The Essence of Destiny

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.    
Choose your words, for they become actions.
Understand your actions, for they become habits.
Study your habits, for they will become your character.
Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Lao Tzu

Fundamentalists, Liberals and All That Jazz

I'm sure you've heard people talk about fundamentalist Christians or liberal Christians.  Have you ever wondered how they compare to each other?  Or perhaps you've heard the terms "Neo-Orthodoxy" or "Systematic Theology" used in something you've read.  What in the world are they?  Well, below are a few key propositions that define each stance.  You may find that you agree with all of the propositions in one theological stance or another, or you may find that you agree with some and not with others in all of them.  Where do you fit in, and how did you learn to believe what you believe? 

THEOLOGICAL PROPOSITIONS OF FUNDAMENTALISM

1.  THE BIBLE.  The Bible is the inerrant Word of God, meaning that it contains no factual errors of any sort (including no scientific or historical errors)  It is free of errors because the Holy Spirit inspired the writers and communicated factual information to them that they could not have otherwise known.  Even though the authors expressed truths in their own words drawn from their particular cultures, the Holy Spirit oversaw the writing the therefore scripture contains nothing that is misleading.  Consequently, all of scripture is equally inspired and equally authoritative.  You must accept the plenary inspiration of scripture in order to trust that its message can save us.

2.  THE VIRGIN BIRTH.  The Virgin Birth narratives state the role of a human father in Jesus' conception was replaced by a miraculous act of God.  It is on this basis alone that Jesus' divine nature can be affirmed, because it was acquired through this miraculous conception.  The doctrine of the Incarnation requires a belief in the miraculous conception in which no human father took part.

3.  THE ATONEMENT.  God could secure the atonement of the sins of humanity only by having Jesus, an innocent representative of the human race, die on the cross  This act satisfied God's justice, for in it punishment was executed (substitutionary theory of the atonement).  Because Jesus was actually innocent and did not need to receive the punishment in order to justify himself, his satisfaction of God's justice could be extended to others who actually are guilty.  The theme of punishment, which requires suffering, is encapsulated in the central image of Jesus' blood, shed for us.

4. THE RESURRECTION.  The resurrection of Jesus was an historic event, occurring in ordinary time and space, in which Jesus' body was reanimated.  The body left the confines of the tomb, was present on earth for 40 days, and then physically ascended into heaven (However, Jesus' reanimated body was indeed transformed in some respects, becoming more spiritual without breaking all continuity with its physical.

5.  MIRACLES.  The Miracle stories in the Bible represent God's historical interruption of the ordinary laws of nature in order to bring about certain events that otherwise would not have happened.  These miracles occurred exactly as narrated in the Bible.

THEOLOGICAL PROPOSITIONS OF LIBERALISM

1. THE BIBLE.  The Bible is an expression of the religious experience of ancient Israel and the early church.  It represents the chronologically extended struggle of a highly spiritual people to understand the Divine reality more adequately.  It is NOT the word of God coming to us from some transcendent sphere.  A progression can be seen in the Bible from more primitive (and more inadequate) forms of religious experience to deeper, richer, and more profound forms of religious experience. The Bible is a human record of a progressive human spiritual journey, reflecting the prejudices, mistakes and failings of the people who wrote it.  Nevertheless, it is a profound (the most profound, perhaps) record of religious experience.  We contemporary Christians most locate ourselves in this story of human religious evolution and extend the trajectory. 

2.  THE VIRGIN BIRTH.  The Virgin Birth narratives are a poetic and symbolic way of expressing the truth that Jesus was a very profound teacher and spiritual guide.  Of course, he was conceived and born in the standard human manner.  There was nothing supernatural about his biology or ontological composition, except that he was supremely aware of God and God's will in the deepest levels of his experience.

3.  THE ATONEMENT.  A loving God does not need to punish anybody in order to be reconciled with sinners.  The death of Jesus on the cross, in which Jesus continues to do God's will and continues to call God "Father," shows that it is possible to remain in spiritual contact with God in spite of earthly suffering and tragedy.  Jesus' death also shows that we all should be faithful to God's mission and call, in spite of worldly threats and dangers.

4.  THE RESURRECTION.  The stories of the resurrection show that, in some sense, the spirit of Jesus, and the spirits of all faithful persons, lives on, either in the memory and experience of future generations, or in the mind of God, or both.  The language of bodily resurrection and the talk of some sort of novel post-mortem individual experience are symbols of this enduring spiritual quality and should not be take literally.

5.  MIRACLES.  The miracle stories in the Bible are archaic rhetorical means of expressing certain eternal spiritual truths.  For example, to say that Jesus walked on water means that the pure of heart can remain tranquil in the midst of earthly tribulation.

THEOLOGICAL PROPOSITIONS OF NEO-ORTHODOXY 
(Per George Richards) 

1.  THE BIBLE.  The Bible functions as the Word of God when it is used by the church to witness to God's redemptive work in Jesus Christ, who is the true Word.  In order for this to happen, the Holy Spirit must open the hearts and minds of the hearers of Scripture.  Apart from this use, the Bible in itself is a human book, written in humanly chosen and therefore imperfect words.  It contains the biases, limitations and prejudices of the people who wrote it.  Nevertheless, God's providence was sufficiently active in its composition and redaction to insure that it can function as a reliable witness to God's redemptive act in Jesus Christ.  Without this witness, we have no access to Jesus.  Therefore, the Bible, as used by the church through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, is our sole authority and infallible guide in essential matters of faith.

2.  THE VIRGIN BIRTH.  What exactly happened behind the Virgin Birth narratives is a mystery.  It is essential for Christians to believe that the birth of Jesus did occur though this unique, creative act of God, and that through the birth of Jesus Christ the eternal Logos did enter the world.  This is the essential point of the birth narratives.  The historical mechanisms through which this transpired cannot be known and need not be known.

3.  THE ATONEMENT.  The crucifixion of Jesus is indeed the atoning act of God, through which God and Man (sic) are reconciled.  However, Jesus' death was not a "payment" made to appease the wrath of an angry God.  Rather, the death of Jesus enacts God's solidarity with sinners in the midst of the deadliness and God-forsakenness of human guilt and alienation.  God shares with our guild and alienation.

4.  THE RESURRECTION.  The stories of Jesus' resurrection point to an historical event, the exact nature of which cannot be known with any certainty.  But we can known the essential point of these stories: that in Jesus, God has conquered death itself, and that this conquest involves the preservation of our earthly, embodied identities.

5.  MIRACLES.  The miracle stories in the New Testament express symbolically God's (including the incarnate God's) lordship over all nature processes and God's healing presence in, through, and over those processes.  The truth of this theological conviction about God's lordship and healing intent does not depend on the exact historically factual nature of any of these stories.

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY (by Charles Hodge, 1872)

1.  The Bible is to the theologian what nature is to the man of science.  It is his store-house of facts; and his method of ascertaining what the Bible teaches is the same as that which the natural philosopher adopts to ascertain what nature teaches.

2.   The duty of the Christian theologian is to ascertain, collect, and combine all the facts which God has revealed concerning himself and our relation to him.  These facts are all in the Bible.  This is true because everything revealed in nature and in the make-up of man concerning God and our relation to him is contained and authenticated in Scripture. Therefore, "the Bible, and the Bible alone, is the religion of Protestants."  Theologians must be guided by the same rules in the collection of facts as scientists.  

3.  This collection of facts must be made with diligence and care.  It is not easy work; there is great possibility of error.  Almost all false theories in science and false doctrines in theology are due to mistakes in this area.  

4.  The collection of facts must not only be carefully conducted, but also comprehensive and, if possible, exhaustive.  Imperfect "facts" led men to believe that the earth was flat and the sun moved around it.  Likewise in theology, this type of faulty collection of information has led to serious errors.

Therefore, if natural science is concerned with the facts and laws of nature, theology is concerned with the facts and principles of the Bible.  The object of the natural scientist is to arrange and systematize the facts of the external world and ascertain the natural laws which govern them.  The object of the theologian is to systematize the facts of the Bible and to determine the principles or general truths which govern the facts therein.  

Systematic theology says nothing about inspiration or transformation.  Scripture contains data and informs our understanding of man and God.  It is very different from a liberalist view, which is defined by high criticism.

(Note: the information above was taken from a lecture by Lee Barrett, one of the very best educators and theologians you could be lucky enough to meet.  He teaches at Lancaster Theological Seminary, in Lancaster, PA)

My Photography Book, Vol. 1

Click here to view this photo book larger

Photo Book Tip: Create an adventurous travel photo album at Shutterfly.com.

I just finished up a photo book at Shutterfly.  It was kind of fun and might be something to think about for Christmas...hmm...yeah, maybe.  I only made it because I decided to input all the coke top codes into the "My Coke Rewards" web site instead of giving the caps away like I had been doing (sorry Tony).  This was one of the things you could "win" for adding up points.  I made this and ordered it because the book was free besides the shipping cost.  I also thought it would be cool to see my own photos in a book.  You know, pretend I'm professional or something.  Of course, if you want to try to make a buck or two this is not the place to do it...Shutterfly makes all the money.  So if you happen  to look at this and decide to buy a print or something, please go to my photo site at http://lynnhackman.zenfolio.com.  At least then I can make a few bucks for the rent instead of Shutterfly.

I was trying to figure out how to use this to make money for church.  Perhaps you could make a church yearbook or something and sell it?  However, the books are not cheap so the sell price would have to be fairly high to make it worth the while.  Also you would more than likely need to obtain the permission of everyone in the book, especially children under 18 years of age, to do it.  That would be both difficult and time consuming. 

It would be neat to make a family album that you could order and distribute to members of the family.  I'm going to have to consider this for a belated 60th Anniversary gift for my parents (although I will have to clandestinely steal their photo albums from their basement, a basement my father frequents and could notice their disappearance.  However, it would definitely be worth the "risk").  I think they would like that. 

Anyway, this is a neat little capability of Shutterfly, and more than likely other sites out there.  It's certainly something to consider when trying to come up with unique, interesting and appreciated Christmas gifts for the person (or persons) who have everything.

Video: Gravel Hill's History

Here is the history section which was to take the place of the initial fire section.  Again, this was never used.

Video: Capital Campaign video 1 - not used

I was asked to put together a video for the Capital Campaign.  I planned three sections.  I began by reworking the initial fire video (posted somewhere in this blog) I put together several years ago in order to add some interviews, and then placed what we've been doing over the last year as the second section.  There is a transition between the sections which I narrated.  I was going to get another person who does this very well to do the narration after I added the second transition.  However, I was told that the fire video was no longer relevant to the current congregation so I scrapped it and made a quick "history" of Gravel Hill, which is posted after this one.  I put an awful lot of work into these videos, so I posted it so if anyone was interested, they could watch it.  I did not blur any clips of children - most of them go by quickly or are covered with text.  Hope you enjoy parts 1 and 2 of a not used video...  

Police: Man Yelled "Liars" Before Killing Three in Church

The article below appeared on CNN.com in August of 2007.  I copied it at the time thinking I would use it as a basis for a sermon at some point. This article is still floating around my paper piles, so I finally decided to post it here.  It continues to bother me, to weigh on my understanding of what Christians claim to believe versus how we act in the world.  Our actions should be a reflection of our beliefs, but often diverge to the point where it is impossible for those watching us to tell whether we are Christians or not.  

In the first century, the world had no problem discerning who Christians were because their words and actions differed greatly from those who were pagans.  Because they stood out they were treated differently from the pagans around them.  They were also treated differently from the Jews (remember that Christianity was a Jewish sub-cult).  Because the Jews had been around since before the Roman Empire their "odd" cultural customs were accepted by the Roman rulers when the land area of Palestine was conquered.  Since Christianity was a new cult that ran against accepted and prescribed behavior of Roman pagan culture, Christian quirks were not appreciated and often not tolerated.  Hence, at times, Christians found themselves scapegoats for events that were not of their doing (e.g. the fire of Rome under Nero), and refused to bend to the requirements of the emperor to worship who and how pagans did, and were therefore singled out for persecution.

Today, however, Christians are so integrated into society that more often than not, one cannot tell Christians apart from non-Christians in America.  I believe that theologically, there is still much that should separate Christians from the majority of people.  However, it is difficult to find differences between how we act as Christians and how non-Christians act.   

So here is the irony: this man accuses church goers of being liars, and I believe he is proven right.  

In the early church many Christians martyred themselves rather than deny their belief.  You don't have to read far in Paul's letters to find references to these self-sacrificing actions, although today we read these sections of scripture and consider them hyperbole.  They are not.  Paul uses real life consequences of being a Christian in his writings.  Yet today, in general, we do not see our Christianity of such consequence that we are willing to die for it.  

When did we stop believing our God was unworthy of the ultimate sacrifice?  When did we become so integrated into society that our belief has taken a backseat to our own self-preservation?  Do we now believe that our profession of faith is inconsequential because we have become such a pluralistic society?  

If so, why bother to believe anything at all? 

An add on question...what part does fear play if we believe in God and life after death? 

NEOSHO, Missouri (CNN) -- A man with a machine pistol stormed a southwestern Missouri church where his relatives were praying, shouting "liars, liars" as he opened fire and killed three people, police said Monday.

Police identified the gunman as Eiken Elam Saimon, 52.

He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault, one count of armed criminal action and one count of felonious restraint for holding the congregation hostage, said Newton County Prosecutor Scott Watson.

A fifth count of assault is pending, Watson said.

Watson told The associated Press Saimon targeted church elders. "It appears that the shots that were fired were not at random," he said.

Saimon entered a not guilty plea during a brief arraignment Monday in Newton County Circuit Court. The judge set his bail at $1 million, reduced from the original $5 million, and set a hearing for September 18, the AP reported.

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland said Saimon is being held in an isolation cell under heavy guard.

Saimon shouted "liars, liars, you're all liars" before opening fire with a semiautomatic machine pistol commonly known as a Tech-9, Police Chief David McCracken said.

When police arrived, Saimon had surrounded himself with 30 to 40 hostages in the sanctuary and "he was holding a female hostage at gunpoint," the chief said.

Witnesses told police that Saimon held a gun to one man's head and asked if anyone in the church was willing to trade their life for the man's, an investigator said. After no one stepped forward, the gunman shot the hostage, he said.

Five people were wounded in the Sunday afternoon attack at the church in Neosho, about 120 miles northeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Killed in the shooting were Kernal Rehobson, 43, Intenson Rehobson, 44, and Jesse Ikoshia, 53, Watson said. They were not friends or relatives of Saimon, Watson told the AP.

Prosecutor Watson also said Saimon also is a suspect in the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl Saturday. The girl is a relative of Saimon's, although authorities did not explain how the two were related, AP reported.

Wounded were Jim Handy, Melihna Tarra, Dahnny Jack and Handy Kendey, Watson said, adding that his office is awaiting the name of a fifth person who was wounded.

The wounded were transported to area hospitals, at least one of them by helicopter.

One of them required surgery, and two others were still in the hospital Monday, McCracken said. All are in fair condition and are expected to recover, the chief said.

Police received a report about 1:54 p.m. (2:54 p.m. ET) that someone was shooting inside the 100-year-old First Congregational Church.

A group of Micronesians was holding a service at the time, McCracken said. Saimon is Micronesian.

Micronesia is a series of islands in the western Pacific Ocean.

Saimon had three guns, including the 9 mm semiautomatic Tech-9 and a small-caliber handgun, McCracken said.

He ordered the children in the church to leave without their parents, McCracken said. The kids were all accounted for and were not harmed, he said.

Saimon is married and has a family, Copeland said.

The shooter was holding as many as 50 people hostage inside the church when officers arrived, authorities said. Police apprehended Saimon without incident after a hostage negotiator spoke with him for five or 10 minutes, McCracken said.

"He made the decision that it was not his day to die," the chief said Monday. "It was hard to tell which way he was going to go until he dropped the weapon.

Source: CNN

Please feel free to leave your comments.  I'd love to know what you think. 

Saint Teresa's Prayer

Christ has no Body now but yours

No hands, no feet on earth but yours

Yours are the eyes through which He looks

Compassion on this world.

Yours are the feet with which He walks

To do good

Yours are the hands with which He blesses

All the world.

Yours are the hands

Your are the feet

Yours are the eyes

Yours are His body

Christ has no Body now but yours

No hands, no feet on earth but yours

Yours are the eyes through which He looks

Compassion on this world

Christ has no Body now on earth but yours.

John Michael Talbot

No One Wants a Gold Star

On this Labor Day, I want to remember a group of people who labor within a particular group of individuals or families who never wanted to be members of that special club.  The mothers of this club are remembered on a specific day every year, September 30th, but no one recognizes that day as being set aside for this remembrance.  This day is known as Gold Star Mother's Day. 

"This is not a club any of us wanted to belong to," says Jan Johnson, whose son, Army Spc. Justin Johnson, died in Iraq in April 2004, "but since we are, we must move forward the best way possible."  A motto Gold Star families live by is, "it's not time that heals, it's what we do with the time."  Many families have found ways to assist others who have been hindered by memories or depression.  There are articles on-line if you want to learn more.     

If you haven't figured it out by now, a Gold Star mother is the mother of a son or daughter who  has been killed during wartime.  You've probably seen the banner - a gold star set against a white field, surrounded by red.  Few people know what this banner signifies, and fewer still know that this special day of recognition has been in place for over 75 years.  If you pay attention you might see this banner hanging in the front window of a house when you drive by, or as a sticker on the back of a vehicle.  Military members know what this banner signifies but it seems as if most civilians don't know and often, don't care, unless the death was in the family of someone they know. 

This little banner represents pain, suffering and sacrifice, and not just by the individual that the star represents.  We all know that losing someone we love is difficult and affects people in some way, for the rest of their lives.  It is also generally felt that losing a son or daughter is one of the greatest blows one can suffer in life.  We should remember the sacrifices of military members and their families, including those who have served and those who continue to serve, as well as those who have lost their lives on this day.  No, Labor Day is not usually used as a military day of remembrance for many people.  But perhaps we can remember the families of those who have served and sacrificed on this day, because they too have given much and sacrificed.  Perhaps on this day, as well as on as many other days you think of it, we can remember families impacted by war.

But please don't limit your prayer to those who have lost family members, whether sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, wives or husbands, or even grandparents or grandchildren.  During an Associated Press recent three-month review of Veterans Administration records, Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans sought care for the following:

• More than 1,600 have lost limbs, some more than one limb
• At least 156 are blind and thousands of others have impaired vision
• More than 177,000 have hearing loss and more than 350,000 report tinnitus
• Thousands are disfigured, as many as 200 of them so badly that they may need face transplants
• 25% of battlefield wounds requiring evacuation were to the face or jaw
• more than 400,000 have been treated by the VA for a mental health problem, most commonly PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

This last figure consists of only those who sought care through the VA.  Many military members do not seek care for mental health problems through the VA due to stigmas or fear that their military careers will be harmed if they do.  These individuals also need to be remembered in prayer.  And wouldn't it be nice if our prayers resulted in our own actions?  In other words, don't just pray, get up and move to make a difference in someone's life.

There are other banners you might see.  The Blue Star Service Banner represents that someone in the home is on active duty in the Armed Forces.  This includes members of the National Guard and Reserves.  This banner is only displayed during periods of war and may contain up to five stars.  It is a reminder that there is a cost to war.

The Silver Star Service Banner represents those who have been wounded or contracted a serious illness in a war zone.  However, it can also be flown by anyone as a symbol of remembrance of the sacrifice made for them by so many members of the military.  If it is flown as a flag, it must be flown below the U.S. flag and must be of a small size.  The Silver Star Service Banner can be flown during peacetime as well as during a time of war.  

As United Methodists, we believe that war is not the way of God, so please don't take this posting as a glorification of war.  It is not.  However, those who serve do so out of a personal belief that freedom of self and of country is of paramount importance to who we are as Americans, and it requires great sacrifice.  We honor the sacrifice if not the actions.  Also, please keep in mind that the military is an arm of our government, and is necessary because diplomats cannot always find peaceful means to resolve disputes between nations.  If we could do away with greed and the desire for power, perhaps there would be no more gold star mothers.  Perhaps we if could really understand the message of Jesus Christ and live it out, we would beat our weapons into plowshares and study war no more.  As you pray for those who have lost loved ones, that might be something to lift up as well. 

Daily Survival Kit for Serious Illness

Im reading up and cleaning.  Certainly not something I live for, that's for sure.  But as I do so, I come across things I've saved to use "later."  This is one of them...


Daily Survival Kit for Serious Illness
by Thomas L. McDermitt (1989)
a long-time cancer patient and skeptic

(You don't have to agree with all of this all of the time.  But if it generally speaks to you, try to read all or parts of it every day, or have it read to you.  Part of the help is in the doing, regardless of your attitude or emotions of the day.  On some levels the help is gradual and often not evident)

1.  Today I am going to try to live through this day only, and not dwell on or attempt to solve all my problems at once; just focus on the piece that is today.  I can do something for several hours that would be difficult to even think about continuing for several months.

2.  Just for today, I am willing to accept the possibility that there is a  purpose to this suffering; that it can be a source of meaning and growth for myself and others, though I may not always recognize the ways.  And it seems possible that this suffering will not be in vain, because of what may be some kind of existence beyond.

3.  Just for today, let me remind myself that I am basically a worthwhile person, worth loving, despite my faults and limits.  I deserve the efforts of others to help me through my illness.

4.  Just for today, I want to be aware that it is all right to want too much from others at times.  Illness brings out and intensifies the small child in all of us.  And if I feel hurt when those who care for me cannot be there, it may help to remember that they have needs, frailties, and limitations of their own.  A lack of response does not mean that they are personally rejecting me.

5.  Today I may feeel the need to complain a great deal; I may have little tolerance; I may cry; I may scream.  That does not mean that I am less courageous or strong.  All are ways of expressing anger over this mess, or rightly mourning my losses.  Endurance itself is courage.

6.  It is my life at stake now.  So maybe today I can allow myself to be a little less concerned about the reactions or impressions of others.  Maybe I can allow myself to feel a little less guilty or bad about what I did not accomplish or give.  Perhaps today I can be a little more gentle toward myself.

7.  Surviving this is all so difficult.  At times it seems impossible--that I have had evoug.  Down the line I will know if and when I have had enough, when I cannot push the limits any further.  I will have the right to choose to stop, without feeling that I am "giving up."  But today I think I can deal  with this illness.  Sorrow runs very deep, but I think I can rise again.

8.  Just for today , maybe I can give healiing "the benefit of the doubt."  The drugs are powerful; the natureal healing capacity of my body is powerful.  And who knows, perhaps there is healing power in my will to struggle, and in the collective love and will of others.

9.  Just for today, perhaps I can take heart that we are all connected.  And I may still have some things left to contribute to the family of man; some light to add to the light.  Even now my endurance (however imperfect) is a gift, an inspiration for others in their struggles.

10.  It seems reasonable that there is a season for everything, and a time for every purpose.  Pain, weakness and exhaustion may distort my senses and spirit.  Today, however, I can at least find some hope in nature's way, if not in some master plan.  The chances are fairly good, and it seems worthwhile to hope that I will have some cycle of wellness yet.

Mormonism and Theocracy

Based on dates of postings it appears that I've been ignoring my blog.  Actually, that is far from the truth.  Some time ago I finished a book about Mormonism and I've been working to try to pull together information concerning Mormonism's theology, which can be a bit difficult to do.  If you look back over time since Mormonism's conception you'll find that their beliefs and theology have changed frequently and therefore, at times,  it is difficult to discern exactly what they believe.  Also, the church may support one view or belief internally but deny that view publicly so they will be "accepted" by Christians.  Janis Hutchinson states, "What began as a strategy of secrecy to avoid persecution has become over the course of the 20th century a strategy of minimizing discussion of the  content of theology in order to avoid being treated as pariahs" (Scott, Latayne.  The Mormon Mirage, 3rd ed., 251).  My last comment may make you think, "But Mormons are Christians."  Although they claim to be Christian, their "Christianity" would probably not be considered as such by Protestants and Catholics. 

What you will find when you read what I will post about the Mormon faith will no doubt surprise you if you've never read or studied anything about Mormonism.  Although as a Christian I find their theology strange enough, there is one issue I find a bit disconcerting: the Mormon goal of taking over the United States government.  No, I am not a conspiracy theorist, for this is a documented fact of the church.  

The following are some quotes from The Mormon Mirage by Latayne Scott, a former member of the church, as well as Janis Hutchinson, another member.  I will use quotes so no one thinks I am making anything up or reading anything into their words, though I will not copy the full 3-4 pages.  (253-255)

"Hutchinson documents from LDS and former LDS historians an organization formed by Mormon leadership under Joseph Smith called The Kingdom of God (or, alternately, The Government of God) that was to be ruled by a Council of Fifty who were sworn to secrecy about the organization and its aims and very existence...The express aim of the organization was the takeover of the United States government, not by violence, but by the grooming of Mormons to run for and win political office.  In sufficient numbers, such lawmakers and policy makers would transition the government from a democracy to a theocracy.

Brigham Young had even more far-reaching plans for 'the complete overthrow of the nation, and not only of this nation, but the nations of Europe'  The aim of the subsequent one-world government would be to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ and a thousand-year, literally theocratic kingdom.  At one point LDS leaders were quite open about his agenda...any LDS priesthood holder seeking political office was required to first garner permission from Church authorities.  As recently as the late 1960s, Mormon historian Klaus J. Hansen said of the Council of Fifty that Church leaders of his time were not likely to do away with it.  And as late as 1985...that 'though the ceremony of coronation continues to this day, it is not publicized outside the Church...'

Another  disturbing, and well-documented element...called the 'strategy of secrecy' is the blood oaths that were part of the LDS temple ceremony up until at least 1927.  In these oaths, temple ordinance participants swore enmity to the United States government and promised to avenge the blood of LDS persons who died in conflict with the government.  While there is no evidence that any man in current LDS leadership took that oath, its effect was intended to be ongoing, as noted by author Richard Abanes: 'It required Mormons to promised that they would teach their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to take vengeance on ''this nation.''  (Did current LDS leadership teach this to their children and grandchildren?  The fact that their own fathers would have sworn that oath gives reason for pause.)

In addition to these elements of LDS history...was the firm belief in a prophecy of a future date in which the US Constitution would be in serious trouble, and only saved by the LDS Church.  As a people, it was our aim to produce as many LDS lawmakers, judges, politicians, and legal experts as we possibly could, so as to fulfill and satisfy prophecy.  

Any faithful 'temple Mormon' politician has a dilemma to which Mitt Romney responded in his well-publicized speech about his loyalties.  The issue wasn't just in the minds of potential voters; it is a real dilemma for an LDS politician.  If Romney, for instance, were to be elected president of the United States, he would be asked to swear a solemn oath to protect the Constitution of the United States as a priority over any other loyalties to any other earthly entity.  However, when Mitt Romney 'took out his endowment' (participated in a secret rite in an LDS temple prior to going on his LDS mission and later before being married in such a temple), he swore another oath before God and witnesses...to keep the 'Law of  Consecration': a vow to consecrate time, energy, talents, and material possessions to to the Church for the purpose of  'building up of the Kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion.'  In addition, Romney's 'calling' to be a bishop in the Mormon Church required that he render absolute loyally to the LDS Church and its prophet."

If you want to learn more about Mormonism I'd urge you to read my upcoming blog post concerning Mormons and their theology.

The Cross and the Flame: Faces of Gravel Hill

Here is an ad I made for the church to use, but we have decided not to use it.  I wanted to share it anyway.  I picked the best smiles I had of people, nothing more.  So if you don't see yourself here it's nothing personal.  I might have a photo of you with a great smile, but I tried to use men and women as well as younger and older folks.

Did You Know? - Violence in Judea after Herod's Death

Herod the Great (born ~74 BCE, died ~4 BCE) was the "king" of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth and his influence would have been felt during Jesus' life.  He was not actually a "king," but was a client ruler of the Roman Empire.  Although he was described as a madman who killed many rabbis and murdered many people in his own family, there were reasons he was called Herod the Great.  He is best known for expanding the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, often referred to as Herod's Temple, but he also undertook many building projects in Jerusalem (eg. aqueducts, theater, amphitheater) and within the area he ruled (eg. the port of Caesarea Maritima and the city of Samara).   

Herod ruled Judea with an iron fist and he repressed any dissension to the point that Rome did not need to intervene in Judea during his reign.  Unfortunately, his death left a large power vacuum and Judea erupted in chaos when he died.  Why the power vacuum?  Because one of Herod's son would have been designated to assume his rule after his death, but he had killed most of the competent members of his family.  His oldest son was killed by his guards just days before his own death.  He also confused matters by having three wills, the last of which he revoked at the last moment.  

In the absence of an approved heir, the financial aid of the emperor based in Syria, named Sabinus, went to Judea to take charge of Herod's property.  However, because of Herod's extensive property holdings, it was difficult for Sabinus to distinguish between public and private property and he found himself in the middle of the violence that was erupting in Jerusalem during the pilgrim Festival of Tabernacles, while various Jewish factions tried to exert control over the region.  Sabinus thought he could quell the violence with the use of a legion stationed in Jerusalem along and some of his own armed slaves.  The result was intense fighting during the Feast of Tabernacles, and Sabinus' men set fire to the Temple.  The Romans got possession of the Temple treasury and much of it was stolen by the soldiers.  Sabinus appropriated 400 talents for himself.

Fighting broke out all over the country because of the lack of a governing authority as well as anger over the desecration of the Temple.  Soldiers who had been loyal to Herod could not decide whether to side with the Romans or the Jews, and two thousand veterans living in Judea joined the fighting either because of personal gain or because they hated the Jews. 

Judas, the son of a rebel that had been killed by Herod in the 40s BCE, arose in Galilee and captured the royal palace in Sepphoris (a city within about 5 miles of where Jesus spent his youth), taking all the weapons stored there.  Another group burned down one of Herod's palaces across the Jordon river.  Another group followed Simon, a slave of Herod, and plundered the palace in Jericho. Plundering and looting continued all over the country.  Anyone could try to make themselves king and many individuals formed rebel bands who then destroyed their communities, causing huge losses of material and Jewish lives.  All the fighting caused little harm to the Roman inhabitants of the area.

To restore order, the governor of Syria, Publius Quinctilius Varus, brought troops south from Antioch.  He recaptured Sepphoris, sold its inhabitants into slavery and burned down the city.  Josephus tells of thousands of Jews hung on crosses along the road for miles (certainly an event that would have been remembered and talked about in Jesus' time in Galilee). He destroyed Emmaus in revenge.  Jews that were fighting Sabinus in Jerusalem fled upon Varus' approach.  The inhabitants of Jerusalem who had not fled claimed they had been on the side of the Romans all along, and blamed the Jews who had come to Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles for the fighting.

Both Varus and the Emperor understood the complex internal power struggles of the region and that most of the fighting had not been due to hostility toward Rome.  The great majority of the people guilty of revolting were pardoned, but the leaders were sent to Caesar.  Although Caesar also let most of the leaders go, he punished members of Herod's family who participated in the fighting because they treated justice in a contemptible manner when they chose to fight against their own side.

Eventually, Herod's kingdom was divided among three of this sons by the Emperor Caesar Augustus.  Archilaus became ethnarch of the tetrarchy of Judea, Herod Antipas became tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, and Philip became tetrarch of the land east of the Jordan. 

Despite some disruptions, the time from the death of Herod until the Jewish uprising in 66 CE is considered to be a time of relative peace in Judea, with no major wars or Roman "invasions" to resume control of the region.  The Jews lived within the governmental framework of the Roman Empire and do not seem to have harbored too much animosity for the Romans.  So, while Jesus lived, he was able to perform his ministry while the population was fairly free of military intervention or major internal strife.  

References:
Goodman, Martin.  Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations. New York: Vintage Books, 2007.
Wikipedia.  "Herod the Great." 17 July 2012.  30 July 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great.

Theodicy and Aurora, Colorado

Where was God during the shooting in Aurora, Colorado?  It's simply a questions I've heard asked.  Of course, we could change the question to anywhere at anytime, like where was God during 9-11, where was God during the holocaust, where was God when the Titanic sank, or during WWI...the list goes on.  If God is good, why is there evil in the world?  Is there a good response to this question about theodicy, or should we just sweep it under the rug like we do so many questions concerning our faith?

There are a lot of answers to this question.  Some might be that God never existed, God is dead, God doesn't interfere in the world, God is standing back to give Satan the opportunity to rule until the Second Coming, or that God gives us choices and we must live with them.  We could talk about original sin, or lack of faith, or our just desserts.  Nothing, really, seems to satisfy.  We could even say that God was in that theater in Aurora, Colorado, boldly saving some people, but that isn't very comforting to the families of those who God didn't help and therefore died.  Some would say it was God's will, but I personally refuse to believe that God wants someone to wield weapons and use innocent human beings for target practice.  Let's admit it, when something like this happens, perhaps there is no wonderful, comforting answer.  So instead of wrestling with the disturbing questions, we chalk it up as one of God's mysteries, but that is also unsatisfying.

If God is good then why is there evil?  Perhaps we are wrong in our understanding of God.  The question of theodicy sometimes seems like a circle, where you make a statement but the answers you have lead you right back to the same questions, in a never-ending circle, ad infinitum.  Kind of like, what came first, the chicken or the egg?  Except the question of theodicy and the answers we have can affect the very basis of our faith. 

As Christians, we believe our God is all-knowing (omnipotent), present everywhere at all times (omni-present), possessing the ability to change anything according to his will (all-powerful).  So why doesn't he?  If God is benevolent and loves us, why would God want us to suffer, to die early, to die violently, or to die at all?   Why doesn't God at least save the little ones who have barely had a chance to live?  If we say we would gladly give our lives in exchange for a young child who died or is dying, why doesn't God feel the same way?  Why doesn't God simply cure those children instead of standing by and watching them die?  Perhaps our theodicy is wrong.  Maybe God is all-powerful but not omnipotent, and things happen that he doesn't know about.  Perhaps God is omnipotent but not all-powerful, and he can't change things.  Perhaps God is omnipotent, all-powerful, but not omni-present; maybe God can't be everywhere at all times.  Perhaps on a more simple level, there is evil in the world because God isn't all good like we say God is.  How you respond to the question of theodicy affects what you believe God's nature to be.    

As United Methodists, we believe that God is very good, but we desperately want to know why God does not intervene in the face of evil.  We profess that God made humankind in God's image.  One aspect of God's being that we embody is the ability to use our minds and respond to the world, in other words, to make choices.  And in this world where billions of people make trillions upon trillions of choices every day, we realize that we do not make those choices in a vacuum.  Everyone's choices effect everyone else in unplanned and unexpected ways.  Choices can be good or bad and can affect one person, a few people, or the whole planet.  Yet we believe that God's gift of this ability to gather information, use our brains, make decisions and follow through on those decisions is so precious to God that God does not interfere.  Why?  Because if God interferes and fixes things, or makes us do things or stops us from doing things, we become nothing more than puppets in the big cosmic play which, incidentally, would have no purpose at all except to entertain God who supposedly knows how it is all going to turn out anyway.  So, really, what would be the point?

Yes, we profess God is good.  Evil is in the world by our own doing as a result of our freedom to make choices, because we don't always make the right ones.  We love our freedom yet when things go wrong, we still want God to step in and fix things.  I'm not so sure that scripture says God will swoop down to save us every time we need saving.  Although Jesus and the disciples healed many people as a witness to God's power and presence, there are many that were never healed simply because we know that the poor and infirmed are everywhere, and Jesus and his band were not.  Jesus healed the blind man at the pool, but the Bible doesn't say anything about healing the rest of the people that were sitting around the pool, waiting for the waters to stir.  We are told in scripture that if we ask for anything in the name of Jesus, it will be granted.  We know that doesn't happen either.  We do know that scripture is rife with contradictions because the books of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament were written by different people at different times for different audiences with different understandings of nature and the world and of God.  Though inspired by God, they still constitute an author's best guess or best understanding of God, which the author may not have gotten totally correct.   

But there are some things in scripture that we can be sure of because if the books are taken as a whole, there are messages that are repeated over and over again.  One of those is that scripture provides us with everything we need to know to be saved.  Another is that God is love.  Thirdly, we know that God is with us, that God abides.  There are, of course, others.  But with these we know where God was during the shooting in Aurora, Colorado.  God was there.  God was with everyone in that place, guiding, talking, comforting, making his presence known, and for some, welcoming them to another place, because another thing we know from scripture is that Jesus has prepared a place for us when we die, a place that is better than this one.  Some could hear God above the din because they have a relationship that keeps them bound to God; some didn't know God but found him there; some didn't know God but because they had turned away from him, could never hear him.  God was with the shooter, but the shooter dismissed him and the shooter never heard.  God's voice is that still, small one that we have to want to hear.  Did God perform miracles?  Maybe, maybe not.  That is for everyone to decide on their own.  Some see them everywhere, others see them not at all.  Coincidence and luck may in fact be miracles.  I suppose it depends on how you define God's action in the world. 

Some may not find all of this very comforting, but I disagree.  I am extremely comforted by the fact that my God is with me.  No matter what I suffer, whether it be from by own decisions of the decisions of others, I know my God is with me.  God experiences my life, my ups and down, my happiness and my despair.  I know that even if I feel there is no one else in the world who knows what I am going through, my God does.  God's presence is with me whether I feel it or not, and that, for me, is enough.  Though I wish God would interfere at times, especially when loved ones are ill or dying, I submit to the mystery (even if that, too, is unsatisfying on some level) of a God who is so much above me that I cannot understand God's ways.  But I can understand his promise: I am with you, even to the end of the age.  

Did You Know? - Roman Funeral Masks

Heritage, or ancestry, was important in the ancient world to both Romans and Jews because there were simply some aspects of life where ancestry offered opportunity.  But there is one very interesting practice that the Romans had that some of us are unaware of -  the use of funeral masks.  The following is a section from the writings of Polybius:

"Whenever someone from the ranks of the illustrious dies, as a part of his funeral procession out of the city he is carried into the forum to the co-called rostra.  Usually his body is conspicuous in an upright pose; more rarely, he is lying down.  When all the people are standing round, a grown-up son, if the deceased has left one and if he happens to be present, or, if not, some other relative mounts the rostra and speaks about the virtues and lifetime achievements of the deceased...After they have buried him and performed the customary rites, a wax image of the deceased is placed in a very conspicuous spot in the house, in a wooden shrine.  This image is a mask made strikingly similar to the facial features and expression of the deceased.  The family puts these images on display on the occasion of public sacrifices, decorating them with great care.  When any illustrious family member dies, the family takes them to the funeral, putting them on men who seem to be most similar in height and size to the original...When the speaker who delivers the oration for the man to be buried has finished his speech about him, he then mentions the achievements and accomplishments of each of those other men whose masks are present, beginning with the most ancient."

Using the Big Picture

I live in Pennsylvania.  Unless you live in a hole somewhere or have no access to TV, radio, a newspaper or magazine, or the internet (in which case you would not be reading this), you have heard what is going on at Penn State.  Now I'm not a Penn State alumni, however, I was raised to be a Penn State Fan.  My father is a graduate of Penn State, my sister worked for Penn State, my brother-in-law received his degree in Medicine from Penn State, and I worked for both the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as well as The Penn State University College of Medicine.  I was raised rooting for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team.  Some of my most "comforting" family memories are of watching a Penn State game on TV with the rest of the family,  curled up in my favorite chair in a comfy warm home on chilly autumn days.

Joe Paterno was someone I always respected.  I still do, although he failed horribly in regards to Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno did a lot of good for a lot of people during his life. However, there is absolutely no excuse for not following through with the knowledge he had, but blame, in my opinion, falls even more harshly on the president of the University and those who were directly under him.  No one can gauge how damaging their non-action has been to many young boys, now young men.  What Sandusky did to these boys is not something they will ever get over.  It will follow them all of their days.  Sandusky is where he needs to be but he should have been there years ago. 

However, I don't want to talk specifically about Joe Paterno, Spanier, Curley, Schultz or anyone else involved in this scandal in regards to their failure to take direct action in protecting young children who could not protect themselves - the most vulnerable of our society.  There are other lessons here besides the obvious;  we need to look at how our inability to consider the long-range consequences of our actions affect us and others.

As an Air Force Officer on the Airborne Warning and Control System, known as AWACS, I and others like me controlled military aircraft.  With our airborne radar, we were able to see about 250 miles around the aircraft, and that gave us the "big picture" of the air environment all around us.  A fighter jet also has a radar that can detect multiple targets but it can only see out in front of the jet, not all the way around it.  Once the pilot locks his radar onto a single target he cannot see any other targets.  In a way, a fighter that has radar locked on a target automatically becomes tunnel visioned.  Aircraft that are working with AWACS in a high threat environment depend on the AWACS to relay the "big picture" to them, especially when they are in a positions where they can no longer discern where all the bandits (bad guys) are.

For some reason humans do not seem to be able to see the big picture anymore.  When Native Americans considered actions of the tribe, they were taught to imagine the future and consider how the many generations that would follow would be affected by the decisions made that day.  They were not to simply consider themselves and those with whom they lived, but to also consider those who did not yet exist.  They understood that their actions would not impact them alone.  Basically, they considered the big picture.

When people, societies or nations act, it is imperative that we all consider the big picture.  When trying to acquire the big picture, all outcomes must be considered and examined.  The big picture, which includes endpoints of all possible permutations of the equation, requires a group effort that speculates, whether based on scientific data, logic, education or wisdom, about all possible outcomes.  It requires that everyone involved thinks outside the box and most of us are not very good at that.  The big picture takes time, insight, and creative thinking to develop, and there is no room for fear when discussing the worst case scenarios; considering unpleasant outcomes is a necessity.  In fact, the worst outcomes may be the most important ones to address.  The big picture is not just about how a a single person or nation will be affected, but about how the whole human race, or even all life on the planet could be affected, not just now, but in the future as well. 
If we look at the current Penn State scandal it is obvious that the power players only considered the short term consequences.  Protecting the University took precedence over everything else, including the safety of children, and they decided that the best way to protect the University was to "hide" what Sandusky was doing.  Perhaps they believed that handling the situation in-house was the best way to protect the institution, that talking to Sandusky would be enough to scare him into proper behavior, and if the public found out there would be repercussions that would cast a pall over the football team and the University.  They obviously didn't consider the big picture - the repercussions that would occur if, after years of hiding Sandusky's actions, the truth finally came out. 

In considering possible consequences, Spanier, Curley, Schultz and Paterno might have discovered that if the problem was addressed promptly with integrity to the proper authorities they would save children and Penn State could have been lauded for choosing to reveal that one of it's own was a predator.  In being short-sighted, four people's actions have forever damaged an unknown number of children, the legacy of a respected coach, and the integrity of a beloved University.  They had tunnel vision and were locked  into one solution for the problem.  Their inability to see the bigger picture has resulted in horrible consequences.

If we would take our own blinders off we would be stunned by how often lack of a big picture infiltrates almost every problem we hear about.  Here are just a few examples:

The Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia is struck by a large piece of foam from the external tank on the leading edge of its left wing during lift off on January 16, 2003.  It is known that the thermal  tiles of the shuttle are brittle and easily damaged and if too many tiles or key tiles are damaged, the shuttle could be destroyed on re-entry.  The loss of foam from the external tank and damage to the shuttle's tiles has been a problem since the first launch.  However, up to this point in the program, every shuttle has survived re-entry despite foam striking the orbiter on lift-off.  After the foam hit is observed on Columbia, there is much discussion concerning possible damage to the leading edge of the left wing.  Engineers in NASA talk about using a telescope to view the shuttle or using the robotic arm to view the wing, but NASA officials believe everything will be alright despite not following through with visual confirmation, and decide to continue the flight as normal.  The crew is told of the strike but that NASA is not worried about damage.  The crew is unconcerned because of the information that is relayed to them.  As occurred prior with the Challenger disaster, the NASA hierarchy decides to continue the flight and re-entry as normal, despite warnings from its engineers.  At approximately 9 a.m. on February 1, 2003, just 16 minutes to landing, the shuttle broke apart during re-entry, killing all 7 astronauts.  It was a disaster that could have been prevented if the engineers, who seem to have had the "big picture," were taken seriously. 

The Fukushima Daiichi Reactor
Nuclear plants are built in the highly earthquake prone nation of Japan because of its lack of natural resources.  Historically, because of its location along the Ring of Fire, Japan has been subject to large earthquakes as well as massive tsunamis.  Records exist from as recent as the late 1800's portraying waves over 100 ft high.  The Tokyo Electric Power Company builds nuclear reactors along Japan's coastline to utilize sea water for cooling its reactors.  For protection against the sea, TEPCO erects a 19 foot sea wall around their Fukushima Daiichi reactor.  On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 earthquake occurs off the coast of Japan that produces a tsunami that is at least 46 feet high.  A lack of the big picture from within the government of Japan allows TEPCO, who is more concerned about the bottom dollar over the safety of Japan's citizens, to build a seawall that would not protect the plant, resulting in the contamination of land around the plant, forcing people off the land, perhaps for generations.  Common sense informs that a 19-foot sea wall could not possibly protect the plant, or the people, from a large tsunami. 

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Ex-President George W. Bush decides to invade Iraq, a nation that was not involved in the terrorist attacks on the United States, although this argument is used as one foundational reason for the invasion.  The Middle Eastern culture is a culture that is unlike that of the United States.  Scholars of the Middle East, as well as advisers and consultants tell Bush that his desire to establish a democracy in Iraqi will be far more difficult than he believes, if it is even achievable.  America's allies warn against the action and the UN observers tell Bush to allow their team to continue to look for weapons of mass destruction because none had yet been found.  Bush develops no exit strategy because he believes the Iraqi people will embrace the Americans as liberators instead of occupiers.  Despite all voices to the contrary, Bush chooses a course of action that displays his inability to see and comprehend the big picture, resulting in the death of over 4,400 American servicemen and servicewomen, the death of an estimated 100,000 to 700,000 civilian deaths, brings Iraq to the brink of civil war, and plunges the United States into a record deficit environment.     

Species Invasion
If you watch Animal, Planet, no doubt you have seen programs that address the python and boa constrictor invasion in the Florida Everglades.  Although the exact method of introduction is unknown, it is most likely that these snakes were introduced to the wild by pet owners who could not destroy their pets when they became too large, or from the destruction of a reptile research facility due to a hurricane.  Either way, the non-indigenous snakes are taking over Southern Florida, killing native species and posing a threat to humans and their pets.  This type of invasion is only one instance of many, including non-native fish, reptiles, mammals, plants and insects.  Although people or institutions who utilize these species, either as pets or for research, may believe that all safeguards have been taken to prevent their escape, it does appear to happen over and over again.  Obtaining "the big picture" and seriously considering and acting upon the various possible outcomes of species could decrease the release of these animals and plants considerably, perhaps by not allowing them in the country in the first place.

If you open a paper or listen to the news today, it is obvious that not assessing the big picture continues to be an issue.  We can see how trade agreements destroy third world infrastructures, how low cost mortgages result in default, how printing more money undermines world confidence in our monetary system, how drilling in shale contaminates land and groundwater, how transferring jobs overseas negatively impacts our economy, and how our continued creation of greenhouse gases is changing the world's environment.  It boggles the mind how many instances there are of people, institutions or nations making decisions and taking action without an understanding of possible outcomes.

Our inability to find and consider a larger picture has and will continue to damage this world and its people until we figure out how to act in a way that considers all outcomes and all people.  Before we act we must think and consider.  We must also learn not to put the outcome we desire first, disregarding those outcomes we wish to ignore because they are damaging or difficult.  Using the big picture must come before our own selfish concerns.  If we, our representatives, senators, and congressmen at all levels of government, institutions, and nations cannot get over their tiny worldview that only includes themselves, we are dooming future generations to a world that will be difficult to put back together again.  Hopefully, it isn't already too late.