A New Religion?

So. Some folks are reading Steve Job's biography as a management text. S'all good. They're taking the time to understand his philosophy, thinking about how it might (or might not) apply to their company. I don't doubt the resulting insights could change a corporate culture for the better.

But copying the way he talked? How he dressed? A posthumous rabbinification* of Mr. Jobs may not be the best means to an end of improved profits.

I'm sure at least five others have said it better than I'm about to, but

my goodness. Steve Jobs isn't your Messiah.

*Yes, this particular word I made up. In the first century, and in many Orthodox Jewish communities today, students of a rabbi copied everything he did – how he wore his hair, what he wore, what he ate. They even married the same type of woman.

Forced Inheritance

Apparently, there are some whose wills stipulate an heir must follow the religion of decedent. Failure to do so results in the person being cut off.

If a person is willing to follow a religion to ensure their share of the family's money, are they really of that faith? Or is it appearances for money's sake?

And if it takes money to force/ensure your heirs to live up to your standards, what are your standards? Do you value the appearance of religious piety over heartfelt belief?

An Ideal to Strive For

I recently saw the movie Friends with Benefits, starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. It's a rom-com, with emotions as the stumbling block. (I know. What's a rom-com without emotions as the stumbling block?)

The two characters start out becoming friends. One night they decide to add "benefits". After a while, the (obvious from the get go) emotions bubble just below the surface. They fight. They make up. They become a couple for reals.

(Woody Harrelson is fun in his role, by the way.)

When they decide to add benefits, they are more open and honest with each other than they might be if they were in a relationship. Because it's allegedly a purely physical thing, they're not worried about body image. They tell each other their likes and dislikes. They correct technique. There is little embarrassment in suddenly having to go to the bathroom.

A sexual relationship with no anxiety. With comfort and – dare I say? – trust.

Wow, Hollywood. You inadvertently showed us an ideal worth reaching for.

On Homosexuality

This post will please no one. But it is where I am in my beliefs on the topic. I expect things will change – in high school, I had no opinion about the death penalty; now I do. It would not surprise me to have different views ten, or even two years from now.

I remember a snippet of conversation I heard between a pastor and one of his parishioners. They were laughing over how he had told her not to marry a certain man, but she did any way. The marriage didn’t last. Now, I'm not saying a pastor is the person to tell you who you can and cannot marry. The conversation put me on notice that some marriages are not ordained by God.

That is to say, there are some unions between a man and a woman that are not in God's will. Now, according to the government, a man and a woman who sign a marriage certificate (along with a witness) are married. But just because the state says so doesn't mean it's right in the sight of God.

I believe marriage, as granted by the state, is different than marriage as ordained by God.

Don't get me wrong. God can take a marriage that wasn't in His will, work on the couple's hearts, and turn it into a strong marriage that reflects His character. He has an amazing ability to take our mistakes, and the consequences of our sins, and turn them around so they do not harm us nearly as much as they could have.

But my point is that I believe marriage as granted by the state is not the same as marriage as ordained by God.

As such, I believe there is nothing wrong with homosexuals being married by the state. I lean toward the French model where state ordained marriages can only be performed by the state.

Now, do I believe homosexuality is a sin? I'm not sure.

Some of you are shouting, "It's in the Bible! It's totally clear! How can you not know?"

I believe that some people are born gay, while others choose it. Cynthia's Nixon made a comment some time back where she said she chose to be a lesbian. It caused an uproar, but I shrugged.

I have gay friends who, if you look at their upbringing, you would say 'there's no way he made a choice'. I always thought that for those who were born thusly, it was a part of them, just as being an introvert is a part of me. And since God created all people, then why would He create a gay person and then tell them not to be what He created them to be?

A fellow parishioner was talking about a co-worker, who is in-your-face gay. In response to an 'I'm born this way' comment, they had responded, 'we are all born in sin.'

It was a new concept to me. The idea that homosexuality was not a part of our godly creation, but a result of The Fall, a fragment of our sin nature.

So, yeah, I don't know.

A Question About the Confederate Flag

I found this picture attached to an article about neo-Nazism .

Could someone who believes the Confederate flag is not racist please explain why a neo-Nazi would want to use it at a rally?

Are You Truly Pro-Life?

Consider this:

A young woman gets pregnant and shares the news with her family. Within the week she is visiting an aunt. While there, she goes to a doctor. A week later, she's back home. Only her family and the doctor know she's had an abortion. The family name – its reputation – is safe.

This is arguably an epidemic in the Church*: Women who have abortions to preserve personal or family reputation. Church, this has to stop.

If looking like a "good" Christian is more important than your grandchild/son/daughter/niece/nephew gestating in the womb, you are not Pro-Life.

If appearing "perfect" is more important than the life your grandchild/son/daughter/niece/nephew, you are not Pro-Life.

If you are willing to murder YOUR grandchild/son/daughter/niece/nephew to keep people from talking about you, YOU ARE NOT PRO-LIFE.

You're selfish. That precious reputation you're trying to protect is a straw house built on quicksand.

Let God tear it down. Let Christ be your new foundation. Let Him build you a fire & earthquake resistant mansion.

Let Him teach you how He can use sinful circumstances to create wondrous beauty. Become truly Pro-Life.

*That is, all who believe Jesus the Christ, is the Son of God who was crucified and has risen from the dead, regardless of denomination

The Good News about Roe v Wade

Consider this:

A young woman gets pregnant. Embarrassed, her family has cuts her out of their lives. She is left to raise her child without support. Both she and the child are castigated by those she loves.

I understand it was common for a child born out of wedlock to be considered less valuable. It is an attitude that does not reflect the heart of Christ.

Since Roe v Wade*, children born out of wedlock are more accepted. They are not shunned or treated as less than. For many such children, the Church** is doing its duty as a father to the fatherless. This is good news.

I don't know that limiting abortion access will push us back to a place where one's value is based on the circumstances of one's conception. But if you feel is it morally responsible to limit abortion, make sure you are also supporting the children who are born. Through Christ, we have life more abundantly; as Christians, we share our abundance with others. Watching children starve in the cold is not Pro-Life.

*A 1973 Supreme Court ruling that made abortion legal in all US states.

**That is, all who believe Jesus the Christ, is the Son of God who was crucified and has risen from the dead, regardless of denomination