Thoughts and Prayers: The Religion Thread

Old parable but relevant at this time ...

A man was trapped in his house during a flood. He began praying to God to rescue him. His neighbor came by in a pickup truck and offered him a ride to high ground. The man yelled back, “God will protect me" and declined the offer.
As the water began rising in his house, the man climbed to second floor. A boat came by and the pilot urged him to come with him. "God will protect me, and he declined.
The waters got higher and the man had to climb onto his roof. A helicopter hovered outside and the pilot said over a bullhorn that he would drop a ladder down and the man could limb aboard. "God will protect me," and he declined.
The man was then swept away by the water and drowned. When he met God, he asked, "Why didn't you save me. I prayed as hard as I could."
God said: "I sent you a truck, a boat and a helicopter. What more did you want?"

 

From "The Power Worshippers," a thorough examination of the Trumpist, Pseudo-Christian Right:

When the journalist Frances FitzGerald profiled Jerry Falwell for the New Yorker in 1981, she spoke with Reverend Carl McIntire, a pastor in Falwell’s style. “Separation involves hard, gruelling controversy. It involves attacks, personal attacks, even violent attacks … Satan preaches brotherly love in order to hold men in apostasy,” McIntire told FitzGerald. Therefore, he said, aggression “is an expression of Christian love.”91

Stewart, Katherine. The Power Worshippers (p. 125). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

 

Found this timely.

Donald Trump, the Bible, and White Supremacy

When Trump wordlessly held up the Bible, a smirk on his face, he did so to demonstrate his power, not to ask for peace or forgiveness. It was a strategy taken straight from the playbook of white Christian slaveholders, who, in their moral cowardice, boasted that the Bible justified their violence against black men and women. The next morning, Trump tweeted, “D.C. had no problems last night. Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination.”


The question now is whether the white evangelical Christians who have supported Trump will recognize his action for what it was: not a pious veneration of their most sacred text, but a crude attempt to turn the Bible into a justification for the “domination” of black protesters and their white supporters. One can only hope that white Christians will not stand by silently as he tries to breathe new life into one of the most painful chapters of their history, their defense of white supremacy.

 

Sometimes humility comes to us on little birdy feet (4:01) and creamy paws (8:30).

 

Tiger is back.

Also, the lessons are from St. Luke, who is one of my saints, and the lesson about reaching across the aisle is bolstered by an account of Hubert Walter's talks with Saladin. So yes, this was humbling as well as very interesting.

And Tiger is back.

 

Thumbs up on the new squirrel avatar!

 

Former Packer turns into a sovereign citizen Black Israelite.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/07/14/k...b-new-religious-movement-school-play-incident

 

If anybody can manage to finish that story, which I abandoned about two-thirds of the way through, can they cut to the case and summarize for the rest of us? I thank you for your service in advance.

 

And it’s only part one!

Poorly organized, too long...it’s the kind of work that used to be self published, if at all.

 

One of the "ultimate" questions about faith and God - why does God allow evil to exist. I don't like the term "evil" - I prefer "bad things." But it is a question I wrestle with a ton. I don't know if I have "the anawer" but I have come up with a thought on it - particularly with this year providing an endless barrage of bad things. And whether you believe in God or don't - it really doesn't matter. But "bad things" happening provide us with an opportunity to respond. We can do nothing. Join in doing the bad things or fight back to try and mitigate the bad thing. It's kind of a test I guess - these opportunities to respond - and also a way to elevate our humanity and existence to a higher level. It's why we try and find a cure for cancer, build stronger buildings, or reach out to a friend going through a tough time. That's all I got.

 

Not all of the bad things that happen are caused by what people do. There is a great deal of suffering in the world that isn't caused by another individual. There is no opportunity to respond or do something about it. There is only anguish. What is the test in those situations? Can we still love G-d when we are in pain?

 

(re) read the Book of Job