What Our Gun Culture Reaps

A man was shot and killed in Florida.

Sounds pretty familiar, huh?

This time, it was in a movie theater. Chad Oulsen was texting his young daughter, who was at home, during the previews. Curtis Reeves, a retired police officer, was sitting behind him and asked him to stop texting. When Oulsen didn't comply, and theater employees didn't do anything, Oulsen and Reeves began a shouting match.

It ended with Reeves shooting and killing Oulsen.

Over a text message.

This is what the gun culture looks like.

This is what our nation looks like when we decide that the unchecked gun ownership and use is more important that public safety and human life. A small minority has decided that any restrictions of guns is tantamount to the ultimate sacrilege, and refuses to allow the majority impose sensible rules on such dangerous weapons.

Which is funny, considering many of those same people pride this country on being a "Christian nation." Apparently, they missed that little part about turning the other cheek.

Or "Blessed are the peacemakers," and "Blessed are the meek."

Or beating our swords into plowshares.

A nation predicated on guns and the violence they bring is not a Christian nation.

Nothing will come of this shooting. No public policy, no change in culture, probably not even a civil debate. 

Is this the kind of world we want to live in? One ruled by vigilante justice and angry outbursts of gunfire? Where disputes are settled by shootouts instead of dialogue?

Jesus called us to love one another, to be humble, to put away our pride and anger. A country with more guns than citizens, that has more regard for firearms than the poor, oppressed, and hungry, can never be a Christian nation.

LGBT Rights Get a Victory in Oklahoma!

Human rights took a huge step forward in Oklahoma today.

A federal judge struck down the state's ban on gay marriage, saying it violated the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment:

Kern called Oklahoma's ban "an arbitrary, irrational exclusion of just one class of Oklahoma citizens from a governmental benefit," declaring:
"Equal protection is at the very heart of our legal system and central to our consent to be governed. It is not a scarce commodity to be meted out begrudgingly or in short portions."

 The judge ordered a stay on gay marriage in Oklahoma until the Supreme Court rules on Utah's ban this year, but nevertheless, this is a big win for justice and love.

I lived in Oklahoma for four years, until this last summer, and I can tell you from experience, it is one of the most socially conservative places in the country. However, Oklahoma City is a cultured young city with a thriving LGBT community. The Pride Parade is one of the great events in the city every year. It is great to know that all those wonderful men and women can celebrate some real progress in their state.

After all, Oklahoma is the home of Sally Kern.

The country is moving forward, and Oklahoma is now part of that.

Morality vs. Theology: Some Thoughts on Rev. Frank Schaefer and Gay Marriage in the UMC

Question: how do you think the church should act in the world if the goal is to follow Jesus' command to love others as God loves us? What does this look like in action?

You know what it doesn't look like? This:

United Methodist church officials defrocked a pastor from central Pennsylvania on Thursday who violated religious doctrine by officiating his son's gay wedding, and he later said he was shocked by their decision, calling his involvement in the wedding an "act of love."

Rev. Frank Schafer, in 2007, traveled to Massachusetts from his home in Pennsylvania to marry his gay son and his partner. This was no problem until this year, when a congregant at his church found out and informed the East Pennsylvania Annual Conference. Who decided that Rev. Schaefer should no longer be a Methodist minister. Despite the fact that the Revered was out of state at a private ceremony, and was following the moral dictates of his own heart.

I posted an article the other day on Facebook about Phil Robertson. This point is made in that article that I absolutely think sums up Rev. Schaefer's case:

When faced with the choice between being theologically correct…as if this is even possible…and being morally responsible, I’ll go with morally responsible every time. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian during World War II. He firmly held the theological position of nonviolence. He believed that complete pacifism was theologically correct. And yet, in the midst of the war, he conspired to assassinate Adolf Hitler; to kill a fellow man. Why? Because in light of what he saw happening to the Jews around him by the Nazis, he felt that it would be morally irresponsible not to. Between the assassination of Hitler and nonviolence, he felt the greater sin would be nonviolence.

I love that first line. "When faced with the choice between being theologically correct and being morally responsible, I'll go with morally responsible every time." If, as a Christian, we feel called to accept the LGBT community, and to affirm their life and their love, then we are morally obligated to do so. To do anything less would to be morally compromised and untrue to ourselves.

The other part of this story that really jumps out at me is this quote from Rev. Schaefer:

"So many of them came to me and they shook my hand and some hugged me, and so many of them had tears in their eyes," Schaefer said. "They said, 'We really don't want to do this, you know that, don't you?'"

Tony Campolo, in his book Red Letter Christians, tells the story of a young man from an Anabaptist Peace church during the Vietnam War who is brought before a court for refusing military service. He explains before the judge his moral opposition to warfare, and why, as a pacifist, he cannot perform military service. The judge listens sympathetically and tells the young man he understands his concerns and sympathizes, but he has no alternative to sentencing him. The young man looks at him and says, "You do have choice, Judge! You can resign!" Maybe the Board of Ordination should read this story. Maybe then they could help the church move towards the Kingdom, rather than away from it.

For more information on the gay rights movement within the UMC, I strongly suggest you check out Reconciling Ministries. It's a great resource, and on the forefront of the future of the Methodist church.

Question #2: For Progressives

What is it about 6 day creationism that bugs you so much? Why does this subject really seem to get under progressives' skin so badly?

Question #1: For Literalists

I'm going to start a regular feature, asking questions of you, my readers. Some may be addressed to a certain denomination or group, but anyone is free to answer below, in comments. These aren't rhetorical. They are questions I want answers to and discussion about. We all will grow in our faith through the responses, even if we disagree. I may even base future blog posts off the answers and discussion I get.

Again, please keep it respectful and on topic.

So, here is today's question:

Why is biblical literalism important?

Why We're Here

I haven't yet said what my purpose here is. I suppose I better.

I'm a political science major who has worked in politics in various ways since graduation 2+ years ago. I've written a politics blog in the past. But recently, I've felt a calling into ministry. After seminary, I will go for ordination in the United Methodist church.

I've always been interested in religion and how it intersects with politics and government and public policy. My wife is a youth minister and former religion student, and we've been very involved in social justice ministries, mostly in Oklahoma. It's the same emphasis I want to have in ministry. Personally, my faith feeds my political views. It's impossible for me to separate the two.

I want this blog to look at political and social issues from a progressive Christian viewpoint. I want to advocate for policies based upon how I feel led by faith. So expect propressive politics, progressive Christianity and lots of debate. I urge you to participate. Leave comments, and expect my response. This should be a place of discussion as much as me stating my opinion. And please, keep it PG, and no personal attacks against others. Keep it civil or you will be asked to leave.

Most of all, be honest and open and willing to think critically about politics and faith and how they work together.

Getting Lost in the (Created) Weeds

Sorry for the radio silence since Christmas. We moved from Kansas City to the Wichita area, and just got our Internet up and running this morning. Hopefully a regular posting schedule will take hold here!

I read an interesting article from a Old Testament/Hebrew Ph.D. about Genesis 1 literalism. I reposted it to Facebook and engaged in a debate with a Southern Baptist minister about who is right, 6 day creationists or Big Bang/evolution Christians. I was trying to make the point that spending time trying to convince people that God really did create the world in six days is a waste of time when I realized:

I was doing the same thing.

I was engaging in this fruitless and unwinnable debate to prove that my unprovable theory is better than someone else's unprovable theory. My opinion against theirs. All I get in the end is the ability to say I feel I won a rhetorical argument.

What an exercise in egoism.

Now, I'm not saying the debate isn't an important one. It is in a certain sense. I strongly believe in the Big Bang Theory and evolution, because I think God created a reasoned and orderly universe that follows laws of nature. I think Genesis 1 does not express an absolute, scientific truth, but instead has truth and meaning in the idea it's conveying. (More on that in a minute.)

Where this argument gets dangerous, in my view, is when we start teaching people that the creation story as interpreted by literalists is scientific fact. When you tell a person with anything beyond a grade school education that, their first question is,

"What about dinosaurs and fossils?"

Followed closely by,

"Where is the Garden of Eden?"

You start swimming in murky waters, and spinning far-fetched, non-science based theories and end up spending years building Creation Museums.

In the mean time, you've spent no time focusing on the real meaning behind Genesis 1.

And what is that meaning? What is the essential truth and meaning being conveyed here? Simply that God was present and active in our creation. This seems like a simple and obvious point to us modern Christians. Of course God was there. The Bible says so. No matter the details, it says "God created."

But to ancient peoples, this would be revolutionary! Think about the world the ancient Hebrews who read this were acclimated to, the creation stories they had heard from their conquerors.

Egyptians.
Assyrians.
Babylonians.

They all believed the creation of man to be an accident of the gods, an accident that became an annoyance or simple amusement. Or that man's purpose was a slave to the gods, meant only for their divine service and pleasure.

But the Hebrew tradition was radically different. Instead of a multitude of gods whose actions unintentionally lead to the emergence of man, here was one God creating man intentionally, in God's own image.

And God created man to be stewards, and gave them dominion over creation and everything in it. 
And God told them to name the animals. 
And God taught them.
And God came down and walked among them!

The point here isn't that this all did or didn't actually happen. It's the idea that we aren't some cosmic accident. God made us. God may have used the big bang. God may have let us evolve. But God directed it all. And God wants to be present among us and have a relationship with us.

Can you imagine hearing your whole life that your an accident, and then one day hearing that no, you have a purpose and a meaning?

This is what we lose when we try to turn creation into our favorite scientific theory. I'm not saying it's bad to have a strong belief. I certainly do. I'm saying don't lose the forest for the trees. Don't get lost in the weeds. Read what God is telling you. The rest will take care of itself.