The DeChristmasizing of America, Racial Reconciliation and More
The President and God: An interesting post by Jason at The Antioch Road regarding how the President refers to God in his speeches and dialogue, including a link to the Washington Post interview with Bush’s chief speech writer Michael Gerson –an evangelical (and friend and former colleague of mine). Gerson is quoted: "The important theological principle here, I believe, is to avoid identifying the purposes of an individual or a nation with the purposes of God," Michael Gerson said. "That seems a presumption to me, and we've done our best to avoid the temptation."
Racial Reconciliation: David Mobley at A Physicist's Perspective provides insightful answers to a Homespun Bloggers question about racial reconciliation. He writes: “Ultimately, I think real racial reconciliation can only come with (a) a return to personal responsibility, (b) an accompanying rejection of quotas, preferences and entitlements, and (c) a recognition of the fundamental equality of all humans -- but equality of value, not necessarily role.” Read the post to see how he fleshes this out.
I agree that creating racial harmony is personal, not governmental, responsibility I believe that ultimately the only thing that will pull people groups together is common experiences, which may be because of or as a result of a common set of beliefs and values. If the government does have a role, it is in discouraging racial, ethnic and national groups from separating themselves and reducing the commonality. One thing that comes to mind is the language question. Establishing Spanish as a virtual second language does nothing to bring English and Spanish speaking people together (unless the goal is for the next generation to speak both languages).
I've lived in two large sub-divisions in the Atlanta area--one rather affluent, the other lesser so. Both have been mixed race--black, white, Hispanic, and Asian. The experiences in these neighborhood have suggested to me that it is common socio-economic position and challenges that make the racial differences nearly irrelevant.
Counter Reformation: The move to lock spiritual influence back in the church counters the positive changes brought about in the Reformation, says Dory at The Wittenberg Gate. More:
The Puritan work ethic emerged and with it prosperity, education, and equal justice under the law. Class distinctions began to melt away. Laymen began to read their Bibles, study theology and apply its principles to their lives. Even today those countries most profoundly impacted by reformational thinking are among the most free and productive societies in the world.
Today we are leaving the Reformation behind and developing a new twist on the sacred/secular distinction. Now instead of the things of God being unapproachable by the common man, the common man is not to be approached by the things of God. The things of God are to be left locked inside the church, like a lion in a cage. We have perfected the art of double think. At church I believe in creation. In science class I believe evolution. I think God hates abortion, but everyone should be free to choose. I may praise Him in the church on Sunday, but I dare not mention His name at work on Monday. He is the holy, holy, holy God whose words are too offensive to be seen in the public square.
More DeChristmasizing of America
Banning Colors Red and Green
Doug at Considerettes reports that “a school district has banned the colors red and green from a "Winter Break Party," requiring parents to bring only white plates and napkins (we’re not making this up).
Giving Trees
Spreading Understanding has been watching all of this and reports that a judge has ruled against the school district, or at least issued a restraining order that allows Christmas colors. Also there, a look at Christmas trees used to provide gifts to the needy, possible on public grounds because you can call them Giving Trees.
John Leo: Push Back
A good column on the subject by John Leo at Town Hall (h/t: Dappled Things) urges believers to push back on the effort to excise Christianity from Christmas. Leo writes:
“Accommodating all traditions is a worthy goal. But a broad movement to erase the word Christmas is an extraordinary development in a culture that is more than 80 percent Christian. How much more of this is the public willing to tolerate? . . . Unless believers and religious-liberties groups begin to push back, the anti-Christmas trend will prevail in the public square.”
The Death Penalty (Prompted by Scott Peterson Verdict)
Taking what has become an increasingly muted view within the Christian community—which I believe has real merits—William Meisheid at Beyond the Rim contends that it is not biblical to pronounce a death sentence based on circumstantial evidence.
He has written a death penalty series, but the summary of this argument is:
1. The death penalty is legitimate and required by God. (See Genesis 9:5-6 and part I and part II of my series.)
2. In the Law, God established the requirements for implementing the death penalty and that was on the testimony of at least two witnesses. (See Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15).
While we may argue in our modern technological age that direct evidence (e.g. genetic evidence using blood or other bodily fluids, phone tap tape recordings, etc.) might be considered to be a witness in the biblical sense, no one argues that there was anything but circumstantial evidence in this case. As such, even the prosecution, much less the sentencing, didn’t meet the minimal biblical requirements for a death penalty case.
This was the essence of Chuck Colson’s opposition to the death penalty for many years, one of the few leading evangelicals with that position. He has changed his views somewhat in later years, as he writes in this piece.
Hiding a Rightward Lean at a Southern University
Donald Sensing at One Hand Clapping points to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education written by "William Pilger," the nom de plume of a not-quite-tenured professor at an unnamed southern university on what it is like to be a Republican on a nearly-total Democratic faculty. Both good reading.
--James Jewell
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