that we all enjoy in America, do not be surprised when some other group feels that it is your group or your select few people that also are doing something that is just not quite acceptable.

I believe it's important for us to make sure that we protect the rights of those who we disagree with, as feverantly as we protect our own rights. I apologize for not having my quote book handy, but one of my favorite statements of the early American Fathers, is that, and I paraphrase, "I may disagree with you entirely, but I will fight to the death for your right to say what you believe ".  Certainly easier in theory than in practice. Anyway the point is that if we start making exceptions to our basic freedoms for groups that we have some claim against, that gun is likely to be pointed at our own heads eventually. Love our enemies is more than just a bumper sticker. It has practical application like letting people build their church in downtown Manhattan. And showing them that we are more tolerant and accepting than some of their more extreme counterparts.

Lazy Justice

Once again yesterday. I came face-to-face with my human weakness. Despite being a felon I was chosen for jury duty. And I was allowed to sit in judgment of one of my fellow Americans. I desperately wanted to the task. I was even chosen as the foreman.
The problem came not because I don't believe the man was likely guilty, but rather that the prosecution made such a poor showing of its case. They had the opportunity of two witnesses, but chose to just present one. The police had the opportunity to administer up to three test to get their valid proof, but opted to use just one, the cheapest. And that one malfunctioned. But truly justice showed her weakness in the resolve of her jury foreman, namely me. For, it seems that I was the only one concerned about these shortcomings. I profess to believe that you should provide two witnesses and not just one. Even if the one is an upstanding officer and the other is just an ordinary citizen. And yet arguments from fellow jurors to the effect of, "well they couldn't bring two officers, because the other one might be needed at a bank robbery", persuaded me to not stand my ground. Or allowing the justification that the other tests weren't offered, because they're only "required" to offer one. Even if it is insufficient. Or maybe it was the fact that I was supposed to be at dinner at 5:30 and it was fairly obvious that I was unlikely to sway anyone to my side of thinking that, "if all the ducks weren't all in a row", maybe this man should be cut free. Either way, I gave in and chose to believe that there was reasonable suspicion that he was guilty. Instead of letting him go because there was reasonable doubt that he wasn't.
I believe our verdict was just. I believe six good people found him guilty. And I guess I can only speak for myself when I say that at least one of them, compromised his principles for the sake of expediency and conformity and just plain laziness.

Time to Launch...Musings on Creationfest NW 2010

I just returned from my 5th Creationfest. and I come back with both and old and a new gripe.
The old one: Why is it that Christians are so standoffish? Granted that I would have more interaction if I pursued it better, but i use the worldly concert festival
as my contrast. If I was at a GreatfulDead type concert, I would meet many new friends(i.e. people would embrace me, invite me to their camps, eat with me, smoke with me, converse with me) even if I was shy. This doesn't seem to be the norm at Creationfest NW. I have only met a handful of people and that was by deliberate effort. I am amazed at how poorly the "they will know us by our love" people do at spontaneous community. Now I'm not saying they are not friendly, just clannish. Perhaps it's the lack of "social lubricants"
The new ones is more severe: The female speaker whos topic was sex/abstinence used questionable facts to sell her point. Now I understand the desire to curb/eliminate teen sex, but I felt that she went beyond slanting facts to outright lying, especially when speaking about condom effectiveness at limiting transmission of STD's. Her statements basically said that they were completely ineffective to protect against STD's, and this is patently untrue. Now I don't mean to condone premarital/promiscuous sex,but if we as Christians lie in our attempt to persuade teens out of sexual activity, we are more likely to have the whole message discarded when the lie is revealed.
Thanx for letting me vent.